Sammy Swindell Earns $10,000 At Orange County All Star Stop

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – MIDDLETOWN, NY – Adding to his already illustrious career, Germantown, Tennessee’s Sammy Swindell became the first Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions main event winner at Orange County Fair (NY) Speedway on Saturday night, leading all 25 circuits around “The Legendary House of Power” to score $10,000, as well as a 26th career Arctic Cat All Star main event victory.

The pilot of the Jared Zimbardi-owned/Bundle of Warmth/Performance Powder Coating/No. 35s nearly swept the evening program; setting the fastest time of the night during Lincoln Electric Time Trials, as well as earning JE Pistons Dash and A-main victories.

“This car was a pleasure to drive. We learned some things last night and capitalized on them today,” Sammy Swindell said. “With a deal like tonight, all you can do is drive as straight as you can and keep the tires underneath you. Luckily for us, we were able to hang on. We hope to continue this trend tomorrow at Lebanon Valley.”

Swindell withstood four cautions during his campaign at the front of the running order, and unfortunately for those involved, all four cautions included competitors racing within the top-ten; Tyler Esh, Justin Barger, and Arctic Cat All Star point leader, Chad Kemenah, to name a few. Esh was racing second when his right rear tire went flat, erasing a potential career high finish with “America’s Series.”

Findlay, Ohio’s Caleb Helms, who started ninth on the main event grid, gave Swindell is only true challenge during the 25-lapper, actually driving around the former World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series champion at the entrance of turn one on lap 22. The pass was ultimately negated due to a full lap not being completed. Swindell returned to the point position and remained there for the final four circuits with Helms in tow.

Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions Rookie of the Year contender, Brandon Spithaler, worked his way forward from tenth to finish third during his first ever Orange County Fair Speedway start, followed by Paulie Colagiovanni and Stewart Friesen. Friesen was also a victim of tire issues, restarting at the back of the field after coming to a stop with nine laps in the books.

Capping off their three-race weekend in the Empire State, the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions will now make the tow to Upstate New York, set to invade Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon on Sunday evening, July 30. Dubbed as “The Valley of Speed,” Lebanon Valley Speedway will award a $7,000 winner’s share, also guaranteeing a minimum of $1,000 to each main event starter. The combined event purse is a staggering $39,450.

Lebanon Valley Speedway will open pit gates at 3:00pm on Sunday afternoon. The Arctic Cat All Star drivers meeting will take shape at 5:00pm, followed by hot laps at 5:45pm. Those who are seeking additional news and notes should visit Lebanon Valley Speedway live on the Web at www.lebanonvalley.com.

Contingency Awards/Results: Orange County Fair Speedway – Saturday, July 29, 2017:
EMi Driver’s Meeting: 29 entries
State Water Heaters Warm-Ups: Tony Stewart – 18.132 seconds
Lincoln Electric Fast Qualifier: Sammy Swindell – 17.658 seconds
Ford Performance Heat #1: Mike Mahaney
All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads Heat #2: Coleman Gulick
Hunt Brothers Pizza Heat #3: Jimmy Seger
JE Pistons Dash #1: Sammy Swindell
Classic Ink USA B-Main: Brandon Matus
Daido Engine Bearings Main Event Winner: Sammy Swindell
MSD Performance Hard Charger Award: Caleb Armstrong (+10)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 5th Place Finisher: Davey Sammons (6th)
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 10th Place Finisher: Anthony Fiore
Outback Steakhouse A-Main 15th Place Finisher: Lee Jacobs
(Lincoln Electric, Daido Engine Bearings, MSD Performance, Outback Steakhouse: Need decal to qualify for contingency award)

Qualifying
Group (A)
1. 22-Brandon Spithaler, 18.229; 2. 35-Tyler Esh, 18.248; 3. 33mm-Mike Mahaney, 18.359; 4. 8M-TJ Michael, 18.361; 5. 747-Davey Sammons, 18.4; 6. 91-Anthony Fiore, 18.486; 7. 1Z-Stewart Friesen, 18.54; 8. 7K-Dan Shetler, 18.573; 9. 10-Joe Kata, 18.682; 10. 33-Brent Matus, 19.253

Group (B)
1. 14-Tony Stewart, 17.8; 2. 17-Caleb Helms, 18.081; 3. 1080-Jordan Mackison, 18.189; 4. 14c-Coleman Gulick, 18.194; 5. 5-Justin Barger, 18.201; 6. 13-Brandon Matus, 18.242; 7. 59-Ryan Smith, 18.315; 8. 33M-Max Stambaugh, 18.437; 9. 7C-Caleb Armstrong, 99; 10. 30-Scott Goodrich, NT

