Heitz Overcomes Slow Car

(Muskego, WI) -- The evening started out with the race winner convinced that his car was slow and all his competitors were so much faster, by the end of the event Joe Heitz was taking the Fall Brawl presented by Ole Smoky Moonshine victory football and drinking the race presenter's product in victory lane. 

During practice sessions Heitz complained that his #21 Good Vibes Racing Chevrolet-Daboiler was not nearly as quick as his teammate or his competitors, whether the team made the proper adjustments before qualifying or the 2022-23 Husarsbilt Cup champion just had a poor ability to perceive other cars relative speed, we may never know. Once cars were running on the clock, it became obvious that Heitz had a very quick car, qualifying second only to Firestone P1 Award winner Dan Margetta, who clocked his 52nd career pole position. 

Margetta took off to a sizable lead in the opening heat race and appeared to be cruising to a final and likely a shot at a race win, but with about 30 seconds left to go, going into turn three, the #27 Team Spehert Honda-Daboiler hit the wall and crashed out of the event, Matt Hayek running several laps down inherited the lead, took the surprise heat win. In a quirk of the rules, Hayek's lap total did not exceed Margetta's, however, a DNF in a heat race, takes the car out of the event.

The second heat saw a battle between to FAST teammates Mike Lack and Steve Rist. Lack led through much of the heat, however, Rist closed the gap to the point where they were almost side by side, has the clock ran out it was Lack with the win and Rist with a solid lap total for the transfer spot. Pete Dorn exited the event early with a crash similar to Margetta's and settling for 12th on the night.

Finally it was Joe Heitz chance to race against other cars heads-up, it was quickly apparent, if the second place qualifying position wasn't proof enough, that the Splenda car was very quick, opening a lead on home town hero Dean Strom and Team Spehert's Chris Spehert. Heitz would never be challenged, but a good battle ran to the finish for second place in the heat, ultimately Spehert would finish seventh on the night and Strom eighth.

The final opened with Steve Rist taking the point ahead of Mike Lack again running closely as they had in their heat, with Heitz third and Hayek in fourth. As the race neared the midpoint, Heitz moved past Lack and was running the fastest laps on track as he closed in on Rist. Pit stops were uneventful, but Heitz continued to close on Rist and ultimately took the lead. It was shortly after the lead change that Lack's #9 FAST PNC Honda-Daboiler crashed taking the seven-time champion out, elevating Hayek to third, this time Hayek didn't merely accept the promotion the #15 FAST II: The Castaways pilot set his sights on moving up, Rist would struggle just enough, while Hayek turned in smooth laps ultimately getting past for second in the last minute. All of this happening while Heitz had sailed well off in to the lead to take the checkers and his first win since the Trokan Cup last season.

The podium a swig of the Ole Smoky Moonshine and Heitz found himself jumping from tenth to sixth in the standings, while Hayek holds the lead by 17 points over Lack. The series heads to the Black Forest for the Deckertring Grand Prix in two weeks.

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