8th Place Finish at Port Royal
June 18, 2022 — Last weekend was my first trip to Port Royal Speedway - a beautiful track, facility & location.
We didn’t have our best finish, but I’m thankful for all of the effort from this team. Looking forward to our next chance at Springfield!
Concord American Flagpole | #cdracing | Christopher Dyson | Sean Michael
Photo credit: Quick Design
Doran Racing’s Swanson Finishes Third In 500 Sprint Car Tour Race Saturday at Berlin Raceway
MARNE, Mich., June 12 — After winning a 500 Sprint Car Tour race at Plymouth Raceway on Friday night, Kody Swanson and the Doran Racing team finished third less than 24 hours later in the new series’ 40-lap feature at Berlin Raceway Saturday night.
The race was unusual in that it went nonstop.
Swanson qualified third with a time of 15.774 seconds for the 7/16-mile asphalt oval, just 0.147 off the time set by the fastest qualifier and eventual race winner, Tyler Roahrig. The inversion was six, so he started fourth behind Bobby Santos III, Dakoda Armstrong and Taylor Ferns, with Billy Wease and Roahrig right behind him.
Roahrig passed Swanson on lap four to push Swanson’s Henry Repeating Arms No. 44 to fifth place, but Swanson set his fastest lap of the race on lap six. By lap 16 he was back in the position where he had started as both he and Wease passed Santos on that lap.
Swanson’s No. 44, which is powered by a Binks Chevy engine, remained in fourth place until lap 26, when Swanson passed Ferns to move into third. He chased Roahrig and Armstrong the rest of the way.
Roahrig had a 2.936-second margin of victory over Armstrong. Swanson, Wease and Ferns rounded out the top five in the 17-car field.
“We had a good car tonight, but just missed it a little bit, so we’ll take a podium finish,” Swanson said.
“I felt like we were pretty good early, but I struggled to be able to get a run good enough to battle for position. As we got to the middle of the race the car was working a little better, and we moved from fifth to third, but ultimately couldn’t keep up with the top two tonight.
“Berlin can be a tough place to get a hold of, and while we were close today, we just never could quite figure out what we needed to make it all the way right. The Doran Racing crew did a great job today, and we had a really good opening weekend with the 500 Sprint Car Tour.
“I’m thankful for all of our sponsors and supporters, and everyone who puts in effort on this Henry Repeating Arms No. 44. We’ll do our best to learn from tonight’s race, and we look forward to giving it another shot at Berlin on August 13!” Saturday’s race was covered live on MAVTV Plus.
The team’s next race is a USAC Silver Crown event at Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wis., on June 24. A Silver Crown special event and a 500 Sprint Car Tour race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Ind., follows on June 30.
Doran Racing’s Swanson Goes Down in Record Books As First Winner of 500 Sprint Car Tour Points Race
PLYMOUTH, Ind., June 11 — Doran Racing and Kody Swanson will go down in the record books as the winners of the first points-paying race in the new 500 Sprint Car Tour presented by Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Parts Stores.
Although the Lucas Oil Little 500 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway May 28 was the new series’ first race, Friday night’s 75-lap feature on Plymouth Motor Speedway’s three-eighths-mile asphalt oval was the first one that awarded points. Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Indianapolis, and Doran Racing, which is based in Lebanon, Ohio, made the most of it by winning both the pole and the main event with the team’s Henry Repeating Arms No. 44.
After the inversion, Swanson took the green flag in fourth place in the No. 44, which is powered by a Dan Binks-prepped Chevy engine.
He passed Tyler Roahrig on the first lap to move into third place behind polesitter Billy Wease and Derek Bischak.
It was like he turned on his afterburners on lap 10, however. That’s when he passed both Bischak and Wease to take the lead, setting the fastest lap of anyone in the race simultaneously with a time of 12.527 seconds. He had won the pole earlier in the day with a time of 12.386. Swanson was able to quickly build up a lead of almost 1 second over Wease initially, but by lap 34 Wease was right behind Swanson’s blue No. 44.
Swanson had to survive two cautions that provided Wease with additional opportunities to pass. One waved on lap 45 after Taylor Ferns spun to a stop in the infield off Turn 2. Another occurred on lap 49 after Davey Hamilton Jr. spun to a stop in the inside of Turn 1. Swanson was up to the task on both restarts, however, and never relinquished his lead.
