Kevin Swindell
Wins Wednesday Night Chili Bowl Qualifier!
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January
13, 2010) Kevin Swindell snared his first taste of Chili Bowl glory by wiring the
field in Wednesday nights 25-lap River Spirit Casino Qualifying Showdown main event
at the QuikTrip Centers Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Swindell, the son of five-time and
defending Chili Bowl champion Sammy Swindell, outdueled Cole Whitt for the lead in the
opening rounds and led all the way to the checkered flag with Whitt in tow, as
tenth-starter Brad Kuhn nipped Tim McCreadie at the stripe for the third and final lock-in
position to Saturday nights 24th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals
50-lap championship main event.
Eighteen-year-old Whitt earned the pole
position for the feature event by racing from eighth to win his heat race with a last
corner pass and then charging from sixth to win his qualifying race.
However, it was front row outside starter
Swindell taking advantage of the topside to take command before the caution flew on
consecutive occasions with two laps in the books that sent contenders Josh Ford and Bryan
Clauson to the tail of the field.
The 20-year-old Swindell weathered
another pair of cautions after laps five and 14 before racing to the checkered flag aboard
the Esslinger-powered John Christner Trucking No. 39 Spike.
Every time we got to traffic and I
would of had to start moving around, the yellow came out, Swindell explained. Everything
kinda worked out and I managed to limit the mistakes on the cushion.
Whitt kept Swindell in his sights
throughout but was never able to mount a serious challenge in the Toyota-powered Keith
Kunz Motorsports No. 71 Red Bull Bullet.
I wanted to get into traffic,
Whitt commented. But,
then again, being at the Chili Bowl second is still great. Getting
in the A Main was our goal tonight.
Behind the lead duo, the battle for the
third and final lock-in position to Saturday nights 50-lap finale was fierce. While 2006 Chili Bowl champion Tim McCreadie held
the third position much of the way, 2009 USAC National Midget champion Brad Kuhn worked
his way past Daniel Adler and A.J. Fike for fourth soon after the lap 14 caution and went
to work on McCreadie.
Late Model and DIRT Modified ace
McCreadie and midgeteer Kuhn traded sliders over the final handful of laps with Kuhn
nipping the New Yorker for the show position at the stripe by mere inches.
I knew I had him at the line,
Kuhn commented.
McCreadie settled for fourth in the Wilke
Pak Motorsports No. 11w, with Brad Sweet rounding out the top five in the Kasey Kahne
Racing No. 49.
Adler and Fike crossed the stripe sixth
and seventh, respectively, with Jonathan Beason charging from 17th to eighth. National Midget Driver of the Year Bryan Clauson
rebounded from his early incident to claim ninth, with Brandon Waelti completing the top
ten.
McCreadie, Whitt, Fike, Sweet, Clauson,
Swindell, Davey Ray and Kuhn topped Wednesdays heat race action that included 62
competitors, with Whitt, McCreadie, Clauson and Kevin Bayer winning the qualifying races.
Mike Spencer and Gary Taylor won the twin
C Mains, with Beason and Casey Shuman topping the twin B Mains.
Shane Cockrum and Taylor both got upside
down in the second heat race, Nick ONeal flipped in C Main action and
Brian Carter turned over as the checkered flag flew on the first B Main. There were no injuries.
Four Chili Bowl rookie contenders cracked
the feature field, including Tyler Edwards, Cockrum, Dusty Zomer and Australias Brad
Cox. Cockrum fared the best in the feature
with a 13th place showing after Edwards battled amongst the top five much of the way
before losing power and coming to a stop on the track to bring out the lap 14 caution.
Action at the 24th Annual
Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals resumes with Thursday nights Bully Dog Qualifier,
with racing action set to go green at 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday Nights River Spirit
Casino Qualifying Showdown Results from the 24th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl
Nationals:
Heat
Races (Top 40 in passing points to A Qualifiers; Balance to twin C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #11W Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 2. #12H Rick Hendrix,
Palmdale, CA; 3. #12JR Josh Pelkey, Peoria, AZ; 4. #10P Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 5. #56
Shane Hmiel, Pleasant Garden, NC; 6. #47X Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA; 7. #00 Pete Davis,
Pleasanton, CA; 8. #6C Brian Carter
Heat 2: 1. #71 Cole Whitt, Alpine, CA; 2. #27C Tony Elliott, Warsaw, IN; 3.
#14C Shane Cockrum, Benton, IL; 4. #91AU Brad Cox, Gunnedah, AUS; 5. #18 Floyd Alvis, San
Carlos, CA; 6. #1AU Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 7. #57 Kevin Studley, Plainfield, IN; 8.
#33 Scott Fennell, Littleton, CO
Heat 3: 1. #69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 2. #73 Josh Ford, Oxnard, CA; 3.
