Jeff Swindell rocks Riverside with Round Two O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 win PDF Print E-mail
May 26, 2007
West Memphis, Arkansas - A blast from the past, veteran sprint car ace Jeff Swindell from Bartlett, Tennessee won the 30-lap O'Reilly United Sprint Car Series www.uscsracing.com (http://www.uscsracing.com/) Speedweek 2007 Round Two Saturday night at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas. Swindell blasted from his third place starting position around Marion, Arkansas' Derek Hagar and then Danny Martin, Jr. from Sarasota, Florida into the lead exiting turn four on lap one and led every lap at the race track where he started his storied career. The win came over a field of 29 cars from six states.
Jeff Swindell from Bartlett, Tennessee, blasted out of semi-retirement to capture the O'freilly United Sprint Car Series Speedweek 2007 feature at Riverside International Speedway on Saturday night in Kevin Davis' #12 car. (Phil Bowden photo).
But when the checkered flag fell the show wasn't over as Swindell (known for his showmanship) approached victory lane by doing a series of 360 degree spins and then exited the #12 mount with all the excitement of a driver getting his first win. Then, Swindell climbed on top of the mount for a little wing dancing.
Swindell who once won six O'Reilly USCS features in a row during the 2002 season, drove a car he had been in only two nights owned by Kevin Davis from Memphis, Tennessee. Davis purchased the car over the winter from perennial track champion Eddie Gallagher complete and race ready. Swindell said in victory lane that, "The car was perfect tonight. That is a real nice race car and I bet that Eddie wished he had this car back."
Swindell tried to be pull away from the field in the early laps, but the 21-year old Martin rallied several times in lapped traffic to keep the pressure on him. A caution ironically for Eddie Gallagher's busted ride on lap twenty-seven bunched the field for a final dash with one lapped car between the eventual winner and Danny Martin, Jr. But as the green flag flew for the last three laps Swindell charged home with and 8/10ths of a second margin of victory over Martin and the field.
Past O'Reilly USCS and Riverside Speedway track Champion, Marshall Skinner from West Memphis, Arkansas came home in the third position after starting seventh. Defending O'Reilly USCS Champion, Terry Gray from Bartlett, Tennessee finished in the fourth position after starting sixth. Veteran driver A.G. Rains from West Memphis, Arkansas charged from his tenth place starting spot to grab the final top five spot.
Don Young from Bartlett, Tennessee headed the next group in sixth place followed by the sixteen year-old Derek Hagar in seventh. Brad Bowden charged from a fourteenth position start into eighth place to earn the evenings Huggins Cams Hardcharger Award. Ernie Ainsworth from Memphis, Tennessee followed Bowden in ninth after starting fifteenth and passing six cars as well. Lee Sowell from Nesbit, Mississippi rounded out the top ten positions in the feature race. Danny Martin, Jr. won the evening's Lucas Oil Power Dash. Martin continued his hot hand by winning the Engler Machine and Tool First Heat Race. Derek Hagar won the Butlerbuilt Second Heat Race. Jeff Swindell captured the FSR Racing Products Third Heat and the JE Pistons Fourth Heat Race went to Don Young. Bryce Vowan from Forest City, Arkansas won the 12 lap B-Main. Brad Bowden garnered the events Huggins Cams Hard Charger award for his charge from 14th place into eighth place. Danny Martin, Jr. snagged the K&N Filters Pole Award and was also recognized as the Hoosier Tire Young Gun of the Race, which is awarded to the top-finishing driver under twenty-five years old. The Weld Racing Hard Luck award went to Michael Craddock from Olive Branch, Mississippi. The next O'Reilly USCS National points event and O'Reilly USCS Mid-South
Thunder points event is the Speedweek 2007 Round #3 at Green Valley Speedway www.greenvalleyspeedway.com (http://www.greenvalleyspeedway.com/) on Sunday n ight. The O'Reilly USCS Speedweek 2007 continues on with events Monday night at Clayhill Motorsports www.clayhillmotorsports.com (http://www.clayhillmotorsports.com/) in Atwood, TN. Then after two days off the schedule picks back up at Clarksville Speedway in Clarksville, Tennessee on Thursday night, May 31st.
Then the tour visits Camden Speedway in Camden, Tennessee on Friday night June 1st before the grand finale in the "Columbus Clash" at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS on Saturday night June 2nd.
- Adam Ulrey on Mar 13, 2020
- Article Date: 5/26/2007