USAC Midget/Silver Crown

In addition to winning each feature, Toyota-powered entries also set new track records in qualifying as the fastest qualifiers for both events as Toyota dominated the evening’s activities.

Swanson began the festivities with a new Midget Car track record in qualifying in his Wilke-Pak Toyota. The Las Vegas race winner then went out and led the opening lap before being passed by fellow Toyota driver Dakoda Armstrong who led the next two laps. Clauson’s Keith Kunz teammate Cole Whitt took over the top spot at that point and held it through Lap 8. At that point, Clauson made his move past Whitt into the lead and was never headed from there on out, leading the rest of the way to become the first back-to-back winner of the classic in 15 years as he clinched the season title. The victory was the seventh for a Toyota-powered car in National Midget Car Series competition this season.

Caleb Armstrong and younger brother Dalton came home second and third to make it an all-Toyota-powered top three. For his strong third-place showing, Dalton Armstrong took home “Rookie of the Race” honors. Jerry Coons Jr. placed 14th and Tracy Hines was 21st as they secured second and third-place in the overall 2010 point standings.

In addition to the national series, the USAC Western Midget Car Series also completed its season in the Turkey Night Grand Prix Midget event and it was Toyota-powered Alex Schutte earning his first series championship in his Jerome Rodela Motorsports Toyota with an 18th-place finish.

In Sprint Car action, the two-car T.K. Motorsports team dominated the night with the new Toyota sprint car engine. Tanner Swanson set a new track record in qualifying, just ahead of older brother Kody.

With the first six cars inverted on the grid, the duo started fifth and sixth, but as the green flag fell, they began an immediate charge to the front that saw them running one-two by Lap Six with Kody out in front. He went on to dominate the remainder of the event to give Toyota its second Turkey Night Grand Prix Sprint Car victory in the last four years and its first-ever win with the new Toyota engine introduced in mid-season. Unfortunately, Tanner Swanson had to pull into the pits with a mechanical problem on Lap 25 to dash any hopes of a one-two Swanson family finish.

The victory culminated a season that saw Kody Swanson win USAC national events in Toyota-powered Silver Crown, Midgets and Sprint Cars.

FINAL USAC POINT STANDINGS:

NATIONAL MIDGET CAR SERIES POINTS: 1-Clauson-1,571; 2-Coons-1,433; 3-Hines-1,398; 4-Kuhn-1,373; 5-Hagen-1,318; 6-Darland-1,171; 7-East-969; 8-Sweet-873; 9-Daum-832; 10-Loyet-808.

Toyota Wins (7) – Hines (4), Swanson (1), Coons (1), Clauson (1)

WESTERN MIDGET CAR STANDINGS: 1-Schutte-711; 2-Kruseman-674; 3-Josett-661; 4-Pankratz-398; 5-Jake Swanson-387; 6-K.Swanson-373; 7-C. Swanson-348; 8-Pierovich-324; 9-Clauson-280; 10-East-268.

Toyota Wins (3) – K. Swanson (1), Hines (1), Clauson (1)

K & N SILVER CROWN SERIES STANDINGS: 1-Kaeding-341; 2-Jones-300; 3-Hmiel-299; 4-K.Swanson-289; 5-Coons-279; 6-Tyler-263; 7-Fike-259; 8-Clauson-258; 9-Hines-220; 10-East-217

Toyota Wins (4) – Hmiel (1), T. Swanson (1), K. Swanson (1), Coons (1)