Chuck Swenson suspended for rest of season

Chuck Swenson Suspended from ASCS Events for Balance of 2007

TULSA, Okla. (August 23, 2007) -- Following his disqualification in last Friday night's American Sprint Car Series Northern Plains Region event at Minnesota's Jackson Speedway, Chuck Swenson has been suspended from all ASCS-sanctioned events until January 1, 2008.

Following his apparent victory in the August 17 Jackson Nationals preliminary feature event, post-race inspection revealed that Swenson's cylinder heads had been altered well beyond the parameters defined in the ASCS rulebook. Swenson's engine, including the tampered cylinder heads, came out of the shop of Ohio's Charlie Fisher.

Swenson declined further tear-down of the engine, thus leading to the suspension for the rest of the year by the American Sprint Car Series.

While it was Swenson's first violation in ASCS-sanctioned competition, it wasn't the first time the Watertown, SD, racer has run afoul of post-race inspectors. Similar violations were detected following last year's Tournament of Champions at Knoxville, IA, an event not sanctioned by ASCS. That set of illegal heads, also out of Charlie Fisher's shop, found Swenson stripped of perhaps the biggest win of his career.

This latest infraction, resulting in a suspension from all ASCS events for the balance of the 2007 season, will also prove costly for Swenson.

Swenson had been leading ASCS Northern Plains Region points entering last weekend's Jackson Nationals. He now surrenders any chance to claim a second consecutive series championship.

In addition, Swenson will miss out on several major late-season events including the ASCS/Wesmar Challenge at Devil's Bowl Speedway on October 13, which offers up a Wesmar Racing Engine to the overall winner, as well as the $20,000-to-win Short Track Nationals at Little Rock's I-30 Speedway on October 25-27.

-credit: ascs