Restart Communications

06/16/2025

Doran Binks Racing’s Swanson Wins
Route 66 Centennial Classic USAC Silver Crown Race
Saturday Night at WWTR in Mission Foods #77

MADISON, Ill., June 16 — Doran Binks Racing’s Kody Swanson had to pass Justin Grant on lap 17 and Dakoda Armstrong on lap 45 to do it, but he came away with a hard-fought victory in the Route 66 Centennial Classic USAC Silver Crown race Saturday night at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) in the Mission Foods #77.

The event was the highlight of Saturday’s card at the 1.25-mile asphalt oval a few miles from St. Louis’s famous Gateway Arch. It hosted the Bommarito Automotive Group 500 NTT IndyCar Series event Sunday night.

The USAC Silver Crown race, which was presented by Ranken Technical College and Welsch Heating & Cooling, featured 66 laps of competition around the 1.25-mile asphalt oval, six laps more than last year’s race.

Swanson started on the pole with the Mission Foods #77, which is also sponsored by Glenn Farms and Wilke Orthodontics, but he slipped to fifth initially when fellow front-row starter Bobby Santos, C.J. Leary, Armstrong and Grant drafted by him. Santos only led the first two laps, however, as Grant, who started fifth, led from laps three through 16.

Swanson advanced to fourth on lap three when Leary dropped from second to fifth. Grant passed Santos for the lead on lap three and Swanson passed Santos and Armstrong working lap four to rise from fourth to second with the #77, which is powered by a Lanci-prepped Ford engine.

Running down Grant became his next order of business. He got under him in Turn 3 working lap 17 to take the lead. But Armstrong passed Grant for second on the very next lap, and immediately began to hound Swanson.

There was a break when the first of two yellows flew with 21 laps down when the driver who was ninth, Jake Trainor, hit the outside wall in Turn 1 and rolled to a stop in Turn 2. Luckily he wasn’t hurt. While the track crew was cleaning up the accident site a problem developed with the track lighting on the frontstretch, which caused a red flag and forced the field to pit lane.

After electricians solved that problem temporarily the green flew again on lap 30, and Armstrong pounced. He passed Swanson to the outside on the frontstretch on the restart to push him back to second.

Swanson was able to keep just one, two, or three-tenths of a second behind him, however. Both Swanson and Armstrong set their fastest race laps up to that point on lap 34, and one lap later they both ran quicker. The third and fourth place drivers at the time, Santos and Grant, also set their fastest race laps to that point on lap 35. The top three bettered their own times on lap 38 as they diced for position, and Santos and Grant ran faster than they had earlier on lap 40 too. Armstrong had just a 0.110-second lead over Swanson at that time.

Leary, who was sixth, dropped out of contention on lap 40 due to a brake problem. He was able to return later, several laps down.

Through it all Swanson stayed right behind Armstrong, searching for a place to pass him. His winning move came working lap 45 when he charged under Armstrong in Turn 3, and he was never again headed.

Swanson set his fastest lap of the race to that point on lap 46, which was second only to Santos, but the second yellow flew on lap 47 due to the same lighting problem that occurred earlier. That turned into another red flag two laps later, and the field again reported to pit lane.

Armstrong spent that red-flag period contemplating how to pass Swanson again, while Swanson spent it thinking about how to hold off Armstrong.

Swanson got a better start than he had done earlier on the restart with 50 laps down, although Armstrong was right behind him. Swanson, Armstrong, and Santos, who was third, all bettered their fastest race laps once again on lap 54 as the laps winded down.

Swanson was able to increase his lead to over 1 second for the first time on lap 56, and 10 laps later he took the checkered flag over Armstrong with a 2.667-second margin of victory. Santos finished third and Grant was fourth. Jackson Macenko was the hard charger, as he finished fifth after starting 11th.

It was USAC Silver Crown victory #46 for Swanson, who is the series’ eight-time and reigning champion and the winningest driver in series history. With the victory he joined Santos as the only two-time winners of a USAC Silver Crown race at this track.

Since Saturday’s race was the first 66-lap USAC Silver Crown race here, it also gave Swanson the track record for that distance.

Swanson also ended up with the fastest race lap honors with his time of 31.057 seconds on lap 54. Armstrong and Santos were second and third in that category due to their fastest race laps on lap 57.

It was a long race and a long day. Saturday’s race was delayed two hours due to rain.

The single practice session scheduled for Saturday morning was rained out, so a combined practice/qualifying session was held Saturday afternoon. Swanson turned 10 laps in that session and it resulted in his 56th series pole, extending his record as the driver with the most pole positions in series history. It was his second pole of the season and his fourth one in a row at this track, as he was also the fastest qualifier here in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The next-closest driver with poles at this track is the late Dave Steele, who had two.

