Our last race was a good run though the field at Placerville Speedway finishing 5th. After that we went back up to Norcal on June 15th for Petaluma. This place was a real wet and sticky racetrack. I finished 5th again that night. It was a bit of a struggle for us because we didn't quite have the rough setup down yet and were far too tight.
It was after this race that we got some help from Advanced Racing Suspensions and Eibach springs to get some fresh suspension under the car. The new gear worked great for us at the following Norcal race in Plaza Park on June 29th. It was a tiny little micro track that proved to be a challenge for us all. The track was sticky and rough on one end and dead dry on the other. We ended up finishing 5th again.
Another top 5 run was good, but not good enough. We went through the car and changed some minor things around trying to get the car to drive more evenly off the rear tires and go through the corner in a more settled down manner. It worked. The next place we raced at was July 12th at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. We set a new track record in qualifying and finished a solid 3rd on a RR tire that was going flat the last 10 laps. That night made us feel very good about ourselves. It had seemed as though we had got the Edmunds Autoreasearch car dialed in.
The next race was on July 20th at Ventura. We had a bad heat race which mired us way back in the field at the start of the feature. It was a hard fought battle but I was able to move the Van Dyne Chevy to the 4th spot at the checkers.
It was back to Ventura again July 31st for the Ventura County Fair race. This race is always a packed house and it's nice to see the Ventura stands filled with so many people. I started in the 7th spot behind Kruseman. He and I muscled our way to the front and we duked it out for the win but ending up 2nd. Watch it all here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jKsyA_VQks
After this race, it was time for an engine refresh. Tres, Stew and I spent the month we had off at the shop not only rebuilding the motor, but also going through the whole car from head to toe in preparation for the week of racing (4 races) we would have from Aug. 31st through Sept. 7th.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, June 6, 2013
The Month of May
Lots of exciting opportunities came about in the month of May. It all started with our win the 05 Honda Midget at Santa Maria. After that race the K24 PBH Honda was pulled out so that Tres and Stew Van Dyne could fine tune the fuel system on the dyno and make it perfect. Unfortunately, some problems surfaced themselves over the course of the run and we were forced to park that engine for the time being until we are able to get the proper items from HPD to continue with the program.
Tres and Stew Van Dyne stepped in and offered for me to drive their blue #5 Edmunds chassis with the next USAC midget race being at Ventura less than a week away. I was of course extremely thankful to have an opportunity to jump in the seat.
We had a pretty decent go at Ventura in the #5 Van Dyne entry. The car was a bit different being a four coil car it reacts much different than anything I've ever driven before. It proved to be a pretty good car though with plenty of horsepower. I started in the main 8th but was collected in a second lap altercation. The contact bent the RF shock along with a few other parts. After pushing into the pits for my guys to check out the damage it was clear nothing could be done in time as far as making repairs. I pushed back out and tried to adapt to the wounded race car. I went from the back of the pack to finish 6th. We were all pretty satisfied with the results considering the circumstances.
The following weekend was a USAC/CRA 410 Sprint car race at Perris Auto Speedway. Thanks to some generous support from George Blacker and Ram Bull Racing, I was able to drive for the Roa Family. Brett and Brody Roa own two Spike's. HD Industries, Burris Racing, and Biker Bruce Fischer help make it possible for these guys to have these two cars and a shop full of good equipment. I also had help from Larry Henry and Tony Jones, owners of the #41 sprint car I normally drive, to be able to run a green 91R car at the Salute to Indy Perris Auto Speedway Sprint Car race.
It was pretty neat to be teammates with Brody. I can't thank the Roa family enough for giving me such a great opportunity. Those two guys put all of there time and effort, not to mention every dime they have into these race cars, so to trust me with their baby was very cool and definitely appreciated.
This was my first sprint car race for 2013 and it was nice to be back. I had my usual crew chief, Tony Jones, on the wrenches. He never stopped working all night, giving me the best shot possible to have a good run.
