Hey Race Fans! Voting has concluded for the first round of the "Search For a Champion." We will find out if I am a finalist for the contest on February 23rd, so be sure to check back then! Thank you to all of you who took the time to register and vote for me, it really means a lot! Thanks again for your outstanding support! -Kody

TK Motorsports News- KodySwanson Announces 2012 Racing Plans

Ted Slinkard's #19 ready for Bubba's Winter Dirt Games this weekend in Ocala, FL.

After finishing a 2010 season that left him just 11 points shy of his first USAC Silver Crown series Championship, driver Kody Swanson was eager to take on the 2011 racing season. Less than two weeks after he stole the show to win the return of “Thursday Night Thunder” at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, and just three weeks after getting married, his plans changed. Kody was life-flighted from the Hut 100 with serious head trauma, two skull fractures, two pelvis fractures and a broken clavicle. With his championship hopes demolished, Kody Swanson returned to racing in July of 2011, and won his first USAC Silver Crown race back from injury, the JD Byrider 100 at Lucas Oil Raceway. After finishing the season with victories in the Wayne Sue Classic and Rollie Beale 150, the young driver is looking forward to a fresh start with the upcoming racing season.

In 2012, Kody will return to Team 6R Racing in the USAC Silver Crown series, in pursuit of his first series Championship after he was kept from competing for the title one year ago. Swanson’s 3 series wins since September of 2010 has helped propel Team 6R Racing back to the All-Time lead in Silver Crown victories at 28.

For More on Kody's 2012 Racing Plans- Click Here!

TK Motorsports News- Tanner & KodySwanson to Must See Racing's Xtreme Sprints in 2012

In May of 2009, Kody & Tanner Swanson finished 1st & 2nd for the first time in their careers in the USAC Western Sprint car race at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Ca. By the end of that year, they had accomplished the 1st & 2nd “sweep” 6 more times in just 7 races. In 2010, they finished 1st & 3rd in the famed “Night Before the 500” Midget classic, and then became the first brothers in history to sweep a USAC Silver Crown race 1st & 2nd. In 2011, the duo finished 1st & 3rd in the “JD Byrider 100” Silver Crown race at Lucas Oil Raceway, before sweeping the Turkey Night Sprint car race 1st & 2nd. For 2012, a new challenge awaits, as the Swanson brothers prepare to tackle the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint car series head on.

Since 2010, the Must See Racing series has grown rapidly in their first two full seasons, providing many open wheel race fans an exciting show at “Xtreme” speeds. With a fan and competitor base that is on the rise, Must See Racing also offers a high quality television broadcast for 10 of their 2012 events, reaching over 150 million households on major networks, cable and satellite.

However, as the Swanson brothers try to find their place in the very competitive series, they will be doing so competing for different race teams. Kody will be driving for Suellen & Don Wilshe's BioBased.US racing team, while Tanner will drive for Tom Brewer in the SpeedChasers, Inc. #64. While Tanner and Kody are no strangers to the paved surfaces that the Must See series competes on, neither of them have ever driven a Winged Pavement Sprint car...

For quotes from Tanner & Kody, and the rest of the Press Release...Click Here!

Must See Racing News- Kody Swanson to Compete in Must See Racing

K&N News- Swanson Brothers go One-Two in Turkey Night Sprint race

Spoiler alert! While this particular Swanson Brothers race story ends with Tanner winning and Kody right behind in 2nd, it has an unlikely beginning with both drivers spinning out coming off turn-4 after the start of the race.

"I wish I could tell you what exactly happened on that start, but I don't really know," Kody told K&N. "A number of people told me that one of the cars left a trail of oil when it pulled off the track prior to going green. It's really tough to say exactly what caused it, but I do know that Tanner and I rarely make a major mistake like that on pavement and I can't imagine both of us spinning on the start at the same time without some kind of explanation. But, that's what happened. Tanner and I both spun off of turn-4 coming to the green. In the confusion, cars back in the pack ran into each other and really made a mess on the front stretch. Because I had stopped in turn-4, I had to go to the tail as part of the accident while Tanner got to keep his position (in the front row) because he didn't touch anyone or stop on the track."

Finishing first and second isn't new for Kody and Tanner, in 2009 alone they pulled off the one-two sweep seven times.

Over the course of the last five years Kody and Tanner have combined for a total of four USAC Western Sprint Car Championships, a plethora of wins, and in 2009 alone they finished 1st and 2nd an astonishing seven times! Yet, until this year, they had never been able to pull off the elusive one-two finish at the Turkey Night Sprints. At the checkers and after leading all 40-laps, it was Tanner picking up his first Turkey Night and USAC Sprint Car win at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, while Kody put on a show coming from 21st to finish 2nd behind Tanner.

For the rest of the story from K&N News.... Click Here!

Featured Video: Tanner and Kody Swanson go 1-2 in "Turkey Night" Sprints

Kody Swanson from last to 2nd in Turkey Night Sprints

(November 24, 2011) In 2010, Kody Swanson drove from his 5th place starting position to the lead in just a few laps on his way to win the USAC Sprint car race at Turkey Night. However, this year's edition of the race would tell a much different story.

After qualifying 4th, Kody Swanson lined up his TK Motorsports #75 on the inside of row two for the 40-lapper. However, as the field came to green, both Kody and his brother Tanner lost their racecars out from underneath them, as both of them spun off of turn 4. With Kody starting on the inside of his row, he quickly spun to a stop in the infield of turn 4. Further back in the pack, cars ran into eachother on the front-stretch and brought out the red flag. When the race was ready to resume, Kody had to line up 21st, at the tail of the field for his spin. At the drop of the green, Kody quickly went to work, set to make it as far through the field as possible. In the opening laps, Kody moved quickly through the tail of the field, making it into the Top Ten before lap 8. Kody continued his charge toward the front without the help of a caution, as he would have to pass cars and make up the distance to the next one. Kody continued to climb the scoring pylon, and by lap 16, he had made it from 21st to 4th! With over a straight-away to the next car, it seemed like a tall task to finish on the podium. Yet, Kody passed into the top 3, and set his sights on the 2nd spot as the laps wound down. After erasing yet another straight-away deficit, Kody waged an intense battle with Mike Murgoitio for the spot. The duo traded the position back and forth for a number of laps, trading slide jobs for the spot on the wide 1/2 mile. In the end, Kody prevailed with a few laps remaining, and used his drive to the front to cap off a One-Two TK Motorsports finish at the top of the running order!

K&N News- Kody Swanson Wins Big at Toledo Speedway

Kody's power-steering pump broke around lap 50, but he held on for 100 laps, becoming the first driver to lead all 150-laps of a Silver Crown event.

"So, this year, I was really looking forward to trying to win that Championship for Team 6R Racing. Being that I missed the first three races (of an eight race season due to injuries resulting from a crash), that was out of the question... For the rest of the K&N News Article: Click Here

October 17th- CARQUEST Gasoline Alley Welcomes Taylor Ferns, Jessica Clark, Kody Swanson And Tommy Martocci To Tonight's Show

Kody Swanson, one half of the talented Swanson Brothers racing family, rejoins the Gang to talk about his wire to wire triumph over the weekend at the final USAC Silver Crown event at the Toledo Motor Speedway. Kody was out of action for two months recovering from severe injuries from a hard crash at the "Hut 100" back on May 21st and will talk about his recovery from those injuries.

Kody is scheduled to be interviewed tonight at 7:20pm EST! The Show's programming is available on WALN Digital Cable Radio, Internet www.walncableradio.com for the Audio portion and: livestream.com/walncableradio/old for the video portion.

Kody Swanson WINS "Rollie Beale 150" in Toledo

(October 15, 2011) Last Saturday it may have seemed as though Kody Swanson was on a mission. He was. In qualifying, Kody ran a lap around Toledo's 1/2 mile Speedway in 14.809 seconds, setting a New Track Record, and outdoing his competitors by over 2 tenths of a second.

Starting from the pole in the "Rollie Beale 150," Kody quickly shot to the lead in his Team 6R Racing #19. In the opening laps, Kody stretched his lead to half a straighaway before a lap 16 caution slowed the field for oil on the track. Kody continued to lead, when a lap 50 caution would reset the field for what would become a 100-lap green flag run to the finish. As the field went back to green, Kody opened up a decent margin on 2nd place. Meanwhile, the power steering pump on Kody's #19 had began to falter, causing some serious steering issues in the center of each corner. Kody quickly adapted to this new challenge, and continued to pace the field through lapped traffic. As the laps wound down, Kody was held up by a few of the slower cars, allowing 2nd place runner Bryan Clauson to challenge for the lead. Bryan pulled alongside Kody at one point, only for Kody to hold onto the lead. As the race drew near its end, Kody pulled away through the final set of lapped cars, and won the event by nearly a straightaway advantage. With the win, Kody went 2-for-2 in USAC Pavement Silver Crown competition this year, taking home both events in the Team 6R Racing, Kroger/Wawona Packing, powered by Toyota #19. Despite missing the first 3 races of the 8 race Silver Crown season, Kody climbed to 10th in the final series standings.

