Nolan Swamp wins Ironman Slick Track Enduro 100

October 3, 2009, AKWESASNE, NY -- Bandit star Nolan Swamp of Akwesasne held off late race charges from several drivers while battling a flat tire in the closing laps to score the win in the Mohawk International Raceway (MIR) IronMan Slick Track Enduro 100 on Saturday afternoon. The victory was worth $1,500 for Swamp.

 Scott Kocher of Waddington, also one of the top drivers in the Bandit division, finished second and earned $1,000, while Junior Delarmier of Cornwal Island, ONT used patience and a late race charge to move into third spot and grab the $500 paycheck.

 Forty-five cars took to the grid for the Slick Track IronMan Enduro and the mayhem began as soon as the green flag waved. Cars slid, spun and bounced off each other, with the racers fighting to get traction on the water-drenched racing surface. Nolan Swamp started deep in the field but surged to the lead within the twenty laps and was to lead the rest of the event.

 After fifty grueling laps of racing, the checkered waved to signal half-time and give teams an opportunity to make repairs for the final fifty laps. At the half-way break, Nolan Swamp and Adam Delormier were the only cars on the lead lap, with Owen Swamp one lap down, Scott Kocher two laps down, and Barry Griffith and Junior Delormie three laps down.

 As the race restarted, Swamp resumed the top spot, with Adam Delormie still in the runner-up position. Delormie’s shot at the win ended as he ducked into the pit area and lost several laps, as did Owen Swamp’s. Scott Kocher moved into the runner-up spot, while Barry Griffith rallied to try to break into the top three, but his great run ended when flames erupted from his engine compartment while racing at full throttle--he stopped his car on the front stretch and made a quick exit without injury as safety crews doused the flames.

 Swamp looked like he was going to cruise on for an easy win but he developed a flat tire with less than ten laps to go, surrendering most of his multi-lap lead. Both Kocher and new third-place runner Junior Delormie were able to make up lost laps as they passed the slowing Swamp, but Swamp’s car was able to hold on and limp across the finish line first to complete the 100 lap grind. Kocher finished second, Junior Delormier finished third, while Modified star Billy Cook and Ernie Cree both posted strong runs to finish among the leaders in the final laps.

 Enduro racing is unique in that caution flags are not used. Despite a multitude of spins and multi-car collisions, drivers must nagivate the slick racing surface and drive around spun and stalled cars throughout the event. The race is red-flagged only when there is a safety concern--this event had half a dozen red flags for various incidents, including a pair of fires, multi-car pile-ups, a driver making hard contact with the frontstretch wall and a couple of incidents where a car stopped on the track in an exposed position and officials stopped the race to get the driver out of the car. There were no injuries during any of the red flag incidents.

 Mohawk International Raceway would like to thank all of the drivers, race teams, sponsors and fans who helped make 2009 such a successful season. MIR officials are already making plans for the 2010 season, including a list of ongoing rennovations to further improve the speedway, which received a complete makeover prior to the 2009 season. Fans and racers are encouraged to visit the MIR website, MohawkIntRaceway.com, through the winter months to get the latest news and information about next season’s racing events.