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Swindell Overcomes Violent Crash to Charge to Top 10 in Wisconsin

(Photo by Paul Arch)

Inside Line Promotions – NEW RICHMOND, Wis. (Sept. 10, 2018) – Sammy Swindell had a lot to overcome last weekend during an IRA Sprint Car Series doubleheader in Wisconsin.

Swindell and Thone Motorsports kicked off the action on Friday at Grondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wis., during the Northern Nationals.

“It was a new track for me,” he said. “We did hot laps and came in and made a few changes. We weren’t exactly right on the car. We made a couple of adjustments for qualifying and put down a good time to go second quick. We came in after that and made a few more changes. We got a great start in the heat race and I just about ran through the middle. The hole was closing up where I was going through so I let the guys go because I knew all we had to do was finish the heat (to make the feature redraw). It messed me up going into turn one and I had the wrong angle. I wasn’t able to get off turn two very quick. It let the guy behind me get a run. I don’t know where he came from. When I turned in to go into turn three a car drove into the side of me. I think I saved him from flying off the end of the track.”

A fellow competitor ran into Swindell, causing him to take a violent flip.

“It killed that car,” he said. “They had another frame up there. It was the car I ran in Burlington, but it didn’t have my seat in it or a motor in it. We had to take the motor and seat out of the wrecked car. We worked on it right until the time to go out for the main event. We didn’t get a chance to go over it that well.”

Swindell lined up at the rear of the field for the main event.

“I got a good start and passed a few cars,” he said. “I kept passing cars a little bit at a time. I think we were 10th and on one restart I got up to sixth and thought we ran a lap, but they went back and put those guys back ahead of me. A guy saw how I passed those guys so he ran that line on the restart. Then the tires sealed up on me and that was the end of the race for us. A top five was definitely there, but for all the stuff we had to overcome and to even be out there it was good to get to finish.”

Swindell rallied for a 10th-place result, which also netted him the Hard Charger Award for passing the most cars.

The weekend wrapped up the next night at Cedar Lake Speedway for the Jerry Richert Memorial. Swindell timed in third quickest and placed third in a heat race to make the feature redraw. He pulled the No. 8 to start the A Main on the outside of the fourth row.

“The car was probably the best car we’ve had in the main since we’ve been driving it other than in Burlington,” he said. “I was able to move up. I was running fifth when someone came across the track and hit my right front and turned me around. I had to restart at the back of the field. The Jacob’s Ladder broke and we had a right rear tire go down. I just did the best I could with what was left.”

Swindell rebounded from the mid-race incident to post a 15th-place finish.

Next up, Swindell will make his debut at New London Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Ct., this Saturday during a NorthEastern Midget Association. He will pilot a pavement midget for Bertrand Motorsports for the third time in his career.

Swindell was fourth in 2016 during his debut in the car and he placed sixth in June during his second race ever in a pavement midget.

QUICK RESULTS –

Sept. 7 – Grondik Law Speedway in Superior, Wis. – Qualifying: 2; Heat race: DNF (4); Feature: 10 (21).

Sept. 8 – Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis. – Qualifying: 3; Heat race: 3 (4); Feature: 15 (8).

SEASON STATS –

48 races, 8 wins, 25 top fives, 31 top 10s, 34 top 15s, 37 top 20s

UP NEXT –

Saturday at New London Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, Ct., with the NorthEastern Midget Association

MEDIA LINKS –

Website: http://www.SammySwindell1.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/1sam91

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT – CP Pistons

CP Pistons specializes in developing and manufacturing pistons and rods for high performance race vehicles and the aftermarket. For more information, visit http://www.CP-Carillo.com.

“CP Pistons made us some special pistons and the motor has really responded to that,” Swindell said. “They have been great to work with and we have more improvements coming this year so I look forward to continuing to work with everyone at CP Pistons.”

Swindell would also like to thank ACME Graphix & Design, Whitacre Glass, FK Rod Ends, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, High Performance Lubricants, Simpson Race Products, Sweet Manufacturing, Schoenfeld Headers, W&B Service Company, Griffin Fishing Charters and Lodge, South Bay Partners, 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.

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