Roahrig Rules Hoosier Hundred For First Silver Crown Win

Tyler Roahrig poses in victory lane at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. (Indy Racing Images photo)

CLERMONT, Ind. – Before Friday at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, a win was all that was missing from Tyler Roahrig’s USAC Silver Crown Series resume.

Twelve prior starts over four years had yielded everything but a trip to victory lane. Roahrig rectified that with a convincing performance in the 68th running of the Hoosier Hundred.

After qualifying second and chasing five-time event winner Kody Swanson through the early laps, Roahrig passed the eight-time Silver Crown champion on lap 26, surging to the inside and never looking back.

Roahrig led the final 121 laps of the 100-mile contest unchallenged with his Jackson Chevy-powered Beast Chassis for his first USAC national victory in and of the sanctioning body’s top three divisions.

It marked a $15,000 victory for the Newman Racing team sponsored by Firstline Systems Inc., Drywall Distributors, Rocket Fabrication.

“It’s about time,” a relieved Roahrig said. “I was complaining after (April’s) Toledo (Speedway) race that we’d done everything but win one of these things. And man, it sure feels good. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve been in the Silver Crown series for four years, but we haven’t really run that many races.”

Tyler’s great uncle, Dave Roahrig, won in the USAC National Sprint Car Series with a rear engine car at Tri-County Speedway in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1973.

Fifty-two years later, Tyler put the Roahrig family name in the USAC record book again.

“My great uncle is a big part of our team,” explained Roahrig. “He comes to the race shop every day. He’s taught me a lot about racing and just everything. One reason I wanted to win a USAC race so badly was just so I could have something in common with my uncle.

“It feels really good to have my name mentioned with my great uncle Dave.”

Roahrig’s 121 laps led Friday are the third-most in a single USAC Silver Crown event ever. Only Tom Bigelow (164 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in 1975) and Swanson (150 at Toledo in 2011) have beaten that total.

Polesitter Mario Clouser paced the opening circuit before Swanson controlled the next 25 laps, after passing for the lead in turns one and two.

Roahrig quickly followed into second, and then stalked Swanson after that before making his move.

“It’s always that battle of ‘Am I going too hard or do I want to pass them when I can,’” Roahrig noted. “Especially with Swanson. He’s kind of the master of management, I guess you could say. I wanted to get the lead when I felt like I could, to control the race and control the restarts and it worked out. He’s the benchmark in this series and it’s always fun racing with him.”

Roahrig opened a 3.3-second advantage at the halfway point, despite working in and out of traffic at various times. As he did so, Clouser and C.J. Leary attempted to close in from second and third, respectively, in the later stages.

Clouser’s move past Swanson with 34 to go and Leary’s pass with 29 laps left got them close, but Roahrig was able to manage a 1.5- to 2.5-second advantage the rest of the way.

“This car was just on a rail,” Roahrig said. “I thought we’d be pretty good after the race here last fall. We had some issues, but the car was really good. We pretty much came back with the same thing, and it was so strong. I couldn’t have asked for a better race car.”

Roahrig is the first driver to win his first career USAC Silver Crown Series race during the Hoosier Hundred since Shane Hmiel in 2010 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds dirt mile, the event’s longtime home until 2020.

Leary slotted into the runner-up spot with 14 to go, but ran out of time to run down Roahrig. He did, however, equal his career-best Hoosier Hundred result in second.

Clouser completed the podium, followed by Swanson and rookie Jake Trainor, who advanced from 16th to fifth in just his second series start to earn Rod End Supply Hard Charger honors.

Friday’s total race time of one hour, 17.436 seconds was a track record for the fastest Hoosier Hundred since the event moved to IRP two years ago.

The next USAC Silver Crown Series race is June 14 at the 1.25-mile World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

The finish:

Hoosier Hundred (146 laps, 100 miles): 1. Tyler Roahrig (2), 2. C.J. Leary (7), 3. Mario Clouser (1), 4. Kody Swanson (3), 5. Jake Trainor (16), 6. Logan Seavey (6), 7. Justin Grant (5), 8. Jackson Macenko (11), 9. Nathan Byrd (10), 10. Kyle O'Gara (8), 11. Taylor Ferns (15), 12. Matt Westfall (17), 13. Casey Buckman (18), 14. Gregg Cory (20), 15. Brian Tyler (12), 16. Bobby Santos (4), 17. Russ Gamester (14), 18. Kyle Steffens (13), 19. Danny Jennings (19), 20. Dave Berkheimer (21), 21. Dakoda Armstrong (9), 22. Bryan Gossel (22).

Lap Leader(s): Mario Clouser 1, Kody Swanson 2-25, Tyler Roahrig 26-146.