Kody will have his Team 6R Racing #19 on display at the Career Expo in the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis from Wednesday through Friday. A recipient of the American FFA Degree, Kody will be on hand to meet with nearly 54,000 FFA Members and guests during the Convention.

TK Motorsports to be on display at Indianapolis' National FFA Convention

(October 14, 2011) In 2007, Kody Swanson received his American FFA Degree at the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. In 2010, brother Tanner Swanson matched his feat. This October 19-21, Tanner and Kody Swanson will be at the National FFA Convention, but this time on display with their own TK Motorsports in the Career Show Expo.

The Career Expo will go from 12:30-5pm on Wednesday the 19th, and from 8am-4pm on Thursday and Friday, the 20th and 21st.

Tanner and Kody will have their #17 TK Motorsports Pavement Sprint car on display, as well as the #19 Team 6R Racing Silver Crown car featuring Kroger and Wawona Packing. The brothers will be available to answer questions about their careers in motorsports, sign autographs, and talk about the impact that the FFA Organization has had on them.

For more information on the event, please visit: www.ffa.org

USAC Silver Crown season finale this Saturday at Toledo Speedway

(October 11, 2011) Just one year ago, Kody Swanson was headed to Toledo Speedway trying to steal his first USAC Silver Crown championship. The young driver had fought his way to within 26 points of the two championship leaders, but needed a strong run and them to have misfortune to win. Kody had his strong run, qualifying 5th and battling among the leaders before finishing 2nd in the 150-lapper. The two championship leaders finished 7th and 8th, leaving Kody 3rd in the season points, just 11 shy of a Championship.

This year, the circumstances are very different. Kody missed half of the USAC Silver Crown season due to injuries sustained in a May 21 Midget racing accident. Kody battled back, and won his 1st Silver Crown race of the season in July, taking the JD Byrider 100. With no shot at Championship contention, Kody is simply making the most of his season, and looking for nothing less than victory at this week's "Rollie Beale 150." Kody will be driving his Team 6R Racing, powered by Toyota #19.

For more information on the event, please visit: www.toledospeedway.com

Tough Runnin' at the "Gold Crown" Midget Nationals

(October 8, 2011) The "Gold Crown" Midget Nationals has quickly earned a reputation for fierce competition and some of the season's best Midget racing. At Kevin & Tammy Gundaker's 3/8 mile Tri-City Speedway, the USAC National Midgets put on a whale of a show. With preliminary nights on Thursday and Friday, Saturday night caps off the weekend with a $10,000 to win 50-lap affair. While this event is a draw for race fans, it certainly attracts competitors too, with 55 Midgets competing each night.

Night One- Kody started on the pole and ran 2nd in his preliminary heat race, but the passing points system forced him to compete in the B-main event. Kody fell to 13th by the 12-lap races end, and failed to transfer to the night's main event.

Night Two- Kody started 8th and drove to a 4th place finish in his heat race, scoring enough points through the passing system to transfer directly to the main event. Starting 11th, Kody held his own in the 25-lap feature that went caution free, and finished 9th.

Night Three- By virtue of the points he collected Thursday and Friday, Kody would line up 6th in one of Saturday night's twin B-Main events, hoping to transfer into the A-Main finale with a top 8 finish. Kody finished 6th in his B and made it into the "Gold Crown Nationals" A-Main event, and would start 18th. The first 37 laps of the 50-lapper went without caution, but by lap 40 something in the power steering unit of the #11 had quit, and Kody was forced to retire from the event.

Kody and the Wilke-PAK Motorsports team will head to Southern California next for their season finale "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale on Thanksgiving night.

Steering Issues end strong run at Putnamville's Lincoln Park

(October 1, 2011) Kody Swanson returned to the Ted Slinkard #51 for the final time in 2011, making his 2nd career start at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, IN.

With 33 Sprint cars on hand, Kody started outside the front row of his heat race and battled among the top 3 before eventually finishing in the 3rd position. In assessing his heat race, Kody and the team did some investigating with their steering box. It was determined that something was amiss, and that Kody would do his best in the Feature event, but pull off the track if things continued to get worse. Starting 12th in the 25-lapper, Kody quickly moved to the outside of the racetrack and began moving forward. Often the only car running the rough and trechous cushion, Kody moved into the top 10, and all the way to the 5th position despite the steering issues. About that time, things started to get worse with the steering box, and Kody was forced to retire from the event before there was any more damage done to the #51.

Kody Swanson hangs tough at the 4-Crown

(September 24, 2011) The "Big E" of Eldora Speedway is the home of USAC's "4-Crown" Nationals every September. Kody Swanson was there pulling double-duty this year for powered by TOYOTA team's Wilke-PAK Motorsports and Team 6R Racing.

While a failing battery terminal kept him from taking time in his Midget, Kody qualified 15th in his Silver Crown car. Kody rebounded to finish 5th in his Midget heat race, but would still have to start at the tail of the 18-car field. In the early going, Kody would get a little hung up trying to make it through the back of the pack, and would go a lap down to leader Kyle Larson well before the half-way point. However, after that, Kody jumped to the cushion and followed the leader for the remainder of the 25-lapper, and didn't get lapped by any other cars! The run resulted in a 13th place finish. In the 50-lap Silver Crown affair, Kody moved from his 14th place starting position toward the Top 10 in the opening laps, only to have a broken bolt in his rear suspension bring him to the pits. After replacing the hardware, Kody returned to the race 2 laps down. After restarting at the tail of the 24 car field, Kody drove all the way to 6th place in the running order before races end. Being scored 2 laps down, Kody was officially scored in the 11th position. Although it was a tough night, the results really didn't tell the full story of the runs Kody had at Eldora's 4-Crown.

Kody will take the Wilke-PAK Midget to the "Gold Crown Nationals" in Granite City, Illinois from October 6th-8th, and then head to Toledo Speedway in Toledo, Ohio for the USAC Silver Crown season finale "Rollie Beale 150" on October 15th.

Kody Swanson takes 4th at Winchester Speedway

(September 18, 2011) On Sunday afternoon, Kody Swanson and the USAC Pavement Sprint cars attacked the high-banks of Winchester Speedway.

After struggling in the first two practice sessions, Kody jumped to 2nd on the board in final practice in his TK Motorsports #75. In qualifying, Kody ran a lap of 14.57 seconds, averaging 123.54mph around the 1/2 mile oval, good enough for the 3rd position. After starting 4th in his preliminary heat race, Kody received hard contact from the car to his inside on the opening lap. After regaining control, Kody went on to finish 4th.

After starting 4th in the 30-lap Feature Event, Kody fell to 5th as eventual winner Tracy Hines made his way to the front. Kody battled for most of the feature event for the 4th spot, completing the pass on lap 18 only to have an untimely caution force him to give the spot back. On the restart, Kody continued his pursuit of the 4th position, finally completing the pass again with less than 10 laps to go. Kody quickly began his pursuit of the next competitor, pulling to the back bumper of the 3rd place car with just a handful of laps to go. Try as he might, Kody never could pull alongside for a pass, and had to settle for a 4th place feature finish.

Kody and the TK Motorsports team will close out the USAC National Pavement Sprint season at Lucas Oil Raceway on October 13th for the final "Thursday Night Thunder" event.

Swanson makes debut in Ted Slinkard #51 at Putnamville

(September 10, 2011) On Saturday night, Kody Swanson started a new chapter in his racing career. For the first time, Kody entered at Dirt Sprint Car race in the Hoosier State. From behind the wheel of Ted Slinkard's #51, Kody took on 35 other sprint cars at Putnamville, Indiana's Lincoln Park Speedway.

In an event with no qualifying, and a unique heat race only format, Kody drew for his starting position of 4th in Heat 4. After running in a transfer position until the final lap, Kody finished 5th and had to go to the night's Semi-Main. Kody started 4th of the 19 cars vying for 4 transfer positions, and fell to 5th in the first corner. After an early caution, Kody made an outside pass into the 4th and final transfer spot, punching his ticket to the night's 25-lap feature event. Starting shotgun on the 20-car field, Kody battled through-out much of the race with a large pack of cars. Kody moved up as high as 15th before falling as low as 19th, only to drive up to the 12th spot in the final laps. While this continues to be a great learning experience, Kody will return to the Slinkard #51 this weekend at Gas City I-69 Speedway on Friday before heading to Winchester Speedway on Sunday with the USAC Pavement Sprint Cars.

