SRO watched Kody Swanson score in Sprint Car race; Ron Gregory takes Midget feature; check for Impact Racing $50,000 bonus goes uncashed.
ORLANDO, FL (Dec. 15, 2006) – A capacity crowd at Orlando Speedworld witnessed two different drivers take the top features of the evening at the 2nd Annual MOPAR-PRI Sprint & Midget Classic Presented by FedEx. As a result, no one earned the $50,000 Impact Racing bonus which was to be paid to the driver who won both the Sprint Car and Midget races.
Californian Kody Swanson ran away from the rest of the field in the Sprint feature, which then put him to the back of the grid for the subsequent Midget race. Though he tried valiantly to move through the field, the tight track at Orlando Speedworld and close competition prevented him from doing so, and Ron Gregory of Noblesville, IN, who took the lead in the Midget race on lap 24 and held it for the final 16, earned the win.
Held in conjunction with the 19th Annual PRI Trade Show, the special racing program held at the venerable track drew show attendees and local Orlando race fans who filled both the permanent and temporary bleachers and were treated to an exciting evening of racing, featuring four events and a drifting exhibition sponsored by Nitto Tire.
The evening had a little bit of everything, including the entrance on-track of a FedEx Custom Critical truck, provided by the event’s presenting sponsor, which brought a giant check for $50,000 to Swanson, providing the incentive to try and win his second race of the night, from the 24th slot in his 9 Racing Midget.
Swanson never lost the lead in the 40-lap Sprint car race. In second was Gregory, who had the best performance of all drivers, followed by Brian Tyler, of Parma, MI, in third place.
This was the second Premier Racing Entertainment event at Orlando Speedworld, which held the race for an appreciative motorsports industry crowd, many of whom were transported by motorcoaches directly from the PRI Trade Show, and a loyal local Orlando crowd. The PRI Trade Show is holding its annual event at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando and will complete its three-day show on Saturday, Dec. 16th.
“I think this was just a fantastic event for everyone – the competitors, race fans and our many sponsors,” said Steve Lewis, the race promoter and producer of the PRI Trade Show. “After our successful first race last year, we worked all year long to make tonight’s event an even better program and to provide exciting racing entertainment to our colleagues in the industry and to the race enthusiasts of Orlando.”
Casey Roderick of Lawrenceville, GA, took the Legends win in the first race of the night, while James Robertson of Indianapolis, IN, won the Ford Focus Feature. Legendary motorsports journalist Chris Economaki was the Grand Marshall for the evening.
Masters Entertainment will produce two shows to be broadcast on ESPN2. The first of two half-hour shows will focus on the Legends and Ford Focus races, while the second half-hour will highlight the night’s Sprint and Midget features. Broadcast dates will be announced soon.
Associate Sponsors include: Cometic Gasket, Oakley, C & R, JE Pistons, L.A. Sleeve, Edelbrock, All-American Driver’s Challenge, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Fuel Safe and Performance Friction.
