SWAN GRABS FEST WIN, CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SECOND TIME

Topics:  James Swan

Matt Panure
Mid American Stock Car Series
October 8, 2011

WEST SALEM, Wis. (October 8, 2011) – With the Mid-American Stock Car Series capping off 18 of the last 41 Oktoberfest Race Weekend Saturday nights, history was bound to repeat itself. Increase those chances two-fold when it’s James Swan who has the chance to make history.

Just as he did in 2008, Swan secured both a win in the capstone Oktoberfest 40-lap feature and the overall MASCS crown. It was Swan’s second win at Oktoberfest and his record fifth Championship.

“I can’t explain it. When I started racing I didn’t think I would win a feature,” Swan said. “It took me nine years to win a feature. Now to have five championships in the all-time greatest series…it’s just totally awesome.”

Although Swan secured the Championship early in the day by qualifying ahead of Lyle Nowak, there were doubts late in the race that Swan would hold on for the Oktoberfest feature win. Swan surged to the lead on lap 23, but lost the lead on a restart to Jeremy Spoonmore.

With a trail of oil dry on the bottom groove left from Travis Rodewald’s expired engine, Swan lost control down low, allowing Spoonmore to jump to the lead. In fact, Swan fell back to third as 2010 Oktoberfest winner Tyler Bauknecht also worked past.

Swan was almost certain a different kind of history was repeating itself.

“I thought the right rear tire was flat and I started getting nervous. How many times have I been leading with Spoonmore running second and something bad has happened to me,” Swan said, alluding to the circumstances that propelled Spoonmore to a win at Madison International Raceway just two weeks ago.

However, Swan was able to gather his racer back up, and mount a charge to the front for a second time.

Just four laps after gathering his bearings, Swan worked back to the inside of Tyler Bauknecht. By the time Swan had moved back into the runner-up spot, Spoonmore had built a healthy advantage. It took five laps for Swan to catch back up to Spoonmore and he made his second pass for the lead on lap 31.

Swan’s first pass of the lead came on lap 22 when he overtook an upstart Claire Decker at the after a restart. Decker broke away from fellow front-row starter Eric Buccholz, who later succumbed to mechanical problems and was one of the first racers to retire.

As the 16-year old dominated the first half of the Oktoberfest feature, Swan picked his way through traffic. Swan moved from 11th to fifth by lap 13 while trailing Bill Prietzel, then powered past Prietzel on the outside two laps later. No sooner than Swan grabbed the third spot from Bauknecht, Prietzel’s engine let go.

Decker’s straightaway lead was erased and the restart pitted her against Rick Tackman in the front row with Swan and Bauknecht in the second row. Decker disposed of Tackman on the restart and brought Swan along. Waiting for his opportunity, Swan trailed Decker for a lap then made a pass to the inside on the following circuit after the restart.

As Swan powered down the back straight to a three-car length lead, Decker fell into the clutches of Tackman. The two tangled in turns three and four, sending Decker spinning just as Rodewald’s engine let go at the tail end of the field – setting up the Swan versus Spoonmore restart on lap 23.

Spoonmore hit the podium with a second place finish. In a pleasing moment for the local La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway crowd, 2011 and five time Sportsman Track Champion Dan Gilster slid onto the podium by passing Tyler Bauknecht at the stripe for third. Fast qualifier Brian Back rounded out the top five.

Swan’s win and Championship came with some more significance as it was his 17th feature win of the year among his Mid-American racer, Sportsman racer at Slinger, and Big 8 Late Model.

Just after his 2008 Championship, Swan was quick to announce that he had planned on moving up to the Late Model and was hopeful to perhaps return to the MASCS some day. After his 2011 Series Championship, there was no question and no hesitation that a sixth title will be chased next season.

“Heck yeah. (Car Owner) Brian Holtz has already signed me up for next year,” Swan said.

Mid-American hosts its 2011 awards banquet on Saturday, January 14 at the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. More information will be available through the MASCS Web site in the coming weeks. For more information on the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center visit www.wintergreen-resort.com .

For full results of the Oktoberfest feature visit www.midamericanracing.com/results. For the final point standings visit www.midamericanracing.com/standings