MARNE, Mich. — At the beginning of 2026, it would’ve been hard to imagine Tyler Roahrig not getting his first yourBIGplans.com 500 Sprint Car Tour win of the year until late August.
Based off results in recent years, however, him winning at Berlin Raceway would not come as a shock one single bit.
The 2023 series champion made it seven for seven in 500 Sprint Car Tour competition by winning Friday night at Berlin in just his second start of the year with the series. It was a successful return to Sprint Car racing for the Plymouth, IN driver, who was making his first appearance since the Little 500 after a wreck during that event put his No.56 machine out of commission for nearly three months.
After setting fast time in qualifying and redrawing the fourth starting spot, Roahrig wasted no time getting to the front. He led all but one of the 50 laps in the main event and won by over two seconds, but it didn’t come without a near callback to last year’s race.
A caution just after halfway put current points leader Kody Swanson to his outside for the restart. Roahrig was able to put away the No.33 and cruised to Berlin victory lane.
“You definitely don’t want a yellow while you’re leading and I saw the No.33 (Swanson) was in second. The last time we were here he made me work for it pretty hard so I really didn’t want to see that yellow,” Roahrig said in victory lane. “He hung with me on the restart; good, clean racing with Kody as always and with Bobby at the start of the race.”
“It’s been a tough year for our team for sure. This is our first race back since we tangled with a lapped car at the Little 500. Hopefully we can salvage the end of our year here with this car.”
Roahrig has now won all seven 500 Sprint Car Tour appearances at Berlin Raceway to go along with four Outlaw Super Late Model wins and a weekly template-bodied Super Late Model victory.
If there was one track for Roahrig to turn his Sprint Car season around, it would be in West Michigan at one of his favorite racetracks.
“As a kid I was terrified to come here because you hear so many horror stories of guys coming here for the first time and not doing so good. Just one time here in my Late Model and it kind of clicked and ever since then I’ve loved racing here, whether it be a Sprint Car or a Late Model or anything really. It’s a first-class facility, they’ve got a passionate fanbase here which makes a difference for the drivers.”
Kody Swanson added to his points lead with a second-place finish. Dakoda Armstrong, Bobby Santos III, and Winchester Speedway winner Jackson Macenko rounded out the top-five.
The finish:
Tyler Roahrig, Kody Swanson, Dakoda Armstrong, Bobby Santos III, Jackson Macenko,
Kyle O’Gara, Brady Allum, Nathan Byrd, Rylan Gray, Justin Harper, Derek Bischak, Tony Main, Tony McVey, Race Bible, Olivia Shelbo, Tyler Fitzpatrick, Jeff Bloom