I qualified 11th, which was good considering the front wheels weren't on the ground much! It was pretty well hooked up. In the feature Brody and I started next to each other; I 11th and Brody 12th. After a fun and eventful race I finished 9th and Brody ran 10th. It was a good night for everybody, both cars rolled on the trailer with a top 10 finish. Obviously we both would have liked to finish further up in the pack, but I think all of us learned a lot about these cars that was beneficial for both parties.
After this race, my next show was up in Northern Ca in Placerville. For this race I was back in Tres and Stewart's blue #5. These guys have really given me a great opportunity here. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be able to keep chasing the points championship since our other program is still on pause at the moment. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to drive for them.
We had a good heat in Placerville, bringing home win. That put me starting 8th in the feature due to the invert. Two laps into the feature, I got knocked up the racetrack and way out of shape. The yellow came out due to another incident on the other end of the track and because I kept the car running, I should have got my position towards the front back as they revert back to the last lap. However, that wasn't the case tonight. For some reason they put me at the tail of the 20 car field. I definitely had my work cut out for me. The track was one-laned dry slick around the bottom and the points leader was running in the 3rd position. Through the race I marched forward, finally reaching 5th spot with a few laps to go. On the white flag Ronnie Gardner and 3rd place tried to rail the massive cusion to gain some ground but it didn't work and I moved into 3rd spot down the back straight just as the yellow flag came out. They reverted back to the last lap which put me back to 5th. On the restart I knew the bottom was the way to go, but they did too this time so we brought it home 5th. It was definitely a good night. I wish we could have stayed up front from the beginning, but at least after what had happened on the start I was able to get back to the bumper of the points leader Ronnie Gardner. Right now I'm just 23 points back to him.
Once again a huge thanks to the Van Dynes for giving me this awesome opportunity. I think we can keep up the momentum this season and keep the strong finishes coming. I'd also like to give a very big thanks to long time friend and supporter Alex Frazin. Alex lent us his gigantic RV bus for our long traveling races which saves us money on getting hotels for us and the team. He's always been supportive of me and helps in any way he can. Also thanks to my sponsors for their extra support; George Blacker and Ram Bull Racing, Goodwine Glass, Lucas Oil, DC Racing Cams, HPD, Eibach Springs, Swanson Inspections,
K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, Oakley and One Day
Signs.
We have this weekend off, but our next event is in Norcal again in Petaluma with the USAC Midgets. I'll be once again piloting the Van Dyne Chevy. Stay tuned!
Jake
Tres and Stew Van Dyne stepped in and offered for me to drive their blue #5 Edmunds chassis with the next USAC midget race being at Ventura less than a week away. I was of course extremely thankful to have an opportunity to jump in the seat.
We had a pretty decent go at Ventura in the #5 Van Dyne entry. The car was a bit different being a four coil car it reacts much different than anything I've ever driven before. It proved to be a pretty good car though with plenty of horsepower. I started in the main 8th but was collected in a second lap altercation. The contact bent the RF shock along with a few other parts. After pushing into the pits for my guys to check out the damage it was clear nothing could be done in time as far as making repairs. I pushed back out and tried to adapt to the wounded race car. I went from the back of the pack to finish 6th. We were all pretty satisfied with the results considering the circumstances.
The following weekend was a USAC/CRA 410 Sprint car race at Perris Auto Speedway. Thanks to some generous support from George Blacker and Ram Bull Racing, I was able to drive for the Roa Family. Brett and Brody Roa own two Spike's. HD Industries, Burris Racing, and Biker Bruce Fischer help make it possible for these guys to have these two cars and a shop full of good equipment. I also had help from Larry Henry and Tony Jones, owners of the #41 sprint car I normally drive, to be able to run a green 91R car at the Salute to Indy Perris Auto Speedway Sprint Car race.
