Kody Swanson Earns First USAC National Midget Series Feature Win
Saturday, April 12, 2008 Kenly, N.C.

L aguna Beach, California—Kody Swanson jumped to the front of the pack from his starting position on the outside of the front row immediately at the start of the USAC National Midget Series race at Southern National Raceway Park, in Kenly, North Carolina, on Saturday, April 12, to win the feature event. Driving the #19 Team ASE/Oakley/Ed Pink Toyota for Nine Racing, Kody led all 40 laps to earn the team’s first victory of the 2008 USAC race season and Kody’s first USAC National Midget Series victory. Teammate Dave Darland finished in 10th place, thereby giving the Team ASE/Oakley/Ed Pink Toyotas two top-10 finishes.

“The track was pretty hard to pass on just because the track is high-banked and it was a fast-paced track,” said Kody. “What was important for us was to get the lead right off the bat. I tried to get a good run right at the start and take the lead on the first lap, that way I could have valuable track position.”

Kody credited the Nine Racing team, led by crew chief Kelly Drake, for the victory. “Earlier in the day, we had practice but then it rained and the track really changed. Just going off the heat race we made some big changes on the car for the feature to make it just right and the team made great changes and it worked out for us. I was really thankful for what the crew did.”

As a result of this win, Kody now stands in 6th place in the USAC National Midget Series points, while Dave is close behind in 8th. The team’s next race will be at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin, on May 16.

Swanson Triumphs Midgets in Kenly Tonight!
Saturday, April 12, 2008 Kenly, N.C.

Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. earned his first Mopar USAC National Midget triumph Saturday night, winning the 40-lap feature race at Southern National Raceway Park. The event was the first for USAC National Midgets at the 4/10-mile paved oval and the first in the Tarheel State in two years.

Swanson grabbed the lead at the start of the race and led all the way in his Nine Racing Toyota/Oakley Beast/ Pink Toyota. The 2005 USAC Western Sprint Car Champion was followed at the checkered flag by Dakoda Armstrong, Cole Whitt, Darren Hagen and Tracy Hines.

Brad Loyet was the fastest qualifier, while heats went to Kevin Swindell, Bobby East and Levi Jones.

Whitt and Hines emerged in a virtual tie for the series point lead going into a May 16 race at the LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisc.

SWANSON "SWEEPS" ALTAMONT SPRINT-MIDGET "DOUBLEHEADER"
Sunday, 09 September 2007 - Tracy, CA

Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. became the 19th driver in USAC history to "sweep"a Midget/Sprint "doubleheader" Saturday night at Altamont Motorsports Park. Swanson, the first driver to post a Midget/Sprint "sweep" this year, led the final 13 laps of the 30-lap Western Midget feature and the final 23 laps of the Lucas Oil Western Sprint feature. He drove the Pedregon Motorsports Toyota Racing/Q Racing Spike/Toyota Midget and the Keith Williams Eagle/Chevy Sprinter. Bradley Galedrige led 14 laps of the Midget race before yielding to Swanson and finishing second. Mike Murgoitio took third ahead of Scott Pieroovich and Michael faccinto, who led the first three laps. Series point leader Johnny Rodriguez was 19th. In the Sprint race, Murgoitio led the first 27 laps and finished second ahead of Tim Barber, JoJo Helnberg and series point leader Ryan Kaplan.

SWANSON TAKES ROCKY MOUNTAIN 50-LAPPER
Sunday, 02 September 2007 - Salt Lake City, UT

Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. piloted Jimmy Wysong's car to victory in Saturday night's 50-lap Lucas Oil USAC Western - USAC/SLVRA Young Automotive Rocky Mountain Sprint feature at Rocky Mountain Raceways. Swanson passed Mel Andrus on lap nine and led the rest of the way to win over Jim Waters, Ryan Burdett, Brian McClish and Rick Pardee.

Kody Swanson Expands Nine Racing Schedule
Laguna Beach, CA (June 21, 2007)

Kody Swanson, of Kingsburg, California, who has been filling in on a part-time basis as a third driver for the Team ASE/Oakley/Pink Toyota midget of Nine Racing, has been asked by team owner Steve Lewis to run additional races this season. Kody will be driving the #19 Team ASE/Oakley/Pink Toyota midget on an expanded pavement schedule.

