FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Dec. 18, 2021) – Even after two years, Saturday’s finale to the 23rd Rumble in Fort Wayne presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales was a reminder that some things just never change.
All-time Rumble wins leader Tony Stewart picked up his record-extending 12th national midget feature victory inside the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum with a rout of the field, taking the famed Our Gang Poker No. 2 Munchkin to a half-track victory in a caution-free 50-lap main event.
The midget feature went from green to checkered in a scant six minutes and 53 seconds.
Stewart started third, but moved to the runner-up spot behind polesitter Travis Welpott on the initial start. From there, he laid in wait until Welpott slipped off the bottom of the track at the start of lap four, powering to the inside and never looking back after that.
Stewart then drove away and carved his way effortlessly through slower traffic during the latter stages of the race. His official margin of victory at the checkered flag was 3.947 seconds.
“After how things ended last night, we wanted to come back here and prove what we’re capable of,” Stewart said. “I’d say that run did that. With the way Travis [Welpott] ran in the opener, I was a little nervous about whether we’d be able to get past him or not, but when he started slipping, I knew we had a chance.
“Sam McGhee [crew chief] has basically lived at my shop the last month getting these cars ready; I think I can about claim him as a dependent on my taxes,” the three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion added with a hearty laugh. “He’s put in so much effort with the rest of this team and I’m glad we could reward them tonight.”
Rumble rookie Jack Macenko, who qualified for both features during his maiden showing at the indoor racing classic, held down second place for the majority of the second half after a stellar move to the outside that allowed him to dispatch Welpott.
Though Macenko couldn’t catch Stewart, he was still all smiles after what many considered to be a career-defining weekend for the high school senior and Kenyon Midget Series regular.
“I can’t believe this,” Macenko admitted. “We came in here just wanting to make a feature and to have a car like that … I’m so proud of this team. It’s incredible and it’s a huge boost for us going into next season.”
Friday runner-up Billy Wease completed the Saturday podium ahead of Trey Osborne and Joey Payne, another Rumble rookie who made both midget features during the weekend.
Stewart kicked off the night by setting fast time for the 16th time in his Rumble career, with a lap of 7.508 seconds around the temporary, seventh-mile concrete-and-pop syrup oval.
Macenko, Russ Gamester, Ryan Flores and Wease won their respective heat races. Derek Bischak and Payne split the B-main wins.
Saturday’s 600cc micro features were just as entertaining as their Friday counterparts, with two new winners starring at the end of those 25-lap contests.
Tyler Shullick held off his car owner, Rumble micro kingpin John Ivy, for the win in the winged 600cc micro feature after a wild affair during which late leader Cap Henry was relegated to the tail of the field with three laps to go after contact with a spinning lapped car led to a soft right-front tire.
Shullick inherited the top spot with three laps left and then out-raced Ivy for the win by .748 seconds. Chase Ridenour, Tylar Rankin, Kelsey Ivy and Ryan Ball closed the top six.
Shullick also set the all-time Rumble in Fort Wayne track record during winged 600cc micro qualifying earlier in the day. His lap of 7.255 seconds shattered the previous mark of 7.323 seconds, set by Tony Stewart in a midget during the 2005 edition of the Rumble.
The non-winged 600cc micro feature featured contact for the lead inside of five laps to go, after race-long dominator Justin Harper slowed off turn two and was hit by then runner-up Tyler Gunn.
Harper couldn’t continue once the caution flag waved, while Gunn was able to keep rolling and then led the final four laps for his first career Rumble micro victory.
Dillon Nusbaum finished second in non-winged action, followed by Brian Busz, Michael Busz and Grant Valkner.
Shawn Kluck headlined the list of go-kart feature winners on Saturday by becoming the fourth different winner in four runnings of the $2,000-to-win John Limbacher Memorial Race for the Clone 360 class.
Kluck held off a mid-race challenge from 2018 race winner Dustin Heath and led the final eight laps of the 20-lap feature. Heath ended as the runner-up finisher.
Other go-kart winners Saturday included Missy Bootes (Senior Caged), Parker Moyer (Junior Caged), Travis Fisher (Clone 400), Jakeb Boxell (Clone 330), Carson Mason (Junior 3), Evan Verduin (Wedge Kart), Kaden Sexton (WRA Wedge) and Daulton Soningsen (Kid Kart).