It was pretty neat to be teammates with Brody. I can't thank the Roa family enough for giving me such a great opportunity. Those two guys put all of there time and effort, not to mention every dime they have into these race cars, so to trust me with their baby was very cool and definitely appreciated. This was my first sprint car race for 2013 and it was nice to be back. I had my usual crew chief, Tony Jones, on the wrenches. He never stopped working all night, giving me the best shot possible to have a good run.
I qualified 11th, which was good considering the front wheels weren't on the ground much! It was pretty well hooked up. In the feature Brody and I started next to each other; I 11th and Brody 12th. After a fun and eventful race I finished 9th and Brody ran 10th. It was a good night for everybody, both cars rolled on the trailer with a top 10 finish. Obviously we both would have liked to finish further up in the pack, but I think all of us learned a lot about these cars that was beneficial for both parties.
After this race, my next show was up in Northern Ca in Placerville. For this race I was back in Tres and Stewart's blue #5. These guys have really given me a great opportunity here. If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be able to keep chasing the points championship since our other program is still on pause at the moment. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to drive for them.
We had a good heat in Placerville, bringing home win. That put me starting 8th in the feature due to the invert. Two laps into the feature, I got knocked up the racetrack and way out of shape. The yellow came out due to another incident on the other end of the track and because I kept the car running, I should have got my position towards the front back as they revert back to the last lap. However, that wasn't the case tonight. For some reason they put me at the tail of the 20 car field. I definitely had my work cut out for me. The track was one-laned dry slick around the bottom and the points leader was running in the 3rd position. Through the race I marched forward, finally reaching 5th spot with a few laps to go. On the white flag Ronnie Gardner and 3rd place tried to rail the massive cusion to gain some ground but it didn't work and I moved into 3rd spot down the back straight just as the yellow flag came out. They reverted back to the last lap which put me back to 5th. On the restart I knew the bottom was the way to go, but they did too this time so we brought it home 5th. It was definitely a good night. I wish we could have stayed up front from the beginning, but at least after what had happened on the start I was able to get back to the bumper of the points leader Ronnie Gardner. Right now I'm just 23 points back to him.
Once again a huge thanks to the Van Dynes for giving me this awesome opportunity. I think we can keep up the momentum this season and keep the strong finishes coming. I'd also like to give a very big thanks to long time friend and supporter Alex Frazin. Alex lent us his gigantic RV bus for our long traveling races which saves us money on getting hotels for us and the team. He's always been supportive of me and helps in any way he can. Also thanks to my sponsors for their extra support; George Blacker and Ram Bull Racing, Goodwine Glass, Lucas Oil, DC Racing Cams, HPD, Eibach Springs, Swanson Inspections,
K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, Oakley and One Day
Signs.We have this weekend off, but our next event is in Norcal again in Petaluma with the USAC Midgets. I'll be once again piloting the Van Dyne Chevy. Stay tuned!
Jake
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Jake gets Win #1 of 2013 at Santa Maria Speedway
I'm just going to jump right into it here, we got HPD's first win with the new K Honda motor last weekend at Santa Maria Speedway! What a feeling to finally say that. This was the engine's very first USAC race and it's clear it is off to a pretty darn good start.This engine was built by Skeet Bushor of PBH Indy. He, Honda Racing and Swanson Motorsports have teamed up to develop this engine into a competitive and reliable engine at a very reasonable cost. Skeet has put many countless hours into making this Honda Accord Engine, a midget racing engine. He has done a fanominal job putting this thing together, and with just a little bit of tuning it was a rocket.