On lap 57 Roahrig passed Wease for second and he chased Swanson the rest of the way, but Swanson took the checkered flag with a whopping 3.340-second margin of victory. Wease finished third followed by Dakota Armstrong and Bobby Santos III. Nine of the 18 starters completed all 75 laps.
“I’m excited to get a win for this Doran Racing team, and for Henry USA, Glenn Farms and Dan Binks Engines,” Swanson said.
“Plymouth was a tricky little place, but our car seemed to be pretty good from the very first practice. Kevin and the team did a great job to keep making small adjustments, and made us better every time we hit the racetrack.
“I was glad to set fast time, but was a little nervous about starting fourth with the inversion, and having to pass some really strong cars. Our car was really good at the beginning of the race, and I felt like I needed to capitalize on the opportunity to get to the lead, and would have to see how it went from there.
“Late in the race I was worried that we were losing grip and sliding around, but it looks like that was happening to about everyone as all of our tires started to wear. This track had some characteristics of a few dirt tracks, so it was fun to move around, change my line, and try to find the best place to be throughout the race.
“God has blessed me with some great people in my life, and I’m thankful for everyone that is a part of this Doran Racing team. We’ve got great product partners and sponsors that support us, and a team and crew that give incredible effort to give us the chance to win, and I’m grateful to be part of this team!”
The race was streamed live on MAVTV Plus.
The team’s next race is another 500 Sprint Car Tour event today, Saturday, June 11, at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich.
Swanson Shows Muscle Early; Finishes Seventh in Little 500
After Becoming Involved In Lapped Driver’s Issue During Little 500 While Running in Second Place
ANDERSON, Ind., May 29 — Doran Racing’s Kody Swanson was knocked out of contention for his fourth Lucas Oil Pay Less Little 500 victory Saturday night at Anderson Speedway while running second on lap 198 due to another driver’s mechanical difficulties. Swanson didn’t give up though, and he was able to restart and finished seventh in the Henry Repeating Arms No. 44 in the 74th edition of the most prestigious asphalt sprint car race in the world.
With the exception of three laps, Swanson ran in second place for the first 198 laps until the freak accident occurred. He was third for those other laps, and seemed to be poised for at least a podium finish if not a victory.
He was third for the three-wide start of the 500-lap contest on the quarter-mile track, but he took second from polesitter and eventual winner Tyler Roahrig by passing him to the outside in Turn 1 on the first lap. Swanson then ran in second, just inches behind early leader Brian Gerster, for the first 106 laps. He showed Gerster his car’s nose several times, both to the inside and to the outside, running just inches apart as the top runners threaded their way through lapped traffic.
Roahrig passed him on lap 107 on the outside in Turn 1 to push Swanson to third, and Roahrig passed Gerster two laps later to take the lead. Swanson passed Gerster on lap 110 to regain second, and then ran behind Roahrig in second place until the accident occurred.
While he was lapping Shane Butler, Butler’s car experienced a sudden loss of power, reportedly from an ignition issue. The pair touched wheels and Swanson went flying through the turn and onto the frontstretch, coming to a stop sprawled in the middle of the track. The accident cost him five laps, and he restarted in 22nd position.
He then tried to salvage what he could by both passing cars and through attrition with his No. 44, which is powered by a Chevy V8 engine prepped by Dan Binks.
At the halfway point Swanson was 20th, but by lap 317 he was 15th. He was back in the top 10 on lap 348, and he was ninth when he made his second pit stop under yellow on lap 394. That put him back to 11th, but he was back in the top 10 on lap 424. He got ninth when Scott Hampton pitted under a yellow flag on lap 429 after a spin, and eighth when Shane Hollingsworth pitted on lap 464. He moved up to seventh five laps from the end when the driver who had been seventh, NASCAR star Ryan Newman, crashed in Turns 1-2 after his car suffered a flat right-rear tire.
Swanson took the checkered flag in seventh place, four laps down. His fellow front-row starter and the early leader, Gerster, was just ahead of him in sixth place in the final rundown.
Roahrig won over Dakoda Armstrong, C.J. Leary, Kyle O’Gara, Caleb Armstrong, Gerster, Swanson, Hollingsworth, Dalton Armstrong and Emerson Axsom. Only the top two finishers completed all 500 laps. Leary and O’Gara completed 499 laps, and Caleb Armstrong and Gerster completed 498. Swanson made up one lap after the accident and completed 496 laps. He finished a lap ahead of the eighth-place finisher, Hollingsworth.