Engine Woes Sideline Defending "Ted Horn 100" Champ

(September 4, 2011) Just one year ago, Kody Swanson drove his Team 6R Racing Silver Crown car to Victory Lane on the DuQuoin, Ill Mile, and put himself in contention for one of the closest Championship chases in Silver Crown history. This year, Kody had missed nearly half the season, but was looking to make up for lost time.

When he returned to the "Magic Mile," Kody and Team 6R Racing were looking to win their 2nd consecutive "Ted Horn 100." After posting the 18th quickest time in practice of the 28 cars, Kody and the team made a few changes before qualifying. They made good decisions, as Kody climbed to 5th quick with his qualifying effort, setting him up with a good starting spot for the 100-Mile event. At the drop of the green, Kody quickly settled into 6th, and began pacing himself and his equipment for the 100-Mile distance. However, Kody never got his fair chance to defend his Ted Horn victory, as he suffered from engine woes on lap 12 and was forced to retire from the event.

Kody and Team 6R Racing will return to the USAC Silver Crown division on September 24th as part of Eldora Speedway's 4-Crown Nationals.

Top Ten in Springfield; Tough Luck in Sun Prairie

(August 21, 2011) On August 14th, Kody came up to a BADGER sanctioned Midget race at Sun Prairie, and had some decent success. Qualifying 6th, finishing 3rd in the heat and a 5th place feature finish, and the Californian was looking forward to the USAC National event just a week later.

Well after qualifying 13th, Kody was looking forward to his night, and a chance to drive through the field in the 30-lap feature. Starting 4th in his preliminary heat race, Kody moved to 2nd in the first half a lap, then to the lead before Bryan Clauson took over the top spot on lap 6. Still running comfortably in 2nd, Kody suffered from engine trouble exiting turn two on the 8th lap. After pulling to the pit area, it was determined that Kody's night in the #11 would come to an end in Sun Prairie long before the feature event ever got started. Kody and the Wilke-PAK team will return to USAC National Midget action on Friday September 2nd at LaSalle, Illinois and Saturday September 3rd at Sun Prairie for the 50-lap Firemen's Nationals.

(August 20, 2011) After missing the May "Hoosier 100," Kody would make just his first Dirt Silver Crown start of the season at Springfield, Illinois' "Tony Bettenhausen 100."

Last fall, Kody picked up the win in the "Ted Horn 100" at the DuQuoin Mile, and was looking to score his first ever Bettenhausen 100 win. Kody qualified 15th, but knew that driving through the field was absolutely possible. Kody moved to the outside and passed a few cars before a slower car slid off the bottom and in front of Kody, letting everyone else back by. Kody encountered this type of battle for much of the race, and struggled to gain any significant ground toward the front. However, Kody played to his strengths, making key passes on late race restarts to move all the way up to 8th by races end. Kody's Team 6R Racing teammate Brian Tyler, proved that passing was possible with the right car and circumstances, as he drove from 14th to win his 4th Career Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield.

Kody and Team 6R Racing will return to the USAC Silver Crown tour on September 4th in DuQuoin, Illinois, where Kody will try to defend his 2010 "Ted Horn 100" Win!

Kody Swanson WINS "Wayne Sue Classic" at Silver Dollar Speedway

...then finishes 3rd in "Mike McCreary Classic" in Placerville

(August 7, 2011) Kody Swanson made a surprise visit to the USAC Western Classic Sprint series, and may have even surprised himself while driving Alan Kaiser's #69 to Victory Lane. In just his 2nd career non-wing Dirt Sprint car start, and first since 2007, Kody drove from his 9th place starting position to take the lead with 5 laps remaining and his 1st Career Dirt Sprint Car victory. The win came at Chico, CA's Silver Dollar Speedway, where Kody picked up his first career USAC Dirt Midget win in March.

After qualifying 9th, Kody failed to transfer through his preliminary heat race, and had to go through the semi-feature to make the night's main event. Starting outside the front row, Kody led all 12 laps to win the semi by over a straight-away and earn his spot in the 30-lap A-Main event. Starting 9th, Kody quickly began moving through the field, driving up to 7th by lap 4 and 5th by lap 8. After a lap 16 restart, Kody moved into 4th and was up to 3rd by lap 19. A three-wide battle for 2nd place ensued over the next few laps, with Swanson breaking free to challenge for the lead on lap 24. Going into turn 3, Swanson was able to get underneath the leader, and take over the top spot on lap 25. Less than a lap later, a flip in turn 3 brought out the red flag and a 5 lap shootout to the finish. Swanson held off an early challenge but pulled away over the final few laps to pick up his first ever Dirt Sprint car victory, in his first start in the Alan Kaiser Construction #69.

The following night, Kody and the Kaiser Construction team headed to Placerville, CA for the "Mike McCreary Classic," looking to go 2-for-2 on their weekend. Things started out promising, with Kody timing in 2nd quick of the 28 cars, despite going out late in the order on the drying racetrack. Kody then moved from 7th to 3rd to transfer through his heat race, setting himself up to start 5th in the night's Feature event. From the drop of the green flag, it was clear that Kody was in a very loose handling racecar, and would have to search the racetrack to make do. In the early laps, Kody lost a few positions, fading as far as 8th before making a charge back toward the front. Kody found the topside of turns 3 and 4 to his liking, and used a few restarts to gain momentum on his competition. By lap 20, Kody had made it all the way back up to the 3rd position, but that's where he would stay for the duration of the event. For his 2nd and 3rd Career starts in a non-wing dirt sprint, a Win and a 3rd are not too bad at all. Thanks to Alan Kaiser and everyone who helped make these two races possible!

Kody will be headed to Wisconsin this weekend for BADGER series Midget action on Saturday and Sunday at Wilmot and Angell Park Speedway for the Wilke-PAK Motorsports team.

Kody Swanson WINS "JD Byrider 100" at Lucas Oil Raceway

(July 29, 2011) Kody Swanson made his return to racing and Victory Lane all in one night during Thursday's Kroger Speedfest at Lucas Oil Raceway. Driving for Team 6R Racing, powered by Toyota and sponsored by Kroger and Wawona Packing, Kody picked up his 2nd career USAC Silver Crown win in just his first series start of 2011.

After qualifying 6th, Kody quickly began making his move toward the front. By lap 10, he had cracked the Top 5, but by lap 20, he had passed for the lead. Kody found the low groove in the early going, and used the bottom side of the racetrack to pass for each position, and took over the top spot from Tony Stewart Racing's Levi Jones on lap 20.Kody continued to pull away during the middle of the race, but found some stiff competition from former Silver Crown Champ Tracy Hines as the race neared its end. Kody had a Right Rear tire losing air pressure, and a series of late cautions seriously affected the handling on his #19. As Hines neared his back bumper, and pulled alongside Swanson as the duo took the white flag, Kody held on to win at the famed Indianapolis racetrack, and close the book on his recovery. Team 6R Racing book-ended the podium, as Kody's brother Tanner brought home his #23 in the 3rd spot, and placed himself in a tie for the series point lead!

Kody and Tanner will return to USAC Silver Crown series action when the schedule resumes at Springfield, Illinois' State Fair on August 20th.

Kody Swanson Returns to Racing "Full-Time" on July 28th at Lucas Oil Raceway

Kody Swanson testing his Team 6R Racing Silver Crown Car at Lucas Oil Raceway. Denny Scott Photo.

"Kroger Speedfest" features USAC double-header with Silver Crown & National Midgets

TK Motorsports Release: (July 24, 2011)---Just one year ago, Kody Swanson won Wilke-PAK Motorsports their record-breaking 134th USAC National Feature by winning during Lucas Oil Raceway's "Kroger Speedfest." Then, the young driver was leading the accompanying Silver Crown race by a large margin when he suffered a flat Right Rear tire. If he wants to top that performance this year, and go after wins in both series at Kroger Speedfest, Kody Swanson will face more than just the competition.  On May 21st, Kody suffered serious injuries in a crash during the USAC National Midget "Hut 100" in Haubstadt, Indiana. With a severe concussion, two skull fractures, two pelvis fractures and a chipped collarbone, Kody has been on a two-month road to recovery. This week, he returns to the driver's seat, and to full-time racing duties for Team 6R Racing and Wilke-PAK Motorsports with the USAC double-header at Lucas Oil Raceway.

Thursday's events will start with qualifications in the afternoon, with USAC Racing to follow the ARCA series feature starting at 7pm. For ticket prices, please visit www.lucasoilraceway.com.

For LIVE updates from the Racetrack- like us on Facebook at Swanson Brothers-TK Motorsports, or follow us on Twitter @KodySwanson and @tswanson_racing!

Click Here for --- Kody's Road to Recovery Journal

Kingsburg race driver on road to big recovery

Kody Swanson will find out Wednesday if he's clear to compete after brutal crash.