Austin Kryta (Animal, Heavy 160, Heavy 120) picked up three more quarter midget victories Saturday to push his weekend total to five wins in eight races overall between go-karts and quarter midgets.
Kedryn Evenson (Senior Honda, Light 160) won in two quarter midget classes Saturday, while Cam Lindsay completed the weekend sweep in the Junior Honda quarter midget division.
Evenson was selected as the SPEED SPORT One/Pit Row TV Rising Star of the Rumble, collecting a $200 bonus, while brothers Mel and Don Kenyon received the event’s highest honor, the David Lesiecki Award for Dedication to Auto Racing.
Every lap from both days of the 23rd Rumble in Fort Wayne is available for on-demand replay through SPEED SPORT Network affiliate Pit Row TV, which broadcast the event live to a worldwide audience for the first time in its history.
Viewers from more than 40 states and several Canadian provinces tuned in over the course of the two-day spectacle to take in the action.
The 24th renewal of the Rumble in Fort Wayne is slated for Dec. 30-31, 2022.
23rd Rumble in Fort Wayne presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales; Allen County War Memorial Coliseum; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Dec. 18, 2021
National Midget Qualifying (group aggregate): 1. 2-Tony Stewart, 7.508; 2. 8up-Joe Liguori, 7.606; 3. 59-Bryan Nuckles, 7.618; 4. 18-Travis Welpott, 7.619; 5. 24-Shawn Bonar, 7.630; 6. 31-Derek Bischak, 7.660; 7. 97-Mike Fedorcak, 7.692; 8. 2.5-Joey Payne, 7.698; 9. 24m-Jack Macenko, 7.712; 10. 46-Russ Gamester, 7.740; 11. 98-Ryan Flores, 7.746; 12. 99w-Billy Wease, 7.763; 13. 6k-Trey Osborne, 7.811; 14. 19-Austin Nemire, 7.819; 15. 16-Nick Hamilton, 7.823; 16. 49-Tim Creech, 7.868; 17. 9s-Charlie Schultz, 7.871; 18. 4b-Scott Koerner, 7.925; 19. 1x-Ryan Moran, 7.964; 20. 33-Jordan Caskey, 7.987; 21. 61-Jeff Champagne, 7.991; 22. 99-Brandon Knupp, 7.997; 23. 75-Ayrton Houk, 8.020; 24. 72-Cody Gallogly, 8.024; 25. 45-Daryl Campbell, 8.057; 26. 10k-Christian Koehler, 8.122; 27. 53-Justin Harper, 8.129; 28. 14-Keith Ousley, 8.353; 29. 6-Chris Malaterre, 8.712.
National Midget Heat Race #1 (10 laps, top two transfer): 1. Jack Macenko [1], 2. Tony Stewart [3] / 3. Charlie Schultz [5], 4. Trey Osborne [4], 5. Shawn Bonar [2], 6. Daryl Campbell [7], 7. Jeff Champagne [6], 8. Chris Malaterre [8].
National Midget Heat Race #2 (10 laps, top two transfer): 1. Russ Gamester [1], 2. Austin Nemire [4] / 3. Derek Bischak [2], 4. Brandon Knupp [6], 5. Scott Koerner [5], 6. Christian Koehler [7], 7. Joe Liguori [3].
National Midget Heat Race #3 (10 laps, top two transfer): 1. Ryan Flores [1], 2. Bryan Nuckles [3] / 3. Mike Fedorcak [2], 4. Nick Hamilton [4], 5. Ryan Moran [5], 6. Ayrton Houk [6], 7. Justin Harper [7].
National Midget Heat Race #4 (10 laps, top two transfer): 1. Billy Wease [1], 2. Travis Welpott [3] / 3. Joey Payne [2], 4. Tim Creech [4], 5. Cody Gallogly [6], 6. Jordan Caskey [5], 7. Keith Ousley [7].
National Midget Last Chance Showdown #1 (12 laps, top three transfer): 1. Derek Bischak [2], 2. Trey Osborne [3], 3. Joe Liguori [10] / 4. Jeff Champagne [9], 5. Brandon Knupp [4], 6. Christian Koehler [8], 7. Daryl Campbell [7], 8. Charlie Schultz [1], 9. Chris Malaterre [11], 10. Scott Koerner [6], 11. Shawn Bonar [5].