The original plan for USAC's Santa Maria race was to run our old F engine which we had been running all year so far. The reason for this was simply that we knew exactly what we had with the F and it typically isn't very wise to be experimenting on race night. Especially while chasing the points leader, Ronnie Gardner, by only a few points. However, a detrimental problem occurred when we fired the car off with the F on Monday, just a week before SM. It turns out the valve guides had racked up too many laps and began to leak oil into the cylinders. Our efforts to resolve this problem failed all week. Finally at about 5pm on Friday afternoon we began our last ditch effort to go racing by ripping the F out, and putting our K back in.It was a long night but the sound of it firing off early Saturday morning definitely woke us up. We headed to the track with with Tres Van Dyne who began running through numbers and scouring data to try and put together a different fuel system package that would hopefully help us get this engine to run a little better at the lower RPM range. Tres made the right call, and got the thing good for hot laps. It wasn't perfect, but it was drive-able. There was hope!
Tres continued to make gains all night. I qualified 6th out of the 13 entries. From there I started 4th in the heat and won. The feature was a Swanson Motorsports front row with points leader Ronnie Gardner right behind. Cody got a good jump at first but I powered around the top and beat him into turn 1 and never looked back. It felt great to finally put it in the circle. We've been running great all year so far and it's shaping up to be an awesome points battle between us and good friend RonnieG. We are now tied for the points lead going into Ventura this weekend.
I'd like to give a very special thank you to our new sponsor who has come on board this year; George Blacker and Ram-Bull Racing. George has become a great friend of ours. He races in the Ignite series on the pavement and also owns/drives a couple vintage sprint cars. George has been extremely supportive of both of my racing programs, sprint and midget. We brought our #88 Schankerman owned focus out last weekend for him to play and he loved it. Thank you George for your tremendous support and welcome to the Team!I'd also like to thank all of our supports who help us get to the racetrack each week; Goodwine Glass, Lucas Oil Products, DC Racing Cams, HPD and Honda Racing, PBH Indy and Skeet Bushor, Eibach Springs, Swanson Inspections, K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, Oakley and One Day Signs for their support. Thank you all for helping us get to the top!
Another well deserved thanks to our hard working crew who was out there last weekend. There's never a dull moment with two race cars in competition. My dad obviously, the hardest working dude I know. What he does for me is unbelievable and I'm so happy to finally grab this win for him. His face in the winner's circle says it all, and reminds me why we do what we do. Also Tres Van Dyne who was really the hero of the day in getting this K running solid for us. Cheyne Burris and Mike May were perfect help and very hard working as usual, we are happy to have them apart of our team. Tim, Tracy, and Zac Bozanich weren't in attendance this weekend but I still can't thank them enough for their numerous hours of help and support these past few years. And one final thank you to Jon Paquet and Sprint Car Scotty for the photos from this exciting night!
Next up is a USAC/VRA Battle at the Beach race at Ventura. This joint just got some new red clay dumped on it so it will be exciting to see what changes it brings in the racing there.Stay tuned!
Jake
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
2 for 1! Ventura 3/23 and Bakersfield 3/30
It's been an exciting couple weeks! For those who are wondering about whether we ran the new K24 engine or not..nope! Not yet. But our F engine Turkey Night piece is hanging with the best of them. After our last 2nd place run at Ventura, we followed it up with yet another 2nd place finish. This time we were runner up to Ronnie Gardner but it was quite the race to watch.
I started on the front row, outside pole to Randy Pankratz. Randy got the jump into the first turn, and not 3 laps in we touched wheels and the contact sent me on my lid. After the VRA crew flipped me back on all fours, I refired and clawed my way back up through the field and into 2nd place. It's a fun race to watch if you haven't already seen it, here's the link to my onboard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=PX0HVc5i9ns
Oildale in Bakersfield CA was our 3rd USAC Midget race of the year and had an extremely impressive car count. 26 cars were entered. We had an awesome qualifying effort of 2nd, and went on to win our heat race. In the feature I started 5th. The track was a rough and holey one with only one groove around the tires. I was able to snag 3rd away from Bernal and Vanderweerd. Cody was leading and RonnieG and I were 2nd and 3rd. Unfortunately, I relinquished 3rd to Bernal in the closing laps but it was still a great finish for us.
