By T.J. Buffenbarger
KALAMAZOO, MI (August 23, 2024) — Tyler Roahrig filled in another blank on his racing resume Friday night by winning the 500 Sprint Car Tour feature event Friday night at Kalamazoo Speedway.
Roahrig, from Plymouth, Indiana, has won several feature events at Kalamazoo throughout his career including some of track’s biggest events. Until Friday, Roahrig had gone winless in sprint car competition at the high speed 3/8-mile oval. Roahrig achieved that accomplishment in dominating fashion finishing 3.099 seconds ahead of Kingsburg, California veteran Kody Swanson.
With lots of family and friends on hand such a meaningful track for Roahrig had him laser focused all night on the goal of finally getting a sprint car feature victory at Kalamazoo.
“It means a lot. Honestly, it’s something I’ve been wanting. I’ve had this race circled on my calendar all year,” said Roahrig of the 500 Sprint Car Tour event at Kalamazoo. “It’s cool that a lot of friends are here that I know growing up racing, a lot people that watch me race my late model stuff are here. That was the biggest motivator, and it finally all came together.”
Swanson started on the pole for the 50-lap feature event alongside Taylor Ferns. Swanson took the lead at the start while Jake Trainor and Bobby Santos III swapped the second position back and forth for multiple laps, allowing Swanson to pull away.
Roahrig, who started sixth after setting quick time paced himself early in the event until lap 10 when he started making his presence felt. Roahrig moved up from fourth position all the way to the lead in four laps, driving around the top of Swanson through turns one and two on lap 14.
From there it was lights out as Roahrig’s advantage at one point had built up to over four seconds over Swanson as Roahrig was never seriously challenged the remainder of the non-stop feature event. Swanson, Trainor, Santos, and Kyle O’Gara from ninth starting position rounded out the top five.
Roahrig’s patent start in the event paid off as his car continually improved as the race went on.
“The first few laps, it was a little slippery, probably because the tires weren’t hot,” said Roahrig. “I don’t run bleeders or anything like that. I knew my car was good, obviously. I was trying to be cautious and not put myself in a bad position to get wrecked trying to come up through the field.”
At the end, Roahrig still had more left in the tank when it appeared his competition was starting to slowly gain on him in the closing stages of the main event.
“I knew I had a pretty decent lead and I kind of got complacent,” said Roahrig. “I saw my signal guy kind of brought his hands together a little bit, so I picked up the pace. I was just trying to manage the race and not put myself in a poor position to get to get taken out.”
In the USSA Kenyon Midget feature 22 year old Ryan Huggler from Winamac, Indiana picked up his first feature victory in six years during the series’ first appearance at Kalamazoo Speedway and maintain his point lead with the series.
Huggler held off multiple challenges from Landon Brown, who spun out trading the lead with Huggler in the early stages of the main event, and Clayton Gaines before pulling away during the second half of the 20-lap feature for the victory.
For Huggler, winning at a new track for the series made ending his dry spell extra special.
“It shows that it was an even playing field tonight,” Huggler said of the series’ first race at Kalamazoo. We were able to come out on top when nobody’s ran here before, so definitely feels good.
500 Sprint Car Tour
Kalamazoo Speedway
Kalamazoo, Michigan
Friday, August 23, 2024
Feature:
1. 56-Tyler Roahrig
2. 33-Kody Swanson
3. 29-Jake Trainor
4. 98-Bobby Santos IIII
5. 67-Kyle O’Gara
6. 80-Billy Wease
7. 55-Taylor Ferns
8. U2-Derek Bischak
9. 24-Jackson Manscheco
10. 40-Nathan Byrd
11. 64-Cole Sink
12. 4-Donnie Adams Jr.
13. 31-Tim Creech
14. 18-Landon Butler
15. 53-Justin Harper
16. 27-Chris Jagger
17. 18B-Shane Butler
USSA Kenyon Midgets
Feature:
1. 84-Ryan Huggler
2. 26-Clayton Gaines
3. 39-Evan Hammond
4. 88-Clayton Bohanon
5. 8-Dameron Taylor
6. 15H-Buddy Hollmeyer
7. 20-Risdon Brown
8. 2-Jeff Hill
9. 21-Kyle Sheard
10. 48-RyanShilkuski
11. 15-Landon Brown
12. 42-Lee Pierce
13. 02-Jase Petty