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The power-to-weight ratio of these "rocket-boats" is crazy, and by crazy we mean explosive. "We are running an all aluminum 480 cubic-inch Chevy small block running on injected alcohol. This motor dyno'd at 900 horsepower and it pushes our 12-foot, two-inch boat, from 0-to-100mph in three seconds," detailed Morrison. "We are able to pull up to 8G's in the corners and push 700 gallons of water a second out the 8 1/2inch Scott jet pump. We had a couple of ignition problems towards the end of the year that kept us from finishing on top. We are working on those issues in the off season and expect to be ready to compete at the same championship pace that we started out with last year. We are about to display our boat at the Seattle Boat Show at the end of this month. This will be our third year of doing so and expect to draw huge crowds, as our boat is always a magnet to any kind of race fan." The Wicked Racing team got its start in 2008 with the understanding of the sport's need to gain national recognition. Morrison and his teammate Doug Hendrickson combined their boats and teams in order to more successfully attract sponsorship. Their abilities to market the team, and the sport, continues to be unrivaled in the United States. "This last year our Wicked Racing Sprint Boat Team had a great year," said Morrison. "My navigator, Cara McGuire and I finished second for the season in the Super Boat class (Unlimiteds) after leading the points for most of the year. This was our first year in the Super Boat Class." "My Wicked Racing teammates, Doug Hendrickson and his navigator, Hannah Macke, had a dream year. They went undefeated all year. Doug and Hannah are three-time National Champions, and they are always a force to be reckoned with on any racetrack." Hendrickson and Macke's boat competes in the A-400 class with an exceptionally strong 406 cubic-inch Chevy small block. Their motor pushes over 700 horsepower and runs on 113 octane race fuel." "Our first race this year will on the 18th of June in St. John, Washington, which is close to Spokane. We will finish our season in Port Angeles, Washington on the 17th of September, with races in Albany, Oregon and East Wenatchee, Washington in between." The track in Port Angeles is currently being developed by Morrison, along with a huge amount of local support. "It is looking to be a state-of-the-art jet-sprint track," says Morrison. The inaugural race on the new course is slated to be the 2011 National Finals. The Lucas Oil and K&N sponsored Wicked Racing Team was filmed in August of 2010 for several segments of Speed TV's - Lucas Oils "On the Edge" which just started airing on the 8th of January. "This sport is very EXTREME and it's growing very rapidly, thanks to sponsors like K&N," adds Morrison. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
"We had a really good first season with the AMS," said Despain. "Just getting out traveling and racing at new places was great. We raced against some of the toughest modified drivers in the country and proved we can run with those guys." In total four of the events took the Despain Motorsports team to racing venues for the very first time. "When we made the decision to chase the American Modified Series presented by Force Fuels and Engine Conditioners, we looked at it as a chance for us to gain additional racing experience by competing against the best Modified drivers in the Midwest", said the 21-year-old Campbellsville, Kentucky racer. "And, not only did we gain that experience, but we were also able to give our sponsors and product sponsors more recognition and exposure in areas of the country that we had never raced before". Despain scored two top-ten finishes in the inaugural series and a tenth place finish at Fayette County Speedway in Brownstown, Illinois. He followed that up with his best finish of the series by posting an eighth place finish at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Kentucky. "We had some bad luck this year and we know that we could have had a higher finish in the series", remarked Despain. "But, we will take these results and work hard over the winter to be better prepared for an even higher finish next year." Over the winter Despain says he will be getting a new 2011 Bandit racecar and he will focus on making certain his engines are finely tuned for the upcoming season. "We also plan on going down to Florida for the winter national at Eastbay, so I'm looking forward to getting back out on the road. Last season being out on the road should carry over to this year, seeing a lot of different tracks and different surfaces can only make me better. Anything I can do to continue improving as racer. I'm really looking forward to getting the 2011 season started right and started early." "Winning the ROY was great for us and finishing in the top-five in overall series points was another goal for us. A low point of the season however was losing my grandpa to cancer. He was very special to me and hardly ever missed a race. He was always there for us and helped out in so many ways. He will be greatly missed!" The American Modified Series officials are currently in the process of putting together the 2011 racing schedule that they hope will include 18 to 20 racing events. "It is sponsors like K&N Filters that help give us the opportunity to compete in such a prestigious racing series and without their support and dedication, none of this would be possible", commented Despain. "And for that, on behalf of Despain Motorsports, we would like to say thank you, and we look forward to representing K&N Filters in 2011." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
"I was a little disappointed with how last season went," remarked Gibson. "As the defending champion I wanted to have a better year. I have worked very hard to be back in the front and this helps justify all that effort." TUF Racing's team manager Dave Antolak said this about Gibson's performance - "Most people didn't know that Jeff came in last year injured and that he was a little off his game. I think some people wrote TUF Racing and Jeff off as serious contenders this year. Maybe after tonight we will even get some props in the opening ceremonies video."
