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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
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SAMMY SWINDELL SWOOPS IN TO WIN HIS 5TH CHILI BOWL
NATIONALS – CONVINCINGLY!!!! |
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WAGS DOES A COLLEGE BASKETBALL MARATHON ON THE ROAD TO CHILI BOWL. |
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JANUARY 29, 2009 --- Tulsa, Oklahoma is the place to be in
early January each year and this edition of the 23rd annual Chili
Bowl was very special. This is the major leagues folks, from the
best of the sprint and midget drivers from around the world coming
to play, to the big time presentation live and on screen, to the
money raising for Tim McCreadie who broke his back, to the
enthusiastic packed house enjoying the better air and fine racing
and finally to the major league refreshment prices. It is as good as
it gets as the premier midget event in the country expanded to 5
days and in spite of the track mud that is aging, some pretty darn
good racing prevailed with a record 281 cars hitting the little dirt
track.
Here are my pics Click here.. They came from everywhere to try and win this low paying main event, but nobody seemed to notice how small the purse was as it was “all in” racing for five nights, with an old codger showing the youngsters how it’s done. Sammy Swindell is over 50, yet he looked 16 this week as he swept every event he entered from the race of champions to his heat , the A qualifier and main event on his qualifying night. Then he held back for a while in the 50 lap main event from his 3rd starting spot and suddenly, and literally, blew away the best the rest had to offer with a clear cut dominating performance like none other at any chili bowls past that I have witnessed. The old style super modified tail tank look probably startled the competition, and was just something to distract them, as he poured it on every time he hit the track. It might be his swan song in racing, but boy did he orchestrate something special for this crowd that will be remembered for a long, long time. The opening night had much to offer as the special Race of Champions featured Sammy’s first win in his weeklong sweep. Brad Kuhn started 9th in the “A” main and moved forward to be in a position to win with a few laps to go. Kevin Swindell had already proved he was the fastest car out there, and maybe second only to his dad’s car, but met his demise when he and leader Ricky Stenhouse met hard after Ricky slipped over the berm and scooted up the track to where Kevin came down the track for the meeting. Kevin then hit the wall pretty hard and then was done after a little fit of Swindell temper was over. Stenhouse had played it real smart just puttering on the bottom most of the race, but on the last lap he gave Brad enough room that he was rooted aside as Kuhn took the opening night win. Chad Kemenah passed 25 cars as he won the “C” and “B” mains, and then charged from the back of the “A” to get 6th for my hard charger of the night! Kuhn, Stenhouse and Steve Buckwalter were seeded into Saturday’s A main with Kuhn. On Wednesday night, Sammy Swindell continued on in his sweep with 1st’s in his heat, his A qualifier and the nights A main. This started the first of three front row winners out of the 4 qualifying nights as few heroes behind the first two rows made serious challenges on the many times well prepared smooth track that was pretty consistent, but never tacky. Only J J Yeley had a shot at him, but couldn’t pull it off. Jon Stanbrough was third as those three went on to be seeded in the Saturday night A main. The crash by Tim McCreadie sent him out of the track and to the hospital with a broken back. The track raised over $16,000 for him on Saturday night with an auction and drivers taking their helmets into the stands. The Thursday night battle was only that at the checkered flag as Tracy Hines managed a good lead for most of the race with Dave Darland trailing and trying to get closer. Until a few late race yellows, Darland was not in the mix, but at the very end he powered right up to what they said was a .012 second loss. It was never that close, but Dave is always charging. Justin Allgaier joined them to the Saturday A main. Friday night was over as soon as Jerry Coons took the opening lap green and rode the 25 laps in front. He was chased by Levi Jones hard all race, but weathered everything Levi threw at him. Damion Gardner was running third when Brad Loyet slid by, but Damion’s attempt at returning the move met with a spin out and he went to the back. The top three were the last to get seeded for Saturday. The big 50 lap main had Coons take the lead until Hines went by him as Sammy slid back to 5th as the field all settled on the bottom for the most part. When Sammy decided it was time to go up top, he took four laps to take the lead and was gone. Nobody could mount a charge on him and it was over in 50 laps. Sammy almost parked it in the cushion on one trip around, but other than that, he was dialed in for his 5th win. Hines, Kuhn, Coons and Yeley were the top five. From 11:00 am to 11:00 PM, it was a marathon effort for all 281 cars trying to get the brass ring. Only one got it and that was Slammin Sammy. Another year of the Chili Bowl is in the books and here are some of my thoughts. First, it is too many nights to go for some of us fans, yet nobody but me had a problem. Five nights is really tiring, even for some racers. Some agreed, but they came. Some came a day late or so, but mostly late because of work or something important. Watching all that racing makes Saturday night a little anti-climatic. Second, they don’t pay the winner nearly enough! The reported $12,000 is quietly paid out and the total purse is not advertised. With the 34 oz beers at $9 and a can at $4.25, pop over $3 and everything else major league priced, there looks like plenty for the purse to be upgraded. It is the best midget race of the year and should be paid out that way. Third, I think they run the event as good as it can be done with few unplanned waits and they always rework the