Kevin
Swindell Wins Wednesday Night Chili Bowl
Qualifier!
 Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 13, 2010)
– Kevin Swindell snared his first taste
of Chili Bowl glory by wiring the field in
Wednesday night’s 25-lap River Spirit
Casino Qualifying Showdown main event at
the QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo
Raceway.
Swindell,
the son of five-time and defending Chili
Bowl champion Sammy Swindell, outdueled
Cole Whitt for the lead in the opening
rounds and led all the way to the
checkered flag with Whitt in tow, as
tenth-starter Brad Kuhn nipped Tim
McCreadie at the stripe for the third and
final lock-in position to Saturday
night’s 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Nationals 50-lap championship
main event.
Eighteen-year-old
Whitt earned the pole position for the
feature event by racing from eighth to win
his heat race with a last corner pass and
then charging from sixth to win his
qualifying race.
However,
it was front row outside starter Swindell
taking advantage of the topside to take
command before the caution flew on
consecutive occasions with two laps in the
books that sent contenders Josh Ford and
Bryan Clauson to the tail of the field.
The
20-year-old Swindell weathered another
pair of cautions after laps five and 14
before racing to the checkered flag aboard
the Esslinger-powered John Christner
Trucking No. 39 Spike.
“Every
time we got to traffic and I would of had
to start moving around, the yellow came
out,” Swindell explained.
“Everything kinda worked out and
I managed to limit the mistakes on the
cushion.”
Whitt
kept Swindell in his sights throughout but
was never able to mount a serious
challenge in the Toyota-powered Keith Kunz
Motorsports No. 71 Red Bull Bullet.
“I
wanted to get into traffic,” Whitt
commented. “But,
then again, being at the Chili Bowl second
is still great.
Getting in the A Main was our goal
tonight.”
Behind
the lead duo, the battle for the third and
final lock-in position to Saturday
night’s 50-lap finale was fierce.
While 2006 Chili Bowl champion Tim
McCreadie held the third position much of
the way, 2009 USAC National Midget
champion Brad Kuhn worked his way past
Daniel Adler and A.J. Fike for fourth soon
after the lap 14 caution and went to work
on McCreadie.
Late
Model and DIRT Modified ace McCreadie and
midgeteer Kuhn traded sliders over the
final handful of laps with Kuhn nipping
the New Yorker for the show position at
the stripe by mere inches.
“I
knew I had him at the line,” Kuhn
commented.
McCreadie
settled for fourth in the Wilke Pak
Motorsports No. 11w, with Brad Sweet
rounding out the top five in the Kasey
Kahne Racing No. 49.
Adler
and Fike crossed the stripe sixth and
seventh, respectively, with Jonathan
Beason charging from 17th to
eighth.
National Midget Driver of the Year
Bryan Clauson rebounded from his early
incident to claim ninth, with Brandon
Waelti completing the top ten.
McCreadie,
Whitt, Fike, Sweet, Clauson, Swindell,
Davey Ray and Kuhn topped Wednesday’s
heat race action that included 62
competitors, with Whitt, McCreadie,
Clauson and Kevin Bayer winning the
qualifying races.
Mike
Spencer and Gary Taylor won the twin
“C” Mains, with Beason and Casey
Shuman topping the twin “B” Mains.
Shane
Cockrum and Taylor both got upside down in
the second heat race, Nick O’Neal
flipped in “C” Main action and Brian
Carter turned over as the checkered flag
flew on the first “B” Main.
There were no injuries.
Four
Chili Bowl rookie contenders cracked the
feature field, including Tyler Edwards,
Cockrum, Dusty Zomer and Australia’s
Brad Cox.
Cockrum fared the best in the
feature with a 13th place showing after
Edwards battled amongst the top five much
of the way before losing power and coming
to a stop on the track to bring out the
lap 14 caution.
Action
at the 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Nationals resumes with Thursday
night’s Bully Dog Qualifier, with racing
action set to go green at 6:00 p.m.
 Wednesday
Night’s River Spirit Casino Qualifying
Showdown Results from the 24th
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals:
Heat
Races (Top 40 in passing points to A
Qualifiers; Balance to twin C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #11W Tim
McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 2. #12H Rick
Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 3. #12JR Josh
Pelkey, Peoria, AZ; 4. #10P Scott
Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 5. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Pleasant Garden, NC; 6. #47X Mike Spencer,
Temecula, CA; 7. #00 Pete Davis,
Pleasanton, CA; 8. #6C Brian Carter
Heat 2: 1. #71 Cole Whitt,
Alpine, CA; 2. #27C Tony Elliott, Warsaw,
IN; 3. #14C Shane Cockrum, Benton, IL; 4.
