Kingsburg’s Kody Swanson has the look of a 500 winner, three times over
Kingsburg native Kody Swanson lapped the field to win the 71st annual Little 500 sprint car race Saturday night in Anderson, Indiana.
Swanson won for the third time in four years, joining an elite group of drivers who have won the grueling race at least three times. Eric Gordon is the leader with nine between 1993-2010; he finished 19th Saturday.
The quarter-mile, high-banked, paved Anderson Speedway salutes the Indianapolis 500 the night before the big race with the Little 500 that starts 33 sprint cars in three-car rows, just like Indy. They race 500 laps.
Swanson started from the pole and led 199 laps Saturday night.
It had to be a relief after two straight frustrating nights in Indiana. Friday, Swanson led the first 54 laps before an engine failure sidelined him from the Carb Night Classic U.S. Auto Club Silver Crown race at Lucas Oil Raceway in Brownsburg. Thursday, he finished third in the final Hoosier Hundred on the one-mile dirt track at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, a historic race that Swanson had won four times.
The big week renewed calls on social media for some IndyCar race team to give Swanson, who now lives in Indianapolis, a shot at the big 500.
The four-time and reigning Silver Crown champion has won two of the first four races this season and leads the series points standings for his new team, Nolen Racing of Indiana.
More Valley drivers
▪ Swanson’s brother Tanner made the trip east from Kingsburg for the Brownsburg race. He took the challenge to start from the rear of the 17-car field with a shot at winning a $10,000 bonus and came up just short, finishing second.
▪ One night after winning the World of Outlaws race at Charlotte, 17-year-old Gio Scelzi of Fresno finished fifth in the Saturday main event. His older brother Dominic was a challenger early before a blown right rear tire knocked him out of the top five. Carson Macedo of Lemoore finished 13th.
This story was originally published May 25, 2019 at 11:08 PM.