For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LKMRestart@gmail.com
Cell: (317) 201-0729

 

Doran Binks’ Swanson Sets Fastest Lap Ever Run
By a Traditional USAC Silver Crown Car
But Engine Blows Just Short of Victory at WWTR

MADISON, Ill., Aug. 17 — Doran Binks Racing’s Kody Swanson set several new records Friday in USAC Silver Crown competition at World Wide Technology Raceway, but unfortunately the engine expired in the Mission Foods No. 77 just two laps from victory in the 60-lap race while he had a 3.804-second lead. He ended up 12th in the official rundown of the Ranken Technical College Silver Crown Showdown Presented by Welsch Heating and Cooling.

Earlier in the day Swanson won the pole and bettered his own track record at the 1.25-mile, paved oval by over 2 miles per hour when he topped qualifying with a lap in 30.239 seconds for an average speed of 148.814 miles per hour. That extended his series record for the driver with the most pole positions in history to 53. What’s more, it was the fastest official lap turned in a traditional USAC Silver Crown car ever. It was the team’s sixth pole so far this year.

Swanson also topped the only practice session with a 30.626-second lap to begin the day’s competition with the No. 77, which is also sponsored by Glenn Farms and Wilke Orthodontics.

He also set the fastest lap of the race with a lap in 31.148 seconds while he was leading. Dakoda Armstrong, who ended up winning the race, was second in that category and Justin Grant, who finished second in the race, set the third-fastest lap. All three set their fastest laps on lap 45.

Swanson led at the initial drop of the green flag for the race, but the caution came out almost immediately when some of the track’s lights went out on the frontstretch and Turn 1. There were no laps in the books. That yellow turned into a red and there was over a 20-minute delay before the race could be restarted. Bobby Santos III had qualified second but he had to go to the rear when his car needed assistance to fire. That put C.J. Leary in second and Armstrong third for both starts.

Armstrong got the edge on the complete restart and led the first 41 laps with Swanson in hot pursuit. Leary ran third initially, but Armstrong and Swanson were able to spurt away from the pack. Armstrong led by over a second by lap six and over 2 seconds by lap nine. Swanson was working hard to catch him, however, and by lap 23 he was just 1.083 seconds behind the leader. Two laps later the interval between the top two was just 0.542 seconds, while Leary was 3.855 seconds behind Swanson in third.

Swanson ran Armstrong down. On the next lap (lap 26) Swanson was just 0.290 seconds behind him. He mounted a serious challenge for four laps, but couldn’t make a pass stick and by lap 30 Armstrong’s advantage was back to 0.825 seconds.

Swanson kept focused and he kept flying. He again methodically cut into Armstrong’s lead, and by lap 36 he was right behind him again, only 0.331 seconds back. He bettered his best lap regularly around lap 40, and on lap 42 he edged under Armstrong in Turn 2 to take the lead.

Once in front, Swanson was able to immediately increase his advantage. He was already 0.496 seconds ahead of Armstrong by lap 43, and he was over 1 second ahead by lap 48 and 2 seconds ahead by lap 51.

He was 3.804 seconds ahead when the engine blew in Turn 3 with 58 laps complete. White smoke inundated the cockpit but Swanson was able to keep the car off the wall and spun low in Turn 3 to bring out the only yellow since the complete restart at the beginning of the race.

Armstrong led the last two laps to win, with Grant second. Both said their cars were nearly out of fuel at the end.

It was a good points day for Grant, who is second to Swanson in the point standings. Going into the race Swanson led by 55 points; after the race his lead was 30. Swanson has 541 points and Grant has 511. Kaylee Bryson passed Leary on the last lap for third place. Leary finished fourth and Santos rounded out the top five.

The next USAC Silver Crown race is tomorrow (Saturday, Aug. 17) on the dirt track at the Springfield (Ill.) State Fairgrounds.

Swanson is a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Indianapolis. Doran Binks Racing is headquartered in Lebanon, Ohio.

The USAC Silver Crown series’ races are streamed live by Flo Racing. For more information on Doran Binks Racing, see DoranRacing.com and follow it on Facebook.

About Mission Foods:
The Gruma Corporation began in 1949 and is today the leading tortilla manufacturer worldwide. Mission Foods is a proud subsidiary of Gruma, and as the #1 tortilla company in the United States, manufactures a wide variety of authentic Mexican products. Five years ago it opened a state-of-the-art plant in Dallas, Texas, with the capacity to produce 30 million tortillas daily. Today Mission Foods is a global company, with special emphasis not only on the United States but also Mexico, Central America, Europe, China, Malaysia, and Australia. Its products include flour and corn tortillas; tostadas; low-carb, whole wheat, organic and gluten-free items; wraps; flatbreads such as naan, pita and roti; tortilla chips and organic chips; chicharrones; salsa, and dips. For more information see missionfoods.com.

Linda Mansfield/Restart Communications
E-mail: LKMRestart@gmail.com
Cell: (317) 201-0729