track in quick fashion. I remember when the reworks gave tackier tracks, but you can’t fault the smoothness and seemingly equal grooves they recreate, even if I think it’s time for new mud. It is hard to complain about anything there but the cost continues to rise and $56 is a bit much on the Saturday night ticket, but they sell out, so it must be OK. I buy two tickets every year. The security guys where we sit are always pestering people to get out of the isles, even when it’s during a break and people want to stretch. When a fan tried to get a quick picture on the track and stood up in the isle for a second, even he was rushed off. The fans really do try, but with that added pressure some were not having a good time at the time. The big doors were never opened to my knowledge, yet the only time I had any eye irritation was during the A mains. Don’t know if it was idling race cars spewing at slow speed waiting for restarts or some special additive that did it? Seeing Jack Hewitt’s big smile was great as he signed autographs several days. The vendor area was its usual crowded self as many items were up for sale. So much good stuff, but little caught my eye except some new die-cast stuff and I already realized I don’t have room for any more unless I remove some???? Beer for sale in the pits all day, every day. Where have you ever seen that? It’s Oklahoma and 3.2 beer must be so lightweight they treat it like soda pop. I did notice almost every competitor was having fun as they came to play on the small oval. I liken it to a bunch of bee’s coming out of a hive as they explode everywhere in every direction. It’s always exciting and I am glad they don’t qualify. The west coast boys didn’t do as well as last year, but they did Ok. I got to visit with most of them, but then there are names from California I don’t know. The Camarillo brothers Brent and Brian were having a ball. Blake Miller caught a ride and was moving until he met one the of wild bee’s sending him to the pits. Damion Gardner didn’t get much love running the A main on Saturday. Garrett Hanson did good, as did Josh Ford, Mike Spencer, Bobby Michnowicz, Glenn Carson, Cole Whitt and a bunch more. Jay Drake got his first laps in racing in a long time and did some good work. It was fun watching them all go thru the paces. Rip Williams and his sons Cody and Austin were in the house watching it all. Rip will be inducted into the Knoxville Hall of Fame come February, what an honor for the So Cal racer. Even 5 time CRA champion Jimmy Oskie made the trip for a change. I decided early I wasn’t going all 5 nights, so began looking at my other winter love, B-ball for entertainment. I was able to round up tickets for 6 college games of note. I went a week early and had a great pre race time. I started with my cousin Gary in Wichita, Kansas where he arranged thru a friend of his, Rich Jantz who is a big KU contributor. We went to Lawrence, Kansas where we were treated to dinner and the KU vs Siena game by Rich in the newly remodeled Allen Field house where Wilt Chamberlain and many others played. Kansas won and we headed back to Wichita where the next night we went with Cuzin Gary’s wife Barbara’s Brother Mike (?) and his wife to the Wichita St vs Southern Illinois game where the home team lost a close one. On to Tulsa on Thursday where my old Tulsa roommate Ron Tunin and I went to the ORU vs IPFW game where the home team won again. On Saturday Ron, his son Tim, my son Kevin and I went to Stillwater for the Okla St vs Texas A & M game and the home team won again. On the opening night of the Chili Bowl, Rich had arranged for tickets to the Tulsa vs Memphis game nearby thru his friend Larry Egge and that was the best game of the six as the home team lost at the buzzer! We rushed over to the Chili Bowl and caught the Race of champions, the two B’s and the A main. One more game to go as Kevin took me to his Alma Mater on Wednesday where his team beat Wichita St in the brand new Hammons Arena. I really had fun checking out new venues of B-ball and I only missed one night of racing. My Granddaughter Brianna and her Nana Lisa got to see that nights racing, so all was not lost. My thanks to all who helped me snag the tickets for a very fun tour. It was a great trip and the Chili Bowl always brings out the many friends I have in racing. Hearing “hey Wags” was so flattering that it took time to move around the pits each day as I stopped to visit with many and really felt special. It’s a trip that I don’t want to stop each year, but I noticed the walking is starting to tell on these old legs and I need to get in shape for next years edition. Thanks to my other old Tulsa roomy Tony Mishler for sharing his home with Kevin, Brianna and I, and thanks to everyone who were part of the fun times. Sometimes the racing is secondary as the friendships and the fun around the track action is perhaps cherished more. I still get a thrill watching the midget heroes duke it out and sometimes it is exactly that. Now, as the short break is almost over, I await the February 25th Las Vegas date and I will miss the Copper World, probably. I will still see a few B-ball games as the playoffs start before too long. Except for the snow here, it was a great winter and I am always anxious for the racing season to get started. When I got back from Tulsa, Terry and I celebrated her birthday at a steakhouse in the Green Valley District called Hanks, and she paid for the pricy dinner after hitting a big jackpot on her favorite slot “wheel of Fortune” before we dined! Sometimes things just happen and It is a good sign I am sure. Congrats to David Cardey in his move to the Silver Bullet of the Alexander Brothers. I’ll miss the Cowboy, but David will rock and roll in this DRC car. David and wife Danita recently had a baby boy named Drake "The snake" James Cardey. He was born December 15 1:38 pm and weighed 10lbs 1 ounce and was 20 1/2" long. Now some missed info as Wagtimers Krista and David just had a
baby and his name is Dylan Anthony Cordova. He was born on Sunday
January 4th at 2:02am. He weighed in at 9 pounds and 3 ounces. He is
21 inches long. Now I got it right! |
