BROWNSBURG, Ind., Oct. 23 — Mission accomplished.
“Championship Saturday” was just that for Lebanon, Ohio-based Doran Racing and its driver, Kody Swanson, at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP).
Doran-Dyson Racing won the entrant championship in the top division of USAC, Silver Crown, when Swanson finished fourth in that series’ 100-lap season finale and earned an unprecedented seventh driver championship in the series. Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Indianapolis, is the winningest driver in the series’ history.
Doran Racing fielded Swanson’s cars for the USAC Silver Crown series’ six asphalt-track events in 2022 like the one Saturday at IRP, while Dyson Racing fielded his car for the series’ five dirt-track races. Swanson had three victories, all on asphalt tracks, enroute to the title. He also won an additional non-points Silver Crown special event at IRP this year.
Doran Racing and Swanson also won the inaugural championship of the 500 Sprint Car Tour with a second-place finish in that series’ 40-lap season finale earlier Saturday night on IRP’s same 0.686-mile asphalt oval. Swanson had two wins and eight top-five finishes in all during that series’ nine-event season.
Doran Racing’s championships came with two different cars and two different engines, as its Silver Crown car, No. 1, is powered by a Lanci-prepped Ford and its 500 Sprint Car Tour car, No. 44, uses a Binks-prepped Chevrolet.
Both cars are sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms, Glenn Farms, and Duncan Oil.
USAC Silver Crown
Swanson was three points behind Logan Seavey for the USAC Silver Crown championship going into Saturday’s event (601 to 604), but Swanson tied that up before the race started by earning three bonus points for winning the Fatheadz Eyewear pole. His combined two-lap qualifying time was 41.773 seconds. His brother, Tanner Swanson, qualified second with a time of 41.906, and Seavey was third with a 42.273.
It was Kody Swanson’s 41st series pole and his tenth one for a USAC Silver Crown race at this particular track, which are both records.
Kody Swanson got a terrific start, and was about seven lengths ahead of his brother by Turn 1 on the first lap. Tanner Swanson quickly closed the gap, however, and settled in behind his brother. By lap seven they were about a half-straightaway ahead of Seavey, who was running third.
Seavey’s race and his championship hopes disintegrated when his car suffered a blown engine with 11 laps complete and he retired from the race, placing 20th.
The Swanson brothers’ train continued unabated. By lap 25 Kody Swanson was only 0.160 of a second ahead of his brother, but more than three seconds separated Tanner Swanson from the third-place driver, Bobby Santos III.
They threaded their way through lapped cars carefully. By lap 40 Kody Swanson was only 0.185 ahead of Tanner Swanson, but Santos was more than 5 seconds behind second place.
On lap 47 C.J. Leary passed Santos for third. At the halfway point Kody Swanson’s lead was 0.090 of a second, and Leary was 5.155 seconds behind Tanner Swanson. When Kody Swanson led lap 51 he officially moved into the point lead, as he earned three more bonus points for being the driver to lead the most laps of the race.
A few laps later, on lap 63, Tyler Roahrig passed Santos for fourth.
The turning point of the race came on laps 66 and 67.
On lap 66 Tanner Swanson finally got around his brother in Turns 1 and 2 for the lead. His pass had some assistance in setting up, as Kody Swanson had to lift in Turn 4 when he became sandwiched between two drivers he was lapping, Nathan Byrd and Brian Tyler.
Seconds later, on lap 67, the event’s only yellow flew for a two-car accident coming out of Turn 4 and onto the frontstretch. Kyle Robbins spun in Turn 4 to trigger it, and Jake Day got into the inside wall on the frontstretch after he clipped him.
With the yellow the Swansons’ lead disappeared, and the drivers behind them breathed new life with their second chance. They took full advantage of it when the green waved again on lap 74.
Leary was able to pass Kody Swanson for second in Turn 1 on lap 75, which put Kody Swanson directly ahead of Roahrig. They engaged in a battle royale, as Roahrig tried both inside and outside to get by lap after lap.
On lap 80, with 20 laps remaining in the race, Tanner Swanson had a 1.083-second lead over Leary, but Roahrig was still right behind Kody Swanson in fourth.
With just eight laps remaining, Roahrig finally got by Kody Swanson for third on lap 92 with an outside pass as they traveled through Turns 3 and 4.