By Jeff Davis - Fresno Bee

Kody and Jordan Swanson exiting the St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville, IN. (5/25/11) Special to the Bee..

Kody Swanson of Kingsburg will find out today if he can resume racing this weekend, almost six weeks after surviving a near-fatal crash in a USAC National Midgets dirt race.

Swanson was knocked unconscious and sustained fractures to his head, pelvis and left collarbone after his No. 11 Wilke-PAK Motorsports/Toyota flipped violently several times and skidded into a wall on lap 83 of the Hut 100 at Tri-State Speedway in Huabstadt, Ind., on May 21.

A helicopter was called in to air-lift Swanson to St. Mary's Medical Center in Evansville, Ind., where he spent 11/2 days in intensive care. He spent a few more days in the hospital before he was released...

To Read the Full Article: http://www.fresnobee.com/2011/06/28/2445673/kingsburg-race-driver-on-road.html#ixzz1QfuT9P4s

2011 Kody Swanson Apparel: Team 6R Racing Silver Crown & Wilke-PAK Motorsports Midget

Swanson Brothers Sweep "Thursday Night Thunder" at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis

Kody Swanson in Victory Lane after "Thursday Night Thunder" at Lucas Oil Raceway. Lucas Oil Photo.

Kody Wins with Tanner 2nd in Indianapolis Thriller

TK Motorsports Release: (May 13, 2011)---Last night, TK Motorsports' Swanson Brothers and the USAC Pavement Sprint Cars headed to Lucas Oil Raceway for Night #1 of "Thursday Night Thunder."  After finishing 2nd and scoring the most points in the season opener at Anderson Speedway in April, driver Kody Swanson led the series to the event and was among "those to watch" in the 30-lap Sprint car feature.  Tanner Swanson was also mentioned prior to the event as a threat to win, as many remember the youngster stealing the show by winning last year's "Night Before the 500" in just his first attempt!

When the night's time trials came to a close, the results showed Kody then Tanner in the 3rd and 4th positions.  With both brothers driving for their family owned TK Motorsports team, many knew that at least one of them should have a chance to end up in Victory Lane.  Before that could happen, both drivers needed to finish in the Top 4 of their respective heat races to earn a spot in the night's feature event, and both did just that.  Tanner drove from 5th to 4th in his heat race, while Kody moved from his 6th place starting spot to finish 2nd in his.  After an invert of the 6 fastest qualifiers, and factoring in who transferred through their heat races, Tanner and Kody would line up 4th and 5th for the 30-lap feature.  At the drop of the green flag, Tanner quickly moved from 4th into 3rd, and began his pursuit of the race lead, while Kody got shuffled back to the 6th position.  In the early going, Kody raced his way past a few cars and into the 4th position, but not before Tanner had moved into 2nd, and nearly a straight-away ahead of Kody in 4th!  While Tanner and two other cars battled for the lead, Kody quickly began closing the gap to the leaders, hoping to join the fray.  By the half-way point, Jacob Wilson had got to the lead, with Tanner in tow, and Kody moving past early leader Tracy Hines into the 3rd spot.  Tanner immediately began pressuring the #07 for the top spot, and after Kody got to Tanner's bumper, a three-way battle for the lead ensued with just 10-laps to go!  With no cautions to be had, the non-stop affair produced some lapped traffic, and heightened the intense battle for the lead.  While Tanner began working the low line under the leader, older brother Kody began working the outside to get beside Tanner for 2nd.  With just three laps remaining, Kody finally got to the outside of Tanner in turns three and four, and had a big run on the leader coming down the front-stretch.  With no time left to waste, Kody immediately dove to the inside of the #07 entering turn one, taking the lead off of turn two and completing his move from 3rd to 1st in less than 1 lap!  Tanner was able to get by Wilson in the next lap, and began his pursuit of his older brother with just under two laps to go.  The duo negotiated lapped traffic on the final lap, but the order stayed the same, with Kody taking the Feature Win and Tanner in 2nd to complete the Swanson Brothers One-Two finish!

While it is very exciting to have TK Motorsports finish One-Two in the first race of the return of "Thursday Night Thunder," they will also go down in the record books as the first to win at the newly renamed Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (formerly O'Reilly Raceway Park and Indianapolis Raceway Park)!  After becoming the first brothers in history to "sweep" a USAC Silver Crown Feature One-Two in August of last year, the Swanson Brothers have now completed One-Two Feature Event sweeps in each of the USAC Pavement Sprint Car series, USAC Silver Crown series, and USAC Western Sprint Car series.  The brothers have also finished a combination of 1st & 3rd in both USAC National Midget series and USAC Western Midget series events, including last year's "Night Before the 500!"  After Tanner and Kody each picked up wins in National Midgets and their first career Silver Crown victories last year, both were named USAC's "Most Improved Drivers" in 2010.

Swanson starts USAC National Midget season 10th & 5th in Dodge City double-header

Kody Swanson (#11) races side-by-side at the "Duel in Dodge City" with brother Tanner USAC Racing Photo

(April 24, 2011)—On Saturday night, the USAC National Midgets returned to Dodge City Raceway Park for night #2 of the season opening double-header. A field of 35+ midgets showed at the 3/8 mile Kansas racetrack, all looking to get a jump on the 2011 season.  

When the night’s time trials concluded, Kody put the Wilke-PAK #11 in 4th position, lining him up for a 6th place heat race starting spot. After failing to transfer through his heat race, Kody started from the pole and drove to the win in the night's semi-main, earning himself a spot in the 40-lap Feature Event. Starting 7th, Kody fell back as far as 9th before making a charge back toward the Top 5. By the midway point, Kody had moved back to the 7th spot when the leaders began to encounter lapped traffic. In just a few laps, Kody moved into the top 5 and as high as 3rd when a lapped car spun in front of him. After nearly stalling to avoid an incident, Kody fell back to the 8th position, and resumed his pursuit of a good finish. In the remaining laps, Kody made it up to a solid 5th place feature finish in just his first weekend of USAC dirt competition with the Wilke-PAK Motorsports team.

Kody Swanson runs 9th in TOYOTA Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach

On April 16th, driver Kody Swanson took "to the streets" for the first time in his professional racing career. The United States Auto Club specialist took to the streets of Long Beach from behind the wheel of a Scion tC to benefit charity, in this year's Toyota Pro/Celebrity race. After qualifying 3rd overall on Friday, Kody moved up from 16th in the overall order (after starting 30-seconds behind 13 Celebrities) to 9th by the end of the 10-lap race.

Although the chance to participate in such a unique racing experience was an honor, there is an even greater significance with this event. The race, put on by Toyota, benefits Racing For Kids Charity, and donates an average of $90,000 to Children's Hospitals in Southern California. On Thursday of race weekend, Swanson and all of the other drivers made a special trip to Miller's Children's Hospital to meet with the Kids and pass out hats, diecast cars, and sign autographs. "Although the racing results weren't necessarily what I'd hoped for, the chance to be part of an event that makes such an impact was really special for me. It was great to feel like I was making a difference, and I plan to work with Racing For Kids more this year while on the USAC tour," says the young Swanson. "I had a great time with this event, and I feel very fortunate that Toyota chose to include me in such an awesome opportunity. I would love to do it again."

Swanson finishes 2nd in USAC Pavement Sprint Opener at Anderson Speedway

Kody Swanson & the TK Motorsports #75 Daves Pit Pass Photos

(April 4, 2011)—On yesterday afternoon, the USAC Pavement Sprint cars headed to Anderson, Indiana to get the 2011 season underway in the “Glen Niebel Classic.” Coming off of a win in the 2010 "Turkey Night" season finale, Kingsburg, California's Kody Swanson was looking to pick up where he left off.   

After qualifying 5th and transferring through his preliminary heat race, Swanson lined up outside the front row for the 50-lap Feature Event. At the drop of the green, Kody got a great run off of turn 4 and challenged for the lead in turn one. After being pushed up the track, Kody got a great run off of turn 2, and appeared headed for the lead, when contact from another car sent Kody's #75 into the air. Fortunately, Kody landed safely and continued his pursuit of the race lead. Approaching the halfway point, the handling on the #75 started to go away, likely from Left Rear shock damage incurred on the opening lap. For the duration of the event, Kody held off the rest of the field and onto a solid 2nd place run to open the season. The TK Motorsports team looks forward to the next USAC Pavement Sprint car race to be held at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis on May 12th.

Kody Swanson scores 1st USAC Dirt Midget win in “John Padjen Classic” Photo-Finish

Kody Swanson & the TK Motorsports #19 visits Silver Dollar Speedway Victory Lane! Matt and Mark Sublett - M&M Photos

(March 12, 2011)—On Friday night, the USAC Western Midgets headed to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California to get the 2011 season started with the “John Padjen Classic.”  A field of 21 midgets showed at the ¼ mile dirt bullring, all looking to become the first-ever winner of the event, including TK Motorsports’ Swanson brothers.   

