Even after two years, the 23rd Rumble in Fort Wayne on Dec. 18 was a reminder that some things just never change.

The 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 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.

The 24th renewal of the Rumble in Fort Wayne is slated for Dec. 30-31, 2022.

National Midget A-Feature (50 laps): 1. Tony Stewart 2. Jack Macenko 3. Billy Wease 4. Trey Osborne 5. Joey Payne 6. Bryan Nuckles 7. Derek Bischak 8. Nick Hamilton 9. Austin Nemire 10. Ryan Flores 11. Joe Liguori 12. Mike Fedorcak 13. Russ Gamester 14. Travis Welpott

Lucas named to Missouri Sports Hall of Fame

Indiana native Forrest Lucas, founder of Lucas Oil and Lucas Oil Speedway, is part of a star-studded class set for enshrinement into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022 which was unveiled on Thursday.

The new inductees will be honored in ceremonies on Feb. 6 at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds in Springfield. Among those joining Lucas in the Hall of Fame Class include former Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman and Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Roaf; former St. Louis Cardinals All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday and Miracle on Ice’s Ken Morrow from the 1980 USA Olympic Gold Medal hockey team.

Lucas is a self-made businessman, philanthropist, and creator of Lucas Oil, which he founded with his wife, Charlotte, in 1989. Born in rural Indiana, he is recognized worldwide as a generous supporter of motorsports and the innovative pioneer of problem-solving oils and fuel treatments. Lucas’ numerous contributions to the automotive industry and sports nationwide are traceable over decades.

He is a long-time ally of professional and amateur motorsports, sponsoring teams, speedways, and racing events at regional and national levels — even producing a line of high-performance racing oils. Lucas has made significant investments in sports across the Midwest and around the country, from the Lucas Oil Speedway, known as “The Diamond of the Dirt Tracks” in Wheatland, Missouri, to high profile sponsorships like Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts.

The Lucas Oil brand also sponsors numerous motorsports series, including the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Lucas Oil MLRA and Lucas Oil Pro Pulling League. It also carries exclusive motorsports content into households through its television network MAVTV and the streaming service MAVTV Plus, elevating viewership and celebrating the love of sports.

Missouri Sports Hall of Fame CEO and Executive Director Jerald Andrews said Missouri Governor Mike Parson, a Wheatland native and close friend of Lucas, was instrumental in making the contact.

“His office has even asked what kind of memorabilia you would like for the Hall of Fame from Lucas Oil Motorsports, so we’re excited about what that might mean for the museum as well,” Andrews said. “It appears that (Lucas Oil Speedway) continues to grow and expand and develop even more. That’s exciting for our state.”

This week in racing history

From 10 years ago in 2011, the Brownstown Speedway named its track champions for the year: they were Mike Jewell (late models), Troy Clark (super stocks), Clint DeMoss (modifieds), Mark Bruce (bombers), Mickey Hines (pure stocks) and Lucas Jackson (hornets).