Tanner Swanson had a 4.883-second margin of victory over Leary, while Roahrig was 1.569 seconds ahead of Kody Swanson at the checkered. Davey Hamilton Jr. rounded out the top five.
Tanner Swanson set the fastest lap of the race on lap three with a 21.331, while Kody Swanson was second-fastest with a 21.393 on lap two.
Kody Swanson won the championship with 668 points to Seavey’s 627. Leary, Brian Tyler and Justin Grant rounded out the top five in the point standings.
“We just missed the setup a little bit, but these championships are hard to come by and I’m thankful to be surrounded by great people who never give up,” Kody Swanson said. “We were here until midnight last night trying to get the thing fixed to make it 100 laps, and it did. We still came home fourth and had a solid finish. To cap it off with a championship is a little bit of a silver lining.”
500 Sprint Car Tour
Doran Racing and Kody Swanson also earned the inaugural championships of the 500 Sprint Car Tour Presented by Auto Value Bumper to Bumper Part Stores Saturday at IRP.
The team and driver championships were finalized with a second-place finish in the series’ 40-lap season finale.
Driving the Henry Repeating Arms No. 44, Swanson qualified fifth for the race and started in that position, as the invert was a zero. Leary won the pole over Roahrig and the driver who was second in the point standings to Swanson going into the season finale, Dakoda Armstrong.
Leary led the first two laps, but Swanson had a fabulous start behind him. Swanson was third going into Turn 1 on the first lap, and second on the backstretch.
He took the lead on lap three in Turn 3 by passing Leary to the outside, and by lap five he already had a 1.032-second advantage. He had extended his advantage to 1.591 seconds by lap 15 and 2.412 seconds by lap 20.
Roahrig had steadily been advancing behind him, however, and Roahrig passed Leary for second on lap 22.
Swanson had a 1.870-second lead over Roahrig on lap 25, but lapped traffic was challenging and it allowed Roahrig to gain on the blue No. 44. Swanson’s lead was only 0.329 of a second on lap 30, and the top pair ran nose to tail for the next three laps. They were side by side at the start-finish line on lap 34, and on lap 35 Roahrig took the lead as the pair headed out of Turn 4 and onto the frontstretch with just five laps remaining.
The entire race went non-stop, and Roahrig had a 1.542-second margin of victory over Swanson at the checkered. Kyle O’Gara finished third and Santos placed fourth. Armstrong finished fifth to Swanson’s second, and the championship was in the books for both Doran Racing and Swanson.
Swanson set the fastest lap of the race on lap four with a time of 20.755 seconds. He qualified fifth with a two-lap time of 41.475 seconds and a fastest lap of 20.765.
“This Doran Racing team puts in a lot of effort, and I’m thankful to be a part of it,” Swanson said afterwards. “We just came up a little short in this race, but we’re pleased to get the championship in this series. It is full of great drivers and great cars, and we’re thankful to be the series’ inaugural champions.”
According to a series press release, Swanson earned 1,737 points to win the 2022 title by 35 points over Armstrong. O’Gara was third in the championship followed by Santos and Billy Wease.
Swanson had two wins and eight top-five finishes in all during the nine-event season.
Both of Saturday’s races were streamed live on Flo Racing.
About Doran Racing:
Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series
for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks. It is legendary for the many
championships and events it has won in IMSA sports car racing. Team owner Kevin Doran has won the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway overall as a crew chief, a team owner, and even as a car manufacturer. Under his direction the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first team in U.S. history to win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year. In recent years the team has focused on asphalt sprint car racing, the asphalt portion of the USAC Silver Crown series, and historic sports car events, continuing its tradition of excellence on and off the track. For more information see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
Toledo, Ohio – Aug. 7, 2022
For the second year in a row, Kody Swanson won the pole and led all 100 laps of the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic USAC Silver Crown race at Toledo Speedway. On Saturday night his Doran-Dyson Racing No. 1 sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms, Glenn Farms and Duncan Oil had a 3.114-second lead over Bobby Santos III when he took the checkered flag.
It was the fourth victory in a row and sixth so far in his career at this one-half mile asphalt oval for Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who lives in Indianapolis. Going into this race Swanson was tied with the driver this event is named in memory of, Rollie Beale, so now he is the all-time winner of USAC races at Toledo Speedway. Swanson has now led 655 laps out of the 1,000 laps ever run in this series at this particular track.
