Sammy
Swindell Sweeps Through Wednesday Chili
Bowl Qualifier!
Sets
Sights on Fifth Chili Bowl Crown
Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 14, 2009)
– Through two nights of competition at
the 23rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili
Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire,
Sammy Swindell stands undefeated.
After serving
notice with a convincing Race of Champions
triumph on Tuesday night, Swindell took on
a field of 68 competitors in Wednesday
night's Creek Nation Casino Qualifying
Showdown at the QuikTrip Center's Tulsa
Expo Raceway.
Piloting an
unconventional Midget, at least in terms
of appearance with an old super modified
style tailtank, the four-time Chili Bowl
king put a whooping on the mostly younger
generation of racers by winning his heat
race, qualifying race and then wiring the
field in the 25-lap "A" Feature
event.
Queried about
the unique tailtank, Swindell simply said,
"It's a secret," with a sly
grin.
Only J.J. Yeley
could keep Swindell in sight in the
feature event.
But, when Swindell cleared a group
of three lapped cars on the white flag
lap, the victory aboard the Esslinger-powered
Venture Racing/ARIENCO/York Excavating No.
1 Spike was as good as sealed.
"We
didn’t really have to press anything, I
didn't want to give it away or beat
myself," Swindell commented after
securing his 16th career Chili
Bowl championship main event start.
"The thing's been fantastic
all week, it's so easy to drive and a lot
of fun to drive."
While Swindell
assured himself of a prime starting
position in his pursuit of an
unprecedented fifth Chili Bowl
championship and accompanying Golden
Driller trophy to go along with wins in
1989, 1992, 1996 and 1998, Yeley and
third-place finisher Jon Stanbrough both
locked themselves into Saturday night's
50-lap finale as well.
Swindell's
strength on the racetrack was evident from
the outset.
And, if there were any doubts about
the nature of his Race of Champions win on
Tuesday night, they were promptly
dispelled when he raced from three rows
deep to make a last-lap pass of
California's Brent Camarillo in the
night's fourth heat race.
The Sprint Car
racing legend backed it up by making a
second sixth-to-first charge in the first
qualifying race, making a move around Josh
Ford on the eighth of ten laps.
From the pole
position in the feature, there was no
stopping Swindell. After weathering three cautions over the initial eight
circuits as Stanbrough and Darren Hagen
diced for second along with Yeley,
Swindell cruised a handful of car-lengths
ahead of Yeley in the race's mid-stages
until hitting lapped traffic on the 15th
round.
By the 20th
circuit, Swindell found himself mired
behind a pair of lapped cars as Yeley
closed to within striking distance.
Traffic finally worked to
Swindell's favor before Yeley could
pounce, and Swindell galloped the final
lap-and-a-half to the checkered flag
unabated.
Yeley brought
Cruz Pedregon's Toyota-powered Odyssey
Extreme Batteries/Hot Hues No. 1J Spike
across the stripe second.
Yeley commented that, "I've
been in the alphabet soup so many times
here that second place is just like
winning 'cause I know on Saturday I'm
locked in the 'A' and that's a lot less
races than I'm used to running here."
Wingless Sprint
Car ace Stanbrough secured a fifth
consecutive Chili Bowl championship main
event start by taking the show position
aboard the Loyet Motorsports Esslinger
Ford-powered No. 05s Spike.
Stanbrough
explained of his late race strategy that,
"We just stayed down there and tried
to play it smart so we'd be in the show
for Saturday night. We know what we did wrong and hopefully we can fix it and be
a little better Saturday night."
Josh Ford, a
two-time Chili Bowl preliminary main event
winner, settled for fourth with Thomas
Meseraull rounding out the top five.
Chris Windom
claimed sixth, with Kevin Ramey racing
from 20th to seventh in his
first Chili Bowl "A" Feature
action.
Mike Goodman was eighth, with Hagen
and 18th-starter Gary Wright
completing the top ten.
Three Chili
Bowl Rookie of the Year contenders made it
into Wednesday night's main event, with
Shane Hmiel's 14th-place run
besting rookie foes Austen Wheatley (16th)
and Bruce Douglass (20th).