Kody’s expanded schedule will include pavement races at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway, in Mansfield, Ohio; Toledo Speedway, in Toledo, Ohio; Salem Speedway, in Salem, Indiana; and Anderson Speedway, in Anderson, Indiana. In November, Kody will join Nine Racing teammates Dave Darland and Dave Steele for the last three races of the season at Phoenix International Raceway’s Copper World Classic, in Phoenix, Arizona; the annual Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale Speedway, in Irwindale, California; and in December, they will compete in the third Annual MOPAR-PRI Sprint & Midget Classic Presented by FedEx at Orlando Speedworld, in Orlando, Florida.

“Driving for Nine Racing is a dream come true to me,” said Kody. “With the tradition that Nine Racing brings to racing, and producing some of the best race car drivers in open wheel racing, I feel very honored to drive for Steve Lewis and working with this team.” About working with Toyota, he added, “They have great equipment, and have the commitment to go out and be successful to win races.”

Kody Swanson Joins Nine Racing
Laguna Beach, CA (May 24, 2007)

Kody Swanson, the 2005 USAC Western States Sprint Car Series Champion, and winner of the sprint car portion of Decembers MOPAR-PRI Sprint & Midget Classic presented by FedEx, will join Nine Racings stellar lineup of drivers for the upcoming Night Before the 500 event at OReilly Raceway Park, in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 26.

Kody will drive the #19 Team ASE/Oakley/Pink Toyota midget in this event as well as the next USAC National Midget Series race at OReilly Raceway Park, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 16, the night before the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

Kody will join Nine Racings two-time USAC National Midget Series Champion Dave Darland and Nine Racings pavement specialist and previous Night Before the 500 race winner Dave Steele in these two events. Kody is already off to a fantastic start this season by winning two USAC Western States Sprint Car races.

The Nine Racing team is led by Crew Chief Kelly Drake, who is assisted by another Night Before the 500 Champion Michael Lewis, and Kreig Polland.

SWANSON EYES APRIL 28 SALT LAKE CITY VISIT AFTER WINNING “GERHARDT” WESTERN SPRINT OPENER AT MADERA

Kody Swanson of Kingsburg, Calif. is the early leader in the 2007 Lucas Oil USAC Western Sprint Car Series after his wire-to-wire victory in Saturday night’s “Fred Gerhardt Open Wheel Classic” at the Madera (Calif.) Speedway. The series next heads for Rocky Mountain Raceways in Salt Lake City, Utah April 28 in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Sprint Car Series opener.

Swanson grabbed the lead at the drop of the green flag and led all 40 laps in his DRC Framing Eagle/Chevy. Defending series champion Tony Hunt was Saturday’s fastest qualifier and finished second ahead of JoJo Helberg, Ryan Kaplan and Greg Anderson. (Source: USACRacing.com)

Separate Winners Take Dual Feature Events in 2nd MOPAR-PRI Sprint & Midget Classic Presented by FedEx ORLANDO, FL - Dec. 15, 2006

A capacity crowd at Orlando Speedworld witnessed two different drivers take the top features of the evening at the 2nd Annual MOPAR-PRI Sprint & Midget Classic Presented by FedEx. As a result, no one earned the $50,000 Impact Racing bonus which was to be paid to the driver who won both the Sprint Car and Midget races.

Californian Kody Swanson ran away from the rest of the field in the Sprint feature, which then put him to the back of the grid for the subsequent Midget race. Though he tried valiantly to move through the field, the tight track at Orlando Speedworld and close competition prevented him from doing so, and Ron Gregory of Noblesville, IN, who took the lead in the Midget race on lap 24 and held it for the final 16, earned the win.

The evening had a little bit of everything, including the entrance on-track of a FedEx Custom Critical truck, provided by the event’s presenting sponsor, which brought a giant check for $50,000 to Swanson, providing the incentive to try and win his second race of the night, from the 24th slot in his 9 Racing Midget.

Swanson never lost the lead in the 40-lap Sprint car race. In second was Gregory, who had the best performance of all drivers, followed by Brian Tyler, of Parma, MI, in third place.
(Source: www.sprintandmidgetclassic.com)