Swanson set the second-fastest lap of the race on lap 408 when he ran a lap in 11.578 seconds. That was just 0.129 off the fastest lap of the race, which Roahrig turned on lap 402 in 11.449.
Swanson qualified third on Thursday for the event, which is presented by United Auto Workers, with a four-lap time of 44.333, just a tick off Roahrig’s new track record of 43.477. It was Swanson’s seventh front-row start in eight appearances in this race. Track conditions changed a great deal on Thursday due to rain, but there was no rain on Saturday night and the action was fast and furious on the high-banked, quarter-mile oval with 17-degree banking.
The race was broadcast by MAVTV Plus.
KODY SWANSON: “I was working underneath Shane Butler, and we touched tires. It picked me up into the air, and I spun off of Turn 4 on to the front stretch. He just came down a bit ago and said his car had a mechanical issue and lost power to start it all; something with his car’s ignition he thought. It was an unfortunate part of our race, but in racing things happen. It was nice of Shane to come down and see us afterward, and I appreciate racing with him.
“Before that I was second to Gerster and Roahrig; I was just following them to our first pit stop. I thought we were in OK shape to fight for the lead; we were close enough to race for it, anyway. “After the contact I was able to make it back up from 22nd to seventh. When you’re laps down it’s all risk and no reward, so we just took what we could get and finished.
“It was a good effort by everyone on the Doran Racing team, and I appreciate all their hard work and the support of Henry Repeating Arms and Glenn Farms.”
The race was broadcast live on MAVTV Plus.
Doran Racing’s next events are 500 Sprint Car Tour races at Plymouth Motor Speedway in Plymouth, Ind., on June 10 and Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., on June 11. Those races will be broadcast on MAVTV Plus too.
Swanson Finishes Close Second In Carb Night Classic Friday at Lucas Oil IRP
BROWNSBURG, Ind., May 28 — Doran-Dyson Racing’s Kody Swanson has now finished first or second in the USAC Silver Crown portion of the Carb Night Classic in five of seven years. Friday night it was an extremely close second for Swanson in the Henry Repeating Arms/Glenn Farms No. 1. After starting third, he took second on lap one, fought his way into the lead for one lap on lap 72, and finished just 0.094 of a second behind Bobby Santos III after 100 laps of competition on Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park’s 0.686-mile asphalt oval.
The finish was extremely close, as Swanson never gave up and made one last valiant effort to pass Santos with a move to the outside in Turn 4 on the last lap. He drew abreast of the middle of Santos’s car for an instant, but had to fall back in line as they came down to take the checkered flag.
The field was set by practice times after time trials were rained out for the series’ first asphalt-track race of the year. Swanson, of Indianapolis, started third behind polesitter Santos and NASCAR star Ryan Newman in the Doran Racing-prepared No. 1, which is based in Lebanon, Ohio and is powered by a Lanci-prepped Ford engine.
Swanson charged under Newman in Turn 1 on the first lap to take second. Santos was able to build a half-second lead initially, as Newman did everything he could think of to regain second from Swanson.
The first of five yellows waved on lap six after Dave Berkheimer hit the wall in Turn 1. Santos’s car seemed to be strongest on the backstretch, and he was able to build his lead after that first yellow until Swanson had cut the advantage to just 0.687 of a second by lap 20. Newman was still a close third, just 0.283 behind Swanson, before the second yellow flew on lap 28 after Austin Nemire hit the Turn 1 wall and rolled to a stop in Turn 2.
The war at the front resumed on the lap 33 restart. Three laps later the front pair set their fastest laps of the race up to that point on lap 36, which Santos ran in 21.452 seconds and Swanson did in 21.514 seconds. But they and the rest of the field had to slow down again on lap 40 when the third yellow waved for Kyle Robbins, who spun and hit the outside wall in Turn 1, crumpling the left side of his ride.
Right after that restart Russ Gamester and Nathan Byrd made contact while running 11th and 12th, respectively. Gamester spun from the start/finish line into Turn 1 but kept going, bringing out the fourth yellow. A few seconds later they both went to the pits.
