Sammy Swindell Seeking Sixth Chili Bowl Nationals Victory

Story By: SHAWN MILLER / SAMMY SWINDELL RACING – GERMANTOWN, TN – Sammy Swindell is hungry to return to Victory Lane at the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

Swindell has recorded the most events wins – five – and has earned the most Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions victories – four – and he’s heading to the River Spirit Expo Center in Tulsa, Okla., this week in search of a couple more trips into the Winner’s Circle during the 32nd edition of the famed event.

“It’s like going to any other place you’ve gone a lot and run well,” he said. “It’s easier because you know you have the setups pretty close. Things have to change depending on the way the race track is, but that’s the same way it is at any dirt track. I can go in there and feel pretty confident the car will be pretty close every time.”

Swindell will participate in the Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions on Tuesday prior to his preliminary night on Wednesday. The event concludes on Saturday.

“This winter I haven’t had to be occupied with anything else and I’ve been able to take time to concentrate on the cars and everything,” he said. “This year I’m a little ahead of a lot of things because I’ve had time to fine-tune things. I think I’m as prepared as I’ve ever been and we’re in the best shape as we’ve been in. You can’t do anything about the way the races play out, where you draw or who you’re racing. We’ve always had cars capable of winning, but things have taken us out. The last few years we’ve gone from the back to the front. We have to have some of the breaks go our way and the wins will come.”

Swindell claimed the event title in 1989, 1992, 1996, 1998 and 2009 and he wants to add an unprecedented sixth victory to his list, which would be astounding given this is the only midget race he runs each year.

“It’s a different feel,” he said. “Sometimes it takes a corner or a lap. It seems like my hands are in the wrong place because I’m used to running the sprint car. These things you turn to the right quite a bit more. The first corner I’m having to replace my hands and start over. Once I’ve got through the first practice everything is fine.”