I really feel good about what we've accomplished in the past few months thanks to my dad and family's support. Not to mention our sponsors who have been so generous. I'm so proud to have been a competitive front running car all year. Thanks to; Goodwine Glass, Lucas Oil Products, DC Racing Cams, HPD and Honda Racing, PBH Indy, Eibach Springs, Swanson Inspections, K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, and One Day Sign for their support.
I'm looking forward to the next USAC race at Ventura this Saturday! Stay tuned.
Jake
I started on the front row, outside pole to Randy Pankratz. Randy got the jump into the first turn, and not 3 laps in we touched wheels and the contact sent me on my lid. After the VRA crew flipped me back on all fours, I refired and clawed my way back up through the field and into 2nd place. It's a fun race to watch if you haven't already seen it, here's the link to my onboard: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=PX0HVc5i9nsOildale in Bakersfield CA was our 3rd USAC Midget race of the year and had an extremely impressive car count. 26 cars were entered. We had an awesome qualifying effort of 2nd, and went on to win our heat race. In the feature I started 5th. The track was a rough and holey one with only one groove around the tires. I was able to snag 3rd away from Bernal and Vanderweerd. Cody was leading and RonnieG and I were 2nd and 3rd. Unfortunately, I relinquished 3rd to Bernal in the closing laps but it was still a great finish for us.
I really feel good about what we've accomplished in the past few months thanks to my dad and family's support. Not to mention our sponsors who have been so generous. I'm so proud to have been a competitive front running car all year. Thanks to; Goodwine Glass, Lucas Oil Products, DC Racing Cams, HPD and Honda Racing, PBH Indy, Eibach Springs, Swanson Inspections, K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, and One Day Sign for their support.
I'm looking forward to the next USAC race at Ventura this Saturday! Stay tuned.
Jake
Monday, March 18, 2013
Swanson's 1-2 at Ventura Raceway Opener 3/16 - Onboard Video
The Swanson Motorsports Team headed back to the beautiful Ventura beach this past weekend for VRA's season opener and what a night it turned out to be. We had 11 midgets in the field and the top 6 cars were all within 2 tenths of each other. The quantity of cars may be down, but the quality of cars is pretty equal across the board.The events leading up to the main event went fairly smooth for us. I was 3nd fast time in practice and finished 3rd in the heat from 5th. The line-up for the feature was Rick Hendrix and Cody Swanson on the front row, and the second row consisted of Bruce Dougless and David Prickett. I started 5th with Ronnie Gardner just outside of me.
Be sure to click the link ---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njVQNm4m7hk&feature=youtu.be to watch the race from my view!
And to see some photos of the action, check out Sprint Car Scotty's website here ---> http://sprintcarscotty.smugmug.com/VenturaRaceway2013/VRA-16MARCH2013/28467463_smJzbd#!i=2411740693&k=QfPqVnP
Jake
2013 Update & Canyon AZ Race Report 3/1-2/13
 |
| Turkey Night Qualifying - www.marvsphotography.com |
From there the car got rebuilt for the big K24 engine test day. The test took place in February, and the goal was to put as many laps on the new engine as possible in a 2 day span as a true test of durability, performance, and drivability. This test was also a success. We put approximately 500 laps on the new engine, as a matter of fact, we ran out of tires and had to cut the test short. About 40 tires were burned off (literally). We learned so much valuable information and I'm very excited for it's competition debut sometime in the near future.
After the test, the engine was given to Honda for further inspection as we got busy with yet another complete rebuild of the #05 Stealth. The first competition of the season was the USAC Western States Season opener at Canyon Speedway in Peoria, Arizona. We put the Turkey Night engine back in the car for this race (F engine) and set off to go racing for the first time in 2013!
The first night of the two day show, we had to get a feel of the track and after struggling most of the day, we had a good charge in the main after starting 20th and finishing 10th.
