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K&N Driver Cody Swanson Honors 2 Legends with His USAC Midget Win at Santa Maria
K&N Driver Cody Swanson Honors 2 Legends with His USAC Midget Win at Santa Maria
23 Nov 2016
Cody Swanson clinched victory on September 17th at the Santa Maria Raceway
On September 17th of this year, driver Cody Swanson clinched victory at the USAC Western States Midget race, held at the Santa Maria Raceway, in Nipomo California. In lap 25, he passed the number 11 car driven by Corey Elliott, then went on to clinch victory in the 30-lap main event. Swanson had led for 20 laps at last year's Santa Maria race, but a breakdown ultimately cost him the checkered flag.
"The Santa Maria win was huge for Cody Swanson. It was the second USAC win of his career and after a few nights of bad luck and mechanical issues, he earned the victory. His first USAC victory was at Bakersfield on 3/30/13" said Lance Jennings, an official with USAC. It was indeed an important victory, because as of this writing, Swanson now sits in 6th place in the USAC Western States Midget point standings.
It takes a crew of family and friends to prep and maintain Cody's #71S Spike/Van Dyne racer
Racing has always been in Cody Swanson's blood, His grandfather Chuck raced a Model A Ford on the dirt tracks of Minnesota in the 1960's, and his father Kirk (who also happens to be a Technical Development Supervisor at K&N) has been involved in off-road and dirt bike racing for many years. Naturally, Cody started racing go-carts at the age of 7, and was eventually crowned California State Champion in 2006. A year later, he was the INEX Legends Rookie of the Year, he took the VRA Midget Championship in 2012, and currently holds the track records at the Irwindale Speedway and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. So far this year, he's had 4 Top 5 and 7 Top 10 finishes in the USAC Western States Midget Series.
With his car dialed in, Swanson was able to win at the track that had beat him a year prior
A big part of his success this year has been due to his #71S midget car. It takes a crew of family and friends to prep and maintain Cody's Spike/Van Dyne racer, and anything that reduces the maintenance time, can also help reduce lap times. That's why Swanson Motorsports uses K&N filters like the 81-1005 stainless inline fuel filter, the HP-3002 heavy duty wrench-off oil filter, and the 100-8576 carbon fiber air box. These are designed specifically for racing and heavy duty applications, so they can be quickly cleaned and re-installed by Cody's volunteer pit crew.
So far this year, Swanson has 4 Top 5 and 7 Top 10 finishes in the USAC Western States Midget Series
With his car dialed in, Swanson was able to snatch a victory from the track that had beat him a year before. But the Santa Maria win was important for another reason. You see, 2016 was a tough year for both Cody's family, and the USAC family. Earlier in the year, Cody's father in-law Kelvin Campbell lost his battle with cancer, leaving a hole in the Swanson team. USAC driver Brian Clausen also lost his life in a tragic accident at the Belleville Nationals, leaving a hole in the tight-knit racing community. These two men had a major impact on a lot of people, which is why Cody dedicated his hard fought victory to both of them.
This 26-year-old driver has a big heart, and an incredible amount of talent behind the wheel. We at K&N are proud to sponsor Swanson Motorsports, and look forward to watching Cody Swanson compete November 24th (Thanksgiving night) at the USAC National Midget Series Turkey Night Grand Prix. This thrilling 98-lap race will be held at the Ventura Speedway in Ventura California, so get your tickets before they sell out.
