Daniel Swanbeck, of San Jose, California, edged out the competition by two points in the season-ending standings. He finished on the podium seven times, with a win at Portland International Raceway. His lowest finishing position was fourth, at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.

“This Championship ranks very high for me a mostly because I had never raced in the Majors division before,” Swanbeck said. “I was driving a car totally new to me, a platform I was unfamiliar with and in a very competitive class. This win probably means the most to me because I didn't have any clear expectations, to begin with.

“After my very first race, where I finished second in a large field, I knew that I could fight for the title. The racing stayed interesting until the very end where it came down to a tight battle between me and Rick Payne who went on to win the National Championship.

“It was an all-out effort in the extreme heat of Portland where I earned enough points for the title. I won't forget this one because I didn't find out that I had won the championship until we were on the podium.”

Swanbeck had some hurdles to overcome, but was able to do so like so many champions before him.

“The biggest challenge of the season was probably running on used tires for all but two races,” Swanbeck said. “This just made it difficult to extract the ultimate speed from the car, but it certainly made me get the most out of myself.

“A difficult point for me was at Buttonwillow which was a roller coaster of ups and downs. I went from leading to getting tangled up and sent off track to near last. I drove the rest of that race with a determination I had not felt in some time and it really brought me back. I left the track that weekend with a lot learned and stronger desire to win in the races to come.”

The turning point for Swanbeck, according to him, was the first race of the season. It was there he realized he had the opportunity to take home the title at the end of the year.

“As funny as it sounds, the very first race weekend brought this realization to me,” Swanbeck said. “With a double podium weekend, I was tied for first in the Championship. I believed in myself and knew that if the team and I could keep things going smooth, we'd have a shot at it.

“The championship looked realistic all season until missing the Washington race which lost me a lot of points and the championship lead. Going into the final round at Portland I knew I had to win at least one race, if not both, to clinch the title. In the first race I drove to victory and felt and overwhelming sense of happiness as I took the checkers knowing that the fight was still alive. I think this was the most intense point as well knowing that even with a win, I still had to fight Rick the next day to take it all.”

Swanbeck wanted to thank some people who were very central to his championship success.

“First and foremost, I have to thank my good friend Manuel Leonardo,” Swanbeck said. “Manuel was kind enough to let me share his car with him and ultimately was the person that enabled me to run the season. Additionally, I have to thank my family for all of their support, especially my Dad and Lisa for coming to every race. My Dad has been my crew chief since karting, in my youth, and he has been with me to this day.

“I also would like to thank Manuel's family and friends for their dedication and support all season. Additionally, I would like to thank BigWheels.net for their support throughout the season and Doug Learned Sr. and Jr. of Fast Forward Racing Components for technical support along with the excellent Piper DF-5 they built. Lastly, I want to thank all of the SCCA workers, staff and volunteers for always putting on such great events time and time again.”