(Photo by TeeJay Crawford)
Inside Line Promotions – TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 16, 2017) – Sammy Swindell showcased another strong performance at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals Presented by General Tire.
Unfortunately, misfortune started and ended his outing during the 31st edition of the marquee midget event last week inside the River Spirit Expo Center.
After placing 16th on Tuesday during the Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions, which was used as a glorified test session since he drew the No. 12 to start on the sixth row, Swindell opened his preliminary night on Wednesday by advancing from sixth to fifth place in a tough heat race.
“We wound up in a heat race where the bottom was fast with a guy on top and on the bottom,” he said. “It was getting to the last lap and the one in front of me messed up and was back from the guy on the inside. I was going to pass him and he saw it so he closed the door big time. That put us back a ways further than we needed to be.”
The fifth-place finish didn’t provide enough points for Swindell to make a qualifier. He then won a C Main to transfer into the 14th starting position in a B Main.
“We easily won the C Main and getting through the B Main, once we ran a few laps the cars fall off lap after lap and our car maintains,” he said. “At the last we got up there and three guys were running the bottom. I went to the top and was going to pass them all the next corner and then they pulled up there. I knew I was going to transfer so I didn’t force the issue. There wasn’t going to be the room there so it was the wise choice to get locked in instead of trying to gain another row and not get to transfer at all. I knew we’d be good in the next race so I kind of let it go.”
Swindell secured the fourth-and-final transfer position to move onto the main event, which he lined up last – 24th.
“In the main the race track was too good on the bottom for a long time,” he said. “As the race went on and guys started to drop a bit we were just as strong. When they went to the top I could run the bottom. If we’d have had another five or six laps we’d have passed another few guys.”
Swindell charged to a seventh-place result, which earned him the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars. The finish also lined him up on the outside of the fourth row in a B Main on Saturday, when the top six transferred into the A Main.
Swindell spent nearly the first half of the race just outside a transfer position before another competitor tried a slide job that came up short as he smacked into the side of Swindell, spinning him around.
Swindell, who was forced to restart at the back, rallied through the field and closed in on the final transfer position as the white flag was being waved.
“We were able to still run the bottom when everyone else had to be on the top,” he said. “We got up through there and then someone running the top came all the way down the track and ran into us in turn one to wipe us both out.”
Swindell was challenging for sixth position when the incident occurred, spinning both drivers out. Once again, Swindell had to restart at the back and he finished 14th.
QUICK RESULTS –
Jan. 10 – Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. – Race of Champions: 16 (12).
Jan. 11 – Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. – Heat race: 5 (6); C Main: 1 (1); B Main: 4 (13); Feature: 7 (24).
Jan. 14 – Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, Okla. – B Main: 14 (8).
UP NEXT –
TBD
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.SammySwindell1.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/1sam91
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – John Christner Trucking
Established in 1986, John Christner Trucking has grown into a giant in the trucking industry. For more information, visit http://www.JohnChristner.com.
“John Christner has been huge,” Swindell said. “If it hadn’t been for him coming along we wouldn’t be able to do much of this at all. He’s been a great supporter for us and he’s been a great friend. It was nice of him to do all the things he’s done for us and continues to do for us.”
Swindell would also like to thank W&B Service Company, J. Davidson Scrap Metal Processors, High Performance Lubricants, FK Rod Ends, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Simpson Racing Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Acme Graphix & Design, Schoenfeld Headers, MyRacePass and Inside Line Promotions 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 Jan 16, 2017
- Article Date: 1/16/2017 by Inside Line Promotions