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KODY SWANSON SEIZES THE MOMENT; TIES STEELE FOR 3RD ALL-TIME WITH CARB NIGHT CLASSIC WIN

Brownsburg, Indiana......... Lately, it seems every victory Kody Swanson captures sets a new standard in the USAC Silver Crown record book.

Friday night's "Carb Night Classic" at Lucas Oil Raceway was no exception as the Californian led all 100 laps from the pole to surpass J.J. Yeley and join the late, great Dave Steele for third on the all-time series win list with his 16th career triumph.

For a time in the late 1990s, there was no greater dominator in USAC competition at LOR (then known as Indianapolis Raceway Park) than the late Steele, the two-time Silver Crown champion who passed away this past March after a sprint car crash at Desoto Speedway in Bradenton, Fla.

Currently, we are in the midst of the Swanson era at the .686-mile paved oval located west of Indianapolis where Kody and his younger brother, Tanner, have combined for five-straight, and seven of the past eight, Silver Crown wins. Though Tanner won the first five of those, Kody had the upper hand in the last two in his DePalma Motorsports/Radio Hospital - Hampshire Racing Engines/Beast/Hampshire.

Kody appreciates each and every win that he's fortunate to earn in his career, but Friday's victory gave him pause in his victory lane speech as the significance of placing his name alongside Steele's in the record book has deeply personal meaning.

"Dave Steele was someone that I really considered a friend, and someone I looked up to as a driver," Kody explained. "I was so saddened by his passing and for his family. To join him is an honor; he was incredible behind the wheel and in this series."

Kody started on the pole of the 100-lap event after recording ProSource Fast Qualifying time as the last car to hit the track in time trials. Right from the outset, it was the three LOR dominators of the decade running one-two-three with Kody Swanson, Tanner Swanson and Bobby Santos - winners of nine of the past 10 at the track - leading the way.

The trifecta was the class of the field as they seceded from the pack, holding a straightaway lead over the fourth-place car of Jerry Coons, Jr. just ten laps into the show.

Lapped traffic came into play early on, but it didn't do much to slow the pace of the leaders who maintained a torrid transit as they slipped their way around the tail-end of machinery. By lap 30, Kody found a home in a new zip code a half-straightaway ahead of Tanner and Santos.

At halfway, the race's first yellow flag flew when Troy Thompson, in his series debut, spun backwards into the infield grass at the exit of turn two while battling with Bill Rose. Thompson's car made no wall contact and the Florida native was able to restart.

On the ensuing restart, Kody had a pair of lapped cars as a buffer between himself and Tanner. It only took Tanner a lap-and-a-half to clear both Aaron Pierce, then Justin Grant. By then, Kody had taken advantage of the situation and stretched his lead out to 1.5 seconds.

With 27 laps remaining, fifth-running Jerry Coons, Jr. slowed with a flat right front tire to bring out second caution of the evening. The Tucson, Arizona native and USAC Triple Crown champ lost a lap in the pit area as the Gene Nolen Racing crew efficiently went to work on replacing the rubber before sending him back into the fray.

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