When the night’s time trials concluded, Kody and Tanner Swanson had timed in 5th and 6th, lining both of them up for 5th place starting positions in their respective heat races.  In heat race two, Kody drove from his 5th place starting spot to 2nd to earn his spot in the feature event.  In heat race three, Tanner moved up 1 spot from his 5th place position to finish 4th and place himself solidly in the feature....

For the Rest of the Story: Click Here-------------Photo Courtesy of: Matt & Mark Sublett (M&M Photos)

TK Motorsports prepares to “kick-off” 2011 at Silver Dollar Speedway's “John Padjen Classic”

(March 9, 2011) TK Motorsports' Swanson brothers will kick-off a year's worth of racing action at this weekend's “John Padjen Classic” at Chico, California's Silver Dollar Speedway.  Based upon current schedules, Tanner and Kody will combine for nearly 100 events in 2011 USAC Silver Crown, Sprint car and Midget competition.  Kody will also have a special opportunity this season, as he has been invited to compete in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 16th.

This year, Kody and Tanner will return to the USAC National Silver Crown series driving for Team 6R Racing, of Zionsville, Indiana.  Last year, the duo became the “first brothers in History to 'sweep' a USAC Silver Crown Feature Event 1st & 2nd” when Tanner scored his first career Silver Crown win in the “Great Lakes 150.” Kody scored his first career Silver Crown win in the “Ted Horn 100” and lead the series in “Top 2” and “Top 5” feature finishes on his way to 3rd Place finish in the Series' Championship standings.

TK Motorsports and the brothers Swanson will return to the USAC Pavement Sprint car series in 2011, set to take on 10 races on Indiana ovals, including 6 at the recently renamed “Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis.”

The only USAC series the brothers will differ in is the National Midget series.  While Kody will return to the series full-time behind the wheel of the Wilke-PAK Motorsports #11, Tanner will stick to the pavement races only in one of Don Fike's RFMS Racing entries.  The brothers each had great success in limited starts with their respective teams in 2010, and look forward to the opportunities ahead.  In the meantime, Tanner will look to gain valuable experience in National Dirt Midget competition from behind the wheel of the TK Motorsports/Team 6R Racing #19.

While the Swanson brothers aren't traveling from coast to coast on the USAC National tour, they will return to the West Coast for some additional racing events.  Both brothers will continue to add races in the USAC Western Sprint car series from behind the wheel of the Mott-Bolding Motorsports #15, while Kody will return to the Tatro Racing SuperModified for the “Vukovich Classic” at Madera Speedway.  Tanner and Kody both plan to release more about their 2011 Western States racing schedules as details are confirmed. 

TK Motorsports’ 2011 Upcoming Events:
USAC Western Midgets at Silver Dollar Speedway – March 11th: Tanner & Kody Swanson will get things started on the dirt in 2011 from behind the wheel of the TK Motorsports/Team 6R Racing #19 & #23.  The “John Padjen Classic” is a special Friday night event. 
USAC Western Midgets at Ventura Raceway – March 19th: Tanner Swanson will be the sole TK Motorsports representative when the USAC Western Midgets travel to Ventura Raceway’s 1/5 mile dirt oval.  Kody will be unavailable due to a scheduling conflict.
USAC Pavement Sprint Cars at Anderson Speedway – April 3rd: Tanner & Kody Swanson will travel to Indiana with TK Motorsports’ #17 & #75 for the “Glen Niebel Classic,” which Tanner won in 2008 in the RAM #50m.  This year’s edition is a special Sunday afternoon event. 
Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach – April 15-16th: Kody Swanson will make his road course debut from behind the wheel of a Toyota Scion tC in this year’s Pro/Celebrity Race.  This Charity Event is held annually at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
USAC National Midgets at Dodge City Raceway Park – April 22-23rd: Tanner & Kody Swanson will get their 2011 USAC National season started with the “Duel in Dodge City” double-header.  Kody will  be behind the wheel of the Wilke-PAK Motorsports #11, while Tanner will take control of the TK  Motorsports/Team 6R Racing #19.

Would you like to stay updated as TK Motorsports’ Swanson Brothers tour the US? Know someone else who might? Sign up for the Official TK Motorsports Newsletter and get reminders on Upcoming Events as well as all of the latest Race Results, News and Photos.  Make sure to “like” us on Facebook at Swanson Brothers-TK Motorsports, to get Race Day Results and Updates!  

Kody Swanson will make his first start in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race this year, and will be joined by last year’s winning celebrity driver, Brian Austin Green, drifting champion Kenshiro Gushi, and top import drag-racing professional and founder of WORLD Motorsports Christian Rado in the Pro Category. 

“The Toyota Pro/Celebrity race is so unique for everyone, for both racecar drivers and famous personalities, and I am really excited to have the opportunity to participate in such a historic event” said Swanson, driver from United States Auto Club’s Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget divisions.  “While I look forward to such a special opportunity for me to compete as a participant, I am impressed with the commitment that Toyota has made to ‘Racing for Kids,’ and I am very happy to be included in an event with such a great cause.”

On behalf of each celebrity racer, Toyota donates $5,000 to Racing for Kids every year and another $5,000 to the winning racer’s charity of choice. Racing for Kids, a national nonprofit program benefiting children’s hospitals throughout the country, (in this case, Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach and Children’s Hospital in Orange County, Calif.), was created as a way to connect sick children with their favorite celebrities and race-car drivers. Toyota has donated more than $1.9 million to various children’s hospitals since 1991, on behalf of this race and its participants.

Additionally, a $15,000 donation will be made in conjunction with the 14th-annual “People Pole Award.” Sponsored by People magazine, the award honors the pole-position winner of the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race qualifying session on Friday, April 15.

TK Motorsports on display at the 2011 “World Ag Expo” at the International Agri-Center

TK Motorsports' #17 Sprint Car on display at the World Ag Expo Registration Center

When the “World Ag Expo” began in 1968 at the Tulare (California) County Fairgrounds, it featured over 150 exhibitors and over 28,000 attendees.  Since then, the three-day event has grown to cover 2.6 million square feet at the International Agri-Center in Tulare, and averages over 100,000 attendees to view displays from over 1,600 exhibitors each year.  Statistics like these make the World Ag Expo the world’s largest annual Agriculture Exposition, and this year, TK Motorsports is there. 

With drivers Kody & Tanner Swanson, who each served as their High School FFA Chapter President and received their American FFA Degrees, TK Motorsports and the Swanson brothers have been a great fit to promote the value of Agriculture Education beyond the role of farming and to occupations as extreme as professional racecar driving.  Their role at this year’s World Ag Expo has included the display of the TK Motorsports #17 USAC Pavement Sprint Car, which set a “New Track Record” in its last outing at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, California, as well as being on site to visit with attendees and exhibitors.  The brothers will be on hand to answer questions and tell their story tomorrow and Thursday at the Expo, next to their car on display at the World Ag Expo Registration Center at the corner of Median & J Streets, booth J30.

Racefans and Agriculturalists alike, come on out to the International Agri-Center in Tulare to check out the TK Motorsports Sprint Car on display and see just what the “World Ag Expo” has to offer!

For more information on the World Ag Expo- please visit www.worldagexpo.com

Swanson to Drive the Wilke-PAK #11 for 2011 USAC National Season!

Kody Swanson, the Wilke-PAK team's new lead driver when the USAC National Midget Series resumes in April, won two of his four feature starts for the team in 2010, and will be looking for his first career Championship Feature start at Tulsa, making his Tulsa debut last year. Swanson will compete on Tuesday Night.

Photo By: Ken Pamatat

K&N News Release- TK Motorsports' Brothers on Winning, Setting Records and Pleasing Fans

Kody and Tanner are each other's greatest rivals and supporters, it's clearly a winning combination.

For the Rest of the Story, please visit the link through K&N News .....................Tom DeVette Photo

Swanson set to drive the Wilke-PAK #11 at the 2011 Chili Bowl Nationals!

In this year's 25th Annual Lucas Oil "Chili Bowl Midget Nationals" held at the Tulsa, Oklahoma Expo Center, Kody Swanson will set out in search of the "Silver Driller" from behind the wheel of the Wilke-PAK Motorsports #11. An event that has drawn up to 280 competitors, the "Chili Bowl" will feature racing action in the "Quik Trip Center" from Tuesday January 11 through Saturday the 15th. Swanson and the #11 will hit the track for Thursday night's preliminary action, and return on Saturday in search of the Victory Lane and the coveted "Silver Driller" in the 50-lap A-Feature Event.

Kody Swanson Wins "Turkey Night" Sprint Feature!

