Kody and Tanner Swanson finish 1st & 3rd in USAC Silver Crown at Lucas Oil Raceway
- 9 Aug 2011
Last weekend the K&N sponsored Swanson brothers, Kody and Tanner, restored order in a big way in the USAC Silver Crown series. After missing the first three races due to injuries suffered at the end of May, at Tri-State Speedway in Indiana, Kody returned to the USAC Silver Crown series and Victory Lane on the same night. Tanner joined his older brother on the podium with a solid third place finish, which puts him in a tie for the championship points lead. Back in May when we last spoke with the brothers they had just finished sweeping at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, and now, that circle is complete. Clearly the support of his family and team played a huge part in getting Kody back on track, yet there is every reason to believe that Tanner generated the most healing influence. We've discovered from past stories that the two brothers don't so much push each other - they inspire each other.
Tell us a little of what has been going on with you during your down time, how are you feeling, and how did you deal with any negative thoughts that may have tried to creep into your thinking? "I'm feeling good. As far as returning to racing, the toughest part was that I couldn't really do anything for seven weeks. Two pelvis fractures, two skull fractures and broken collarbone don't really leave you any options for physical therapy until they're healed. Now, I go to the gym and go running with Tanner. I haven't really had too many negative thoughts. Obviously an incident like that changes your perspective, but that's been all. I'm still focused on meeting my goals, this was just a speed-bump in the process, and it's not going to keep me out of the seat." Tanner, what was going on with you while Kody was recuperating, clearly you kept your focus as you're in a tie for the points lead? Honestly it wasn't very hard for me to keep focus. Even though Kody had been seriously injured, that is always one of the possibilities that's expected when we signed up for the job to be professional racecar drivers. To an extent during Kody's rehabilitation it was kind of nice, he provided me with an extra set of eyes while track conditions were changing, and was supportive of me as I had to keep up with the busy racing schedule through June and July. Now I am glad to have him back as a teammate in the Team 6R camp because Kody's insight from the driver's seat plays a key role into the success that my No. 23 team has had. I am glad that the chapter of his recovery is over and we can try our best to get back into our winning ways."
Kody, as we mentioned one of the toughest things in racing is to come back after a hard crash and trust yourself to run hard, how do you explain winning in your return race? "I was actually able to come back in a very limited capacity in early July, but this was the event that I marked on my calendar for my return to full-time status. It was a Silver Crown-Midget double-header, and the event that I wanted to be able to be back by, to do my job for Team 6R Racing and Wilke-PAK Motorsports. I am very fortunate to drive for two great teams, both supported by Toyota and K&N Filters, and that we had the opportunity to do a little testing prior to the event. This allowed me some extra laps to get reacquainted with the car, and better prepare myself for the race. I was very focused on doing well. I have already had to sit out and watch some big events that I really wanted to be a part of, and I wanted to do my best to make up for that. This question is for both of you, how was it to be back on a podium together again? "For me, it was a great way to cap off any questions about my recovery. The Silver Crown series has the longest races of any series we race, so to be able to win one of those, after running in the Midget series just before, really means a lot to me." "For Tanner, I think it was really special to have me back in the race as a teammate, more than just a spectator. I think for both of us to end up on the podium, shows that maybe we haven't even missed a beat, and that we can be stronger together than apart. It was really great to do that for everyone involved with Team 6R Racing, and to show that we can compete with the best." What are your adjusted goals for the rest of the season? Tanner and I are both really close in the USAC Pavement Sprint car standings. He is currently two points out of the lead, and I'm just 15 points back. With five races to go, there is a real chance for us to both do well in that series standings. For Tanner, obviously the Silver Crown Championship is within reach, and that would be a major goal. For me, I want to make sure I make the most of each race, especially in the National Midget and Silver Crown series. Being that I was unable to contend for either Championship, I want to win as many races as I can." K&N Race News Update: This past weekend Kody won his first ever career USAC dirt sprint car race in Chico, California, by topping a 29 car field in the "Wayne Sue Classic" for the USAC Western Classic Sprint Cars at Chico's Silver Dollar Speedway. Kody took the No. 69 Alan Kaiser Construction mount to victory in only his second ever USAC dirt sprint car start. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
