Kody Swanson Wins Big at Toledo Speedway Leading Every Lap of the Rollie Beale 150
- 26 Oct 2011
At the Rollie Beale 150 USAC Traxxas Silver Crown Series finale at Toledo Speedway, Kody first claimed the pole in his Toyota/Team Six-R Beast/Toyota, at a speed of 121.548 mph. Then he led all 150 laps from green to checkered flag. "Considering the circumstances that I've gone through this season, this final Silver Crown race really meant a lot to me," Kody told K&N News. "One year ago, I was in a position to steal the Championship as an underdog, and had I not had some really bad luck in the middle of the season (cut rear tire while leading at Raceway Park), we just might have done that." "So, this year, I was really looking forward to trying to win that Championship for Team 6R Racing. Being that I missed the first three races (of an eight race season due to injuries resulting from a crash), that was out of the question. So I was really focused on salvaging my Silver Crown season, and capping off the year on such a strong note is a great way for us to look forward to 2012." For a while during race it appeared as though Tanner was going to make it another sensational first and second place Swanson brother's finish. Tanner was running in third and pressuring second place, when his engine let go after only 50 laps.
"Tanner always does well focusing for races, especially big events," said Kody. "Case in point, he won his first Night Before the 500, at a track he'd never even been to (O'Reilly Raceway Park). So it was no surprise that he was strong at Toledo. While all know that it's part of racing, having something completely out of your control, take you out of a race, can be the most frustrating part. As good as his car was handling, he definitely had a shot at the win, and being sidelined early just adds insult to injury. He was still happy for the entire team, and he was the first person to greet me in Victory Lane in Toledo. But you better believe he'll be motivated when we get to Irwindale for Turkey Night." "I don't think anyone has ever led all 150-laps of a Silver Crown race before," said Kody after being asked about his stellar feat. "Last year was the first year the Silver Crown series ran 150-lap races, and I'm the first to ever lead one wire-to-wire, so that was pretty neat." Kody had his own trouble after a caution on lap 50; his power-steering pump was on the fritz. "So when we went back to green, I had to find a way to make things work. After a few laps I got a really good rhythm going, where I could turn the racecar by getting back to the throttle and getting the power steering pump to kick back on and turn the car. It was a little more difficult in lapped traffic, so I was happy to get a little breathing room before the end, and actually pull away by about a straight-away by the finish. After going through all of that, I was really excited to win for my team." Do you guys have anything going between now and the Turkey Night Grand Prix? "I actually hooked up with Alan Kaiser Construction Racing from Napa Valley, California earlier this year for a USAC Western Classic dirt race at Chico," added Kody. "We won the first night out, and now we're going to try our luck at the Oval Nationals in Perris. Knowing that I don't have much dirt Sprint car experience, we're just going to have a good time and try our best! We're both trying to work some things out for other races in mid-November, but we're both looking forward to Turkey Night." 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. |