Originally
slated to start the feature from the sixth
row inside, Bryan Clauson tagged the tail
of the field after a quick trip to the
work area to tend to mechanical issues.
A fourth-place finisher at last
year's Chili Bowl Nationals, Clauson
carved through half the field in the
opening eight laps before eventually
finishing eleventh.
Hagen,
Wheatley, Matt Sherrell, Swindell, Nick
Wean, Joey Fabozzi, Ford, Austin Mero and
Clauson each posted heat race wins, with
Swindell, Windom, Joey Moughan and
Meseraull topping the qualifying races.
Brady Bacon
wired the field in the first "C"
Main before being collected in a late-race
tangle while battling for the final
transfer from a "B" Main aced by
Hmiel.
Jonathan
Halford made last-lap pass of Donnie
Lehmann to win the second "C"
Main, with Wright winning the second
"B" Main over fellow Texan
Ramey, who edged Wean at the line for
second.
California's
Tim Spurgeon became the 1,000th
different competitor in Chili Bowl history
when he took the green flag in the night's
seventh heat race.
He went on to become the night's
third flip victim when he got upside down
in the first "C" Main.
The most
spectacular of the night's half-dozen
flips was 2006 Chili Bowl winner Tim
McCreadie's wicked ride over the turn one
barriers while handily leading the night's
first "A" qualifier.
The rear axle snapped as McCreadie
set his mount to enter turn one on the
fifth round, nearly sending the Watertown,
NY, hotshoe out of the building.
Qualifying
night action at the 23rd Annual
Chili Bowl Nationals continues with
Thursday night's Warren CAT Qualifying
event, with heat races slated to start at
6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Night's
Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Showdown
Results from the 23rd Annual
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals
presented by General Tire
Heat Races (8 Laps - Top 40 in passing
points to A Qualifiers; Balance to two C
Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #32 Darren Hagen, Riverside,
CA; 2. #7A Bubba Altig, Marengo, IL; 3.
#27C Tony Elliott, Warsaw, IN; 4. #7M
Kevin Ramey, Fort Worth, TX; 5. #31B Bruce
Douglass, Ventura, CA; 6. #99J Robby
Josett, Agua Dulce, CA; 7. Dave Camfield
Jr., Decatur, IL; 8. #10V Viktor Sinzig,
Cupertino, CA
Heat 2: 1. #73W Austin Wheatley, Lake
Stevens, WA; 2. #2A Thomas Meseraull, San
Jose, CA; 3. #74 Ernie Bartley III, El
Cajon, CA; 4. #D33 Joey Moughan,
Springfield, IL; 5. #99 Brady Bacon,
Broken Arrow, OK; 6. #15D Andrew Deal,
Caney, KS; 7. #6M Justin Mallo, Cheyenne,
WY; 8. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby, OK
Heat 3: 1. #35 Travis Berryhill, American
Canyon, CA; 2. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ;
3. #81 Doug Kammerzell, Arlington, WA; 4.
#88W Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 5. #17F
Mike Goodman, Tulsa, OK; 6. #35R Tyler
Robbins, Collinsville, OK; 7. #37W Joe
Walker, Harrisonville, MO; 8. 31X Eddie
Martin, Stilwell, OK
Heat 4: 1. Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN;
2. #51 Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 3.
#35M Matt Sherrell, Owasso, OK; 4. #71X
Gary Wright, Hooks, TX; 5. #11XS Donovan
Peterson, Brookings, SD; 6. #34 Evan
Sewell, Tulsa, OK; 7. #31X Scott Nail,
Visalia, CA; 8. #98G Gavin Galbraith,
Washington, MO
Heat 5: 1. #78 Nick Wean, Phillipsburg,
NJ; 2. #7G Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 3.
#11W Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 4. #51J
R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 5. #83H
Jonathan Halford, Tulsa, OK; 6. #8E Murray
Erickson, Odessa, TX; 7. #20B Carey
Becker, Reading, PA; 8. #39J Justin Grosz,
Hawley, PA
Heat 6: 1. #84 Joey Fabozzi, Norco, CA; 2.
