Swindell, 61, gets early jump, wins record fifth STN victory

Once again, it was veteran Sammy Swindell, showing the youngsters how it's done.

Swindell, of Bartlett, Tenn., who will celebrate his 62nd birthday in 10 days, took the victory Saturday night at Little Rock's I-30 Speedway to become the first five-time winner of the Short Track Nationals winged sprint car event.

Winning the event for the second year in row, Swindell pocketed $15,800 and for the fourth time in the past seven years. He also earned victories in 2013, 2011 and 1990.

He also finished second in the inaugural event in 1988, less than a month before second-place finisher Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, Texas, turned 2 years old.

Gary Wright of Hooks, Texas, had previously shared the STN victories mark with Swindell, winning in 2004, 2003, 1999 and 1995.

Swindell led all 40 laps of Saturday night's main event, but he had to hold off charges from Hafertepe and Aaron Reutzel to claim the victory.

Starting on the outside of the second row, Swindell split Reutzel, the polesitter, and No. 2 starter Tim Crawley at the green flag and took the lead on the backstretch.

The caution flag flew with 12 laps remaining. Circling the track under caution, Swindell spied hand signals from the pits by his car owner, A.G. Rains of West Memphis.

"We had that caution, and A.G. signaled for me to go up high," Swindell said, referencing the outside groove of I-30's quarter-mile oval. "We were definitely a lot better up there."

As Swindell maintained a half-straightaway lead, Reutzel passed Hafertepe for second at the white flag, only to have Hafertepe regain the spot on a crossover move and Bill Balog of Hartford, Wis., slipped past for third as well. At the checkered flag, Hafertepe took second and Reutzel rallied by Balog for third.

Tony Bruce Jr. of Liberal, Kan., the 2009 and 2008 STN champion was fifth, and 1998 winner Tim Crawley of Benton took sixth.

Marion's Derek Hagar rallied for his 12th starting spot to finish seventh. Rounding out the top 10 were Jason Martin of Liberal, Kan., Morgan Turpen of Cordova, Tenn., and Skylar Gee of Leduc, Alberta. Benton's Cody Gardner finished 11th.

Short Track Nationals

Saturday night’s feature race results from the 30th annual Comp Cams Short Track Nationals at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock:

DRIVER CITY STARTING POS. EARNINGS

  1. Sammy Swindell Bartlett, Tenn. 4 $15,800

  2. Sam Hafertepe Jr. Sunnyvale, Texas 3 $9,125

  3. Aaron Reutzel Clute, Texas 1 $6,350

  4. Bill Balog Hartford, Wis. 6 $4,600

  5. Tony Bruce Jr. Liberal, Kan. 5 $4,375

  6. Tim Crawley Benton 2 $4,525

  7. Derek Hagar Marion 12 $3,500

  8. Jason Martin Liberal, Kan. 7 $3,550

  9. Morgan Turpen Cordova, Tenn. 10 $3,515

  10. Skylar Gee Leduc Alberta 14 $3,350

  11. Cody Gardner Benton 8 $2,900

  12. Seth Bergman Snohomish, Wash. 13 $2,575

  13. Alex Sewell Tulsa 17 $2,400

  14. Chance Morton Coweta, Okla. 20 $2,300

  15. Steven Tiner Visalia, Calif. 15 $2,200

  16. Brian Bell Gallaway, Tenn. 18 $2,150

  17. Ray Allen Kulhanek Conroe, Texas 11 $2,100

  18. Dale Howard Byhalia, Miss. 9 $2,275

  19. Howard Moore Memphis 19 $2,150

  20. Wayne Johnson Oklahoma City — $2,100 Lap leaders — S. Swindell 1-40. STN Showdown winners — Howard, Kyle Bellm, Jeff Swindell, Bergman, Gardner, Turpen. C-Main winners — Brad Bowden, Scott Bogucki. B-Main winners — Tiner, Johnson. Pack’s Dash for Cash winner — Reutzel. Nonqualifiers dash winner — Jan Howard ($500)

Sports on 10/16/2017

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