On Thanksgiving night at the 70th running of the "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at Irwindale's Toyota Speedway, TK Motorsports Swanson Brothers stole the show. The event featured both Kody and Tanner pulling double-duty in the USAC Western Sprint and National Midget divisions, driving their own TK Motorsports sprint cars and the Midget teams of Wilke-Pak Motorsports and Don Fike's RFMS Racing. The show really got started in Western Sprint qualifying, when Kody Swanson broke the 16.37 second track record set in 2003 with a lap 16.17 seconds! However, always prepared to steal the spotlight, Tanner Swanson put his #17 at the top of the board and broke Kody's new track record with his own lap of 16.13 seconds! Next up in National Midget qualifying, Tanner was the first of the brothers to go out in his Don Fike owned #3, and he tied the track record set just a few cars before him with a lap of 16.52 seconds. One of the last cars to go out, Kody put his Wilke-Pak #11 on the pole with a lap of 16.47 seconds and a new track record!

Qualifying Recap: Tanner sets and holds Toyota Speedway NEW TRACK RECORD in USAC Western Sprintcars at 16.13 seconds. Kody sets and holds Toyota Speedway NEW TRACK RECORD in USAC National Midgets at 16.47 seconds.

Race Time: In the USAC Western Sprint feature, Kody and Tanner lined up 5th and 6th after a 6-car invert of the fastest qualifiers. At the drop of the green, the brothers quickly moved through the pack, with Kody taking the lead and Tanner in 2nd on lap 6. Just before the half-way point, Tanner had a mechanical failure under the hood of the #17, and fell out after running a close 2nd and pressuring for the lead during the early part of the race. Kody held on to a dominant win, after Tanner's misfortune, to score the first "Turkey Night" feature win for him and his TK Motorsports team! The USAC National Midget feature had the Swanson brothers lined up 1st and 3rd after their qualifying efforts, set to take on the 1/2 mile track for the 98-lap event. At the drop of the green, Kody shot to the lead, with Tanner also toward the front until his streak of bad luck continued, as another engine failure ended his night in the #3. Kody continued to battle among the Top 5 competitors with a tire going down for the first 40-laps, before the Right Rear tire finally blew out and ended his night. Although the National Midget feature didn't finish as planned, the Swanson brothers still made a huge impression on the fans at the "Turkey Night Grand Prix." Thanks for your interest in TK Motorsports, and look for the final 2010 newsletter to come out soon!

Ventura's "ARP Fall Midget Classic" Cancelled

The 2010 edition of the "ARP Fall Midget Classic" at Ventura Raceway was cancelled due to forecasts of continuing rain.

Tough Night for Swanson in Tulare

It was a battle for Kody Swanson and the Team 6R/TK Motorsports #19 in Tulare's "Pacific Coast Nationals." After a fairly strong run in practice, Kody had a tough time dealing with the tricky entrance to turn 3 on the 1/3 mile oval, and qualified a meager 20th position. The highlight of Swanson's night came in the 8-lap heat race, where Kody drove his powered by Toyota #19 to a full-straightaway lead and the preliminary event win. Based upon his qualifying effort, Kody started the 30-lap feature from the 19th position, hoping to make a run toward the front of the pack. However, before 2 laps had been completed, a massive pile-up in turns 1 & 2 collected 8 cars, one of them being Kody Swanson. The TK Motorsports team hurried to make repairs, but a broken Right Front shock kept the #19 from continuing.

3 Events Remain in 2010 Racing Action

Kody Swanson and the USAC National Midget series will compete in three events in three weeks to cap off the 2010 USAC Racing season. Starting this weekend, November 13, with the "Pacific Coast Nationals" at the Tulare Thunderbowl, then to the November 20th "ARP Fall Midget Classic" at Ventura Raceway, and ending with the 70th running of the "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale on Thanksgiving night.

Upcoming: Turkey Night's 2010 Season Finale!

Turkey Night Grand Prix at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale----November 25

The Swanson brothers will return to the Turkey Night Grand Prix each looking for their first career win at Irwindale. The duo will be competing in their very own TK Motorsports cars for the Western Sprint feature, while for the National Midget race Kody will return to the Wilke-Pak #11 and Tanner will make his 1st career start in a Don Fike owned #3.

Special Announcement from TOYOTA Speedway at Irwindale:

From Now until November 14th, you can order tickets for the 70th Running of the "Turkey Night Grand Prix" for just $10! Normally $20, these half-off tickets are available for purchase online at the track's website: www.toyotaspeedwayatirwindale.com

Swanson Stars in return to USAC Western Midgets

2010 Speedfest at LVMS' Bullring---October 30

When the USAC Western Midget series traveled to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway's Bullring, not many knew that Kody Swanson would show up in a Wilke-Pak #11. However, when the series left the Bullring, everyone knew that the Wilke #11 and Kody Swanson had been there. After skipping Friday night's optional practice sessions, Kody and the Wilke team used just two sessions on Saturday to adjust to the racetrack and dial themselves in for the night's feature event. In qualifying, Kody pulled out a lap of 13.782 seconds, shattering the old track record and setting quick time by nearly two tenths! By virtue of a 4-car invert, Kody would line up outside Row 2 for the start of the night’s 40-lap feature event. At the drop of the green, the inside row got a great jump on the field, forcing Kody to split some competitors 3-wide, through the middle, to keep from losing positions. Kody held on to 4th by the backstraightaway, and had taken 3rd by the end of lap 1. Kody made the pass for 2nd on lap 3, and quickly began his pursuit of leader Daniel Bedford. By lap 6, Kody had pulled to the leader's back bumper, but never could get enough of a run to complete a pass. On lap 13, Kody saw the upcoming lapped traffic as his oppurtunity to get the lead, and was able to pull alongside Bedford for the lead down the backstretch, completing the pass by lap 14. Kody quickly began building a lead when the brakes overheated on his #11, allowing Bedford to re-enter the battle for the lead. Lap 18 brought out the caution, as Bedford's car slowed in turns one and two. The brief caution period allowed the brakes on the #11 to cool, and Kody to resume the lead. The remainder of the 40-lapper went caution free as Kody continued to pull away in the Wilke-Pak, powered by Toyota, #11 Spike Chassis, and pick up the feature win! Kody will return behind the wheel of the Wilke-Pak #11 for this year's "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

Kody Swanson finishes 3rd in 2010 USAC Silver Crown Standings!

USAC Silver Crown "Rollie Beale 150" at Toledo Speedway----October 16

The Swanson brothers entered the "Rollie Beale 150" each with one goal in mind: "to win this race." Tanner was looking to back up his first career win from Marne, Michigan's "Great Lakes 150," while Kody was looking for his first pavement Silver Crown win and the chance to steal away the series Championship. The brothers qualified their Team 6R Racing cars in 5th and 9th, Kody then Tanner, and set the stage for the big 150-lap feature around Toledo's half-mile speedway. With such a long race, and tire management a serious factor, the brothers began methodically working their way to what they hoped would land them in Victory Lane. Kody moved from 5th to 4th in the early laps, and took over 3rd by lap 20, and set his sights on the leaders. Tanner was amongst a heated battle that featured 5th through 12th, trying to work his way to the front. After a short caution, Kody began stalking the two leaders, waiting to make his move. On lap 58, leader Jacob Wilson, suffered a mechanical issue, bringing out the caution and ending his night. Kody moved to 2nd as result, and began his pursuit of leader Jerry Coons Jr. Several times, the two would enter lapped traffic, and as Kody was making his move for the lead the caution would come out and negate the attempt. This was the most evident on lap 123, when Kody had a run to the inside of the leader when the red-flag came out. Tanner had been the victim of some hard-racing by his competitors, and when the two others collided, it sent Tanner hard into the wall, merely a victim of their circumstances. Tanner was ok, but his #23 and his chances of winning had met their end. Kody continued his pursuit of the leader, and made a valiant late-race attempt in lapped traffic to no avail, as the older Swanson brought his #19 home in the 2nd position for the 3rd time in only 9 races! The finish earned Kody 3rd in the final championship standings, just 11 out of the lead in one of the tightest championship battles in Silver Crown history!

Another "Top 5" Finish for Swanson in Silver Crown

USAC Silver Crown at Terre Haute's Action Track----October 9

The Swanson brothers headed to Terre Haute, Indiana for the last dirt race on the 2010 Silver Crown schedule. The 100-lap "Sumar Classic" would be the first career start for both Kody and Tanner in the Silver Crown cars at the famous 1/2 mile. After qualifying 21st and 24th, Tanner then Kody, the brothers would have a long road to the front in the 100-lapper. At the drop of the green, the duo began making their way through the field, Tanner leading Kody, and by half-way had made it up to 14th and 15th. Kody got around Tanner on a restart as the two moved to 13th & 14th, when Tanner got a flat RR tire a few laps later. Tanner returned with a fresh tire, but a few laps down. Kody continued toward the front, and with caution laps ceasing to count after lap 70, Kody was able to gain a number of positions as some of the front-runners got impatient and crashed out. As the checkered flags flew, Kody had made it all the way to the 5th position! Although it was a long road getting there, a solid "Top 5" finish kept Kody in Championship contention, just 27 points out of the lead with one race remaining! Tanner came back from his flat tire to a 13th place finish, as the younger Swanson continues to impress as he battles adversity to make some strong performances.

