Doran Binks Racing’s Cars Have Rough Trips
In USAC Silver Crown Action Wednesday Night at IRP
Photo credits: Indy Racing Images
BROWNSBURG, Ind., July 24 — Although Kody Swanson won the last two USAC Silver Crown races he competed in with Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods #77 last month, a problem with the car’s engine caused an unusual did-not-finish designation and a 15th-place finish for the entry Wednesday night in the RaceAid 100 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The first 12 laps of the 100-lapper were exciting, however, for the Lebanon, Ohio-based team and Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in the same town where IRP’s 0.686-mile pavement oval is located. The team and Swanson are the series’ defending champions, and Swanson is the winningest driver in series history.
Swanson qualified fourth with the #77, which is also sponsored by Glenn Farms and Wilke Orthodontics, but decided to change the car’s right-rear tire before the race and accept the penalty for doing that, which is to go to the rear of the field for the start. That put him in 15th place for the drop of the green.
He passed seven cars and advanced to eighth place in only 11 laps, but then the car lost oil pressure and he pulled into the pits rather than do any more damage to the Lanci-prepped Ford engine.
He passed his teammate for this event, Dave Doran, and Matt Westfall on the first lap to rise to 13th. He got by Kaylee Bryson on lap two for 12th. He passed Mario Clouser on lap four for 11th, and he was already in the top 10 by lap five after he passed Kyle Steffens.
He passed Nathan Byrd for ninth on lap six, and stayed in that position until he passed Russ Gamester on lap 11 for eighth before he was forced to retire from the race with 12 laps complete.
Dave Doran, brother of team owner Kevin Doran, achieved a bucket-list item by starting in his very first USAC Silver Crown race here. The Cincinnati-based driver competed at IRP in the past in an ASA stock car, and he wanted to see first-hand what it would be like to drive a USAC Silver Crown car at IRP. His primary goal was to get some laps and bring the Doran Enterprises #7, a Beast which is powered by a Doran Racing-prepped Toyota engine, home unscathed. He accomplished that, and spent most of the first quarter of the race behind veteran Westfall.
Doran did 28 laps in practice, two more when he qualified 15th, and 21 more in the race before he pulled in for a combination of issues. His official finishing position was 14th.
C.J. Leary ended up winning the race over Justin Grant, Dakoda Armstrong, Byrd, and the polesitter, Bobby Santos III.
Earlier in the evening Swanson qualified fourth with a lap in 21.393 seconds, just 0.161 off the 21.232 Santos clocked to earn the pole. Swanson was second only to Grant in practice, just 0.073 off, with a 21.533 to Grant’s 21.460.
Doran carved nearly a second off from his best lap in practice (24.751) and his qualifying time of 23.772.
“It was something with the engine; we’re not sure what yet,” Swanson said after the race. “There was no warning. It started to smoke going into Turn 3, and it seemed to be down on power off of Turn 4 so I pulled in.
“I felt changing the tire before the race was the right decision,” he added. “Nights like this are just how it goes sometimes.
“We were up to eighth and passed some cars that ended up in the top five. We’ll try again another day.”
“I pulled in for a combination of factors,” Doran said. “First, there was a problem with my radio and I couldn’t hear my spotter. I could run a good lap when I had room, but when I moved over to let guys by, it took me longer to get my momentum back than I thought it should. My car was getting looser and looser, and I was getting mentally tired. I was surprised that there’s no down time anywhere around this track in a Silver Crown car; you’re busy every second.
“So it was a combination of things,” he concluded. “I was out here to see what it was like and to have fun. I didn’t want to have to fix the car tomorrow, so it’s good that it’s going into the trailer in one piece. I’m really glad I got the opportunity to do this race, for sure.”
The race was streamed live by Flo Racing.
USAC RaceAid, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to USAC members and their families in times of injury and need, received a $5 donation from every ticket and pit pass sold for the event.
The next USAC Silver Crown race is another pavement event, this time on the high banks of Salem Speedway in Salem, Ind., on Saturday, Aug. 9. Swanson has five straight USAC Silver Crown victories there. In 2020 he broke Pancho Carter’s record of four consecutive Joe James-Pat O’Connor Memorial victories set between 1974 and 1977.
About Mission Foods:
The Gruma Corporation began in 1949 and is today the leading tortilla manufacturer worldwide. Mission Foods is a proud subsidiary of Gruma, and as the #1 tortilla company in the United States, manufactures a wide variety of authentic Mexican products. Five years ago it opened a state-of-the-art plant in Dallas, Texas, with the capacity to produce 30 million tortillas daily. Today Mission Foods is a global company, with special emphasis not only on the United States but also Mexico, Central America, Europe, China, Malaysia, and Australia. Its products include flour and corn tortillas; tostadas; low-carb, whole wheat, organic and gluten-free items; wraps; flatbreads such as naan, pita and roti; tortilla chips and organic chips; chicharrones; salsa, and dips. For more information see missionfoods.com.
For more information on Doran Racing, see DoranRacing.com.
The team also has a Facebook page.
Series information on USACRacing.com
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