Swanson has now won the last three USAC Silver Crown races, with six races remaining in the 2022 season. Swanson leads the point standings with 384 points to Logan Seavey’s 366 and C.J. Leary’s 346 as he seeks an unprecedented seventh series championship. He is already the winningest driver in series history. Saturday night’s victory was number 36.
Swanson also leads the series in the number of pole positions won. He earned his 39th Fatheadz Eyewear pole Saturday night with a time of 15.244 seconds, which was 0.017 better than the time set by the second-fastest qualifier, Leary.
With this pole Swanson became the series’ first driver to have at least six pole positions at two different tracks. In addition to Toledo Speedway he has excelled at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Ind.
As the field was forming for the start of the main event, Leary’s car needed assistance to start. That relegated him to the rear of the field for the green flag and put Taylor Ferns in second and Justin Grant in third for the start. As they headed into Turn 1 on the first lap Swanson led with Grant in second, Ferns third, Santos fourth and Seavey fifth, and it stayed that way for the first 41 laps. Swanson had a 1.631-second lead over Grant on lap 40.
Leary had been charging through the field from the rear, and on lap 42 he passed Seavey for fifth place.
At the halfway point Swanson had a 2.104-second lead over Grant, who was followed by Ferns, Santos and Leary. But on lap 56 the event’s only yellow waved, and three of the top-five drivers were involved.
Ferns and Grant made contact, which sent Ferns hard into the wall in Turn 3 and Grant spinning into the infield. She was done for the night, but Grant was able to continue and even got his spot back since he never stopped.
Santos got through the melee but Leary didn’t. He ended up into the Turn 3 wall too, and Travis Welpott joined him there. No one was hurt. Welpott, who was 15th went the accident happened, retired at that point. Leary continued to an 11th-place finish.
The clean-up of the accident took quite a while, with the restart occurring on lap 69 with Swanson in the lead followed by Grant, Santos, Seavey and Russ Gamester.
Swanson was able to rebuild his lead to over 1 second by lap 73. He was 1.5 seconds ahead of Grant on lap 78, and over 2.5 seconds on lap 88 as Grant was busy holding off Santos’s challenges. With 10 laps to go Swanson led by over 3 seconds.
Santos passed Grant for second in Turn 2 on lap 92, but with no other cautions to close the field he remained 3 seconds behind Swanson’s No. 1, which is powered by a Lanci-prepped Ford engine. Swanson won by 3.114 seconds over Santos. Grant finished third followed by Seavey and Gamester.
“Everyone on the Doran Racing team wants to win, and so do I,” said Swanson of Doran Racing, which is based in Lebanon, Ohio. “I’m really fortunate to be with this team.
“I just tried to find a good rhythm, conserve my tires, and stay out of trouble,” he added. “When you have some of the best drivers behind you like I did, it makes you earn it every time.”
The race was streamed live by Flo Racing.
The Doran Racing team is back in action this coming Saturday, Aug. 13, in a 500 Sprint Car Tour race at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich. Also on the schedule for August is a USAC Silver Crown race at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill., near St. Louis on Aug. 19. All of them will be streamed live on Flo Racing.
For more information on Doran Racing see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
About Doran Racing:
Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series
for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks. It is legendary for the many
championships and events it has won in IMSA sports car racing. Team owner Kevin Doran has won the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway overall as a crew chief, a team owner, and even as a car manufacturer. Under his direction the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first team in U.S. history to win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year. In recent years the team has focused on asphalt sprint car racing, the asphalt portion of the USAC Silver Crown series, and historic sports car events, continuing its tradition of excellence on and off the track. For more information see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
Anderson, Ind. – July 28, 2022
It was fitting that the driver who won the inaugural Gene Nolen Classic Saturday night at Anderson Speedway was the same driver who gave the late Little 500 Hall of Fame team owner something he had pursued for years — a Little 500 victory.
Kody Swanson dominated Saturday’s 100-lap race, part of the 500 Sprint Car Tour. Driving the Doran Racing No. 44 sponsored by Henry Repeating Arms, Glenn Farms and Duncan Oil, he led the last 86 laps and won by 3.223 seconds, lapping through seventh place.
Swanson won the Little 500 at this same high-banked asphalt quarter-mile oval while driving for Nolen Racing in 2018 and 2019.
Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Indianapolis, was the fastest qualifier in the field of 25 but he had to start fourth due to the series’ policy of inverting a varying number of the top starters in each race.
He passed his former teammate, Shane Hollingsworth, for third in Turn 1 at the start.