On night two we improved even further by starting 8th and running in the top 5 most of the race. We ended up finishing 6th to Clauson, RJ Johnson, and a few of the Kuhnz Toyota Team cars including Larson who finished just in front of me. It was a great way to start off 2013!
We've got Eibach Springs on board sponsoring us this year and also Swanson Inspections for all your home and property inspection needs. Welcome to the team and thank you very much for your support! I'd also like to thank the rest of our sponsors for their support over the years and helping get this team extremely competitive week in and week out; Goodwine Glass, Lucas Oil Products, DC Racing Cams, HPD and Honda Racing, PBH Indy, K&N Filters, Simpson Race Products, and One Day Signs.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Two nights of 410 USAC/CRA Racing at PAS and Victorville
Midget Updates - 8/18/12 Perris Auto Speedway - 8/19/12 Route 66 Speedway in Victorville
First off, I want to apologize for not having any race updates for quite some time. These past few months have been quite busy, and definitely have had their ups and downs.
I will start with some bad news. As most of you know, I was racing both the pavement and the dirt midgets with the same F 2.3 liter Honda engine. This was our best engine. Unfortunately, we lost our strongest bullet at Madera's 100 lapper. I started 17th and was up to 5th at lap 93 of 100. It kicked a rod with 7 laps remaining. This happened due to over temp. The battery died which powers our electric water pump because of the long run. An error on our own behalf which we thought we calculated for, but were obviously mistaken.
We tried to run a couple more shows back on the dirt with our old 2.2 backup engine, but it just didn't have the power to compete like our primary engine. It was tough to go from a top 5 car, to a mid-pack car at best. I had to make the extremely difficult decision to call off the rest of the races for the year in the midget. The cost to run mid-pack just isn't feasible. We decided it best to save up a little money, and put that all towards putting together a much more competitive race car when the new K24 engine debuts. The debut is currently scheduled for this years Turkey Night back on the dirt at Perris Auto Speedway. This way we can be sure to give the new HPD horsepower a well built race car and the recognition it deserves.
Now onto the Sprint Car updates! I have been having a ton of fun racing in the USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Car ranks. Thanks to some help from my Grandpa Ed I was lucky enough to run two races in a row. Aug. 18 at Perris Auto Speedway and Aug. 19 at Route 66 Speedway in Victorville.
It had been a couple months since I was able to race this car last, it was so nice to be back in the seat at Perris. I struggled in qualifying. I Q'd 18th out of 33. In the heat race I got shuffled to the back at the start, but gave a strong charge back up to 5th missing transfer by a nose. I had to start my first B-main.
In the B I started 4th. The top 6 cars transfer to the feature. On the start I got shoved around and fell back to 7th. I fought my way back up to a 2nd place finish behind Cody Williams. For the feature I started 18th. Throughout the race I was moving forward, but as the laps wound down I noticed the temp gauge kept climbing. With about 7 laps to go the temperature was getting close to the danger zone so I pulled in. It was a little disappointing, but we knew what the problem was and had it fixed for Sunday's race.
On Sunday I was eager to get back out and try it again. I really enjoyed racing at Victorville's Route 66 Speedway. It was the first time I had raced there and really just a fun track to drive. We had another strong car count and I Q'd 16th.
The track went slick quick. In the heat I was just a little too free and unfortunately fell back to 7th. This forced me to try to make it through the B again. I started 4th with Faas on the pole, Bezio and Austin Williams starting P2 and P3. This time though my crew chief Tony Jones tightened me up quite a bit. He nailed the setup. I quickly jumped to the lead. About halfway through the engine started running rough. Later inspection would indicate a broken rocker on hole #2. Despite the engine trouble I went on to win it.
In the main I started 14th. It was a great race and I ended up finishing ninth, my career best in the 410 ranks. I can't my crew chief Tony Jones and Car Owner Larry Henry enough for all that they have done for me. Also thanks to the Alexander Racing Team, the Roa family, and my Grandpa Ed for helping us get on the track this weekend. Thanks to all of my great sponsors on the sprint car team; JDS Tank Testing, VGI Graphics, Berg-Nelson Co., Zanzabuku Sports Lounge, Goodwine Glass, and Ol' Bub for all his help.
