(Photo by Zack Barber Photos)
Inside Line Promotions – AVON, Ind. (Nov. 20, 2018) – The highlight of 2018 for Kevin Swindell’s Swindell Speed Lab backed sprint car driven by Spencer Bayston was a feature victory this summer.
Bayston set quick time during qualifying, won the dash and led all 35 laps of the $10,054-to-win Dean Knittel Memorial at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, on June 30.
“We were comfortable there from last year,” Swindell said. “We’ve always been able to qualify well there. We’re getting better in the slick. To be able to outduel (Cole) Duncan was pretty big. He’s still the guy when it comes to whatever you race there. It got us pointed in the right direction after a messy start to the season.”
While that was the best result of the season, perhaps a bigger highlight was the way the team closed the season. Bayston was sidelined for several weeks in the fall because of a broken leg, but his return was a success during the World of Outlaws World Finals earlier this month. Bayston and Swindell produced a pair of top 10s during the marquee World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series event, including a career-best fourth-place finish.
“We had chased stuff throughout the summer trying to get better at the end of the night because we had the beginning of the night nailed for the most part,” Swindell said. “World Finals was the culmination of us getting on the same page of what we needed to do. Spencer evolved throughout the year the way he drove and we adapted to that. As the year went on he started getting things he liked and we started nailing that down. Other than winning the race that was as good as we could ask for. It lets me go into the offseason with some peace knowing that I’ve been going in the right direction.”
Other highlights this season include a third-place showing during the Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio; a fourth-place finish in a Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek show at Port Royal Speedway in Port Royal, Pa.; a sixth-place run during the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa; and two top 10s at the inaugural Sprint Car World Championship at Mansfield Motor Speedway in Mansfield, Ohio.
The Swindell Speed Lab backed team earned a trio of top-10 finishes and six top 15s in the seven races to finish tied for third in the Ohio Sprint Speedweek standings.
The team set quick time either overall or in their group 10 times this year, including establishing the track record at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo., and at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio. Also, they only qualified outside the top 10 nine times all season.
On top of that, Bayston and Swindell only had to run a B Main during six races.
“Two of the B Mains we were in were because of flats in heat races,” he said. “I think we did a good job setting ourselves up the first half of the night well.
“I want to thank all of our sponsors and crew for their continued support and we’re looking forward to 2019.”
SEASON STATS –
39 races, 1 win, 5 top fives, 15 top 10s, 25 top 15s, 32 top 20s
MEDIA LINKS –
Website: http://www.KevinSwindellRacing.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevinSwindell
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KevinSwindellRacing
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“They manufacture oil, rear end grease, glass cleaner, everything you can think of,” Swindell said. “It’s a one-stop business for all your chemical needs. That’s what we baby oil the car at the track with. That’s what we wash the car with. We have it in our engine and our rear end. We’re able to go more nights on engine oil. High Performance Lubricants produces great products.”
Swindell would also like to thank John Christner Trucking, South Bay, Mike Curb and Curb Records, DKW Transport, Premier Truck Group, Rossie Feed & Grain, Tim Walker Real Estate, TWRentToOwn.com, E-Distribution Racing, MPI Steering Wheels, ButlerBuilt Professional Seat Systems, Racing Optics, Arai Helmets, Maxim Chassis, DMI, Hoosier Racing Tires, Sweet Manufacturing, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Kenny’s Components and Swindell Speed Lab 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 Nov 20, 2018
- Article Date: 11/20/2018 by Inside Line Promotions