The race restarted on lap 49, and at the halfway point the running order was still Santos, Swanson and Newman. However, on lap 55 Newman slowed on the backstretch and pitted after a piece of someone’s brake rotor cracked his car’s radiator. Newman’s misfortune advanced C.J. Leary into third place.
Santos had a 1.225-second lead on lap 60, but 10 laps later Swanson had cut that down to 0.271, or about a car length. Two laps later Swanson passed Santos in Turns 3 and 4 to lead lap 72, but Santos was able to regain the lead in Turn 1. Swanson remained close, and with 25 laps to go he was still just 0.279 behind.
Lapped cars could have played a role at this point, but the top pair threaded their way through them with Swanson still right behind the leader. Swanson showed Santos the nose of his car a couple times in the late going, but Santos always prevailed. One change that did occur came on lap 81 when Taylor Ferns passed Leary for third.
Justin Grant brought out the final yellow on lap 94 after he suffered a flat right-rear tire and spun in Turn 3. The green waved the final time on lap 98 and Swanson kept looking for a way by, but Santos prevailed.
Ferns finished third, 0.576 of a second behind Swanson, for the best finish by a woman in series history. Leary finished fourth and Logan Seavey placed fifth.
Santos set the fastest lap of the race on lap 52 with a time of 21.323 seconds. Swanson set the second-fastest lap of the race on lap 51 with a lap in 21.511 seconds. Newman set the third-fastest lap of the race on lap 16 with a 21.525. “I never gave up; I thought we had a shot there at the end, but Bobby prevailed tonight,” Swanson said after the race, which ended around midnight. “We had a good car, and I thank everyone on the Doran Racing team for their hard work and to Glenn Farms and Henry Repeating Arms for their support.”
Swanson leads the updated point standings by three points over Seavey, 122 to 119.
The Doran Racing team rolled its Silver Crown car into the trailer in one piece and will now concentrate on its asphalt sprint car. Swanson will start third in it in Saturday’s Lucas Oil Little 500 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway.
GOING FOR THE ONE: SWANSON WILL SPORT #1
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Speedway, Indiana (April 25, 2022)………It’s been 16 years since the defending driving champion sported the number 1 on his car for the following season’s USAC Silver Crown trail.
Sixteen years after Dave Steele last ran the numero uno, Kody Swanson will become the next to drive a Silver Crown car proudly adorned with the number 1, fitting for the humble record-setting driver as he looks to add on to his unprecedented accolades with the series that includes six previous championships and 34 feature wins.
The Kingsburg, Calif. native will drive the entire 2022 schedule for the same two teams he won for in 2021 – Doran Racing and Dyson Racing. However, this year will have a slightly different look on paper as the newly-christened Doran-Dyson Racing team have combined forces to chase after an entrant title while Swanson vies for a seventh driving crown. While each outfit will remain separate entities with separate shops to house Doran’s pavement car and Dyson’s dirt car, the shared team name and the shared number have presented an opportunity for all to compete for the same shared goal, to win a season championship.
“The chance to drive the number one came about as a way to merge Doran and Dyson to compete for an entrant championship,” Swanson explained. “We needed to figure out how to merge the team names and the number and what that might look like. We were weighing our options, and, out of the Doran shop, it was said, ‘why don’t we run the number one?’ That solved it without either team giving up their individual identities to one another. The idea gained momentum and got Kevin Doran and Chris Dyson in touch on it, and they thought that was the best idea yet.”
What’s uniquely interesting about the Doran and Dyson pairing is their shared backgrounds in road racing. In fact, a photo from the 1980s currently hangs in the Doran team shop and features Al Holbert at speed in IMSA Camel GT competition, driving the famed Lowenbrau Porsche 962 that Kevin Doran was the crew chief of. In the background of that photo, as fate would have it, was a Dyson Racing machine.
All these years later, the two are teamed up to turn left, something which they’ve done with a high rate of success as multi-time winners on the USAC Silver Crown circuit last year between Doran and Dyson, twice an American Le Mans Series champion driver himself.
“It’s cool that that was already there,” Swanson stated of the photo. “Kevin and Chris are pretty excited to get the chance to race together. They’ve had a good competitive rivalry and were always on good terms and got along. It’s really cool that these two teams made the trip from road racing to Silver Crown, and both have great programs.”