Swanson’s last lap in Saturday’s qualifying session was fastest. It took only 30.797 seconds for an average speed of 146.118 miles per hour. Although it was faster than anyone else ran, it didn’t break the track record Swanson set here last August of 30.239 seconds (148.814 mph) also driving for Doran Binks Racing, which is the fastest official lap ever turned in a traditional USAC Silver Crown car. That 2024 record broke an earlier mark Swanson set here in 2022 driving for Doran Dyson Racing.

Santos III qualified second, only 0.181 behind, followed by Leary, Armstrong, and Grant.

This was Swanson’s first USAC Silver Crown victory of the season.

“It’s tough to get to June and not have a win yet,” Swanson admitted in victory lane to the fans on hand and the Flo Racing audience. “Sometimes we had great runs and just some bad luck, but we never gave up and just kept after it. I appreciate the chance to run for Doran Binks Racing, and to our sponsors and suppliers for their support.

“With the red flags, I just had to try to refocus and get back into a rhythm,” he added. “It’s hard, because there are a bunch of great competitors in this series, and if you give them a chance they’ll steal the lead from you. So that makes any USAC Silver Crown victory very special.”

Swanson will be back in Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods #77 at the next asphalt USAC Silver Crown race, which is scheduled for Wi******er (Ind.) Speedway on Friday, June 27. That race was postponed May 4 due to rain. The complete schedule can be found on usacracing.com.

Swanson is a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Brownsburg, Ind. Doran Binks Racing is headquartered in Lebanon, Ohio.

For more information on Doran Binks Racing see DoranRacing.com and follow it on Facebook.

Photo credit: USAC photo by Rich Forman

05/21/2025

Many homeowners scramble to mow their lawns between spring showers. They work hard to keep their yards looking their best, especially when company is coming

05/01/2025

Can you help me out? Thanks!

I really need reviews! Would you help? Thanks in advance!

04/22/2025

So this happened this morning.... :)

Explore 'Emma and the Reindeer', a captivating children's book that uses the magic of Christmas to inspire eco-friendly actions among young readers.

04/21/2025

Swanson Finishes Fourth in Rollie Beale Classic at Toledo
In Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods No. 77

TOLEDO, Ohio, April 21 — Kody Swanson extended his career record of poles won in USAC Silver Crown competition to 55 Saturday at Toledo Speedway, and then went on to finish fourth in the Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic with Doran Binks Racing’s Mission Foods/Glenn Farms No. 77.

Last year Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who now lives in Brownsburg, Ind., led all 100 laps of this race for his eighth win and sixth straight on this particular half-mile paved oval. On Saturday it was Justin Grant who was able to dominate. Grant started second and edged ahead of Swanson with a move to the outside just past the flagstand and heading into Turn 1 on the first lap. After leading that lap Grant went on to lead the 99 laps that followed in the race, which went nonstop.

Swanson held second place for the first 36 laps around the green track, as the day’s activities were delayed by rain. Tyler Roahrig, who had started fifth, ran side-by-side with Swanson for three laps before Roahrig finally got by him for second place on the outside on the backstretch. While they were battling Grant was able to pad his lead to over 2 seconds.

As the race progressed Roahrig was able to spurt ahead and Swanson had his hands full holding off Dakoda Armstrong, who was nipping at the fuel tank of Swanson’s Lanci Ford-powered No. 77.

It was a colossal battle, and it wasn’t until lap 83 that Armstrong was able to gain the advantage by slipping under him coming out of Turn 4 to nail down the show position.

Swanson stayed in fourth place until the checkered flag, finishing 0.803 of a second ahead of the fifth-place finisher, C.J. Leary.

Swanson set the third-fastest lap of the race, behind Grant and Roahrig, with a time of 15.765 seconds on lap 12.

After a rain delay on Saturday, Honest Abe qualifying was combined with two rounds of practice mid-afternoon. Swanson topped both sessions to earn his 55th series pole and his ninth at Toledo, extending both of those records. He ran a 15.273-second lap in the first round and then trimmed 0.050 of a second off that in the second round to win the pole with a lap of 15.223 seconds.

Saturday’s race, like all the USAC Silver Crown events, was livestreamed by Flo Racing.

The next race is the Rich Vogler Classic May 4 at Wi******er (Ind.) Speedway. Swanson led all 100 laps of that race last year enroute to an unprecedented eighth series championship.

"I certainly wish that [Saturday’s] race would have turned out better, but I'm thankful for all of the effort from everyone to give us a chance,” Swanson said. “We definitely had a fast car early in the day, and I’m glad to have won the pole, but I just missed it with something there in the feature. I gave it my all to try to get the best finish we could, but it was a tough 100 laps. Thanks again to Doran Binks Racing, Mission Foods, Wilke Orthodontics and Glenn Farms for all of their support. I’m looking forward to having another chance in a couple weeks at Wi******er."