When Jacob McElfresh passed polesitter Brian Gerster on lap nine to take the lead, Swanson went with him and moved into second place.
He took the lead from McElfresh on lap 15.
“I used a diamond move,” Swanson related afterwards. “I went high in Turn 3 and got a good run off Turn 4. We ran side by side for the lead for about a lap before I could clear him.”
He led the rest of the race in the Lebanon, Ohio-based team’s No. 44, picking his way carefully through lapped traffic while keeping an advantage of over a second over all his challengers with his car, which is powered by a Binks-prepped Chevy V8 engine.
There were only two caution flags in the race and they both came early, causing a long green-flag run for the last half of the race.
Yellow-flag laps didn’t count. Swanson’s lead of 1.289 seconds over Hollingsworth disappeared with 25 laps down after Derek Bischak spun and kept going in Turn 2 to bring out the first caution.
Swanson had a 1.221-second lead over Hollingsworth when the second yellow waved on lap 40. That caution was caused after there was contact between Taylor Ferns and Swanson’s brother, Tanner, which caused Tanner Swanson to hit the wall. A suspension piece broke on his car and he was forced to come to a stop low in Turn 2.
Kody Swanson got a great restart, however, and he quickly rebuilt his lead over Hollingsworth. He was over 3 seconds ahead by lap 60. The gap narrowed now and then as he dealt with lapped traffic, but it was over 5 seconds with 10 laps remaining.
The series points leader, Dakoda Armstrong, passed Hollingsworth for second on lap 94, but he was too far behind to mount a challenge to Swanson. Hollingsworth finished third. Ferns placed fourth and Bobby Santos III rounded out the top five.
Swanson won the pole on Saturday afternoon with a time of 11.166 seconds. He set the fastest lap of anyone in the race when he was timed in 11.418 seconds on lap 28.
The race was presented by The Tin Plate Fine Foods and Spirits and CB Fabricating. All of the series’ races are streamed live by MAVTV on Flo Racing.
Swanson was third in the point standings going into Saturday’s event, 29 points behind the leader, Armstrong. Coming out of it he is unofficially in second place, just eight points behind Armstrong.
The next 500 Sprint Car Tour race is tomorrow night (Monday, Aug. 1) at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Brownsburg, Ind. General admission is free for this event, which was postponed in March due to rain.
Although Swanson made Saturday night’s victory look easy, he said “it was nerve-wracking in traffic.
“This series doesn’t allow any radios, so without a spotter I had no idea how close second place was,” he said. “I was trying not to lose the lead while still being careful and pick my way through the lapped traffic.”
Swanson’s spotter in other series is his wife, Jordan, who offers valuable insight as well as letting him know how close he is to the cars around him.
“Our car was really good,” he continued. “This racetrack has been tricky this year, and it’s been tough to tell what we’ve needed on shorter or longer runs to be better. We had a little of both tonight, and I’m glad we were still hanging in there since the last half of the race went green.
“Our tires were pretty worn, but I think that just about all of us were sliding around at the end,” he added.
“I was trying to be careful in traffic; I’m glad we were able to finish it off. I appreciate the support of our sponsors and all the efforts of the men and women on this Doran Racing team. Everyone on this team tries to give us the best chance we can to win.”
Winning a race named in memory of his former team owner was very meaningful.
“I hope Gene would be happy about it,” Swanson said. “I spent a lot of time with the Nolen Racing team. Gene and I were friends, and we became family when we raced together. And that friendship has continued now with Gene’s son, Greg. I’m thankful to Anderson Speedway for putting on this event.
“It means a lot to me to win a race in his memory. I was looking through some photos of us at sprint car races and Silver Crown races today. I have lots of special memories to look back on. It makes me get choked up when I think about it. Winning the inaugural Gene Nolen Classic is very meaningful to me, and I’d like to think that Gene would be pleased.”
For more information on Doran Racing see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
About Doran Racing:
Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series
for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks. It is legendary for the many
championships and events it has won in IMSA sports car racing. Team owner Kevin Doran has won the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway overall as a crew chief, a team owner, and even as a car manufacturer. Under his direction the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first team in U.S. history to win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year. In recent years the team has focused on asphalt sprint car racing, the asphalt portion of the USAC Silver Crown series, and historic sports car events, continuing its tradition of excellence on and off the track. For more information see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
ANDERSON, Ind., May 29, 2022
Doran Racing’s Kody Swanson was knocked out of contention for his fourth Lucas Oil Pay Less Little 500 victory Saturday night at Anderson Speedway while running second on lap 198 due to another driver’s mechanical difficulties. Swanson didn’t give up though, and he was able to restart and finished seventh in the Henry Repeating Arms No. 44 in the 74th edition of the most prestigious asphalt sprint car race in the world.