USAC National Midget "Gold Crown Nationals"---- September 30-October 2, 2010

Kody Swanson returned to USAC National Dirt Midget action for the first time since June's Indiana Midget week to compete in the "Gold Crown Nationals" in Granite City, Illinois. The format for this event was two preliminary nights with Saturday's finale to pay $15,000 to-win! On the first night, Kody clipped an infield tire in an attempted pass for the lead in his heat race, forcing him to start 7th in the semi-feature that only transferred two to the feature event. After getting pushed into another tire, Kody drove the car with a bent front axle to a 3rd place finish, just missing the A-main. On night #2, Kody finished 5th in his heat race and lead all 12 laps to win the semi-main and transfer to the feature event! Starting 21st, Kody made it all the way up to 12th in the early laps before a Right Front Shock/Spring problem made the car very ill-handling, and Kody fell to a 17th place finish. In Saturday's events, Kody started 8th in the semi-main that transferred 8 to the night's A-main finale. After battling throughout the entire race, Kody missed the transfer by less than two-feet at the line. In a fortunate turn of events, Kody was granted the Promoter's Provisional and started the feature event in 26th! After 50-laps of racing, Kody had traveled from 26th up toward 17th, back to 24th, and forward to a 21st place finish. Although the end results weren't quite what the Team 6R/TK Motorsports team was hoping for, it still gave them some good experience heading into the remaining season events at Tulare and Ventura, California.

USAC Silver Crown "4-Crown Nationals" at Eldora Speedway----September 25

The Swanson brothers entered the "4-Crown Nationals" at Eldora Speedway each looking for a strong run. Tanner was looking to gain valuable experience in his first trip to the famed 1/2 mile, while Kody was looking to keep himself in Championship contention in the USAC Silver Crown series. After qualifying 17th and 24th, Tanner then Kody, the brothers had a lot of racing to do in a short amount of time to salvage some good finishes. In the semi-main, Kody moved from 12th to 6th, while Tanner held on to his 5th position to earn them both spots in the feature event. Starting together in Row 9, 17th and 18th, the brothers began moving forward in the 50-lapper. Tanner impressively began putting slide-jobs on the competition, moving up a handful of positions in a short amount of time and looking like a veteran. By lap 9, Tanner had moved toward the top 12 when he got into trouble in turn two, and when another car got into him, he broke a rear end and ended what was impressive run for the series rookie. Kody continued on, picking up where Tanner left off, and moved himself toward the top 12. As the race wound down, Kody made an attempt to pass into the top 10, and gave up his 11th position to finish a solid 12th after battling from a 24th place qualifying effort. Although it wasn't quite the results the brothers wanted, their Eldora experience was still positive with two races remaining on the the Silver Crown schedule.

Despite the End Result, Swanson Brothers Star in Harvest Classic

SMRA SuperModifieds at Madera Speedway----September 18

The 2010 Harvest Classic was the first Super race at the historic speedway to ever feature TWO Swansons, as young Tanner was making his SuperModified debut behind the wheel of Tom Joyce’s #56, while Kody returned for the season finale in Lance Tatro’s #72. Tanner picked up the new type of car like he’d been racing them all season, putting his #56 4th in the qualifying order, while Kody struggled and ended up 6th with the #72. With his effort, Tanner earned a spot in the trophy dash, and when a warm-up crash depleted another car from the line-up, Kody entered the event as an alternate and started from the tail. As the field quickly spread in the 4-lap dash, Kody shot to 2nd from 4th, with Tanner in 3rd for the entire event. The duo then finished 3rd and 4th in the heat race, Tanner then Kody, before preparing for the night’s 50-lap feature event. The field would line-up with Kody starting 5th, and Tanner 7th, as the 410 Supers would start inverted behind the field of 360 Supers. At the drop of the green, Kody shot to the inside went from 5th to the lead in the first lap! As Kody tried to build his lead, Tanner was quickly learning how to negotiate traffic in his first career start. The young Swanson made it look easy, moving from 7th to 4th in the first lap, to 3rd by lap 2 and 2nd by lap 3. From there, the chase was on, Kody leading Tanner as the Swanson brothers lead the SuperModifieds One-Two at Madera Speedway. The first 30 laps went caution free, and while the distance between Kody and Tanner fluctuated as the duo navigated lapped traffic, the order never changed among the leaders. A restart on lap 31 erased Kody’s lead margin, and put the younger Swanson in a position to challenge for the lead. Yet Kody again pulled away for a few laps before Tanner began erasing his lead. By lap 38, Tanner was within two-carlengths of Kody when the brothers entered lapped traffic. Kody quickly shot three-wide to the inside and cleared traffic when Tanner was clipped by a lapper on the front-stretch, spinning through the grass and ending his valiant run in the #56. One Swanson down, One to go. On the lap 39 restart, Kody quickly began building his lead, less than 10 laps from his first SuperModified win, when disaster struck on lap 41. Coming off of turn 4, the left rear axle on the #72 sheared off, sending Kody spinning down the front-straightaway and the Tatro Racing team out of the race, ending their run after 41 laps in the top spot. Two Swansons down. Even though the results will show that the Swansons finished the Harvest Classic in the infield, those in attendance will remember Tanner in the #56 and Kody in the #72 putting on a show in what could have, and probably should have, been another Swanson brothers One-Two.

Kody Swanson Wins "Ted Horn 100" in DuQuoin, Illinois!

Fresh off of their 1st-2nd feature event “sweep” in Marne, Michigan, Tanner and Kody Swanson traveled to DuQuoin Illinois to compete for Team 6R Racing, powered by Toyota, in this year’s “Ted Horn 100.” This was Tanner’s first trip to DuQuoin, and Kody’s first time back in two years after last year’s event was rained out. In qualifying, Tanner and Kody proved to be very equal, qualifying 15th and 16th, Tanner then Kody. At the drop of the green for the 100-mile event, Tanner and Kody barreled into turn one, splitting the car in front of them three-wide, with Kody coming out of two with the advantage, and up to the 14th spot. In the race’s early laps the brothers moved up to 13th & 14th, when a spun cam drive ended young Tanner’s night on lap 13. As Kody continued, he was able to pass up to 11th by the race’s mandatory red flag at lap 51. During the stop, teams were allowed to add fuel and change tires, with those changing tires to start behind the teams that didn’t. Kody and his Team 6R team didn’t change tires, and restarted the race with the lead! The first car to change tires started directly behind in 3rd, leaving Kody with a 50-lap shootout against racecars with brand new tires. Kody held a lead of up to a dozen car-lengths, and was leading by about 4 lengths when the caution flew with 15 laps remaining, setting up a 10-lap dash to the finish. On the restart, Kody opened a small margin, but had it quickly erased by a hard-charging Jon Stanbrough. As the two continued to battle for the lead, the race hit a peak moment with a few laps remaining when Jon shot to the inside of Kody entering turn one. Jon drove past Kody into turn one, but couldn’t hold the line as his momentum carried him out to the second groove, allowing Kody to pass back by on the bottom and re-take the lead! For the final laps, Kody held a steady pace and held on to score his first career USAC Silver Crown victory! Ironically, Tanner and Kody scored their first career Silver Crown events in back-to-back races!

Joe James/Pat O'Connor Classic at Salem Speedway

After the USAC National Sprintcar series sat idle for over a month, TK Motorsports returned to action on the high-banks of Salem Speedway. With a 39 degree bank in turns 3 & 4, this half-mile racetrack can be extremely fast and intimidating. In qualifying, Kody spun sideways coming to the green flag, and while managing to keep it out of the fence, could only muster an 8th place effort on his 2nd lap. Being Tanner’s first career start at Salem Speedway, his 9th place qualifying run was a solid performance. After transferring through preliminary heat races for the night’s 50-lap Joe James/Pat O’Connor Classic, the Swanson brothers lined up 8th and 9th for the feature event. While positions shuffled about in the opening laps, Kody moved up to 7th, with Tanner running 10th on a very tricky racetrack. The brothers maintained their position until a lap 28 red flag reset the field with just 22 laps remaining. On the restart, Kody quickly moved
to the outside in hopes to take over 6th, when a 4-car battle broke out for the position. At one point, Kody fell all the way to 9th before making it back to 7th with a few laps remaining. By this time, Tanner’s #17 began to experience handling issues, and with fear of a tire going flat, he retired to the pits. Coming to the white flag, Kody was able to take over the 6th position, and hold on for a solid finish at the Salem Speedway.