Group ( C )
1. 35s-Sammy Swindell, 17.658; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah, 17.873; 3. 51-John Garvin, 18.417; 4. 2-Jimmy Seger, 18.468; 5. 10c-Paulie Colagiovanni, 18.618; 6. 81-Lee Jacobs, 18.648; 7. 95-Hunter Mackison, 18.738; 8. 1-Scott Flammer, 19.052; 9. 1Q-Thomas Radivoy, 19.564

Heat #1 – Group (A) (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
1. 33MM-Mike Mahaney [2]; 2. 35-Tyler Esh [3]; 3. 22-Brandon Spithaler [4]; 4. 8M-TJ Michael [1]; 5. 1Z-Stewart Friesen [7]; 6. 747-Davey Sammons [5]; 7. 10-Joe Kata [9]; 8. 91-Anthony Fiore [6]; 9. 7K-Dan Shetler [8]; 10. 33-Brent Matus [10]

Heat #2 – Group (B) (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
1. 14C-Coleman Gulick [1]; 2. 1080-Jordan Mackison [2]; 3. 17-Caleb Helms [3]; 4. 14-Tony Stewart [4]; 5. 5-Justin Barger [5]; 6. 59-Ryan Smith [7]; 7. 33M-Max Stambaugh [8]; 8. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [9]; 9. 13-Brandon Matus [6]

Heat #3 – Group ( C ) (8 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
1. 2-Jimmy Seger [1]; 2. 10H-Chad Kemenah [3]; 3. 51-John Garvin [2]; 4. 35S-Sammy Swindell [4]; 5. 81-Lee Jacobs [6]; 6. 10C-Paulie Colagiovanni [5]; 7. 1-Scott Flammer [8]; 8. 1Q-Thomas Radivoy [9]; 9. 95-Hunter Mackison [7]

Dash #1 (6 Laps)
1. 35S-Sammy Swindell [1]; 2. 35-Tyler Esh [2]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [3]; 4. 10H-Chad Kemenah [5]; 5. 14C-Coleman Gulick [6]; 6. 33MM-Mike Mahaney [7]; 7. 2-Jimmy Seger [4]; 8. 1080-Jordan Mackison [8]

B-Main (10 Laps) – Top 6 Transfer
1. 13-Brandon Matus [1]; 2. 33M-Max Stambaugh [2]; 3. 7K-Dan Shetler [4]; 4. 10-Joe Kata [5]; 5. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [9]; 6. 91-Anthony Fiore [3]; 7. 1-Scott Flammer [6]; 8. 1Q-Thomas Radivoy [8]; 9. 33-Brent Matus [7]; 10. 95-Hunter Mackison [10]

A-Main (25 Laps)
1. 35s-Sammy Swindell [1]; 2. 17-Caleb Helms [7]; 3. 22-Brandon Spithaler [8]; 4. 10c-Paulie Colagiovanni [16]; 5. 1Z-Stewart Friesen [12]; 6. 747-Davey Sammons [15]; 7. 33mm-Mike Mahaney [6]; 8. 8M-TJ Michael [10]; 9. 59-Ryan Smith [14]; 10. 91-Anthony Fiore [22]; 11. 7C-Caleb Armstrong [21]; 12. 5-Justin Barger [11]; 13. 51-John Garvin [9]; 14. 10H-Chad Kemenah [4]; 15. 81-Lee Jacobs [13]; 16. 10-Joe Kata [20]; 17. 33M-Max Stambaugh [18]; 18. 7K-Dan Shetler [19]; 19. 1-Scott Flammer [23]; 20. 35-Tyler Esh [2]; 21. 2-Jimmy Seger [5]; 22. 13-Brandon Matus [17]; 23. 14c-Coleman Gulick [3]; 24. 1080-Jordan Mackison [24] Lap Leaders: Sammy Swindell [1-25]

Current Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions Standings (July 29, 2017):
1. Chad Kemenah – 4102
2. Ryan Smith – 3828
3. Caleb Armstrong – 3770
4. Max Stambaugh – 3448
5. Caleb Helms – 3292
6. T.J. Michael – 3253
7. Brandon Spithaler – 3219
8. Tyler Esh – 3107
9. Brandon Matus – 3054
10. John Garvin – 2960