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By now it's become abundantly clear that when discussing the K&N sponsored Swanson brothers, Kody and Tanner, the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. These two thrive in a spirited family environment that is as fiery in its combustible competitiveness, as it is rich in mutual support and respect. When nineteen-year-old Tanner won the Night Before the 500 USAC National Midget event at O'Reilly Raceway (ORP) May 29th, on his first attempt, no one cheered any louder than older brother Kody.
Kody Swanson turned in a dominating performance while making history at the USAC National Midget Series
When the USAC National Midget series returned to ORP, to kick-off the opening night of the Kroger Speedfest, which included racing action from the K&N USAC Silver Crown, NASCAR Truck and Nationwide Series, Kody had it in the back of his mind that it was his turn to do something big. Tanner didn't have a midget ride for this race and had to sit it out, so the pressure was on for Kody to match the performance put on by his brother just two months earlier.
"This was my first win at ORP and my first National Midget win in two years, so I was very excited. I knew that the Wilke-Pak number 11 car had been strong all day, and starting on the pole, I knew that there was a great chance we could end up in victory lane," remarked Kody.
"This win has huge historic significance, not only for me, but for my race team. I was driving for Wilke-Pak Motorsports, who was tied for the 'Most Wins in USAC History' with Steve Lewis at 133 each. So, to win the feature event, and give them number 134 and help to make them the winningest team in USAC history was really special. It has extra significance for me too. I am not completely sure, but I could be one of only a few drivers to win for both teams. I actually scored win 132 for Lewis in 2008."
Kody and Tanner also competed in the K&N USAC Silver Crown Series event, unfortunately they both got a DNF, but not before putting on a spectacular show and making their presence known to all.
"Last year I was the Silver Crown 'Rookie of the Year,' so I've probably competed in about 15 events, but this was only Tanner's third race. The biggest difference is the size, midgets have about 375 horsepower and weigh 900 pounds, while the Silver Crown car can have 800 horsepower and weigh 1500 pounds, making a big difference, especially when considering the additional wheelbase," explained Kody.
"Aside from that, the Silver Crown races are 100-laps, whereas Midget races are typically only 30. Tanner and I have done well adapting between the two, as we have been able to compete for top positions in both series over the last year."
"We were both doing really well actually. I started fourth and Tanner started in sixth. I jumped to the lead in less than five laps and began driving away from the field. Tanner was holding his own too, and running solidly around the top-five, despite developing tire problems. I continued to hold the lead by nearly ten car-lengths when the first caution came out, and then on the ensuing restart that's when I cut down the right rear tire. It was disappointing to have had such a strong car, and the chance to win two big races in the same night, and then have someone else's crash debris ruin our night. However, at times, both Tanner and I were really strong, and I know that our first Silver Crown win can't be too far away."
Kody says that he and Tanner are excited that their next race in the K&N USAC Silver Crown Series will be on the historic five-eighth mile paved oval in Oswego, New York.
"Last year, I ran fourth in that race, and my Team 6R teammate Brian Tyler won, so I'm excited about all of our chances to run up front, and hopefully bring home the win."
It's a twister auntie Em - that's quite possibly what the competition was thinking last weekend at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania. Although thunderstorms and tornado warning have been known to postpone races at Lincoln, this time around the extreme turbulence came from the track, a result of Mark Bitner, the Sprint Car racer from Trenton, New Jersey spinning to a group victory at the three-eighths mile, high banked, clay oval track.
Mark Bitner flat-out dominated the URC race at Lincoln Speedway, grabbing the lead by lap five and never looking back.
"We were running a 360 Sprint Car and we started last in the heat race, in a field of eight, and we advanced to second in the first lap, and we finished the race there," said Bitner.
In the feature Bitner started in fourth position, and with a little more racing razzle-dazzle, he nabbed the lead by lap five and ran away with the race. "I guess you could say we dominated the race," remarked an understated Bitner.