With the exception of three laps, Swanson ran in second place for the first 198 laps until the freak accident occurred. He was third for those other laps, and seemed to be poised for at least a podium finish if not a victory.
He was third for the three-wide start of the 500-lap contest on the quarter-mile track, but he took second from polesitter and eventual winner Tyler Roahrig by passing him to the outside in Turn 1 on the first lap. Swanson then ran in second, just inches behind early leader Brian Gerster, for the first 106 laps. He showed Gerster his car’s nose several times, both to the inside and to the outside, running just inches apart as the top runners threaded their way through lapped traffic.
Roahrig passed him on lap 107 on the outside in Turn 1 to push Swanson to third, and Roahrig passed Gerster two laps later to take the lead. Swanson passed Gerster on lap 110 to regain second, and then ran behind Roahrig in second place until the accident occurred.
While he was lapping Shane Butler, Butler’s car experienced a sudden loss of power, reportedly from an ignition issue. The pair touched wheels and Swanson went flying through the turn and onto the frontstretch, coming to a stop sprawled in the middle of the track. The accident cost him five laps, and he restarted in 22nd position.
He then tried to salvage what he could by both passing cars and through attrition with his No. 44, which is powered by a Chevy V8 engine prepped by Dan Binks.
At the halfway point Swanson was 20th, but by lap 317 he was 15th. He was back in the top 10 on lap 348, and he was ninth when he made his second pit stop under yellow on lap 394. That put him back to 11th, but he was back in the top 10 on lap 424. He got ninth when Scott Hampton pitted under a yellow flag on lap 429 after a spin, and eighth when Shane Hollingsworth pitted on lap 464. He moved up to seventh five laps from the end when the driver who had been seventh, NASCAR star Ryan Newman, crashed in Turns 1-2 after his car suffered a flat right-rear tire.
Swanson took the checkered flag in seventh place, four laps down. His fellow front-row starter and the early leader, Gerster, was just ahead of him in sixth place in the final rundown.
Roahrig won over Dakoda Armstrong, C.J. Leary, Kyle O’Gara, Caleb Armstrong, Gerster, Swanson, Hollingsworth, Dalton Armstrong and Emerson Axsom. Only the top two finishers completed all 500 laps. Leary and O’Gara completed 499 laps, and Caleb Armstrong and Gerster completed 498. Swanson made up one lap after the accident and completed 496 laps. He finished a lap ahead of the eighth-place finisher, Hollingsworth.
Swanson set the second-fastest lap of the race on lap 408 when he ran a lap in 11.578 seconds. That was just 0.129 off the fastest lap of the race, which Roahrig turned on lap 402 in 11.449.
Swanson qualified third on Thursday for the event, which is presented by United Auto Workers, with a four-lap time of 44.333, just a tick off Roahrig’s new track record of 43.477. It was Swanson’s seventh front-row start in eight appearances in this race. Track conditions changed a great deal on Thursday due to rain, but there was no rain on Saturday night and the action was fast and furious on the high-banked, quarter-mile oval with 17-degree banking.
The race was broadcast by MAVTV Plus.
KODY SWANSON: “I was working underneath Shane Butler, and we touched tires. It picked me up into the air, and I spun off of Turn 4 on to the frontstretch. He just came down a bit ago and said his car had a mechanical issue and lost power to start it all; something with his car’s ignition he thought. It was an unfortunate part of our race, but in racing things happen. It was nice of Shane to come down and see us afterward, and I appreciate racing with him.
“Before that I was second to Gerster and Roahrig; I was just following them to our first pit stop. I thought we were in OK shape to fight for the lead; we were close enough to race for it, anyway.
“After the contact I was able to make it back up from 22nd to seventh. When you’re laps down it’s all risk and no reward, so we just took what we could get and finished.
“It was a good effort by everyone on the Doran Racing team, and I appreciate all their hard work and the support of Henry Repeating Arms and Glenn Farms.”
Doran Racing’s next events are 500 Sprint Car Tour races at Plymouth Motor Speedway in Plymouth, Ind., on June 10 and Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., on June 11. Those races will be broadcast on MAVTV Plus too.
