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

 

Hollingsworth Finishes Second
In Gene Nolen Classic at Anderson

ANDERSON, Ind., July 15 — Shane Hollingsworth of Lafayette, Ind., put the famous yellow Nolen Racing No. 20 asphalt sprint car on the podium in second place Saturday night in the third annual CB Fabricating Gene Nolen Classic presented by “The Herald Bulletin” at Anderson Speedway. The 100-lap race honoring Nolen Racing’s founder is a crown jewel of the 500 Sprint Car Tour, and it was streamed live worldwide on Dirtvision.

Kody Swanson was going for his third Gene Nolen Classic victory in a row, but unfortunately his Nolen Racing No. 4 sponsored by KECO Coatings was involved in a racing incident while running fourth and he had to pull into the infield off Turn 1 with only eight laps complete. He ended up 18th in the final rundown.

Earlier in the day Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Indianapolis, was the fastest qualifier with a lap in 11.232 seconds for the quarter-mile track. Bobby Santos III was second-fastest in qualifying, just 0.140 off Swanson’s time. Hollingsworth was the third-fastest qualifier with a time of 11.391.

However, with the series’ inversion Shane Butler, who was the fifth-fastest qualifier, got the pole with Santos in second, Hollingsworth in third, and Swanson in fourth for the start.

Butler led the first 14 laps until he also pulled off the track due to a mechanical issue. That gave the point to Santos, who led the rest of the race with Hollingsworth right behind him. Hollingsworth ran nose to tail behind Santos, just milliseconds behind, until Santos was able to gain more of an advantage in the last 10 laps. Santos’ margin of victory was 1.268 seconds.

Hollingsworth right behind him. Hollingsworth ran nose to tail behind Santos, just milliseconds behind, until Santos was able to gain more of an advantage in the last 10 laps. Santos’ margin of victory was 1.268 seconds.

In addition to trying his best to pass Santos, Hollingsworth had to fend off the challenges of Jackson Macenko, who finished third, just 0.482 behind Hollingsworth. Billy Wease placed fourth, and Joe Liguori rounded out the top five.

Wease set the fastest lap of the race and Macenko was second in that category, underscoring the challenge Hollingsworth was dealing with in order to keep the youngster behind him. Hollingsworth set the third-fastest lap of the race. Those three were all faster than the winner, who set the fourth-fastest lap. Even though Swanson only ran eight laps, he still set the sixth-fastest race lap.

With 25 laps complete Hollingsworth was only 0.254 behind Santos, and at the halfway point he was 0.173 behind. Hollingsworth was only 0.227 behind Santos on lap 75. With just 10 laps remaining Santos’ edge was still only 0.338.

“I used my stuff up with about 15 laps to go; I was spinning my tires too much,” Hollingsworth told the Dirtvision audience. “But finishing on the frontstretch is always good. We gave it all we had, and I was glad to come home second for Nolen Racing.”

“I got my left-front [tire] into Shane’s rear bumper when the top three all stacked up, and it essentially folded the front axle up, breaking a radius rod on each side to hold it in place,” Swanson said. “I felt awful for the team. They brought a great car, and I hate that I wasn’t able to race it to the finish for them.”

The Nolen Racing cars ruled the practice sessions. Swanson was fastest in the first practice session with a time of 11.422, while Hollingsworth was fastest in the second practice session with a time of 11.414.

For more information follow Nolen Racing on Facebook and X and see the series’ website at 500SprintCarTour.com.

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