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Swanson Caps Off Great Week with Fremont BOSS Win

What a week for Kingsburg, California’s Kody Swanson. It started Thursday with a win in the Hoosier Hundred champ car race, continued Friday with a second place run behind his brother at the Carb Night Classic in a sprint car on the pavement in Brownsburg, Indiana. Saturday Kody would win the Little 500 on the pavement in Anderson, Indiana in a sprint car and ended the week with a victory Sunday on Fremont Speedway’s clay oval in a sprint car for the Mike Hensel Memorial Presented by Budweiser and Maple City Ice.

Sunday’s $5,000 victory at Fremont was Swanson’s second Mike Hensel Memorial victory.

Sunday at Fremont, Swanson would take the lead from Shane Cottle on lap 16 and drove away for his second career Rick’s Truck & Equipment Buckeye Outlaw Sprint Series (BOSS) win.

“What an unbelievable week. It’s hard to put into words. The Hensel family…I won this race two years ago and met them, what an awesome group of people. You see them throughout race tracks wherever we’re at…crown races, saw them at the Hoosier 100 and the Little 500…what great people to have in the sport,” said Swanson. “I’m so thankful to be a part of this event to honor Mike.

“I’m not that good at all. I’m so lucky to be driving this week for three fantastic race teams, the DePalma 63, the Hoffman 69 and tonight Kent Wolters 21…what an unbelievable group of guys. My career was in shambles and probably over and Kent picked me up and gave me another chance and I’m happy to put this in victory lane for him,” added Swanson.

Fremont’s Paul Weaver would dominate the Fremont Federal Credit Union 305 Sprint feature for his second win in as many nights at Fremont. Both wins were worth $1,000 each for Weaver who not has 38 career victories at Fremont Speedway.

Weaver’s win Sunday also garnered him valuable points in the chase for the JLH General Contractor FAST 305 Sprint Series presented by Engine Pro title.

“That was a lot easier than last night…I don’t know why,” said Weaver beside his Schiets Motorsports, Weaver Performance Center, M&L Excavating, Hampshire Engines backed #1w.

In a race cut short by just six laps due to curfew constraints, Tiffin’s Chester Fitch would garner his second win of the hear in the McCullough Industries 602 Late Models. Fitch led every lap for his fifth career Fremont victory.

“The car felt good and felt like it was finally ready to run and be a race car,” said Fitch beside his Tiffin Auto Auction, Westside Auto Sales, Hi-Way 101 Auto Parts, Danner’s Recycling backed #101.

Shane Cottle and Swanson would bring the field to green for the 33-lap Mike Hensel Memorial. Robert Ballou would spin necessitating another start. Cottle would grab the early lead over Swanson, DJ Foos (making only his third non-wing sprint start), Brady Bacon, Cooper Clouse, Thomas Meseraull and Dave Darland.

On lap 3 Dustin Stroup and Paul Dues would get together to halt the action. On the restart Sodeman and Dues would spin. When the green reappeared Cottle and Swanson pulled away slightly as Bacon moved into third with Foos, Meseraull, Clouse and Darland battling for fourth. Meseraull would take fourth on lap eight.

The big cushion in turn four kept the field close and often jumbled the running order from third on back.

On lap 11 the red would appear when Mike Burkin spun sending Tyler Gunn hard into the soft wall in turn three. He was okay but done for the night. Prior to the red Bacon hit the curb in turn four hard and dropped several positions. The restart order was Cottle, Swanson, Foos, Darland, Meseraull, Clouse and Bacon.

After following Cottle for the first 15 laps, Swanson made his move to the lead on lap 16 just before the caution would fly for Clouse who won the BOSS event a few weeks ago at Fremont.

On lap 19, Foos and Meseraull would tangle while battling for third, with Foos spinning. That would necessitate a fuel stoppage. The race would go the last 14 laps non-stop.

On the restart Swanson began pulling away from Cottle. The car on the move was Ballou who stormed from the rear of the field following his opening lap spin to fourth by lap 20. By lap 24 Swanson had built a sizeable lead while Cottle battled with Meseraull, Ballou and Bacon.

With seven laps remaining Swanson’s lead was over three seconds with Cottle, Meseraull and Ballou waging a very entertaining battle for second. Meseraull would grab second on lap 28 but Swanson held a commanding lead.

Swanson would drive to the checkers over Meseraull, Cottle, Ballou and Landon Simon.

In the 25 lap 305 sprint feature Dustin Dinan and Ricky Peterson would bring the field to green. Dustin Stroup would bring out the caution before a lap could be completed. Once the green flew again the race would go non-stop.

Peterson would grab the early lead over Weaver, Dinan, Jamie Miller, Steve Rando, Luke Griffith and Jason Keckler. Weaver would drive to Peterson’s outside to take the lead on lap three.

Despite encountering heavy lapped traffic by the eighth circuit, no one could catch Weaver as Peterson tried to fend off Miller and Rando. With 10 laps to go Weaver’s lead was five seconds over Miller with Peterson, Rando, Keckler, Dinan, Nate Dussel and Bobby Clark in pursuit.

By lap 20, Weaver had built a seven second lead with Rando and Miller trading the second and third spot over the next few laps.

Weaver drove away to the win over Rando, Miller, Peterson and Keckler.

Fremont Speedway will be back in action Friday, June 3 as the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series invades. The 305 sprints will all run feature events – odds in the point standings and evens in the point standings.

For ticket information got to www.fremontohspeedway.com

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