Lernerville II: Race report

Silver Cup to Swindell

SARVER, PA (July 20, 2004)-Sammy Swindell took home the $30,000 first prize money Tuesday night in the World of Outlaws 30 lap Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup A-feature at Lernerville Speedway. The win was Swindell's third in the event that honors the former RPM Promoter of the Year and Lernerville Speedway owner.

Swindell, who started fourth in the event, became the race's third and final leader by passing current World of Outlaws point leader Steve Kinser on lap 24.

"This track's been really good to me," Swindell said in victory lane. I've won a lot of races here, and when I haven't, I've usually run in the top three. This is definitely a driver's track. The turns are a little bit different at each end, and the drivers that know how to run a car can make a difference here. You have to use all the controls, and not just put your (throttle) foot down and turn left."

Fast qualifier Greg Hodnett led the 26 car starting field to the green flag, but outside front row starter Mark Kinser took the lead on the high side in turn 1. Before the first lap could be completed, however, the red flag flew for a fourth turn incident involving Brandon Wimmer, who spun and collected Brian Paulus and Craig Dollansky. Dollansky turned over, but was uninjured. All three drivers were able to make repairs and restart the event.

Mark Kinser again won the drag race down the front stretch at the drop of the green, followed by Hodnett, Steve Kinser, and Swindell. Eleventh starting Joey Saldana used the low line to advance to sixth, passing Paul McMahan for the spot in turn 4 at the conclusion of the second lap.

Mark Kinser built a fifteen car length lead before the front-runners encountered slower traffic on lap six, but by the eleventh circuit the top four cars were nose to tail. On lap twelve, both Steve Kinser and Swindell were able to get by Hodnett on the low side in turn four. Steve Kinser, sporting a special "Popeye" paint scheme for the series' second East Coast swing of the season, took the lead from cousin Mark on lap fourteen, with Swindell following into the second spot.

A lap fifteen caution flag for Daryn Pittman's stalled car in turn two gave the leaders a clear track for six laps, with Swindell never more than two car lengths behind the "King of the Outlaws." Swindell maneuvered the Beaver Drill and Tool 12X to the bottom of the speedway exiting turn 4 to pass Kinser for the lead on lap 24, with Jason Sides' stopped car bringing out the yellow flag just after the leaders completed the lap.

"I had a little better line than Steve did, but my car was just a little tight at the beginning. I knew it would get better as the race went on-I just had to wait for the right time," said the three-time Outlaw champion. "I looked at the top in three and four, and that's usually the place to be here. I was able get in, and then get to his inside."

Jac Haudenschild's spectacular charge from the 22nd starting position reached as high as sixth before the "Wild Child" nearly spun the Wirtgen America #5 in turn 2 with one lap remaining. The miscue dropped Haudenschild to seventeenth. Swindell extended his lead to a half straightaway at the checkered flag.

"I had my son (Kevin) and Larry Smith, Jr. here with me tonight, and they're just fifteen and sixteen years old, and they were my crew, along with my wife (Amy) and a couple of friends from here in Pennsylvania. These guys have been working really hard all week-they've been wearing me out. We put this new car together, and it's worked great," Swindell, the winner of the first Silver Cup event at Lernerville in 1991, said. "We've had a really fast car all year long, and we should have won a couple more races, but we've had some little things go wrong that shouldn't go wrong. We've been fast pretty much everywhere we go."

"Don Martin was one of the best promoters I've ever raced for-he always had a for you and shook your hand, and always did things the right way."

-WoO-