"I would definitely credit some of our success to having run with the United States Auto Club (USAC) back in June. The track was slick and we used some of the same set-up options we learned while running with those guys."
Twister Motorsports has been running a minimal schedule with the United Racing Company (URC), mostly the team runs 410 Sprints and Super-Sportsman, and so this win fits nicely into their bonus win category.
"We all thoroughly enjoyed running the USAC Eastern Storm week too, which consisted of four races in Pennsylvania and New Jersey all within five days. We raced hard and finished in the money every night," adds Bitner.
Bitner credits K&N for helping the team with their success. "Our K&N products have been excellent! There's a K&N air filter system on our dually which gets us to every race. K&N air filters are also on our URC, 410 and Super-Sportsman cars, as well as on our unlimited ice quad and our Outlaw Street Stock that we are taking out next week. K&N products have always been extremely reliable and effective. Thanks for everything."
Rochelle says that although she still really likes competing in NHRA Junior Drag Racing League, she feels she ready to take on new challenges in a full-size race car.
More times than not the racing bug is highly contiguous, it's passed from parents to kids. It's nearly unavoidable. Ron Pappel's kids, Jim and Rochelle have a bad case of drag race fever, and they're both plenty skilled at it too. Ron drives a Brogie Series V-Roadster, Jim races a 1975 Vega GT, and Rochelle races in the NHRA Jr. Dragster Fast class. A junior dragster is a half-scale dragster that races down half a dragstrip, or one-eighth of a mile. Rochelle is 16 now and just started testing in the Pro Class Vega, meaning that soon she will potentially be up against her brother, but that's entirely another story.
Rochelle's Cheetah powered dragster is capable of blistering an eight-mile dragstrip at well over 80 mph.
Recently the Pappel racing family traveled from their home in Eugene, Oregon to race at Champion Raceway in Jackson County with all three of their cars in competition. When the Methanol fumes cleared, it proved to be another great weekend for Rochelle.
In round one Rochelle ran as a single dragster, being that there were an odd number of cars and she pulled the single. She ran a 7.998 at 81.79 mph. In round two the win light shone on her, as she ran an 8.02 on her 7.97 dial. Round three (quarter finals) Rochelle wins again, running a 7.987 on her 7.96 dial in. In the semi finals she earns her way into the finals, notching a 7.976 on the 7.96 dial. Alas, she misses winning the finals by going just a hair to fast, breaking out with a 7.938 on her 7.96 dial. Overall another stellar performance from the young up-and-comer.
"Our season in the northwest started a little late this year due to weather but we are running strong now," explains Ron. "Rochelle went six rounds to the finals at the Woodburn Memorial Day Jr. Nationals. She won three races in a row at Champion Raceway in the Junior Drag Racing League. The Super Pro car has gone rounds at every race and has been in the semi finals twice."
The Pappel racing patriarch continues, "K&N has been an outstanding contributor to our success, both on and off the track, providing the best in air and oil filtration for our race cars and tow vehicles. I could not imagine using anything but the best products from K&N."
As for the rest of the season Ron says, "Our cars will continue to run at Woodburn Dragstrip and Champion Raceway this year in the Junior Drag Racing League and the Sunoco Fuel ET Championship Series. As mentioned, Rochelle is now testing in our Pro Class Vega. Watch for her to be competing in the ET Pro class and High School Series real soon."
This is Rochelle's eighth year of drag racing in the NHRA Junior Drag Racing League. She has had great success driving her half-scale Cheetah powered dragster; winning not only several track championships, but also a division title and a National Championship.
"I really do still enjoy competing in the Junior Dragster," said Rochelle. "This is an exciting time for me to learn and be challenged in a different style car now, and I am ready to move into a full-size race car and compete in other NHRA Classes."
Lynton Jeffrey now races a 900 horsepower car around dirt tracks throughout the mid-west.