National Midget Last Chance Showdown #2 (10 laps, top three transfer): 1. Joey Payne [2], 2. Mike Fedorcak [1], 3. Nick Hamilton [3] / 4. Ayrton Houk [7], 5. Justin Harper [9], 6. Jordan Caskey [8], 7. Keith Ousley [10], 8. Cody Gallogly [6], 9. Tim Creech [4], 10. Ryan Moran [5].
National Midget A-Feature (50 laps): 1. 2-Tony Stewart [3], 2. 24m-Jack Macenko [4], 3. 99w-Billy Wease [7], 4. 6k-Trey Osborne [11], 5. 2.5-Joey Payne [10], 6. 59-Bryan Nuckles [2], 7. 31-Derek Bischak [9], 8. 16-Nick Hamilton [14], 9. 19-Austin Nemire [8], 10. 98-Ryan Flores [6], 11. 8up-Joe Liguori [13], 12. 97-Mike Fedorcak [12], 13. 46-Russ Gamester [5], 14. 18-Travis Welpott [1].
Lap Leader(s): Welpott 1-3, Stewart 4-50.
Hard Charger: #6k – Trey Osborne (+7)
Winged 600cc Micro Qualifying (group aggregate): 1. 40-Tyler Shullick, 7.255 (all-time track record); 2. 94-John Ivy, 7.398; 3. 17-Cap Henry, 7.420; 4. 44-Blake Adams, 7.743; 5. 87-Nate Franklin, 7.743; 6. 01-Chase Ridenour, 7.787; 7. 21-Clay Sanders, 7.804; 8. 3w-Dylan Woodling, 7.840; 9. 29i-Kelsey Ivy, 7.860; 10. 11b-Drew Dorsett, 7.870; 11. 5-Brian Busz, 7.888; 12. 08-Cory Grenzy, 7.910; 13. 26-Howard McCormick, 7.924; 14. 39-Tylar Rankin, 8.020; 15. 10r-Ryan Ball, 8.036; 16. 84-Bill Dunham, 8.109; 17. 51-Jason Ormsby, 8.112; 18. 18-Cody Tyler, 8.144; 19. 21h-Michael Higdon, 8.209; 20. 12-Chris Malaterre II, 8.307; 21. 69-Blake Lamb, NT; 22. 79-Nick Lucas, NT; 23. 62-Rod Henning, NT.
Winged 600cc Micro Heat Race #1 (8 laps, top four transfer): 1. Clay Sanders [2], 2. Drew Dorsett [1], 3. Tyler Shullick [4], 4. Blake Adams [3] / 5. Howard McCormick [5], 6. Bill Dunham [6], 7. Michael Higdon [7].
Winged 600cc Micro Heat Race #2 (8 laps, top four transfer): 1. Brian Busz [1], 2. John Ivy [4], 3. Nate Franklin [3], 4. Dylan Woodling [2] / 5. Tylar Rankin [5], 6. Chris Malaterre II [6], 7. Jason Ormsby (DNS).
Winged 600cc Micro Heat Race #3 (8 laps, top four transfer): 1. Cap Henry [4], 2. Chase Ridenour [3], 3. Cory Grenzy [1], 4. Kelsey Ivy [2] / 5. Ryan Ball [5], 6. Cody Tyler [6].
Winged 600cc Micro B-Main (10 laps, top four transfer): 1. Howard McCormick [1], 2. Ryan Ball [3], 3. Cody Tyler [6], 4. Tylar Rankin [2] / 5. Chris Malaterre [7], 6. Michael Higdon [5], 7. Bill Dunham [4].
Winged 600cc Micro Feature (30 laps): 1. 40-Tyler Shullick [8], 2. 94-John Ivy [7], 3. 01-Chase Ridenour [3], 4. 39-Tylar Rankin [16], 5. 29i-Kelsey Ivy [9], 6. 10r-Ryan Ball [14], 7. 17-Cap Henry [6], 8. 08-Cory Grenzy [12], 9. 26-Howard McCormick [13], 10. 11b-Drew Dorsett [10], 11. 3w-Dylan Woodling [1], 12. 18-Cody Tyler [15], 13. 5-Brian Busz [11], 14. 87-Nate Franklin [4], 15. 21-Clay Sanders [2], 16. 44-Blake Adams [5].
