USAC Midget/Sprint Car

The co-sanctioned arrangement brought together many of the nation's top midget car teams and drivers, and competition was intense. It was Toyota's first look at the long, sweeping dirt track this season, and as action concluded on Saturday night the USAC midget standings had tightened considerably.

Nine Racing, the Indianapolis-based team owned by California's Steve Lewis, brought two Toyota-powered cars, driven by Dave Darland and Kody Swanson, with engines prepared by Ed Pink Racing. Cruz Pedregon Racing, owned by the NHRA champion, brought one car driven by Kevin Swindell, with their Toyota engines prepared by TRD. Darland and Swanson are full-timers on the USAC tour, while Swindell is an occasional starter on the National series.

Darland saw a top-5 finish evaporate in the waning laps on Friday night as he suffered a flat tire, eventually finishing 22nd. His fortunes improved on Saturday with a finish of ninth in the main event, after finishing 2nd in his heat.

"Knoxville is a tough track for midgets, very challenging," said Darland, a USAC Triple Crown champion. "We were going really well on Friday night, running fifth with a few laps to go, when I bicycled and flattened a tire. The track was very tricky on Friday night, with some pretty big holes that eventually bit me.

"Saturday night we led the passing points after the heat races, and I started 7th. I got to fourth around the midway point, and was going pretty well on the bottom of the track. But it began to go away and I stayed down there just a little too long, and at the finish slipped back to 9th. It's tough to know when to move out and look for another groove in that situation and I just waited too long."

Swanson was making his first visit to the venerable Knoxville oval, with less than a dozen dirt races to his credit. He improved steadily through the weekend as he learned the ropes, posting finishes of 18th on Friday night and 27th on Saturday.

"Our finishes weren't what he hoped for, but I gained a lot of experience," Swanson said. "I learned a lot, and by Saturday night I could run comfortably in a pack. I had never seen the track before, but certainly had heard about it. It's big and intimidating, but by the end of the weekend I had gained enough confidence that my comfort level was much better. This is a weekend we can build on, and continue to chase the USAC title."

Swindell and the Pedregon team struggled through a difficult weekend. They suffered mechanical failure during the heat race on Friday, and scratched the remainder of the night. On Saturday Swindell was unhurt in a heavy crash during the semi-feature event.

The teams now have a four-week layoff until series action resumes on July 24 at the paved .686-mile paved oval at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

"We've got a few weeks off from the USAC schedule, so I'm hoping we can get another race or a practice session," Darland said. "There are some things we're anxious to try on our cars and that would be a good opportunity."

USAC National Midget Car Point Standings
4. Kody Swanson, Nine Racing No. 91 (-65)
9. Dave Darland, Nine Racing No. 9 (-135)