10/17/2011
Kody Swanson Wins "Rollie Beale 150" in Toledo
Near the end of July, Team 6R Racing unveiled their Kroger/Wawona Packing pavement USAC Silver Crown cars at Lucas Oil Raceway. After starting 5th & 6th, Kody and Tanner Swanson put their #19 & #23 on the podium, taking 1st & 3rd in the 100-lap Kroger Speedfest event. After sitting since then, the USAC pavement Silver Crown cars headed to Toledo, Ohio on October 15th for the season finale “Rollie Beale 150.” With all of the competitors looking to score a win in the final Silver Crown race of the season, perhaps none seemed more determined than the Swanson brothers.
In qualifying, Kody set quick time and a New Track Record by lapping the half-mile oval in 14.809 seconds and averaging over 121 mph. Tanner was not far behind, qualifying his car in the 5th position for the 150-lap event with a lap of 15.126 seconds. Team 6R Racing teammate Brian Tyler timed in 10th quick, with a lap of 15.242 seconds.
At the drop of the green, Kody shot into the race lead while Tanner quickly set his sights higher than the 5th position. In the first few laps, Tanner moved into 4th, and had passed into 3rd by a lap 15 caution. When the race resumed with over 125 laps to go, Tanner put pressure on the 2nd place car before settling in to a comfortable pace, managing his car to be strong at the end of the 150-lapper. However, Tanner never got that chance. By lap 50, oil smoke had started to appear from under the hood on his #23, as signs of bigger problems below. As the caution flag flew, Tanner was forced to retire from the event. Under that caution, Kody radioed in that something had gone amiss with his #19. The power steering pump had started to fade, causing the steering gear to lock-up in the middle of each corner, making this day just a bit more challenging. When the field went back to green, Kody began rebuilding his lead in what ended up being a 95-lap green flag run to the finish. During the middle of this run, Brian Tyler made his way further into the Top 10, making it all the way up to the 6th position. As the race neared 50 laps to go, Kody continued to battle his steering issues and now lapped traffic, allowing 2nd place running Bryan Clauson to pull alongside for the race lead. While Kody escaped with a small lead intact, the race for the win had intensified. In the next few laps, Kody was able to negotiate traffic better as the duo lapped up to the 5th position. Able to generate a small lead at first, Kody pulled away to nearly a full-straightaway margin in the closing laps to pick up his 2nd USAC Silver Crown win of the season. With the win, the Team 6R Racing #19 has gone 2-for-2 carrying the Kroger and Wawona Packing brands, and had it not been for engine woes, it very well may have been another Swanson brothers podium in Toledo.
Photo Credit: Chris Pedersen, www.racephoto1.com
Article Credit: Team 6R Racing