Tanner Swanson Tops Winged Sprint Feature At 5 Flags

The reach of Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL never ceases to amaze.

Jason Cox of Park City, IL had heard all about the famed half-mile asphalt oval from late model drivers across the Midwest.

Now, the 19 year old has a place in Pensacola’s high banks distinguished history.

Cox not only set the fast time in qualifying for the Xtreme Sprint Series of Must See Racing, but posted a new track record when he turned a 13.783-second lap.

He topped the old time of 13.885 that was set two years ago by Brian Gringas, who was in the A-Main field Friday.

Tanner Swanson, another youngster, was the class of the entire 20-car field, and ran away with the A-main feature in his Must See Racing debut. Saucier, MS, resident Todd Fayard finished fourth.

“That was so fast,” said Cox, who hails from just outside of Chicago. “It was one of those things where you can’t flat-foot it. To get the track record on a track I’ve never seen before? That’s pretty cool.”

“We have late model guys all around us and they’re always talking about the Snowball (Derby). I’m sure now this’ll be spread around.”

With the scoreboard timing malfunctioning, the transponders catch the new fast time for the young driver Jason Cox from Park City, IL.  He’s the first two put two laps in the 13s as his first lap was a blistering 13.918.

Despite the evening running a little late that didn’t stop an overflow crowd from sticking around to watch the exciting finish.

“It’s cool to see the stands packed,” Cox said. “It’s something different for them to see.”

Unfortunately Cox couldn’t parlay his time trials heights into success in the A-Main feature.

While Tanner Swanson had his No. 23 on a rail from wire-to-wire for the victory, Cox’s night ended quickly when he went for a spin on cold tires in turn 2 before half-a-lap was completed in the 30-lap feature.

He smashed into the wall when Kody Swanson, Tanner’s brother, couldn’t avoid him. The Must See boys tried to start the race again, but turn 2 turned to be a nightmare for the Xtreme Sprints drivers.

On the restart, it collected more carnage as another wreck occurred between Jo Jo Helberg and Hank Lower.

The 77-year-old Lower, who goes by the nickname of “Hurrying,” won a heat earlier in the night much to the delight of the Five Flags fans. The regulars always love seeing the grizzled veterans upset the young upstarts.

Brian Olson, who set the original fast time before Cox topped him, won the B-Main to work his way back into the A-Main and was looking to make it a sweep when he started fourth.

Olson had inched up to second 10 laps in.

Tanner Swanson ripping through lapped cars early and cruised from wire to wire.

Jimmy McCune made an incredible move on lap 19 to get under Olson for second. Still, Swanson maintained a huge lead until another caution came out seconds later.

Nothing could stop him, though, as he held off McCune on the final lap to collect the first win of the Must See Racing Xtreme Sprints season.

Modifieds

Given a second opportunity, Donnie Hamrac made it stick.

Thought to be a non-factor earlier in Friday’s 50-lap feature with car troubles, Hamrac used some timely cautions and crafted a nifty pass as the white lap waved wildly to win his first career Modifieds feature at Five Flags Speedway.

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“We had a strategy sit there and ride 30 laps,” Hamrac said. “Luckily, the caution came out there at the end and we had some tires for it.”

It was quite the redemption for Hamrac not only in Friday’s $1,200-to-win feature, but simply to be back on the track.

Hamrac had a scary crash at Pensacola’s high banks last summer when he was driving late models. Track officials and emergency medical personnel had to cut the roof off to remove him as Hamrac had broken several vertebrae.

“We had some bad luck June 10, last year,” he said. “Thank God I’m able to walk. I’m stoked.”

He had reason to be after blowing by Jake Moore on the inside on the second-to-last lap.

Hamrac was there on the previous lap and took a peak low of Moore, but thought better of it as Donald Crocker enter the mix on the outside to make it three wide in turn 4.

“I’d like to thank Donnie for racing me clean on those last laps,” said Moore, who turned 17 on Friday night.

The birthday boy nearly got to have his cake and eat it, too.

He led early before giving way to Milton’s Chris Cotto.

But when Cotto began to struggle with tire management late in the race and slipped around the half-mile asphalt oval like he was on roller skates, Moore pounced.

Korey Ruble, who owns the track record, set the fast time at 17.727 seconds in qualifying. But when he rolled an 8 set the field invert that put Kip Whitehead on the pole and youngster Moore on the outside of him.

Defending track champion Todd Jones started in the back of the pack and struggled with mechanical troubles all night. Jones came to the pits early to spoil the beginning of his title defense.

Motorcycles

No wonder they call Rob McClendon the “Magic Man.”

Between two heat races and two features, the super and non-super Motorcycles had four chances for checkered flags Friday at Five Flags Speedway.

McClendon of Milton swept them all.

“I love this track,” McClendon said, paying great respect to the famed half-mile asphalt oval. “Five Flags — I just love this place. I’ve told (General Manager) (Tim) Bryant, one day I’m gonna own this track. I hope I can because I just love this place.”

His affection was easy to see with the show he put on Friday.

On either bike, McClendon had no fear, laying those motorcycles down almost all the way on the racetrack.

At the start of the super race, he went from last and to first in less than three laps. It was so impressive, it caught the attention of the Xtreme Sprint drivers and their teams.

They stood on the inside wall, mouths agape in admiration. There was mutual respect.

“I gotta hand it to those guys,” McClendon said of the winged sprints. “We’re here for the show, too. I’d love one day to be able to drive one of those cars. That takes a lotta talent.”

Action returns to 5 Flags Speedway on Friday, April 27, with a 100 Lap Super Late Model race plus Sportsmen and Bombers.  Visit 5flagsspeedway.com for more info.