- Inducted into the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 1990
- Won 42 features at Oswego in the early coupe era and 41 more in the Super Modified era (1962 - present)
That’s 83 overall wins at Oswego, second only to Jim Shampine’s total (87)
- 7th all time with 120 modern-day supermodified top 5’S at Oswego (226 overall, second only to Joe Gosek’s 236)
- 1952: New York State NASCAR Stock Car Champion
- 1956,1957 and 1958: Won the New York State Fair Stock Car Championship
- Eight time winner of Oswego Speedway Track Championship (1953,54,56,58,61,64,66,71)
- Oswego 200-Lap International Classic, six-time winner (1960,63,67,68,71,72)
- 1971 Sandusky Hy-Miler Classic winner
- Won an estimated 250 feature victories during his career
- Recognized as one of the innovators in super modified racing
- Swift and long-time partner Bill Wright designed the first steel-tube space frame modified race car
. . . source, syracusehalloffame.com/
Swift’s record at Oswego is legendary. Six Classic wins, 41 modern day feature wins (4th all time), and a record 8 track championships.
The "Ten Pins" car was one of the last connections from Oswego Speedway’s past to the present. At one time or another, Nolan raced everything and everywhere he could.
Nolan was a true racer. He won in the modified days. He made the progression into the supers, and did that very successfully as well. Give Nolan a car and he would win with it. He and crew chief Billy Wright were one of the first unbeatable driver-mechanic collaborations. When these guys were at the track, they were virtually unbeatable.
Nolan and Jimmy Shampine were rivals, but it was a friendly rivalry. The 8 ball and 10 pins brought out the best in their respective drivers. They were both hard-working family men, but both had a burning desire to beat the other. Stories of the 10 pins are legendary. Every story, from burning the midnight oil to rebuild a car Classic Weekend, to turning on the ten pins on his car while leading, to coming from almost 3 laps down to win a classic, all illustrate the legend of the "Old Gray Fox."
Just a few years back, when Bentley Warren won the Classic for the sixth time, tying him with Swift, who was one of the first to shake Bentley’s hand? Swifty himself. The two legends joke and laughed as they compared stories and traded tales about racing each other.
After his driving days were over, Swifty was still a fan. It was common to see him anywhere around the track. He went to the pits and also went in the stands. He seemed to like the back grandstands. Anytime the back was open, it seemed Nolan was there watching. A charter member of the Oswego Speedway Hall of Fame, this longtime legend, and all around nice guy, will be missed.
. . . written by Dan Johnson
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