#87J Johnny Rodriguez, Galt, CA; 3. #21X
Kevin Olson, Machesney Park, IL; 4. #12C
Rick England, Wichita, KS; 5. #7S Shannon
McQueen, Bakersfield, CA; 6. #6 Brian
Carter, Frisco, TX; 7. #3W Brandon Waelti,
Sun Prairie, WI
Heat 7: 1. #73 Josh Ford, Oxnard, CA; 2.
#47X Jerome Rodela, El Monte, CA; 3. #1J
J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 4. #71K Cale
Conley, Vienna, WV; 5. #92R Jacob Rosario,
Guthrie, OK; 6. #6E Rafe Essary,
Fayetteville, AR; 7. #35P Tim Spurgeon,
San Ramon, CA
Heat 8: 1. #17K Austin Mero, Kingsburg,
CA; 2. #05S John Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 3.
#17 Chris Windom, Canton, IL; 4. #24C
Casey Riggs, Shelbyville, IN; 5. #31
Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, IL; 6. #48
Lee Little, Mustang, OK; 7. #10W George
White, Fort Worth, TX
Heat 9: 1. #47B Bryan Clauson,
Noblesville, IN; 2. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Huntersville, NC; 3. #8 Randi Pankratz,
Atascadero, CA; 4. #11R Ryan Cole, Porter,
OK; 5. #401 Daniel Adler, East Carondolet,
IL; 6. #6J Justin Barger, Montrose, NY;
DNS – Johnny Heydenriech, Indianapolis,
IN
C Mains (12 Laps - Top 4 in each transfer
to back of corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken
Arrow, OK; 2. #401 Daniel Adler, East
Carondolet, IL; 3. #15D Andrew Deal,
Caney, KS; 4. #11XS Donovan Peterson,
Brookings, SD; 5. #86C Dave Camfield Jr.,
Decatur, IL; 6. #37W Joe Walker,
Harrisonville, MO; 7. #99J Randy Josett,
Agua Dulce, CA; 8. #31X Scott Nail,
Visalia, CA; 9. #1X Eddie Martin,
Stilwell, OK; 10. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun
Prairie, WI; 11. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby,
OK; 12. #92R Jake Rosario, Guthrie, OK;
13. #6 Brian Carter, Frisco, TX; 14. #39J
Justin Grosz, Hawley, PA
C Main 2: 1. #83H Jonathan Halford, Tulsa,
OK; 2. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield,
IL; 3. #7S Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield,
CA; 4. #6J Justin Barger, Montrose, NY; 5.
#6E Rafe Essary, Fayetteville, AR; 6. #34
Evan Sewell, Tulsa, OK; 7. #10V Viktor
Sinzig, Cupertino, CA; 8. #20B Carey
Becker, Reading, PA; 9. #98G Gavin
Galbraith, Washington, MO; 10. #10W George
White, Fort Worth, TX; 11. #6M Justin
Mallo, Cheyenne, WY; 12. #48 Lee Little,
Mustang, OK; 13. #35P Tim Spurgeon, San
Ramon, CA DNS – Johnny Heydenreich,
Indianapolis, IN
A Qualifiers (10 Laps - Top 16 in combined
passing points to A Main; Balance to twin
B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #1 Sammy Swindell,
Germantown, TN; 2. #73 Josh Ford, Oxnard,
CA; 3. #21X Kevin Olson, Machesney Park,
IL; 4. #84 Joey Fabozzi, Norco, CA; 5. #51
Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 6. #71X
Gary Wright, Hooks, TX; 7. #81 Doug
Kammerzell, Arlington, WA; 8. #73W Austen
Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA; 9. #74 Ernie
Bartley III, El Cajon, CA; 10. #11W Tim
McCreadie, Watertown, NY
A Qualifier 2: 1. #17 Chris Windom,
Canton, IL; 2. #87J Johnny Rodriguez,
Galt, CA; 3. #1J J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ;
4. #17F Mike Goodman, Tulsa, OK: 5. #17K
Austin Mero, Kingsburg, CA; 6. #51J R.J.
Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 7. #7M Kevin Ramey,
Fort Worth, TX; 8. #12C Rick England,
Wichita, KS; 9. #88W Shane Golobic,
Fremont, CA; 10. #47X Jerome Rodela, El
Monte, CA
A Qualifier 3: 1. #D33 Joey Moughan,
Springfield, IL; 2. #05S Jon Stanbrough,
Avon, IN; 3. #47B Bryan Clauson,
Noblesville, IN; 4. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Huntersville, NC; 5. #11R Ryan Cole,
Porter, OK; 6. #35R Tyler Robbins,
Collinsville, IL; 7. #71K Cale Conley,
Vienna, WV; 8. #24C Casey Riggs,
Shelbyville, IN; 9. #30 Chad Boat,
Phoenix, AZ; 10. #35 Travis Berryhill,
American Canyon, AZ
A Qualifier 4: 1. #2A Thomas Meseraull,
San Jose, CA; 2. #32 Darren Hagen,
Riverside, CA; 3. #35M Matt Sherrell,
Owasso, OK; 4. #31B Bruce Douglass,
Ventura, CA; 5. #8 Randi Pankratz,
Atascadero, CA; 6. #7G Joe Boyles,
Greenwood, MO; 7. #8E Murray Erickson,
Odessa, TX; 8. #7A Bubba Altig, Marengo,
IL; 9. #78 Nick Wean, Phillipsburg, NJ;
10. #27C Tony Elliott, Warsaw, IN
B Mains (15 Laps - Top 4 in each
advance to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Huntersville, NC; 2. #35R Tyler Robbins,
Collinsville, IL; 3. #73W Austen Wheatley,
Lake Stevens, WA; 4. #11R Ryan Cole,
Porter, OK; 5. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ;
6. #7G Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 7. #81
Doug Kammerzell, Arlington, WA; 8. #11XS
Donovan Peterson, Brookings, SD; 9. #15D
Andrew Deal, Caney, KS; 10. #401 Daniel
Adler, E. Carondolet, IL; 11. #99 Brady
Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 12. #35 Travis
Berryhill, American Canyon, CA; 13. #8E
Murray Erickson, Odessa, TX; 14. #12C Rick
England, Wichita, KS; 15. #88W Shane
Golobic, Fremont, CA; 15. #27C Tony
Elliott, Warsaw, IN
B Main 2: 1. #71X Gary Wright, Hooks, TX;
2. #7M Kevin Ramey, Fort Worth, TX; 3. #78
Nick Wean, Phillipsburg, NJ; 4. #8 Randi
Pankratz, Atascadero, CA; 5. #51J R.J.
Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 6. #71K Cale Conley,
Vienna, WV; 7. #7A Bubba Altig, Marengo,
IL; 8. #51 Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, CA;
9. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, IL;
10. #47X Jerome Rodela, El Monte, CA; 11.
#7S Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, CA; 12.
#24C Casey Riggs, Shelbyville, IN; 13.
#83H Jonathan Halford, Tulsa, OK; 14. #6J
Justin Barger, Montrose, NY; 15. #74 Ernie
Bartley III, El Cajon, CA; DNS – #11W
Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY
A Main (25 laps – Top 3 advance to
Saturday Night's Main Event)
1. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, TN; 2.
#1J J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 3. #05S Jon
Stanbrough, Avon, IN; 4. #73 Josh Ford,
Oxnard, CA; 5. #2A Thomas Meseraull, San
Jose, CA; 6. #17 Chris Windom, Canton, IL;
7. #7M Kevin Ramey, Fort Worth, TX; 8.
#17F Mike Goodman, Tulsa, OK; 9. #32
Darren Hagen, Riverside, CA; 10. #71X Gary
Wright, Hooks, TX; 11. #47B Bryan Clauson,
Noblesville, IN; 12. #87J Johnny
Rodriguez, Galt, CA; 13. #D33 Joey Moughan,
Springfield, IL; 14. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Huntersville, NC; 15. #21X Kevin Olson,
Machesney Park, IL: 16. #73W Austen
Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA; 17. #17K
Austin Mero, Kingsburg, CA; 18. #78 Nick
Wean, Phillipsburg, NJ; 19. #8 Randi
Pankratz, Atascadero, CA; 20. #31B Bruce
Douglass, Ventura, CA; 21. #84 Joey
Fabozzi, Norco, CA; 22. #35R Tyler
Robbins, Collinsville, IL; 23. #35M Matt
Sherrell, Owasso, OK; 24. #11R Ryan Cole,
Porter, OK
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