Lap Leader(s): Woodling 1-5, Shullick 6-15, Henry 16-22, Shullick 23-25.
Hard Charger: #39 – Tylar Rankin (+12)
Non-Winged 600cc Micro Qualifying (group aggregate): 1. 20i-John Ivy, 7.952; 2. 51-Jason Ormsby, 7.986; 3. 68g-Tyler Gunn, 8.009; 4. 2-Dustin Ingle, 8.017; 5. 46-Tyler Lindsay, 8.059; 6. 16-Grant Valkner, 8.072; 7. 12c-Blane Culp, 8.088; 8. 53-Justin Harper, 8.102; 9. 75b-Brian Busz, 8.106; 10. 9m-Jonathan Reid, 8.119; 11. 21s-Larry Joe Sroufe, 8.125; 12. 73b-Brent Busz, 8.149; 13. 17n-Dillon Nusbaum, 8.209; 14. 12k-Sam Kimmel, 8.240; 15. 15-Andy Hall, 8.242; 16. 69-Blake Lamb, 8.337; 17. 57b-Michael Busz, 8.404; 18. 48-Bobby Murany, 8.486; 19. 777-Ben Long, 8.520; 20. 21L-Brenton Lamb, 8.531; 21. 8-Tony Jones, 9.012; 22. Brandon Yeiter, NT.
Non-Winged 600cc Micro Heat Race #1 (8 laps, top four transfer): 1. Dustin Ingle [1], 2. Blane Culp [2], 3. Dillon Nusbaum [3], 4. John Ivy [4] / 5. Blake Lamb [6], 6. Ben Long [5], 7. Jonathan Reid (DNS).
Non-Winged 600cc Micro Heat Race #2 (8 laps, top four transfer): 1. Larry Joe Sroufe [1], 2. Justin Harper [2], 3. Tyler Lindsay [3], 4. Jason Ormsby [4] / 5. Michael Busz [6], 6. Sam Kimmel [5], 7. Brenton Lamb (DNS).
Non-Winged 600cc Micro Heat Race #3 (8 laps, top four transfer): 1. Brent Busz [1], 2. Brian Busz [2], 3. Grant Valkner [3], 4. Tyler Gunn [4] / 5. Andy Hall [5], 6. Bobby Murany [6], 7. Tony Jones (DNS).
Non-Winged 600cc Micro B-Main (10 laps, top four transfer): 1. Blake Lamb [1], 2. Michael Busz [2], 3. Andy Hall [3], 4. Sam Kimmel [5] / 5. Bobby Murany [6], 6. Ben Long [4].
Non-Winged 600cc Micro Feature (25 laps): 1. 68g-Tyler Gunn [8], 2. 17n-Dillon Nusbaum [6], 3. 75b-Brian Busz [9], 4. 57b-Michael Busz [12], 5. 16-Grant Valkner [3], 6. 12k-Sam Kimmel [14], 7. 12-Blane Culp [2], 8. 46-Tyler Lindsay [4], 9. 15-Andy Hall [15], 10. 73b-Brent Busz [11], 11. 21s-Larry Joe Sroufe [10], 12. 51-Jason Ormsby [7], 13. 53-Justin Harper [1], 14. 69-Blake Lamb [13], 15. 20i-John Ivy [16], 16. 2-Dustin Ingle [5].
Lap Leader(s): Harper 1-21, Gunn 22-25.
Hard Charger: #57b – Michael Busz (+8)
Senior Caged Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Missy Bootes, 2. Dylan Woodling, 3. Ryan Moran, 4. Kevin Wall Jr., 5. Seumus Calderwood, 6. Jeremy Howe, 7. Jim Focht, 8. Brooke Ramey, 9. Jeremy Smith, 10. Bill Warner.
Junior Caged Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Parker Moyer, 2. Tristan Chamberlain, 3. Oliver Osborn, 4. Aiden Forster, 5. Colton Rychener, 6. Macy Staton, 7. Alex Geren, 8. Kalib Richardson, 9. Annalena Wells, 10. Dylan Trost, 11. Carson Mason (DNS).
