For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LKMRestart@gmail.com
Cell: (317) 201-0729
Doran Binks’ Swanson Still Leads
USAC Silver Crown Point Standings
With Mission Foods No. 77
Going Into Season Finale Oct. 19 at IRP
TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Oct. 7 — Doran Binks Racing and driver Kody Swanson still lead the USAC Silver Crown point standings going into the season finale Oct. 19 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) in Brownsburg, Ind. after a 10th-place finish in the Sumar Classic Sunday night at the Terre Haute Action Track.
They have led the point standings all year since the season opener in April except for six days in May with their No. 77, which is sponsored by Mission Foods, Glenn Farms, and Wilke Orthodontics.
The Lebanon, Ohio-based team and the Indianapolis-based driver had a 27-point advantage over Hemelgarn Racing and Justin Grant going into Sunday’s race, and a 91-point advantage over the third-place team and driver, Rice MotorsportsAbacus Racing and Logan Seavey.
By finishing third on Sunday Hemelgarn Racing and Grant are now just six points behind, 785 to 779. And by winning Sunday’s race, Rice Motorsports-Abacus Racing and Seavey are now 64 points behind, 785 to 721. These three combinations are the only entities still in the running for the series’ 2024 entrant and driver championships with one of 14 races remaining.
There are 76 points up for grabs at each event: 70 for winning the race, three bonus points for being the fastest qualifier, and three bonus points for leading the most laps of the race.
The possible scenarios are too numerous to relate, but it will all come down to what happens at IRP on Oct. 19.
Anything can happen in racing, but Swanson and Doran Binks Racing have been particularly successful on IRP’s 0.686-mile paved oval.
The Oct. 19 race will be the series’ second of the year there. On May 25 at IRP Doran Binks Racing and Swanson qualified first and led all 100 laps enroute to victory in the Hoosier Hundred. It was Swanson’s fifth victory in that race and his eighth Silver Crown win at that track, tying his now-retired brother, Tanner, for No. 1 all time.
IRP was also the track where Doran-Dyson Racing clinched the 2022 series title, which was an unprecedented seventh for Swanson. He is the winningest driver in series history with 44 victories and 53 pole positions. He has more victories so far this year (four) and more poles so far this year (six) than anyone else too.
Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., qualified third Sunday at Terre Haute, just 0.162 off the 21.414-second lap Brady Bacon set to win the pole. Driving a Maxim with a Hampshire-prepared Chevy engine the team uses for dirt-track races, Swanson passed the driver who qualified second, Daison Pursley, in Turn 1 on the first lap. Pursley got him back on the following circuit around the half-mile dirt oval, however.
It quickly became evident that Swanson was dealing with some issues, which turned out to be handling problems. He dropped as far back as 12th, but gained two positions near the end of the 100-lapper to finish 10th. He set his fastest lap of the race on lap 17. He remained on the lead lap throughout, and he had a good battle with Mario Clouser in the late stages of the race. Clouser qualified right behind Swanson in fourth and finished 12th.
The podium finishers were Seavey, Pursley, and Grant. Chase Stockon finished fourth and was the hard charger. Bacon rounded out the top five.
There were five caution flags, but Swanson was not involved in any of the incidents.
“We just missed the set-up a little,” Swanson said after the race. “The track changed a lot, and it just wasn’t our night. The title will come down to IRP, and all we can do is try our best. Thanks again to Mission Foods, Wilke Orthodontics, Glenn Farms, and everyone who keeps us on the track, and gives us the chance to go out and compete for wins and titles.”
Sunday’s 100-lapper at Terre Haute was postponed from July 4 due to rain.
All of the 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