Last year Gibson ruptured his colon in a crash a little over a month before the season started, and he required surgery to repair it. "We kept his injury a secret from the other teams because Jeff didn't want to use that as an excuse," explained Antolak. "The first race of the season is always one of the most unpredictable races in the year," adds Antolak. "I say this every year and the team is probably tired of me saying it, but you can't win the championship in the first race, although you can lose it. That being said, coming away with the win just shows what a great group I have. My mechanics, Tracin Seng and Andy Brannon, have been with me for at least six or seven years and I know, as well as the riders, that TUF has the best equipment on the track." TUF Racing got its start racing Supercross and outdoor venues back in 1985. They made the switch to Arenacross in 1996, and like Gibson's holeshot in Tulsa, they never looked back. TUF Racing has amassed five Arenacross Championships, with three of those coming in the last four seasons. Asked where the name TUF comes from Antolak says, "We were sitting around trying to think of a clever name for the company, after a while when we couldn't come up with anything someone said, this is TUF to come up with a name, so that's what we went with." And how did the K&N connection come about? "Actually, we were doing some engine testing on the dyno for another team that was using K&N filters. We couldn't believe the performance gain we had just from installing the air filter. The next day we were on the phone with K&N." Along with an improved year that more adequately returns the team to its true potential, Antolak has few other plans and irons in the fire for 2011. "We will be introducing a new line of CNC heads this year," says Antolak. "By doing the heads on the CNC (computer numerical controlled) machine, we can offer the same exact heads we are using for the race teams. The CNC procedure is so precise that each head is within .0001 of each other. Right now we are building the engines for the Rock River Team, Jeff Alessi and a few others that we can't reveal yet, but we will be able to soon." Up next on the Arenacross schedule for TUF Racing is Kansas City this weekend and Dayton, Ohio the week after. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
The event Kody refers to was the 70th running of the "Turkey Night Grand Prix" at Irwindale's Toyota Speedway. The occasion 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.
"I tested our Sprint Cars earlier that month, and knew that we had a great chance to be fast on race night. I really felt bad after my qualifying effort, I got really loose into turn three, and I thought that we qualified badly. So, when I saw that I was on top of the board, I was excited. But, I knew that Tanner still had to go out, and that I left the door wide open for him. He executed a great lap, and knocked me off the top - but I expected that."
The "loose" lap that Kody ran broke the 16.37 second track record set in 2003 with a lap 16.17 seconds, and Tanner's "great lap" broke that record with a 16.13. "We did have a little smack talk going on after that, but it was definitely friendly. We both know that we can be each other's biggest competition and greatest supporters. It really is an interesting combination, but it seems to work well for us."
Next up for the Swanson brothers was the National Midget qualifying lap, Tanner was out first in his Don Fike owned number 3 car. "Tanner went out in the midgets and tied the track record that had just been set before his run, but lost on a tie-breaker," said Kody. "So when I went out, I knew that if I was going to keep the Toyota Speedway records in the family, I had to get the job done, and did just that. The Wilke-PAK number 11 was great in qualifying, just like our TK Motorsports Sprint Cars were, and I was really excited to end qualifying with two track records in the family. The crowd seemed pretty into it, but honestly, I was so happy for us and our teams that I really wasn't too worried what the crowd thought about it at that moment." In the USAC Western Sprint feature, Kody won and Tanner ran a close second, pressuring his brother for the lead, until mechanical failure ended his night prematurely. It was TK Motorsports first ever "Turkey Night" feature win. "Turkey Night is really big event for us, especially since my first Sprint Car race was there," added Kody. "Being the final race of the year, we both know it's our last chance to put one, or even two more in the win column for the year. Tanner and I have always been fast there, and we always give our best effort to focus, and get the job done, no matter what event it is. For whatever reason, it just seemed to work out that night, until both of us were struck with bad luck in the midget feature. I mean, we had great cars in both divisions, and we just tried to capitalize on that opportunity." The USAC National Midget feature had the Swanson brothers lined up first and third. Kody shot to the lead, with Tanner again running towards the front as well, until his streak of bad luck continued and another engine failure ended his night. Kody continued to battle up front for the first 40 of the 98 lap event until his right rear tire blew, ending his night too. "Overall, I thought that last season went well. As a driver though you always wish that you had won more races, or did better on off nights, but realistically we had a great year." "A major highlight was the ‘Great Lakes 150' Silver Crown race in Marne, Michigan. Tanner scored his first career Silver Crown win, and I finished second, making us the first brothers in History to sweep a USAC Silver Crown feature event. In the very next event, the ‘Ted Horn 100' I scored my first career Silver Crown win, and to do it in back-to-back fashion was really special for both Tanner and I." In 2010 Tanner also won the historic "Night Before the 500" Midget race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis - it was his first try at the event. "I won my first race at ORP just two months later, and gave the Wilke-PAK Motorsports team their 134th feature win, making them the winningest team in USAC History, and making it a Swanson Brothers sweep of the USAC National Midget events at ORP. All of those were major highlights for us, and I really think that this season has put Tanner and me on the map, even before our strong runs at Turkey Night." At the time of this interview Kody and Tanner are already at the first event of their 2011 season. They are running at the 25th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, a weeklong indoor dirt midget event that features over 260 competitors, racing from Tuesday through Saturday to crown the event champion. Tanner will be competing for the TK Motorsports 6R Racing team, and Kody will be driving the Wilke-PAK Motorsports number 11. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