#91AU Brad Cox, Gunnedah, AUS; 5. #18
Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 6. #1AU Gary
Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 7. #57 Kevin
Studley, Plainfield, IN; 8. #33 Scott
Fennell, Littleton, CO
Heat 3: 1. #69 A.J. Fike,
Galesburg, IL; 2. #73 Josh Ford, Oxnard,
CA; 3. #85 Patrick Bruns, Champaign, IL;
4. #19W Wes Gutierrez, San Martin, CA; 5.
#401 Daniel Adler, East Carondolet, IL; 6.
#31B Bruce Douglass, Ventura, CA; 7. #11C
Chett Gehrke, Broken Arrow, OK; 8. #6M
Justin Mallo, Cheyenne, WY
Heat 4: 1. #49 Brad Sweet,
Grass Valley, CA; 2. #60S Wink Schweitzer,
Bakersfield, CA; 3. #91S Jeff Stasa,
Kingman, KS; 4. #3J Julee Jamison,
Highlands Ranch, CO; 5. #7B Joe Boyles,
Greenwood, MO; 6, #73I Austin Wheatley,
Lake Stevens, WA; 7. #7C Pat Schudy,
Springfield, MO; 8. #12J Jay Mounce,
Downs, IL
Heat 5: 1. #39B Bryan
Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #15N David
Prickett, Fresno, CA; 3. #51S Danny
Sheridan, Santa Maria, CA; 4. #36 Jonathan
Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 5. #14W Matt
Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 6. #37T Josh
Grady, Farmington, NM; 7. #91 Donnie
Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 8. #19T Tanner
Mullens, Andale, KS
Heat 6: 1. #39 Kevin
Swindell, Germantown, TN; 2. #12K Tyler
Edwards, Ventura, CA; 3. #15H Scott
Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 4. #75Z Dusty Zomer,
Brandon, SD; 5. #11XC Steve Newman,
Breckenridge, CO; 6. #44X Forrest Slater,
Alabaster, AL; 7. #2G Terry Goodwin,
Laveen, AZ; 8. #14 Tony Rossi, Brighton,
CO
Heat 7: 1. #2 Davey Ray,
Rockford, IL; 2. #07 Randy Hannagan, San
Jose, CA; 3. #05S Casey Shuman, Tempe, AZ;
4. #2A J.C. Bland, Springfield, IL; 5. #10
Will Pierce, Lees Summit, MO; 6. #92 Jake
Rosario, Guthrie, OK; 7. #19N Nick O'Neal,
Wagoner, OK
Heat 8: 1. #17B Brad Kuhn,
Avon, IN; 2. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun
Prairie, WI; 3. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby,
OK; 4. #35T Tyler Robbins, Collinsville,
IL; 5. #89H Andrew Hannula, Matawan, NJ;
6. #31E Evan Sewell, Tulsa, OK; 7. #14K
Channing Zierolf, Houma, LA
C
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to back of
corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. #47X Mike
Spencer, Temecula, CA; 2. #73I Austen
Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA; 3. #19T Tanner
Mullens, Andale, KS; 4. #6C Brian Carter,
Concord, NC; 5. #7C Pat Schudy,
Springfield, MO; 6. #00 Pete Davis,
Pleasanton, CA; 7. #14 Tony Rossi,
Brighton, CO; 8. #18 Floyd Alvis, San
Carlos, CA; 9. #44X Forrest Slater,
Alabaster, AL; 10. #2G Terry Goodwin,
Laveen, AZ; 11. #57 Kevin Studley,
Plainfield, IN
C Main 2: 1. #1AU Gary
Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 2. #11C Chet Gehrke,
Broken Arrow, OK; 3. #31E Evan Sewell,
Tulsa, OK; 4. #92 Jake Rosario, Guthrie,
OK; 5. #6M Justin Mallo, Cheyenne, WY; 6.
#14K Channing Zierolf, Houma, LA; 7. #31B
Bruce Douglass, Ventura, CA; 8. #12J Jay
Mounce, Downs, IL; 9. #19N Nick O'Neal,
Wagoner, OK; 10. #91 Donnie Trent, Honey
Brook, PA; DNS -- #33 Scott Fennell,
Littleton, CO
A
Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing
points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #71 Cole
Whitt, Alpine, CA; 2. #12JR Josh Pelkey,
Peoria, AZ; 3. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun
Prairie, WI; 4. #12K Tyler Edwards,
Ventura, CA; 5. #14C Shane Cockrum,
Benton, IL; 6. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken
Arrow, OK; 7. #75Z Dusty Zomer, Brandon,
SD; 8. #12H Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 9.
#19W Wes Gutierrez, San Martin, CA; 10.