Next up is the Glen Howard Memorial at the PAS on Saturday September 15th. Hope to see you there.
Jake Swanson
First off, I want to apologize for not having any race updates for quite some time. These past few months have been quite busy, and definitely have had their ups and downs.
I will start with some bad news. As most of you know, I was racing both the pavement and the dirt midgets with the same F 2.3 liter Honda engine. This was our best engine. Unfortunately, we lost our strongest bullet at Madera's 100 lapper. I started 17th and was up to 5th at lap 93 of 100. It kicked a rod with 7 laps remaining. This happened due to over temp. The battery died which powers our electric water pump because of the long run. An error on our own behalf which we thought we calculated for, but were obviously mistaken.
We tried to run a couple more shows back on the dirt with our old 2.2 backup engine, but it just didn't have the power to compete like our primary engine. It was tough to go from a top 5 car, to a mid-pack car at best. I had to make the extremely difficult decision to call off the rest of the races for the year in the midget. The cost to run mid-pack just isn't feasible. We decided it best to save up a little money, and put that all towards putting together a much more competitive race car when the new K24 engine debuts. The debut is currently scheduled for this years Turkey Night back on the dirt at Perris Auto Speedway. This way we can be sure to give the new HPD horsepower a well built race car and the recognition it deserves.
 | |
| Thanks Rob Hargraves for the great shot - www.robhargraves.smugmug.com |
Now onto the Sprint Car updates! I have been having a ton of fun racing in the USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Car ranks. Thanks to some help from my Grandpa Ed I was lucky enough to run two races in a row. Aug. 18 at Perris Auto Speedway and Aug. 19 at Route 66 Speedway in Victorville.
It had been a couple months since I was able to race this car last, it was so nice to be back in the seat at Perris. I struggled in qualifying. I Q'd 18th out of 33. In the heat race I got shuffled to the back at the start, but gave a strong charge back up to 5th missing transfer by a nose. I had to start my first B-main.
In the B I started 4th. The top 6 cars transfer to the feature. On the start I got shoved around and fell back to 7th. I fought my way back up to a 2nd place finish behind Cody Williams. For the feature I started 18th. Throughout the race I was moving forward, but as the laps wound down I noticed the temp gauge kept climbing. With about 7 laps to go the temperature was getting close to the danger zone so I pulled in. It was a little disappointing, but we knew what the problem was and had it fixed for Sunday's race.
On Sunday I was eager to get back out and try it again. I really enjoyed racing at Victorville's Route 66 Speedway. It was the first time I had raced there and really just a fun track to drive. We had another strong car count and I Q'd 16th.
The track went slick quick. In the heat I was just a little too free and unfortunately fell back to 7th. This forced me to try to make it through the B again. I started 4th with Faas on the pole, Bezio and Austin Williams starting P2 and P3. This time though my crew chief Tony Jones tightened me up quite a bit. He nailed the setup. I quickly jumped to the lead. About halfway through the engine started running rough. Later inspection would indicate a broken rocker on hole #2. Despite the engine trouble I went on to win it.
In the main I started 14th. It was a great race and I ended up finishing ninth, my career best in the 410 ranks. I can't my crew chief Tony Jones and Car Owner Larry Henry enough for all that they have done for me. Also thanks to the Alexander Racing Team, the Roa family, and my Grandpa Ed for helping us get on the track this weekend. Thanks to all of my great sponsors on the sprint car team; JDS Tank Testing, VGI Graphics, Berg-Nelson Co., Zanzabuku Sports Lounge, Goodwine Glass, and Ol' Bub for all his help.
Next up is the Glen Howard Memorial at the PAS on Saturday September 15th. Hope to see you there.
Jake Swanson
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