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USAC Ford Focus Midget drivers faced a double header first at Ocean Speedway on May 15 in Watsonville, California then at Kings Speedway in Hanford, California on May 16.
USAC Ford Focus Midgets had a double header weekend at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville, California and Kings Speedway in Hanford, California
Next USAC Ford Focus Midget Race for Cody Swanson will be at Ventura Speedway in California
K&N sponsored teen racer Cody Swanson was excited to get back on the dirt after his strong 2nd place finish in Sean Bowman’s No. 55 car in Las Vegas, Nevada.
K&N Sponsored racer was victorious in USAC Ford Focus Midget Series race at Ocean Speedway in California
K&N sponsored teen Cody Swanson finished 3rd at Kings Speedway in Hanford, California in the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series
In Watsonville, Swanson started the feature in sixth position. “Things started getting dicey fast when the No, 4 car flipped down the back straight and nearly collected Cody in the process,” said Kirk Swanson, Cody’s father. “When the field lined up for the restart, Swanson found himself in 2nd position behind the No. 91 car.”
Swanson worked very hard and tried everything he had to work his way to first. “It was a very close race with Cody and the No. 91 car trying to earn the top spot,’ said Swanson. “By lap 17, the pressure Cody applied to the 91 car worked and my son made the pass on the outside and drove on to a well earned victory.”
The Swanson Motorsports Team uses K&N products. “K&N protects our engines and allows them to breathe,” said Swanson. “Dirt is never a problem on the track with K&N.”
Kings Speedway had a very different race track from Ocean Speedway. It was smaller and very hot. For the first time in the 2009 season, the Ford Focus cars qualified. The Swanson Motorsports team wrapped up qualifying with Wally Pankratz driving the No. 88 car to 1st position and Cody Swanson in 2nd position.
Swanson started the feature in 5th position next to his teammate for the night. An early race mishap cost Pankratz any chance of winning after his left rear tire was cut down. Cody went on to finish the event in 3rd place.
“It was a tough race,” said Swanson. “It’s a tight little track and very hard to pass. There were times I drove over the track and it cost me a better finish. I’ll take what I learned here and get better for the next time. This was a great points weekend for us and we are back in this thing.”
Cody and the Swanson Motorsports Team will head to Ventura Speedway in California for their next race.
The Traxxas TORC Racing Series combines the best of Midwest short course off-road racing with Western State venues. TORC drivers push their vehicles to the limits on challenging natural terrain tracks.
Todd LeDuc shows strength at opening weekend of The Off Road Racing Series TORC in Ft. Worth, Texas
Todd LeDuc is one of the big names from the former CORR Series that will be at Perris, California with Jeremy McGrath, Rob MacCachren, Rick Johnson, Jerry Welchel, Steve Barlow and Adrian Cenni
Rockstar Makita Team LeDuc took home four podium finishes at the opening weekend of TORC in Ft. Worth, Texas at the Texas World Speedway. The LeDuc’s competed against most of the top stars and teams of the former CORR Series.
Curt LeDuc of Roackstar Makita Team LeDuc in the Winner's Circle at the Texas World Speedway in Ft. Worth
Rockstar Makita Team LeDuc depends on K&N air and oil filters on and off the track
In the first of ten scheduled events Todd LeDuc finished third Friday evening in the Pro 2WD class. He held off Traxxas’s Mark Jenkins and passed Rob MacCachren in the final laps. Kyle LeDuc received a flat tire on his first lap in his Leatt Brace Rockstar sponsored Pro Lite ride and lost lap time.
Father Curt and son Kyle LeDuc took their Pro 4X4 trucks into the final 20 lap race of the night and Curt secured the number 2 spot on the podium. Kyle finished in 4th place.
Thunderstorms turned the track into mud on day two. Officials were faced with the difficult decision of cancelling practice and starting up the competition as soon as the track was ready.
Six hours later, in front of 5,000 race fans the Pro Lites hit the track with Kyle LeDuc in the back of the pack. Kyle worked his way up to the front and took home second place. His brother Todd then battled Jeremy McGrath in the Pro 2WD class. Todd finished in fourth place.
In the Pro 4X4 Class, Curt LeDuc blew a motor and had to pull off the course. Kyle LeDuc started on the pole and led the pack for 16 laps. The mud was flying and Kyle and Rick Huseman were using their trucks to muscle each other around. Kyle took home third place and the Oakley Bomb Run Award for having the fastest lap time of the race.
“I’m really pleased to have salvaged valuable points this weekend,” said LeDuc. “I can’t wait to race next in Perris, California.”
