For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LKMRestart@gmail.com
Cell: (317) 201-0729
Swanson Gets Fifth Hoosier Hundred Victory
With Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods No. 77
BROWNSBURG, Ind., May 28— Last year Kody Swanson qualified second and led the most laps in the Hoosier Hundred USAC Silver Crown race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, but he didn’t finish due to a broken fuel pump drive.
He and the Doran Binks Racing team made up for that disappointment in grand style Friday and Saturday when Swanson earned his fifth victory in the 67th running of one of USAC’s most prestigious events. He earned $26,000 and now he’s second only to A.J. Foyt in the number of Hoosier Hundred victories.
The victory extended the seven-time series champion’s record as the winningest driver in series history to 43. He tied his now-retired brother Tanner as the winningest USAC Silver Crown driver at this particular track with eight wins.
Driving the Mission Foods/Glenn Farms/Wilke Orthodontics No. 77, which is powered by a Lanci Ford engine, Swanson was fastest in practice on Friday with a lap in 21.392 seconds on the 0.686-mile asphalt oval. Then he topped qualifying with a two-lap combined time of 42.316 secondsto earn his 50th career USAC Silver Crown pole, also extending his record in that category. Logan Seavey, Bobby Santos III, Dakoda Armstrong and Justin Grant completed the top five in qualifying.
Rain then set in and the main event was postponed until Saturday morning. USAC officials also shortened the distance from 146 to 100 laps. Swanson had a 0.517-second lead over Santos by lap five and he was lapping cars by lap 11.
Tyler Roahrig passed Santos for second on lap 24, and by the one-quarter mark Swanson’s lead was 1.192 seconds.
Kaylee Bryson, who won the most recent USAC Silver Crown race May 18 at Belleville, Kan., lost power on lap 41 and she Trey Burke made contact. Bryson walked away, while Burke reported to the ambulance to get checked out.
That erased Swanson’s 1.408-second lead over Roahrig, but he immediately got busy rebuilding his advantage when the green waved again at the halfway point. Swanson already had more than a 1-second advantage over Roahrig by lap 53. The latter set the fastest lap of the race on the next lap trying to catch Swanson, but it was to no avail.
Swanson was 0.771-second ahead on lap 60, and 2.339 seconds ahead five laps later. By lap 75 his advantage was 3.095 seconds, and with 10 laps to go it was 4.262 seconds.
He wasn’t done. He led by 7.855 seconds on lap 95; 10.173 seconds on lap 96; 13.510 seconds on lap 97, and he took the checkered with a whopping 17.850- second margin of victory over Logan Seavey, who had taken second from Roahrig on lap 98.
C.J. Leary came from last to finish third in a borrowed car. Russ Gamester finished fourth and Santos ended up fifth. They were followed by Armstrong, Taylor Ferns, Nathan Byrd, Trey Osborne and Kyle Steffens. Swanson lapped through sixth place. Roahrig faded to 12th at the finish due to reported mechanical issue, right behind Justin Grant.
“I haven’t won a points race here in three years,” Swanson noted in victory lane. “I’m just glad to get these guys into victory lane whenever we can. They do such a great job on this car.
“It was tricky; the track was hot and greasy; we haven’t run a race like this here in the day since 2015. There are lots of really great teams and drivers in this series, so anytime you can get a win it’s special.
“This race pays more for us now that it ever did,” he added. “We appreciate that, and we also appreciate the fans who came back to see us on a Saturday morning.” The series’ races are streamed live by FloRacing.
Swanson has won three of the first four USAC Silver Crown races of 2024 and now leads the driver point standings by one point over Leary. Doran Binks Racing leads the entrant standings with 263 points to Hemelgarn Racing’s 224. For his three victories so far this year Swanson has led all 100 laps of each race.
There are two races scheduled for June: June 15 at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway and June 21 at Madison International Speedway in Oregon, Wis.
For more information see raceirp.com and usacracing.com. The team’s website is at doranracing.com.
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 for KECO
E-mail: LKMRestart@gmail.com
Cell: (317) 201-0729