About Doran Racing:
Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series
for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks. It is legendary for the many
championships and events it has won in IMSA sports car racing. Team owner Kevin Doran has won the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona at Daytona International Speedway overall as a crew chief, a team owner, and even as a car manufacturer. Under his direction the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first team in U.S. history to win the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year. In recent years the team has focused on asphalt sprint car racing, the asphalt portion of the USAC Silver Crown series, and historic sports car events, continuing its tradition of excellence on and off the track. For more information see DoranRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook.
Kevin Harvick drove the #99 Henry Repeating Arms Ford Mustang to a 6th place finish at the 2021 Henry 180. Credit: Harold Hinson Photography
RICE LAKE, Wis. – Apr. 14, 2022
Henry is pleased to announce their return to “America’s National Park of Speed®” as the title sponsor of this year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, July 2nd. To celebrate the patriotic weekend, the company is donating 180 tickets to past or present members of the U.S. military who register online at henryusa.com/thankyou.
“NASCAR weekend at Road America is a sight to behold, and we are excited to get back out there to experience that mix of guns and gears we love so much,” said Anthony Imperato, Founder and CEO of Henry Repeating Arms. “With Road America located just a few hours from our headquarters, this race is the perfect venue for spending time with our employees and their families, meeting our fans, and celebrating our country’s military personnel. We have all been looking forward to this race weekend since it ended last year.”
Drivers will pass under Henry Bridge 45 times and complete a total of 630 turns before passing the checkered flag, and the first driver to do so takes home a custom-built Henry Big Boy lever-action rifle for their trophy shelf. In addition, another Henry trophy rifle is presented to the pole qualifier. Last year, Ty Gibbs was fastest in qualifying, and Kyle Busch won the race.
“We are incredibly proud to have a great Wisconsin brand such as Henry Repeating Arms join us as the title sponsor for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Henry 180,” said Mike Kertscher, President and General Manager of Road America. “Passionate partners are vital towards the success of each event, and this relationship further exemplifies their dedication to the facility and our fans. If you’re planning to enjoy the weekend, get your tickets and camping spots soon as they are filling up fast.”
Tickets for the Henry 180 are now available by visiting roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Admission is free for kids 16-years-old and under with a paying adult at the gate.
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Mar. 30, 2022
Henry is switching gears this week with a debut entry at Bristol Dirt Nationals in the Open Modifieds class. The team arrived from the company’s Rice Lake, Wisconsin headquarters on Monday to get a full week of qualifying features under the tires before this weekend’s finals on Saturday evening.
Piloting the #308 Henry Repeating Arms WISSOTA Modified is Spring Valley, Wisconsin-native Jake Hartung. No stranger to dirt cars, Hartung is co-owner of SSR Race Cars, a fabrication and parts shop specializing in designing and building open-wheel modified dirt-track cars. Hartung has been competing for over a decade and has several championship titles to his name.
“There is something magical about this track that just makes you want to get after it,” says Hartung. He continues, “This is a bucket list race for me, and it means a lot to have the support of such a great crew around me all week. The car feels great, the track is fast, and I am ready to put on a good show for everyone.”
Henry Repeating Arms, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is also no stranger to the racetrack. In addition to local dirt track racing, the company is the title sponsor of the Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the primary sponsor of Riley Herbst’s No. 98 Henry Ford Mustang for that race, and sponsor of 2021 USAC Silver Crown Champion Kody Swanson’s non-wing asphalt sprint car for this season.
Henry Repeating Arms’ company president, Andy Wickstrom, says, “This is our first time racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the reception from fans and everyone at the track has been outstanding so far.” Wickstrom continues, “While rifles and shotguns are our bread and butter and what we do best, we’re all huge gearheads too. This race provides us with a platform to share our story, meet some customers and dealers face-to-face, and let us have a bit of fun at the same time.”
RICE LAKE, WI – June 29, 2021
Wisconsin-based firearms manufacturer Henry Repeating Arms is announcing primary sponsorship of Kevin Harvick’s entry for the Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America (Wi.) on July 3 with the #99 B.J. McLeod Motorsports Henry Repeating ArmsFord Mustang.