#10P Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA
A Qualifier 2: 1. #11W Tim
McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 2. #39 Kevin
Swindell, Germantown, TN; 3. #49 Brad
Sweet, Grass Valley, CA; 4. #51S Danny
Sheridan, Santa Maria, CA; 5. #05S Casey
Shuman, Tempe, AZ; 6. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Pleasant Garden, NC; 7. #27C Tony Elliott,
Warsaw, IN; 8. #89H Andrew Hannula,
Matawan, NJ; 9. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood,
MO; 10. #11XC Steve Newman, Breckenridge,
CO
A Qualifier 3: 1. #39B Bryan
Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #73 Josh
Ford, Oxnard, CA; 3. #15H Scott Hatton,
Roscoe, IL; 4. #2A J.C. Bland,
Springfield, IL; 5. #2 Davey Ray,
Rockford, IL; 6. #91AU Gunnedah, AUS; 7.
#14W Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 8.
#91S Jeff Stasa, Kingman, KS; 9. #60S Wink
Schweitzer, Bakersfield, CA; 10. #10 Will
Pierce, Lees Summit, MO
A Qualifier 4: 1. #91K Kevin
Bayer, Bixby, OK; 2. #401 Daniel Adler,
East Carondolet, IL; 3. #17B Brad Kuhn,
Avon, IN; 4. #35T Tyler Robbins,
Collinsville, IL; 5. #69 A.J. Fike,
Galesburg, IL; 6. #15N David Prickett,
Fresno, CA; 7. #15N David Prickett,
Fresno, CA; 8. #85 Patrick Bruns,
Champaign, IL; 9. #37T Josh Grady,
Farmington, NM; 10. #07 Randy Hannagan,
San Jose, CA
B
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #36 Jonathan
Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #2 Davey Ray,
Rockford, IL; 3. #75Z Dusty Zomer,
Brandon, SD; 4. #91AU Brad Cox, Gunnedah,
AUS; 5. #51s Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria,
CA; 6. #19W Wes Gutierrez, San Martin,
CA; 7. #47X Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA; 8.
#37T Josh Grady, Farmington, NM; 9. #91S
Jeff Stasa, Kingman, KS; 10. #85 Patrick
Bruns, Champaign, IL; 11. #19T Tanner
Mullens, Andale, KS; 12. #10P Scott
Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 13. #12H Rick
Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 14. #11XC Steve
Newman, Breckenridge, CO; 15. #73I Austen
Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA; 16. #6C Brian
Carter, Concord, NC
B Main 2: 1. #05S Casey
Shuman, Tempe, AZ; 2. #14W Matt Westfall,
Ludlow Falls, OH; 3. #7B Joe Boyles,
Greenwood, MO; 4. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Pleasant Garden, NC; 5. #1AU Gary Taylor,
Snohomish, WA; 6. #07 Randy Hannagan, San
Jose, CA; 7. #11C Chett Gehrke, Broken
Arrow, OK; 8. #27C Tony Elliott, Warsaw,
IN; 9. #15N David Prickett, Fresno, CA;
10. #10 Will Pierce, Lees Summit, MO; 11.
#3J Julee Jamison, Highlands Ranch, CO;
12. #60S Wink Schweitzer, Bakersfield, CA;
13. #89H Andrew Hannula, Matawan, NJ; 14.
#92 Jake Rosario, Guthrie, OK; 15. #2A
J.C. Bland, Springfield, IL; 16. #31E Evan
Sewell, Tulsa, OK
A
Main (25 laps – Top 3 advance to
Saturday Night's Main Event)
1. #39 Kevin Swindell, Germantown,
TN; 2. #71 Cole Whitt, Alpine, CA; 3. #17B
Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 4. #11W Tim McCreadie,
Watertown, NY; 5. #49 Brad Sweet, Grass
Valley, CA; 6. #401 Daniel Adler, East
Carondolet, IL; 7. #69 A.J. Fike,
Galesburg, IL; 8. #36 Jonathan Beason,
Broken Arrow, OK; 9. #39B Bryan Clauson,
Noblesville, IN; 10. #3W Brandon Waelti,
Sun Prairie, WI; 11. #12JR Josh Pelkey,
Peoria, AZ; 12. #35T Tyler Robbins,
Collinsville, IL; 13. #14C Shane Cockrum,
Benton, IL; 14. #05S Casey Shuman, Tempe,
AZ; 15. #15H Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 16.
#73 Josh Ford, Oxnard, CA; 17. #56 Shane
Hmiel, Pleasant Grove, NC; 18. #91K Kevin
Bayer, Bixby, OK; 19. #14W Matt Westfall,
Ludlow Falls, OH; 20. #7B Joe Boyles,
Greenwood, MO; 21. #91AU Brad Cox,
Gunnedah, AUS; 22. #75Z Dusty Zomer,
Brandon, SD; 23. #12K Tyler Edwards,
Ventura, CA; 24. #2 Davey Ray, Rockford,
IL
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