In yet another twist of fate, Doran’s association with Al Holbert involved both working with Alex Morales Motorsports in Indy Car racing, for whom Johnny Capels was the chief mechanic and team manager at the time. Capels’ Silver Crown champ car, driven by Pancho Carter, captured the 1978 USAC Silver Crown title, and the team promptly utilized the number 1 the following season. Doran restored that very same car just a few years ago, putting it back in its 1979 livery with the number 1 boldly displayed on the nose and tail tank.
In 2022, Swanson and Doran-Dyson Racing will attempt to become the first to win a Silver Crown race utilizing number 1 since Dave Steele in 2006 at Iowa Speedway. Furthermore, they’ll shoot their shot at taking down another long-standing absence of the 1 in the championship column. Number 1 has never once won the USAC Silver Crown entrant title in the series’ 52-year history.
With a driver and multiple teams that are highly-familiar with making history themselves, that is one piece of history they’d like to alter in the favor for the new year. That quest begins this Sunday, May 1, at the Terre Haute Action Track in western Indiana where Swanson captured a victory back in 2014.
Pits open at 1pm Eastern on Sunday at Terre Haute with the front gates opening at 2pm, the drivers meeting at 4pm and practice beginning at 5pm, followed by Fatheadz Qualifying, the last chance qualifying race and the 100-lap Sumar Classic feature event.
Tickets are $30 for the grandstands, $20 for the infield and $35 for the pits. Kids age 10 and under are free!
The 19th running of the Sumar Classic can be watched live and on-demand on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3dgONXz.
Doran Racing Announces Henry Repeating - Primary Sponsor of Swanson’s Non-Wing Asphalt Sprint
LEBANON, Ohio, Feb. 17 — Doran Racing is pleased to announce that Henry Repeating Arms will be the primary sponsor of the non-wing pavement sprint car it will field for Kody Swanson this year in the 10-race 500 Sprint Car Tour presented by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper Parts Stores.
This new series includes the 74th annual Lucas Oil Little 500 presented by UAW May 28 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, a race which Swanson has won three times.
In addition, Henry Repeating Arms will be the primary sponsor of the Doran Racing entry Swanson will drive in the Dave Steele Non-Wing World Sprint Car Championship 125 at Showtime Speedway in Clearwater, Fla., on Feb. 26. Swanson has won that race the last two years in Doran Racing asphalt sprint cars.
Glenn Farms of Woodland, Ga. will continue to support the Lebanon, Ohio-based team as an associate sponsor of its sprint car this season. Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who lives in the Indianapolis area, drives in both asphalt sprint car and asphalt USAC Silver Crown races for the team. He is the winningest driver in USAC Silver Crown history and has earned an unprecedented six USAC Silver Crown championships.
The Doran Racing sprint car will continue to use Dan Binks-prepped Chevrolet engines, but its number will change from 77 to 44 this season.
Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. The company motto is “Made in America, or not made at all,” and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service.
"There's no doubt about it, Kody and his crew are winners, and we are proud to be on board with them this season," said Anthony Imperato, chief executive officer and founder of Henry Repeating Arms. "We are racing fanatics at heart and love the mix of guns and gears, so we will have the whole Henry Repeating Arms fan base cheering on Kody and the Doran Racing crew. Let's go racing!"
“We’re pleased to welcome Anthony and Henry Repeating Arms to the Doran Racing family,” said team owner Kevin Doran. “Sprint car tracks are primarily located in rural areas, and our fans’ demographics are a great fit for this company. Sprint car racing was born in America, just like Henry firearms.”
Additional companies that use Doran Racing in their marketing programs include TJ Forged, K&N, RMT, FK Rod Ends, All Star Performance, Eibach Springs, DMI, Tel Tac Oval Track Pro, Saldana Racing Products, Simpson and Fatheadz Eyewear.
The inaugural season of the 500 Sprint Car Tour consists of these dates:
* Saturday, March 26 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Clermont, Ind.
* Saturday, May 28 at Anderson Speedway, Anderson, Ind.
* Friday, June 10 at Plymouth Motor Speedway, Plymouth, Ind.
* Saturday, June 11 at Berlin Raceway, Marne, Mich.
* Thursday, June 30 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Clermont, Ind.
* Saturday, July 9 at Anderson Speedway, Anderson, Ind.
