Inside Line Promotions – GREENWOOD, Neb. (June 7, 2015) – Sammy Swindell had a strong start to his partnership with Jason Johnson Racing, which began last week with a pair of World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series events.
Swindell kicked off the action last Wednesday at Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo, Ind., where he qualified eighth quickest of the 39 competitors.
“We spent some time the day before and went over a lot of things,” he said. “We did make a few changes so we had to get out and get a feel for things and see how it would work together. We were off some and I didn’t make a good lap. There was more in the car, but to be eighth quick the first time out on a small track where everyone’s times are close wasn’t bad.”
Swindell then finished where he started – third – in a heat race to lock himself into the 12th starting position for the 40-lap main event. He methodically advanced to a seventh-place result, which marked his seventh top 10 of the season.
“We made some improvements in the heat and made some improvements in the main,” he said. “We needed to make a few more changes. We still had a good run. All in all, it was a good night and a really good start. Everyone was happy.”
The team ventured to I-80 Speedway for the NAPA Auto Parts Outlaw Showdown on Friday.
“They wanted to try a different motor and we needed to work on that combination with the motor,” Swindell said. “There were a couple of things we tried that we needed to change. Between those that kind of messed up our qualifying. After that we talked and tried some other things (for the rest of the night) because we’d be starting so far back. We made some pretty big changes.”
Swindell, who narrowly missed the heat race inversion by qualifying 16th quickest, advanced from sixth to fifth place in a heat to lock into the feature. He started on the outside of the eighth row for the main event on the choppy track.
Swindell maneuvered into seventh place before a red flag with four laps remaining. However, the team was penalized two positions on the restart.
“We didn’t need that red,” he said. “I think we would have got another spot or two. Then we lost those two spots and it put me behind a car I thought was going to go one way (on the restart) and he surprised me and went the other way. I had to get out of the gas coming off turn two and that was a place you didn’t need that to happen at all. It was so slick down the back chute I wasn’t able to accelerate and it let a couple of cars get around me.”
Swindell ended with an 11th-place result, which capped the weekend because Saturday’s World of Outlaws event at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., was postponed because of weather.
Swindell is scheduled to return to action this weekend with Jason Johnson Racing on Friday at Crawford County Speedway in Denison, Iowa, Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and Sunday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., with the World of Outlaws.
Although Friday will mark his career debut at Crawford County Speedway, Swindell has 15 World of Outlaws victories at Knoxville Raceway – including the inaugural race in 1979 – and seven at Huset’s Speedway – including the inaugural race in 1983.
“If everything is a positive with the things they are working on this week and getting a new motor like planned it should make it a lot easier to get a better result,” he said. “It’s capable of winning races, but you have to have the right circumstances.”
QUICK RESULTS –
June 3 – Kokomo Speedway in Kokomo, Ind. – Qualifying: 8; Heat race: 3 (3); Feature: 7 (12).
June 5 – I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb. – Qualifying: 16; Heat race: 5 (6); Feature: 11 (16).
SEASON STATS –
10 races, 1 win, 5 top fives, 7 top 10s, 9 top 15s, 9 top 20s
UP NEXT –
Friday at Crawford County Speedway in Denison, Iowa, Saturday at Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa, and Sunday at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D., with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.SwindellMotorsports.citymaker.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/1sam91
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – Brown & Miller Racing Solutions
Brown & Miller Racing Solutions is a leader in lightweight hoses and fittings within the motor sports industry. For more information, visit http://www.BMRS.net.
“I’ve run Brown & Miller Racing Solutions products for quite a few years and they’ve always been first class,” Swindell said. “They are always innovating and trying to make their products better.”
Swindell would also like to thank John Christner Trucking, J. Davidson Scrap Metal Processors, Energy Release, High Performance Lubricants, Sweet Manufacturing, Simpson Race Products, FK Rod Ends, Sweet Manufacturing, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, HRP Wings and Schoenfeld Headers for their continued support.
INSIDE LINE PROMOTIONS –
Inside Line Promotions specializes in affordable public relations and media management for motor sports drivers, teams, sponsors, tracks, series, events, organizations and manufacturers. ILP Founder Shawn Miller leverages professional journalism with new media technologies and social networking to improve your exposure and the return on investment for your sponsors.
To meet the media relations needs of your program by joining Team ILP, contact Shawn at 541-510-3663 or Shawn@InsideLinePromotions.com. For more information on Inside Line Promotions, visit http://www.InsideLinePromotions.com.
- Shawn Miller on Jun 07, 2015
- Article Date: 6/7/2015 by Inside Line Promotions