INDIANAPOLIS — After winning the pro late model championship at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway last month, Team Platinum has signed Kody Swanson to drive in additional super and pro late model races this year.
Included in those events are select ARCA/CRA Super Series and JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour events, as well as other premier late model races.
The Dayton, Ohio-based team and the Indianapolis-based driver will finalize their schedule soon, working races in between Swanson’s previous commitment with another Ohio-based team, Doran Racing, to compete in the pavement USAC Silver Crown events and select asphalt sprint car races. The latter includes the Little 500 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway and the Hoosier Classic and other events at Lucas Oil Raceway.
“I’m thankful for everyone at Team Platinum, and for this opportunity,” said Swanson, a native of Kingsburg, Calif., who is a five-time USAC Silver Crown champion. “I really enjoyed working with the team in New Smyrna, and appreciate all of their efforts during a grueling Speedweeks schedule. I’m encouraged by how we ran there, and grateful for the chance to continue with this team; they are a top-notch group. I’m excited about our schedule this season, and am looking forward to competing together at some tracks that I’m already familiar with.”
“We were very pleased with how things went at New Smyrna, and we hope to expand upon that success going forward,” said Marc Metz, Team Platinum’s crew chief.
Among the team’s many accomplishments are winning the championship in the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour in 2015; the Winchester 400 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway in 2016, and the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. in 2019.
Despite never driving at New Smyrna before and being new to the team and the cars, Swanson turned heads there last month in stock cars sponsored by Fatheadz Eyewear, Platinum Express, Brands Truck Insurance, Radio Hospital, Rosewood Machine and Tool, Wooten Automotive, Duncan Oil and other partners.
He had one feature victory and three second-place finishes enroute to the pro late model championship. Swanson also displayed solid qualifying performances. He earned two poles and never qualified outside of the top six.