2025 Championship on the Line at IRP
2025 Championship on the Line at IRP
By: Kelland Sloan - 500 Sprint Car Tour Media
For the fourth time in as many years, the 500 Sprint Car Tour season will come to a close at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. Known as the second home of the 500 Sprint Car Tour, the facility has played host to five Sprint Car Tour events over the past three seasons. Three of those five events have been the season ending Championship event, with the fourth scheduled for this Saturday, October 18th as part of Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park’s Halloween Fest.
The 500 Sprint Car Tour enters the weekend with three drivers firmly in the Championship hunt. Dakoda Armstrong has held the championship lead for most of the season, and maintains a 36 point lead over Kody Swanson. Swanson, who is a two-time and defending champion of the series, will be looking for a perfect day at a familiar track to earn his third 500 Sprint Car Tour Championship. Tyler Roahrig currently sits in third place, just 92 points behind the leader. Roahrig is the 2023 series champion, and is the series’ all time wins leader. He will need a lot of help, and a perfect day on his end, to win his second championship. All the while, Armstrong will be looking for his first championship after being in the mix in year’s past. Although he does not need a perfect day to maintain his lead, he will need to limit mistakes and have a clean showing at a track he has performed well at in the past.
A handful of familiar faces will make their return to the field as Kyle Robbins, Jake Trainor, Brian Vaughn, Chase Locke, and Anthony Nocella have all entered the event. Trainor, the 2025 Unified Group Services Little 500 Winner, has competed in just one points races this season, along with Robbins. Vaughn and Nocella have each competed in two points races this year, while Locke has competed in three events. Locke, an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, last competed at Winchester Speedway for the Tom Bigelow Showdown.
A well known name in many racing circles, Michael Lewis, will be making his 500 Sprint Car Tour debut at this Saturday’s event. Lewis will be getting behind the wheel of the famous #5 Klatt Beast Racing machine, built by notorious sprint car chassis builder, Bob East. Lewis, a Noblesville, Indiana native, has been racing since 1989. Lewis is a former USAC Rookie of the year and Champion from the early 2000’s. He has two Little 500 starts from 2003 and 2004 with a best finish of 3rd. Lewis was also a finalist for “The Gong Show”, a 2005 show featuring Roush Racing’s search for the next star of racing.
Other notable entries for the event include, but are not limited to: Jackson Macenko, Jake McElfresh, Nathan Byrd, Justin Harper, Taylor Ferns, Rylan Gray, Tony Main, Brady Allum, and Bobby Santos III. There are currently 24 cars entered into the event.
Halloween Fest at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park is set for Saturday, October 18th at 6:00pm. The 500 Sprint Car Tour will be joined by the National Pavement Midget Championship and the All-Star Pavement Midgets. Tickets for the event will be $25 for adults, while kids aged 12 and under will receive free admission. Pit gates will open at 10:00am and spectator gates will open at 1:00pm. Practice begins at 1:30pm, qualifying will start at 4:05pm, and racing will begin around 6:00pm following opening ceremonies at 5:45pm. Fans that are unable to attend can see all of the action live on DIRTVision.For more information, or to purchase tickets ahead of time, click HERE.