The partnership marks Henry Repeating Arms’ 5th primary sponsorship of a NASCAR Xfinity Series car. Additionally, its return to Road America marks the 2nd consecutive year as title sponsor of the race. Kevin Harvick, with 47 Xfinity Series career wins to his name, finished 4th at his first Xfinity Series outing this year at Circuit of the Americas (Tx.).
Henry Repeating Arms operates a 135,000+ square foot facility in Rice Lake, Wisconsin, manufacturing rifles and shotguns a few hours west of Road America. Over 150 Henry employees and their families are attending the race in addition to Henry ambassador and UFC fighter Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. Henry Repeating Arms also invited 180 active-duty members or veterans of the U.S. military to attend free of charge.
Fans attending the race will have the opportunity to win one of two custom Henry 180 Edition rifles in a giveaway at Henry’s fan experience display trailer. The prize rifles are identical to those presented at victory lane to the pole qualifying winner and the race winner.
“We are counting down the days until we can get out to Road America for what is going to be a huge, patriotic weekend. You can’t go wrong with the mix of guns, gears, and fireworks right in our back yard at one of the beautiful motorsports venues in the country,” says Anthony Imperato, President and Owner of Henry Repeating Arms. Imperato continues, “We are big Harvick fans, so to have him behind the wheel is exciting for us. Being first through the checkered flag in the Henry car at the Henry 180 would be the cherry on top. No pressure, Kevin.”
The Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series race will be televised live at 2:30 PM ET on NBC, Saturday, July 3.
RICE LAKE, WI – May 5, 2021
A day before the fireworks shows of July 4th, the Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Road America will treat fans to an equally impressive performance on the track. Wisconsin-based firearm manufacturer and title sponsor of the race, Henry Repeating Arms, is celebrating by inviting 180 active-duty members or veterans of the United States military to attend the race with free general admission.
Chase Briscoe drove the #98 Ford Mustang through wet conditions to a 9th place finish at the 2020 Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race.
Henry Repeating Arms has a long history of supporting the military and its veterans with recent donations to The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) totaling over $100,000, a $200,000 donation to The Charlie Daniels Journey Home Project, and tribute edition rifle presentations to veterans around the country including World War II hero, Louis Zamperini, and several Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.
“It’s a weekend to celebrate America, and there’s no better place to do that than our home track in the good company of our employees, friends, and guests while enjoying a packed schedule of racing,” said Anthony Imperato, President and Owner of Henry Repeating Arms. “That mix of guns, gears, and July 4th gets my patriotic juices flowing, and I’m looking forward to shaking hands with those who served to keep weekends like this possible.”
For its 4th straight year of being the primary sponsor of an Xfinity Series racecar at Road America, Henry Repeating Arms is continuing its partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing. Henry expects to announce the driver and paint scheme in June.
RICE LAKE, WI – January 12, 2021
Henry is proud to announce a continuation of their title sponsorship for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. This year’s Henry 180 will see the green flag wave on July 3rd, followed by a NASCAR Cup Series race at the same track on July 4th. NBC will be televising the Henry 180 live at 1:30 PM (CT).
At both ends of a lengthy lightning delay, last year’s event offered plenty of edge-of-your-seat racing with wet conditions that made the notoriously difficult road course even trickier for the budding stock car drivers. The Henry Repeating Arms #98 Ford Mustang, driven by Chase Briscoe, finished running in 3rd position. Drivers will be aiming for unique trophies for the 2021 race, with both the pole qualifying and race winners set to receive custom-built Henry 180 edition lever-action rifles.
Chase Briscoe drove the #98 Ford Mustang through wet conditions to a 9th place finish at the 2020 Henry 180 NASCAR Xfinity Series Race.
“Returning to our home track in Wisconsin is something that we are very much looking forward to, and this year will be even more special since the races take place during the July 4th weekend,” says Henry Repeating Arms President and owner, Anthony Imperato. “It’s going to be a fun, patriotic weekend, and we can’t wait to see our fans and make some new ones at the track.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome our friends at Henry Repeating Arms back for what is assuredly going to be another great race this year,” said Road America President and General Manager, Mike Kertscher. “We couldn’t ask for a better partner to share July 4th weekend with, and we look forward to bringing all of the excitement of a NASCAR doubleheader to our fans.”
Full fan attendance is anticipated for the race, and tickets are now available by visiting www.roadamerica.com or by calling 800-365-7223. Anyone 16-years-old and under is FREE with a paying adult at the gate. The Henry 180 will take place rain or shine.
From Founder & CEO, Anthony Imperato
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