By Kari Shear-Carlson
James Swan has set goals and achieved success in every type of racing he has competed in. The 2013 season in the ARCA Midwest Tour proved to be no different as he clinched the 2013 ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year honors.
“I am so proud to have achieved my goal of 2013 ARCAMT ROY!” said a very happy Swan.
It wasn’t an easy feat to say the least. Spiked Island Touring Star James Swan, Dennis Prunty, and Vita Ice Touring Star Jeremy Miller had a tight battle all the way to the season championship weekend at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. The three finished 11th, 12th and 13th in the overall point standings.
The prestige of carrying the title of ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year can be rewarding enough, but Swan had extra motivation to run for the 2013 honors.
“The biggest attraction to run for ROY was the prizes that could be won. I’ve never raced for anything as big as this. All of the awesome prizes this year gave us added motivation,” said Swan.
There aren’t many drivers who wouldn’t have the motivation to race for upwards of $30,000 in cash and prizes. The ARCA Midwest Tour’s ROY program is notably one of the best in the country. With all that Swan will receive he will be ready to compete for his first win in 2014.
For his achievements Swan will receive:
A free engine lease from McGunegill Engine Performance
A free “A” body from Five Star
A free chassis and $2500 of tech support from Pathfinder Chassis
A $5000 transmission from Roltek Transmission
Plus much more in contingencies and cash
Swan is more than ready to get started on the preparations for the 2014 season.
“I’m excited to start working on the new chassis from Pathfinder because I’ve never had a new chassis before. Our B&B engine was great, but I’m excited to see what the McGunnegil engine can do for us. Roltek transmissions are the best! It will be nice to have the same transmission the others do, and one that doesn’t leak. And I can’t wait to be able to have our new Fivestar body on and painted, cause that means the new racing season is close!”
It isn’t just the ROY that appreciates the program. Each of the sponsors understands the importance of helping drivers achieve success and they are honored to be able to share in the process.
McGunegill, Five Star, Pathfinder, and Roltek each have a strong presence in the Tour and have already proved that their products produce success.
“We would like to congratulate James Swan for his accomplishments in 2013. James has been a long time customer and supporter of our company. His character and vast racing experience have been a great addition to the ARCA Midwest Tour and will continue to be for years to come!” said Corey Schultz of Five Star.
DeWaine McGunegill had much of the same to say.
“First we would like to congratulate James Swan and the great year he and his team put together. We are glad to have been a part of the ARCA Midwest Tour’s Rookie of the Year program for the last two years. We look forward to continuing to work with the Midwest Tour, teams and drivers, and building upon the positive results of our Equalizer Sealed Engine package in the series.”
The guys at Pathfinder Chassis are also looking forward to their role in helping Swan continue his success in the 2014 season.
“Being able to present James Swan with a new chassis and $2500 of tech support for the 2014 season is an honor. He has found success no matter where or what he has raced in and we look forward to working together to help him build on that success. We can’t think of a more competitive series to be involved with. The ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year program is one of the best around and we are really proud to be a part of it,” said Joe Wood.
Roltek Transmission has a two-fold philosophy on being a part of the Rookie of the Year program. “Our philosophy with the ROY program is that we want to help the people who need it. Rookies don’t always have the biggest budgets and we like to help the up and comers.” said Mark Barney and Todd Bambaci.
“Not only that, but we are just as excited to build this transmission as he is to receive it. We enjoy what we do so much and to be able to extend that into a program like the ARCA Midwest Tour Rookie of the Year program is just awesome for us. When you get the chance to build something really nice for someone, it just feels good,” they added.
The prizes that he will receive are not the only things Swan raced for his first season with the Midwest Tour. He also gained the knowledge and understanding of what it takes to race in one of the most competitive touring series in the country.
“My first year in the Tour (and super late models) taught me how much work is involved. The time and effort my team and myself used to put into the car was enough, now I realized that amount of time barely makes the show! I really am glad it wasn’t easy. We will try harder next year. This year we only really had to beat 4 other drivers. Next year we have to try and beat them all! I also learned how well the drivers get along and respect each other to put on the best show for the fans.”
Winning the Rookie of the Year title had a very special meaning to Swan as he was able to honor a family who meant so much to his own.
“I am so proud to be able to win ROY in the same paint scheme that my dad’s friend Pat Schauer ran when he won the ASA ROY in 1981 when he lost his life. The highlight of my racing career was to be able to honor Pat and to have his sons and their families with me at the Milwaukee mile!”
As it is with any team, Swan could not have achieved his goal without the support of those who believe in him and work hard alongside him to make it happen.
“Up until a year ago, I never thought I would be able to race a super late model, especially in the ARCAMT. We had people tell us that we could not compete, but my sponsors, crew and owner Brian Holtz said we could, and we did! I want to personally thank the companies that support the ARCAMT. Their product prizes make it worth the effort required to compete for ROY in the Midwest Tour.”
“My team, Katie, Adam, Brian and I are looking forward to learning more about set ups, preparation, and what it takes to win. My goal for 2014 is to win a Tour race and finish in the top 10 in points.”
The next event for the ARCA Midwest Tour is the 2013 Championship Banquet on Saturday, February 1st. More details to come.
Be sure to follow the ARCA Midwest Tour on Facebook (midwesttour) and Twitter (@midwesttour).
To learn more about the Automobile Racing Club of America Midwest Tour, log on to arcamidwesttour.com. For questions call the ARCA Midwest Tour office at (262) 729-4111 or Tim Olson at (612) 327-5831 or Steve Einhaus (630) 212-6022 at or e-mail Tim Olson at tim@arcamidwesttour.comor Steve Einhaus at steve@arcamidwesttour.com.
The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.
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