Swanson Brothers Sweep USAC Silver Crown Feature 1st & 2nd!

After disappointing circumstances left Tanner & Kody 20th and 23rd at the conclusion of the USAC Silver Crown event at O’Reilly Raceway Park, the Swanson brothers looked to turn their luck, and their season, around at Berlin Raceway on August 12th. In qualifying Tanner timed in 3rd, with Kody in 6th, setting the brothers up with great starting positions for the night’s 150-lap feature event. At the drop of the green, Tanner held his 3rd position, while Kody moved to the
5th spot. In the next few laps, Tanner fell to 4th in an effort to conserve his tires and racecar to last the duration of the event, setting up a strong run toward the end of the feature. Over the next 70 laps Tanner and Kody toured the Berlin Raceway oval, moving to 3rd and 4th and setting their sights on the race leaders. As the event approached the lap 95 mark, the brothers found themselves in a heated battle for the lead. The Top 4 racecars were nose-to-tail, for just about a lap before mayhem broke loose. Tanner went to the outside, while Kody went low, as the duo attempted to move three-wide for the 2nd position. Tanner came out with the upper-hand, took over 2nd and made the pass for the lead on lap 100! With Tanner out front, Kody was left alone to deal with the other two cars, and shot from 4th to 2nd in the same lap! With just under 50 laps remaining, Kody set his sights on his younger brother, hoping to take over the top spot for himself. The battle for the lead continued, as the brothers began to weave through lapped traffic, even splitting cars three-wide at times! However, as the laps wound down and the lapped cars changed, one thing remained the same: Tanner Swanson was leading the race. With two laps remaining, Kody pulled to the back bumper of his brother, only to have a lapped car deny the chance for a last lap pass attempt. Tanner Swanson, driving the Team 6R Racing #23, powered by Toyota, drove from 3rd to the lead in a matter of moments, then proceeded to hold off his older brother in the final laps to score his first career USAC Silver Crown victory! With Tanner in Victory Lane, and Kody in tow, the “Great Lakes 150” marked the first time in USAC Silver Crown history that brothers swept a feature event 1st & 2nd!

Swanson gives Wilke-Pak historic USAC National win #134!

On May 29th, Kody Swanson made his debut behind the wheel of the Wilke-Pak #11, but his solid 3rd place finish in the “Night Before the 500” was outshined by his brother Tanner, as he picked up the win in his first attempt at O’Reilly Raceway Park. The USAC National Midget series returned to ORP on July 22nd, to kick off the opening night of Kroger Speedfest, which would include racing action from the USAC Silver Crown, NASCAR Truck and Nationwide series throughout the week. Kody returned behind the wheel of the Wilke-Pak #11, and Tanner was left without a midget ride, so the pressure was on for Kody to match the show put on by his brother just two months earlier. After qualifying 6th, and finishing 3rd in his preliminary heat race, Kody lined up on the pole of the 24 car field, and would lead them to green in the 30-lap event. At the drop of the flag, Kody shot from his inside position to the lead, increasing the gap back to 2nd place Jason Leffler until a lap 4 caution rebunched the field. With the 3-time National Midget Champ and NASCAR Nationwide standout on his rear bumper, Kody restarted his #11 back into the lead with 25-laps remaining. Leffler was able to get to the back bumper of Kody’s car in turn 1, but never again, as Kody pulled away off of turn 2 and increased his lead for the remainder of the event, taking the checkered flags with over a 3-second lead! The win was Kody’s first at ORP and first driving the Wilke-Pak #11, powered by Toyota, but it gave the Wilke-Pak team their 134th National win, breaking the record to become the winningest team in USAC history!

Disappointment looms in "JD Byrider 100" at ORP

Kroger Speedfest at O’Reilly Raceway Park was stop #4 for the K&N USAC Silver Crown series tour for 2010, and is always a schedule favorite because of its proximity to the “Racing Capital of the World” and conjunction with NASCAR weekend in Indianapolis. The “JD Byrider 100” event would start straight-up after qualifying and start 30 Silver Crown cars for the 100-lap affair around the 0.686 mile oval. The Swanson brothers qualified their Team 6R Racing, powered by Toyota, entries to 4th and 6th place efforts, with Kody leading Tanner. Fresh off of his National Midget feature win, Kody would line up his #19 outside row two, with Tanner in the Armstrong Garage Doors #23 directly behind outside row three.
At the drop of the green flag, Kody held the high line to take over the 3rd position, and trailed NASCAR Star Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne Racing driver Brad Sweet for the opening lap. Tanner, however, was making his first start from the front of the Silver Crown field, and was continuing to battle for the 6th position. By lap 5, Kody had already used the bottom of the racetrack to pass Newman, then Sweet, and take the lead in his Toyota powered #19. Over the next few laps, Kody pulled away to an 8-car length margin, and continued to distance himself from the field with ease. After a brief caution period, Kody would lead the field back to green on lap 25, when disaster struck. Apparently small debris from the caution had cut the Right Rear tire on the #19, causing it to begin going flat while Kody was leading the race! Obviously, the #19 began to lose speed and Kody faded to the rear of the lineup before finally blowing the tire out on lap 44. The blow out warranted a caution, and Kody brought the #19 to pit lane for a used set of tires only to find that Tanner was having tires issues as well, as a leaking Right Rear tire brought him to pit road in his #23. Each a few laps down, the Swanson brothers began to make their charge back up through the field. Kody was up around the Top 10 in the running order when a Right Front wheel problem on lap 68 sidelined his #19 for the remainder of the event. Tanner continued his battle, and made it all the way to 9th in the running order by feature’s end, but being laps down relegated him to a 20th place finish. Although the results were disappointing, the Swanson brothers were extremely fast at O’Reilly Raceway Park, and will be in contention to win on the USAC Silver Crown trail.

Swanson runs 2nd again in Tatro Racing SuperModified!

In his SuperModified debut, during the Vukovich Classic, Kody Swanson qualified the Tatro Racing #72 in the 3rd position, won his trophy dash, and led the main event before finishing in the 2nd position. On July 17th, Kody returned to the Tatro Racing team and Madera Speedway’s Pombo Classic, hoping to improve upon his record. In qualifying, he did just that. Kody toured the 1/3 mile oval in 12.77 seconds to post the fastest qualifying time! After starting in the back of the trophy dash, Kody settled for a 3rd place finishes in both of his preliminary events, the dash and heat race. Fresh off of his BCRA Midget win, Kody lined up his #72 in the 9th position for the 50-lap SuperModified feature, starting behind current stars Jim Birges and Lonnie Adamson, as well as a field full of 360 SuperModified drivers. At the drop of the green, Birges and Adamson shot to the inside, and were able to clear much of the slower traffic, while the holes closed in front of Kody, leaving him to do battle while the leaders got away. After 23 laps, Kody was finally able to clear the last 360, and begin his pursuit of Birges and Adamson from the 3rd position. Nearing the half-way point, Birges was forced to retire from overheating problems, advancing Adamson to the lead and Kody to 2nd. For the remaining laps, Kody continued to click off strong laps, but never gained much ground on the blue #98 that was over half a lap ahead, and settled for another solid 2nd place finish in the caution free 50-lap SuperModified feature event.

Kody Swanson drives the Neverlift Racing #15 to BCRA Victory Lane!

The Swanson brothers entered Madera Speedway for their first midget event at the track in 2010 as heavy favorites to take home the hardware. In the 6 USAC/BCRA Midget events held at the 1/3 mile speedplant in 2009, TK Motorsports’ Swanson Brothers took home 5 trophies, as Kody picked up 2 wins and Tanner 3, leaving only 1 to the competition. On this hot summer day, it was Tanner who would set “fast time” in the Paul Eskesen Racing #10, while Kody timed his Neverlift Motorsports #15 in the 2nd position, setting up a long day of head-to-head competition between the two. However, in the trophy dash Nick Foster Jr. decided to show his strength, as he drove his #1 machine to the win, with Tanner 2nd and Kody 3rd. Kody picked up the win in his preliminary heat race, with Nick and Tanner in tow, setting up what was sure to be a 3-car battle for the feature win. With Nick, Kody and Tanner starting 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively, the race to the front sure was a good one. By the drop of the green the young brothers were dicing through the pack, and by lap 3 they were running 2nd and 3rd. Kody cleared Foster for the lead by lap 4, when Tanner began to experience mechanical issues. The #10 broke a throttle shaft, ending Tanner’s night before the real battle even got started. After a lap 9 restart, Kody held off a hard-charging Foster for over 10-laps before he began pulling away to a small lead. With that, Kody was able to race to the finish and pick up the BCRA Midget win for the Prickett Family’s Neverlift Motorsports team in their #15, earning them a victory in only their first attempt together!