When he was eight years old, Lynton Jeffrey jumped into a racing kart for the first time. Almost 30 years later, the fire still burns inside Jeffrey, fueling him to become one of the most respected winged sprint car drivers in the United States. Jeffrey now races a 900 horsepower car around dirt tracks throughout the mid-west, and this year he has turned some heads as he looks to bring home multiple championships.
VORTEX Racings' Lynton Jeffrey
"We are having an excellent season so far," said the now 36-year-old. "Our goal is to treat every night as if it was the most important night of our racing life. If we keep doing that, we will achieve everything we are aiming for and more."
Last season Jeffrey broke onto the scene in his VORTEX Racing Products, K&N Filters entry by winning the World Challenge at the famed Knoxville Nationals. The World Challenge is held on the Friday before the Nationals, in front of an audience of more than 35,000 fans. This season, Jeffrey has parlayed his success into strong finishes at Hustes Speedway, where he leads the points, as well as at Knoxville, where he currently is in the top five in the championship chase.
While Lynton stays busy on the race track, he also owns and manages the world's most successful sprint car wing business, VORTEX Racing Products. His wings have captured more A-Main Event wins than any wing in sprint car history.
Jeffrey and his team always seem to run well at the big races. Before winning the World Challenge in 2009, Lynton captured the checkered flag at the 2006 Pella Nationals. This year, Jeffrey plans on taking the 50th Knoxville Nationals by storm, with hopes of unveil a second team with a driver that will make some noise. "I guarantee we will be the talk of the Nationals," said the excited driver.
When asked about keeping his giant aluminum Chevrolet engine up to performance standards, Jeffrey credited K&N's world famous filters. "K&N help our motors stay clean and live longer which not only reduced our engine rebuilding costs but gives our motor better performance while protecting the wearing part. Engine Failure is our biggest expense so K&N helps insure that we don't suffer the expense."
Bobby Santos III has driven an amazing 23 different styles of race cars, everything from USAC, ARCA, NASCAR Nationwide and Trucks, to the Modified car he currently races. After running part-time in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since 2004, Santos is now driving the No. 4 full time in 2010 for Mystic Missile Racing. The 24-year-old from Franklin, Massachusetts, is definitely enjoying 2010 so far. "In four races, we have set two track records at Thompson Speedway and Stafford Speedway.
Bobby Santos III in Victory Lane
We had a win in the Thompson Ice Breaker and a second place finish in the Stafford Spring Sizzler, along with a win in the Stafford Tsi 125," says Santos. A win at the Whelan 200 at Martinsville followed and Santos is now leading the point standing so far in the 14 race tour. "In the USAC Midget, we have a fast time, a win and a second place finish at Iowa Speedway in the Triple Header" says Santos.
The fifth race of the Modified tour season, the New England 100 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, saw Bobby qualify second fastest to Sprint Cup driver Ryan Newman. Bobby ran up front for the entire race, even having the lead a few times, but finishing fourth. Running the sixth race of the Modified season at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, CT, Santos was hoping for a solid top ten finish. "I don't have any road course experience and I was running around 6th and 7th for the majority of the race when I got a flat tire and then a blown engine," says Santos. "I ended up 17th, but had a lot of fun with the road course."
The next Modified race is coming up at Monadnock Speedway in Winchester, New Hampshire. The Modified tour has not raced at this track since 1990. Santos previously had a feature win at Monadnock while driving a NEMA Midget in July of 2008 for Santos Motorsports. He will also be competing in the USAC Silver Crown Series on July 22nd at O'Reilly Raceway Park for Carl Edwards/R.E. Technologies Racing.
Santos is confident that his winning year will continue and credits K&N with some of that success. "I choose K&N because the products are high quality and dependable. K&N is a loyal supporter of short track racing and they have been instrumental in keeping short track racing alive. I am hoping to continue to have a great year on the Whelen Modified Tour and in the USAC Midget. I want to put our K&N sponsored cars in victory lane as many times as possible," says Santos.
