DOUBLE DUTY SWANSON TO COMPETE IN SILVER CROWN & INDY PRO 2000 AT CARB NIGHT CLASSIC

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Brownsburg, Indiana (August 20, 2020)………Kody Swanson has added a ride with the Indy Pro 2000 Series to his busy weekend racing lineup for this Friday’s Dave Steele Carb Night Classic, August 21, at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg, Ind.

In addition to his Silver Crown duties aboard the Nolen Racing No. 20 Silver Crown car on Friday night, Kingsburg, California’s Swanson, the five-time USAC Silver Crown champion, will pull double-duty by also piloting the No. 20 Indy Pro 2000 Series car for Legacy Autosport in the “Freedom 90” on the .686-mile paved oval.

Legacy Autosport is owned by Mike Meyer – great grandson of Louis Meyer, the first three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and famous for starting the tradition of drinking milk after winning at Indianapolis.  Mike’s father, Butch, and brother Matt, have continued the Meyer family legacy in open wheel racing, and are making the jump from the USF2000 series to the Indy Pro 2000 ranks where they, along with Swanson, will make their series debuts Friday.

"I'm definitely excited for the opportunity and thankful for all of the people who helped make it happen,” Swanson exclaimed.  “I've been talking with Mike and Butch since last year, trying to figure out how I could make the transition to these types of cars and how we could get started on something together.”

On June 24 of this year, Swanson had his first chance to gain rear engine experience in the Indy Pro 2000 Series car at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway in Wisconsin, a test day made possible by Fred Edwards and Metalloid Corporation, who helped form Legacy Autosport with Mike Meyer and has been a sponsor and supporter ever since.  It was a taste of rear engine experience that whetted the appetite for Swanson to pursue the opportunity to race with the series.

“I met Fred (Edwards) while working with the team at St. Petersburg (Fla.) earlier this year and he gave me a chance to test with the team and their Indy Pro 2000 series car,” Swanson recalled.  “It was great to get my first laps in a rear engine car and we’ve been working toward an opportunity to race it ever since.  Having had the opportunity to test the car was a real positive, and I'm glad to feel like I have some idea of what to expect.  I know I still have a lot to learn, but I'm thankful to be working with a knowledgeable team and engineers like Matt (Curry) and Kent (Boyer) that can help to improve my learning curve.”

Of all the tracks to make his Indy Pro 2000 Series debut, Lucas Oil Raceway is like a home away from home for Swanson where he’s one of eight drivers to have won in all three USAC National divisions in his career – Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midget.  In fact, of his 30 career USAC Silver Crown wins, five have come at LOR.  It’s a place that he hopes can serve as a launching pad that takes him 15 minutes east to IMS one day.  But first things first, it’s all about putting in a successful debut performance Friday at Lucas Oil Raceway.

"I'm really looking forward to this week,” Swanson said.  “I'm thankful to get a chance to make a start on the Road to Indy with Legacy Autosport.  I'm excited that I'll get to make my debut at Lucas Oil Raceway, somewhere I've been fortunate to race often, and in an event like the Dave Steele Carb Night Classic with the USAC Silver Crown Champ Car Series."

A familiar name to USAC fans – Rico Elmore and Fatheadz Eyewear, sponsor of the National Fast Qualifying award – has been working with Swanson this year to try some new racing ventures, including a first career ARCA Menards Series start in mid-July at Iowa Speedway and has now stepped in to be the primary sponsor for Swanson at Friday’s “Freedom 90.”

Fatheadz Eyewear, founded in Indiana in 2004, began by creating and offering eyewear specifically tailored to customers with heads too large to fit in standard width glasses comfortably.  The company has grown to encompass five distinct lines of eyewear of all sizes for both men and women.

“Rico and Fatheadz Eyewear have been great to support me in trying new things this year,” Swanson remarked.  “We've been working together on opportunities up the ladder, and I'm thankful for his help along the way on this journey and helping make this come together and this event possible for us.”

Swanson’s busy weekend of racing will see him competing in five different types of racecars in a three-night span.  His first action will be pulling double-duty on Friday, Aug. 21, at Lucas Oil Raceway in the Nolen Racing USAC Silver Crown car and the Legacy Autosport Indy Pro 2000 Series car.  On Saturday, Aug. 22, it’s back to Lucas Oil Raceway for Swanson where he’ll compete in both the Nolen Racing No. 4 Sprint Car and the Bohanon-Felker Racing No. 3 Midget.  On Sunday, he will be on the one-mile dirt oval at the Indiana State Fairgrounds behind the wheel of the Nolen Racing No. 20 Silver Crown car.

FRIDAY FAN INFO:

Pits open at noon ET on Friday at LOR with spectator gates opening at 3pm, Silver Crown practice starting at 3pm followed by practice for both USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000.  Silver Crown Fatheadz Eyewear Qualifying commences at 5:45pm ET, followed by the USF2000 race at 6:45pm, the Indy Pro 2000 race at 7:50pm and the 100-lap Silver Crown race at 9pm.

Teams are asked to enter the pits from gate 2 - the back entry off CR 300.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children age 11 and under.  All HARF members will receive $5 off their general admission ticket when their card is shown.  Pit passes are $30 for member and $35 for non-members.  Dave Steele Carb Night Classic tickets can be purchased at the gate on raceday or in advance at www.tinyurl.com/y8p9vxov.

SATURDAY FAN INFO:

On Saturday at LOR, the festivities begin on Saturday, August 22, with pit gates/credentials opening at 7am ET.  Spectator gates open at 10am, Midget practice from 10am–10:55am, Sprint Car practice 1 from 11am–11:55am, Midget practice 2 from noon-12:55pm, Sprint Car Practice 2: 1pm–1:55pm, Midget practice 3 from 2pm to 2:55pm, Sprint Car practice 3 from 3pm–3:55pm before a break at 4pm.

Action resumes with Midget qualifying from 4:30pm–5:55pm, Sprint Car qualifying from 6pm–7:25pm, then opening ceremonies from 7pm–7:30pm, followed by racing action that culminates with the $5,000-to-win Midget feature and the $10,000-to-win Sprint Car feature.

Tickets are $25 for ages 12 and up, $5 for ages 5-11 and free for ages 4 and under.  Tickets can be ordered at http://tinyurl.com/y8p9vxov.

SUNDAY FAN INFO:

Advance tickets for the Hoosier Hundred are on sale now at www.usactickets.com.  Grandstand tickets are $30 apiece, $10 for children age 3-11 and free for kids age 2 and under.  Infield tickets are $20 each, $5 for children age 3-11 and free for kids age 2 and under.  For more ticket information, contact the Track Enterprises office at (217) 764-3200.

Pits will open at Noon ET on raceday, August 23, grandstands at 2pm, practice at 4pm, qualifying at 5:15, vintage cars at 6:15, qualifying race at 7pm and the 100-lap Hoosier Hundred at 8pm.  Silver Crown cars are the only class featured in the event.

You can watch all three nights of racing LIVE on FloRacing at https://bit.ly/3frPoW6.