Kody Swanson Earns First USAC National Midget Series Feature Win

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

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

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

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