* Saturday, July 30 at Anderson Speedway, Anderson, Ind.
* Saturday, Aug. 13 at Berlin Raceway, Marne, Mich.
* Thursday, Oct. 6 at Anderson Speedway, Anderson, Ind.
* Saturday, Oct. 22 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Clermont, Ind.
The tour’s streaming partner is the MAVTV motorsports network. For more information on the series see 500sprints.com. For more information on Doran Racing see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
About Henry Repeating Arms:
Henry Repeating Arms is one of the leading rifle and shotgun manufacturers in the United States and a world leader in the lever action category. The company motto is “Made in America, or not made at all,” and its firearms come with a lifetime guarantee backed by award-winning customer service. The company is also known for its Guns For Great Causes charitable program, which focuses on assisting the families of sick children, children’s hospitals, military veteran organizations, Second Amendment advocacy groups, and wildlife conservation organizations. The company currently employs over 550 people and has over 330,000 square feet of manufacturing space in its Wisconsin and New Jersey facilities. The company is named in honor of Benjamin Tyler Henry, who invented and patented the Henry lever action rifle in 1860 – the first practical repeating rifle and America’s unique contribution to the international stage of firearms design. Visit Henry Repeating Arms online at henryusa.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/HenryRepeating, and @henry_rifles on Instagram.
About Doran Racing:
Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks. It is legendary for the many championships and events it has won in IMSA sports car racing. Team owner Kevin Doran has won the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway overall as a crew chief, a team owner, and even as a car manufacturer. Under his direction the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first team in U.S. history to win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year. In recent years the team has focused on asphalt sprint car racing, the asphalt portion of the USAC Silver Crown series, and historic sports car events, continuing its tradition of excellence on and off the track. For more information see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
SPLIT FIRE: KODY SWANSON TO SPLIT USAC SILVER CROWN DUTIES WITH DORAN & DYSON IN 2022
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Indianapolis, Indiana (December 21, 2021)………Six-time and defending USAC Silver Crown champion Kody Swanson will compete for an unprecedented seventh title in 2022 with a dual team effort for Doran Racing’s No. 77 on pavement and Chris Dyson Racing’s No. 9 on dirt.
Swanson (Kingsburg, Calif.) raced to a season-high four victories in 2021 in a triple-threat effort, winning three times for Doran on the pavement of Indiana’s Lucas Oil Raceway twice and the finale at Ohio’s Toledo Speedway, while also scoring on the dirt at the Illinois State Fairgrounds for Dyson. Additionally, Swanson notched a pair of top-fives for the Mark Swanson Encore Team in both races at Eldora.
The owner of 34 career Silver Crown victories and 36 poles, Swanson possesses the lead in practically all major statistical categories with the series. Last year’s championship was most unexpected for the Kingsburg, Calif. native as he began the season without a full-season ride outside of his pavement commitments with Doran.
By midseason of 2021, Swanson found himself in the lead of the point standings and, despite missing a race early in the year, he held strong as the point leader all the way to the dramatic end. Prior to Swanson in 2021, no driver had ever won the championship while competing for three different teams. This coming year appears to be less stressful in that department as the series’ all-time king enters 2022 with two excellent, full-time rides on both surfaces solidified.
“I’m excited for the 2022 USAC Silver Crown season,” Swanson exclaimed. “These are two great teams, and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
Both the Ohio-based Doran Racing and the New York-based Dyson team – operated out of crew chief Sean Michael’s Pennsylvania shop – won for the first time in Silver Crown competition in 2021. Doran and Swanson teamed together to win the opener at Indiana’s Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, then won twice more at IRP again and at Ohio’s Toledo Speedway.
Dyson’s first victory came with driver Tyler Courtney at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway in 2021, then captured victory once more with Swanson at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Eleven points paying events lie ahead for Swanson – six on pavement and five on dirt – on the 2022 USAC Silver Crown National Championship tour along with an additional special dash race.
The season kicks off on May 1 with the 19th running of the Sumar Classic at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track. The first of three visits to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) are on tap May 27 for the Carb Night Classic.
Also on tap is the speedy half-mile Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa. for the first time ever on June 18. Oregon, Wisconsin’s Madison International Speedway brings the series to the Dairyland 100 for the third time on June 24. The first Silver Crown non-points special event since 1996 is headed to IRP for the USAC Silver Crown Shootout on June 30, which will feature a 10-car field fighting for the prize in a 25-lap sprint.