On May 29th and 30th the LeDuc’s will be at one of the biggest off-road racing events ever to hit the dirt and tricky terrain at Perris Auto Speedway. Team LeDuc continues to use K&N air and oil filters on and off the track. “We depend on K&N filters,” said LeDuc. “K&N makes reliable products that work for us. Our K&N filters worked flawlessly this weekend, despite the muddy conditions.”
Fans can get a preview of the wild action they will see at Perris by watching the Texas event on ESPN2 on Sunday May 24 at 11:00 a.m. Big names like Jeremy McGrath, Rob MacCachren, Rick Johnson, Jerry Welchel, Steve Barlow and Adrian Cenni are all scheduled to be at Perris. The TORC Series is sanctioned by the USAC, United States Auto Club and will consist of ten races in five states. The season finale will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The A&A Motorsports Team took on a 410 points race with K&N sponsored sprint car driver Andy Forsberg behind the wheel at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California.
Silver Dollar Speedway hosts 410 Sprint Car Points race in Chico, California
Forsberg was 5th fastest in his field but was penalized for missing his qualifying spot due to a fuel pick up problem. Forsberg started in 20th place in the back of the A-main. He moved through lapped traffic and finished in 7th place.
Driver Andy Forsberg is ready for action in the California Civil War Series for 360 Sprint Cars
The next day the team headed to Placerville, California for a 360 points race. Forsberg was fast and started 3rd in the A main. The race was full of cautions and the front runners were not able to get into lapped traffic. Forsberg finished in 3rd place.
“I use K&N products at all of my races,” said Forsberg. “K&N makes great filters and I would not use anything else on my sprint cars. K&N products our engines and performs flawlessly at every race.”
The A&A Motorsports Team’s next event will be a Civil War Series Race on May 24th. That series is a regional style championship which pays out nearly $20,000 for single event winnings.
A snake put a wrench in the action for the Chris Steel Racing team at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina.
The Chris Steele Racing Team returns to Late Modified action at The Dirt Track at Lowe's in Charlotte, North Carolina
The crew unloaded his Crate Late Model yellow bodied green GRT chassis with its 350 cubic inch engine and someone saw a snake. “A five foot long black snake was crawling toward the hauler and then it went under the truck,” said Steele. “From there it went into the hauler's engine compartment.”
Chris Steele Racing Team takes second place at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, South Carolina
Steele and his team did not see the snake for hours. “It came out later and crawled under my race car,” he said. “I pushed my car to pit road by myself. It turned out okay because our transporter driver and another racer pinned down the snake. They walked across the track and released it back to the wild.”
After the snake incident, it was back to the business of racing. Steel drew the outside pole position for his heat race and won. It was not a simple win because hard charging Ross Bailes knocked on Steel’s back bumper. That bump set the tone for the feature.
Steele had the inside pole position. “At Cherokee Speedway I prefer having the outside pole,” he said. “When the green flag dropped, Douglas Davis took the lead and I fell into second. Bailes was on my rear.”
Steele pulled a door-to-door with Davis on several restarts but could not make the pass complete and took second place. “We had a good car at this race,” he said. “Our K&N air filters make sure we get the maximum air flow every time we race. Our K&N performs flawlessly.”
The Chris Steel Racing Team returns to action at The Dirt Track at Lowe’s in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 22 and at Wythe Speedway in Wytheville, Virginia on May 23.
Jake Swanson of Anaheim, California has waited a long time for one race. The Orange County teen will drive his Honda Powered Stealth Midget Hanford Speedway for the first time in the USAC Western States Dirt Midget 2009 Series.
Honda Powered Stealth Midget with K&N products ready for USAC Western States Dirt Midget 2009 Series
USAC Midget Racing can be a stepping stone for young racing talent. The diversity of the tracks require quick reflexes and scouts take a look at the upcoming drivers.
Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Parnelli Jones and Al Unser all made their way up the USAC Midget ranks. In 2009, the USAC Midget Car Series is in its 54th year of operation.
Swanson started racing Quarter Midgets in 2001 and won the Region 11 Quarter Midget Class Champion Rookie Year. In 2003 and 2004 Swanson won the Mopar Twin 25 Quarter Midget Race at Irwindale Speedway in California.
In 2006, Swanson finished 2nd overall in the World Formula Class in the Quarter Midget Monza Series. “I’ve had a lot of really cool things happen like winning the Twin 25 Quarter Midget two years in a row and setting the Quarter Midget World Record,” he said. “This could have never happened without the help and support from our sponsors. K&N is a great partner with Swanson Motorsports. I’ve never used anything but K&N air filters. They work great and keep the track debris out of our engines.”
Swanson said he is looking forward to getting on the track this weekend. “Thanks again to everyone who has helped me live the dream,” he said.