For more information see DoranRacing.com and USACRacing.com.

Photo credit: USAC photo by Rich Forman

04/20/2025

Happy Easter! Christ is risen!

04/09/2025

We're running a two-book giveaway over on the Linda Mansfield-Author page...check it out! https://www.facebook.com/RestartLMAuthor

04/04/2025

New Kids Book, “Emma and the Reindeer,”
Use Christmas Theme to Promote Environmentalism

INDIANAPOLIS, April 4 — Earth Day (April 22) and Christmas intermingle in a new middle-grade novel, “Emma and the Reindeer.”

Writing under the pen name “Emma Gallagher,” Indianapolis-based author Linda Mansfield uses the magic of Christmas to promote environmentalism to children ages 8-12 in her new book.

After all, climate change has hit the Arctic hard, so of course it affects Santa!

“Emma and the Reindeer” has already been tagged as a “ #1 new release” in multiple categories on Amazon.

The 133-page book follows 11-year-old Emma Gallagher, who receives an unexpected visitor: her 15th great-grandmother, Grandma Hazel — an elf straight from the North Pole!

With Christmas at risk due to climate change affecting the reindeer’s food supply that allows them to fly, Emma is chosen for an urgent mission: write a children’s book to inspire kids worldwide to quit procrastinating and make lifestyle changes to help the environment. Since she’s a kid herself, those at the North Pole hope her words will resonate with other children.

Whisked to the North Pole, Emma interviews all eight of the reindeer on Santa’s team. Readers learn they’re all female, since male reindeer lose their antlers before Christmas each year. Some of them are definitely feminists. Some are interested in STEM subjects. All of them are eager to relate eco-friendly tips that Emma can use in her book to convince kids to become more environmentally conscious.

Emma is invited to dinner with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and she goes snowmobiling with an elf named Benny. Blitzen introduces Emma to Isabella, a seal who is the last in a line of seals headed for extinction due to climate change. There’s a close call with a hungry polar bear. Then she falls into a hole made by a melting glacier and ends up in North Pole General Hospital. Finally she returns home to tackle her bad habit of procrastination in order to relate her experiences and the reindeer’s environmental tips in her book.

It all makes for a heartwarming adventure that blends magic, humor, and a call to action, encouraging young readers to believe in their power to make a difference and save Christmas and the Earth!

The reindeer are not just a group of animals hitched to a sleigh in “Emma and the Reindeer.” We’re introduced to each one individually, and they’re captivating supporting characters:
• Dasher is no-nonsense. Realizing that humans are a skeptical species, she takes Emma on a short flight to prove to her that Santa’s reindeer can fly.
• Dancer loves — you guessed it — to dance! She teaches Emma the samba.
• Prancer is the most sophisticated of Santa’s reindeer. She does dressage.
• Vixen can be a little tricky. She’s very worldly. She loves strategic board games.
• Comet is a good ol’ gal who loves country music!
• Cupid is the Magic Kingdom’s matchmaker; her favorite sport is archery.
• Donna: A talented recording artist, she changed her name from Donner to Donna in 1878.
• Blitzen: Santa’s wisest reindeer, she loves trees!

The artwork for the cover was done by Enkelejda Ramo, a native of Albania who now lives in Avon, Ind.

Mansfield was born in Harrisburg, Pa., and raised in Mechanicsburg and Shippensburg, Pa. She is a graduate of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. After 23 years in the New York City metro area she moved to Indianapolis, and she currently lives on the west side of the Circle City. In addition to being an author she owns a motorsports PR firm, Restart Communications, LLC, and she’s the part-time communications coordinator of North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.

The book is available as a hardcover, a paperback, and an ebook. Plans are in the works for an audiobook too. The hardcover’s ISBN is 978-0-9968617-6-2; the paperback’s is 978-0-9968617-7-9, and the ebook’s is 978-0-9968617-8-6. Its Library of Congress control number is 2025901037.

For more information see EmmaAndTheReindeer.com.

04/04/2025

Roger Warwick, who did the wonderful illustrations for Lee Anne Patterson - Author's super-duper book, "The Trouble With Howard," is having a sale on his Etsy page. Learn more here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RogerWarrick

03/27/2025

A second and a third this morning for "Emma and the Reindeer!" We're on the podium, but can we get a win? :)

03/15/2025

Here's the latest update on my new middle-grade novel!

A few people have asked, so here's the latest: the paperback version of "Emma and the Reindeer" can be purchased now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble's website, and Lulu.com. The ebook version can be purchased on Amazon and Barnes and Noble's website starting April 7. The hardcover isn't ready yet, but it should be soon. The audiobook will be later this year. Thanks for your interest!

02/07/2025

Coming soon: "Emma and the Reindeer" by Emma Gallagher!