Winchester Speedway’s blazing fast, 37-degree banks in eastern Indiana is back on the docket for the second time ever with the Rich Vogler Classic on July 21.
The Glass City of Toledo, Ohio routinely proves to be a pivotal round for the series, and Toledo Speedway’s ninth appearance on the USAC Silver Crown schedule is set for August 6 with the Rollie Beale Classic. It’s back to the pavement of World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill. on August 19, which, at 1.25 miles in length, is the largest track the series will compete on.
The two iconic Illinois mile dirt tracks in Springfield and Du Quoin are an annual staple of fair season during the late summer months. The 59th running of the Bettenhausen 100 is slated for August 20 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds while the 71st edition of the Ted Horn 100 is locked in for Labor Day Weekend, September 3.
Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway welcomes the 40th edition of the 4-Crown Nationals on September 23-24 for the dirt finale while the season concludes with a pavement stop on October 22 for the Open-Wheel Championship Saturday at IRP.
2022 USAC SILVER CROWN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:
May 1: Terre Haute Action Track | Terre Haute, IN | Sumar Classic
May 27: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, IN | Carb Night Classic
Jun 18: Port Royal Speedway | Port Royal, PA
Jun 24: Madison International Speedway | Oregon, WI | Dairyland 100
Jun 30: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, IN | USAC Silver Crown Shootout | Non-Points Special Event Jul 21: Winchester Speedway | Winchester, IN | Rich Vogler Classic
Aug 6: Toledo Speedway | Toledo, OH | Rollie Beale Classic
Aug 19: World Wide Technology Raceway | Madison, IL
Aug 20: Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, IL | Bettenhausen 100
Sep 3: Du Quoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, IL | Ted Horn 100
Sep 23-24: Eldora Speedway | Rossburg, OH | 4-Crown Nationals
Oct 22: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, IN | Open-Wheel Championship Saturday
Dynamic Duo: Swanson, Bertrand to Team Up for 2022 Brown’s Oil Champion Midget Series at Lucas Oil Raceway
Indianapolis, IN
This week, USAC’s all time Silver Crown winner and #2 on Lucas Oil Raceway’s all time win list – Kody Swanson, announced a partnership with Tim Bertrand & Bertrand Motorsports for the 2022 Brown’s Oil Champion Midget Series at Lucas Oil Raceway. The dynamic duo has a massive 186 open wheel wins, and a combined 22 championships across the midget, sprint car and silver crown ranks.
Swanson & Bertrand will team up for the 2022 season at the four Lucas Oil Raceway events in the Brown’s Champion Midget series. Bertrand, a 10 time Northeastern Midget Association Championship owner may be new to the non-wing midget ranks as a car owner, but no stranger to midgets. His accomplishments include ten championships, eight with driver Randy Cabral, 94 national NEMA midget wins, and 98 overall NEMA wins.
“We are very excited about the 2022 season. We’ve always tried to associate ourselves with the best in the business, starting off in midgets with the Cicconi family, Danny Drinan, Dan Esslinger/Esslinger Engineering, etc.” said Bertrand. “I’ve been watching Kody for years, and have been really impressed by his humble nature, family values, and of course – his tremendous talent. He is undoubtedly one of the best open wheel drivers in the world, in my opinion,” he said.
Swanson, the 2021 USAC Silver Crown champion, and all time Silver Crown winner, has a resume of 88 career open wheel wins, 12 USAC sanctioned midget wins, and three wins at the coveted Anderson Speedway “Little 500”. Known as a humble, family man – Swanson, his wife Jordan, and two boys – Trevor and Adam, are devout supporters of open wheel auto racing.
“I'm fortunate to have been surrounded by great people throughout my career in racing, and I'm very excited about the opportunity to work with Tim & the Bertrand Motorsports team. They have been incredibly successful throughout the Northeast & the NEMA series, and have established themselves as one of the top teams in the history of winged midget racing. Over the past few years, Tim has demonstrated his commitment to competing at Lucas Oil Raceway, and the dedication to develop his non-wing program into a championship caliber team as well. I'm thankful for the opportunity to come alongside them, and to join them in their dedication & effort. I’m looking forward to working together more as we prepare for 2022, and can’t wait to get on the track next spring,” said Swanson.
