Swanson scores win at ORP; Wilke now USAC’s all-time winngest race team

Bryan Gapinski

Kody Swanson turned in a dominating peformance driving the Wilke-PAK#11 Thursday Night winning the 30-lap USAC National Midget Series feature at O ‘Reilly Raceway Park. Swanson led the entire race and finished over three seconds ahead of second place. Jerry Coons Jr. driving the second Wilke Spike/Toyota finished in seventh place, after qualifying second fastest.
The victory made the Wilke Racing Team the winningest race team in USAC history with 134 National Wins. Swanson who finished third at ORP for the team in May became the 30th different driver to win a USAC National event for the Wilke team.
The record 134 victories in USAC include wins in Indy Car, Silver Crown, National Sprint Car, and National Midget Series. The team has scored USAC victories at 61 different tracks in sixteen states.
The next events for the team will be “Midget Money Week”, which consists of six races over a seven day-span, including the Speedway Motors Belleville Midget Nationals on Aug. 6-7.

TEAM INFO
Team: Wilke-PAK Motorsports, Milwaukee,Wis.
Driver: Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
Chassis: Spike
Engine: Toyota
Sponsors: Toyota, Toyota Racing Development, QTM, Autonet Mobile, Gary Stanton, Racing Optics, Speedway Motors, Hoosier Racing Tires, K & N Filters, Schoenfeld, Kwik Change, BMRS, Fuel Safe, Spike, Autometer, DMI, EFI Ignitions, Sanders, Kenny’s Components, Hepfner Racing Products, Behling Racing Equip, Joe Gibbs Racing Oil, Maxwell Industries, Scott Shop Towels, Butler Built, Engler, Afco, Xtreme Fuel Stick.

UPCOMING EVENTS
August 1 US 36 Speedway (Osborn, Mo.)
August 2 Butler Motorplex (Rising City, Neb.)
August 3-4 Junction Motor Speedway (McCool Junction, Neb.)
August 6-7 Belleville High Banks (Belleville, Kan.)

CURRENT POINT RANKINGS
USAC National Midget Series: 3rd
National Midget Driver of the Year: 4th