Clone 360 John Limbacher Memorial (20 laps): 1. Shawn Kluck [$2,000], 2. Dustin Heath, 3. Doug Stearly, 4. Joey Pendergrass, 5. Alex Smolders, 6. RJ Cornett, 7. Josh McKnight, 8. Kevin Wall Jr., 9. Jakeb Boxell, 10. Larry Kingseed Jr., 11. Grant Kanfield, 12. Damon Woodbury, 13. Jake Dukeshire, 14. Philip Schneider.
Lap Leader(s): McKnight 1, Kluck 2-11, Heath 12, Kluck 13-20
Clone 400 Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Travis Fisher, 2. Erik Wolleson, 3. Justin Clark, 4. JoJo Warner, 5. Zach Myers, 6. Cory Mills, 7. Charlie Schultz, 8. Chris Frank, 9. Seumus Calderwood, 10. Kyle Watson, 11. Blake Smith, 12. Derek Hammond, 13. Jeff Funk, 14. Andrea Weaver.
Clone 330 Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Jakeb Boxell, 2. Dustin Heath, 3. Shawn Kluck, 4. Josh McKnight, 5. Damon Woodbury, 6. Joey Pendergrass, 7. Doug Stearly, 8. Kevin Wall Jr., 9. Steven Dombrowski, 10. Jonathan Rangel, 11. Alex Smolders, 12. Philip Schneider, 13. Quentin White, 14. Larry Kingseed Jr.
Junior 3 Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Carson Mason, 2. Landen Francis, 3. Blayne Keckler, 4. Tristan Chamberlain, 5. Charlie Baur, 6. Andrew Bogusz, 7. Travis Whittal, 8. Kalib Richardson, 9. Jaxon Kilpatrick, 10. Colton Coe (DNS), 11. Austin Kryta (DNS).
Wedge Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Evan Verduin, 2. Elijah Haughee, 3. Addison Pressler, 4. Mason Lowe, 5. Brycen Schrock, 6. Samantha Banta, 7. Addy Wade, 8. Landyn Neitling, 9. Cruz Everage, 10. AJ White, 11. Tristan Ray Blair, 12. Ella Terry, 13. Colton Gill, 14. Madison Zelmer.
WRA Wedge Go-Kart Feature (15 laps): 1. Kaden Sexton, 2. Maddy Dodd, 3. Kamdin Bryan.
Kid Kart Feature (10 laps): 1. Daulton Sonningsen, 2. Luke Hessel, 3. Reed Hicks, 4. Kear Mills, 5. Trax Wolff, 6. Keilan Calderwood, 7. Colter Ballenbacher, 8. Tigh Shaffer, 9. Cole Staton.
Animal Combined QM Feature (12 laps): 1. Austin Kryta, 2. Kamden Hibbitt, 3. Nolan Mitchell, 4. Kedryn Evenson, 5. Andrew White, 6. David Carter Jr., 7. Taylor Gruss, 8. Matthew Weaver, 9. Johnny Bishop, 10. Austin Geer, 11. Caleb Edington.
Senior Honda QM Feature (12 laps): 1. Kedryn Evenson, 2. Nolan Mitchell, 3. Matthew Dennany, 4. Jaden Tharp, 5. Dylan Regnerus, 6. Lukas Waber, 7. Memarie Ashcraft, 8. Phillip Clement Jr., 9. Isaiah Higdon, 10. Ethan Geer, 11. Cohen Ellet, 12. Connor Hoag.
Junior Honda QM Feature (12 laps): 1. Cam Lindsay, 2. Kadence Hibbitt, 3. Austin Keehn, 4. McDenna Kren, 5. JD Kimmel, 6. Jimmy High III, 7. Jaxson Ridenour, 8. Hunter Collins.
Heavy 160 QM Feature (12 laps): 1. Austin Kryta, 2. Alexis Regnerus, 3. Austin Geer, 4. Matthew Weaver, 5. Andrew White, 6. Taylor Gruss, 7. Mason Damman, 8. Caleb Edington (DNS).
Heavy 120 QM Feature (12 laps): 1. Austin Kryta, 2. Kaleb McCloskey, 3. Caleb Edington (DNS).
Light 160 QM Feature (12 laps): 1. Kedryn Evenson, 2. Kamden Hibbitt, 3. Chase Conrad, 4. JD Kimmel, 5. Lukas Waber, 6. Jaden Tharp, 7. Memarie Ashcraft.
David Lesiecki Award: Mel and Don Kenyon
Quarter Midget Rising Star: Kedryn Evenson