The duo will be sponsored by Bertrand’s company, project44. One of the highest growth companies in the United States, project44 is the world's leading advanced transportation visibility platform – providing real time visibility to global organizations across all transportation modes (ocean, trucking, air, rail and parcel). During the Suez Canal crisis, as an example, project44 provided visibility to over 250 of the Fortune 500 to track their ocean containers, stuck in the Canal. Project44 raised a $200 million round of funding on a $1.2 billion valuation, from Goldman Sachs in May of 2021. Project44 was also recently ranked #1 on the FreightTech Index, beating out Amazon, after ranking #2 for the previous 3 years.
THE KING IS CROWNED: SWANSON TAKES TOLEDO FINALE, USAC SILVER CROWN TITLE
By: Richie Murray – USAC Media
Toledo, Ohio (October 10, 2021)………Kody Swanson possesses the rare and unique talent to make the extraordinary seem commonplace, and for the high majority of Sunday afternoon’s USAC Silver Crown season finale at Ohio’s Toledo Speedway, he performed just as you’d come to expect from the series’ winningest driver.
The first 83.5 trips around the half-mile paved oval were relatively free of stress for Swanson, but a bit of turn three duress nearly derailed both his bid for the race win and another Silver Crown driving title.
With Swanson alone at the head of the field, the car of 13th running Annie Breidinger slid sideways against the turn three wall, right into the path of Tyler Roahrig, who T-boned Breidinger’s idle machine at the top of the banking. Next in line was Swanson who smashed the left front of his nose and wheel into the rear bumper of Roahrig, testing the maximum limits of metal’s unmalleable flexibility.
A major puncture wound to the nose and a bent axle became the battle scars Swanson carried for the final 13 circuits en route to victory, and despite all the lingering circumstances, Swanson remained untouchable and unmalleable in his own right.
His car seemingly bulletproof, his concentration impervious, Swanson masterfully thwarted a challenge from pavement master Bobby Santos during the final laps to record his fifth career Hemelgarn Racing Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic triumph and his unprecedented sixth career USAC Silver Crown championship.
“I’m so fortunate and so thankful for this entire Doran Racing team, all the effort they put in all year and for this race that I can screw something up and still have a chance for it at the end.
Kody Swanson Selected to Drive for GMS Racing's ARCA Program at Salem Speedway
Statesville, NC – GMS Racing is proud to welcome five-time USAC Silver Crown Series champion Kody Swanson to the No. 21 ARCA Chevrolet for a one-race deal at the series' next event at Salem Speedway this Saturday.
Swanson, an accomplished racer who has a total of 33 USAC Silver Crown wins in his career, has competed in various disciplines of asphalt open-wheel motorsports, including sprint cars and midgets. In 2020, Swanson also competed in two Road to Indy races, winning an Indy Pro 2000 race at Lucas Oil Raceway in his first start.
Always willing to jump in a different style of race car, Kody Swanson became noticed by many during the Camping World SRX Series race at Eldora Speedway in June, where he fought Tony Stewart for the win. Though he came short of the victory with a second place finish, his efforts caught the attention of GMS Racing President Mike Beam, who served as his celebrity crew chief during the event.
"I am really excited and grateful to have an opportunity to race with GMS Racing, and to continue pursuing different avenues with my career. This whole deal started with the opportunity to compete in the SRX Series earlier this year. I was invited to race at Eldora Speedway as the Local All-Star for the event, and that was where I met Mike Beam. We were paired together by the series, and he would be my crew chief for the race. I felt like we got along really well, and worked together with the same intensity, both willing to put in the extra effort and what it takes to win. We ended up just one spot short that night, but it started a conversation and relationship that has led to an opportunity like this," said the driver from Zionsville, IN.
While Swanson is relatively new to stock cars, he does have some solid experience behind the wheel, including one ARCA Menards Series start at Iowa Speedway, where he finished eighth in his debut last season for then team owner, Chad Bryant. After the ARCA race, Bryant, who currently serves as crew chief of the No. 21 GMS Racing ARCA team, fielded Swanson in four late model stock races at Hickory Motor Speedway, in which Swanson finished as high as second. Earlier this year, Swanson made his pro late model debut, winning the 2021 World Series of Asphalt and track championship at New Smyrna Speedway.