#85 Patrick Bruns, Champaign, IL; 4. #19W Wes Gutierrez, San Martin, CA; 5. #401 Daniel
Adler, East Carondolet, IL; 6. #31B Bruce Douglass, Ventura, CA; 7. #11C Chett Gehrke,
Broken Arrow, OK; 8. #6M Justin Mallo, Cheyenne, WY
Heat 4: 1. #49 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA; 2. #60S Wink Schweitzer,
Bakersfield, CA; 3. #91S Jeff Stasa, Kingman, KS; 4. #3J Julee Jamison, Highlands Ranch,
CO; 5. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 6, #73I Austin Wheatley, Lake Stevens, WA; 7. #7C
Pat Schudy, Springfield, MO; 8. #12J Jay Mounce, Downs, IL
Heat 5: 1. #39B Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #15N David Prickett,
Fresno, CA; 3. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, CA; 4. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow,
OK; 5. #14W Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 6. #37T Josh Grady, Farmington, NM; 7. #91
Donnie Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 8. #19T Tanner Mullens, Andale, KS
Heat 6: 1. #39 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, TN; 2. #12K Tyler Edwards,
Ventura, CA; 3. #15H Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 4. #75Z Dusty Zomer, Brandon, SD; 5. #11XC
Steve Newman, Breckenridge, CO; 6. #44X Forrest Slater, Alabaster, AL; 7. #2G Terry
Goodwin, Laveen, AZ; 8. #14 Tony Rossi, Brighton, CO
Heat 7: 1. #2 Davey Ray, Rockford, IL; 2. #07 Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA;
3. #05S Casey Shuman, Tempe, AZ; 4. #2A J.C. Bland, Springfield, IL; 5. #10 Will Pierce,
Lees Summit, MO; 6. #92 Jake Rosario, Guthrie, OK; 7. #19N Nick O'Neal, Wagoner, OK
Heat 8: 1. #17B Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 2. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI;
3. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby, OK; 4. #35T Tyler Robbins, Collinsville, IL; 5. #89H Andrew
Hannula, Matawan, NJ; 6. #31E Evan Sewell, Tulsa, OK; 7. #14K Channing Zierolf, Houma, LA
C
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to back of corresponding B Main)
C Main 1: 1. #47X Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA; 2. #73I Austen Wheatley, Lake
Stevens, WA; 3. #19T Tanner Mullens, Andale, KS; 4. #6C Brian Carter, Concord, NC; 5. #7C
Pat Schudy, Springfield, MO; 6. #00 Pete Davis, Pleasanton, CA; 7. #14 Tony Rossi,
Brighton, CO; 8. #18 Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 9. #44X Forrest Slater, Alabaster, AL;
10. #2G Terry Goodwin, Laveen, AZ; 11. #57 Kevin Studley, Plainfield, IN
C Main 2: 1. #1AU Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 2. #11C Chet Gehrke, Broken
Arrow, OK; 3. #31E Evan Sewell, Tulsa, OK; 4. #92 Jake Rosario, Guthrie, OK; 5. #6M Justin
Mallo, Cheyenne, WY; 6. #14K Channing Zierolf, Houma, LA; 7. #31B Bruce Douglass, Ventura,
CA; 8. #12J Jay Mounce, Downs, IL; 9. #19N Nick O'Neal, Wagoner, OK; 10. #91 Donnie Trent,
Honey Brook, PA; DNS -- #33 Scott Fennell, Littleton, CO
A
Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #71 Cole Whitt, Alpine, CA; 2. #12JR Josh Pelkey, Peoria,
AZ; 3. #3W Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI; 4. #12K Tyler Edwards, Ventura, CA; 5. #14C
Shane Cockrum, Benton, IL; 6. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 7. #75Z Dusty Zomer,
Brandon, SD; 8. #12H Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 9. #19W Wes Gutierrez, San Martin, CA;
10. #10P Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA
A Qualifier 2: 1. #11W Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 2. #39 Kevin Swindell,
Germantown, TN; 3. #49 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA; 4. #51S Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria,
CA; 5. #05S Casey Shuman, Tempe, AZ; 6. #56 Shane Hmiel, Pleasant Garden, NC; 7. #27C Tony
Elliott, Warsaw, IN; 8. #89H Andrew Hannula, Matawan, NJ; 9. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood,
MO; 10. #11XC Steve Newman, Breckenridge, CO
A Qualifier 3: 1. #39B Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 2. #73 Josh Ford,
Oxnard, CA; 3. #15H Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 4. #2A J.C. Bland, Springfield, IL; 5. #2
Davey Ray, Rockford, IL; 6. #91AU Gunnedah, AUS; 7. #14W Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH;
8. #91S Jeff Stasa, Kingman, KS; 9. #60S Wink Schweitzer, Bakersfield, CA; 10. #10 Will
Pierce, Lees Summit, MO
A Qualifier 4: 1. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby, OK; 2. #401 Daniel Adler, East
Carondolet, IL; 3. #17B Brad Kuhn, Avon, IN; 4. #35T Tyler Robbins, Collinsville, IL; 5.
#69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 6. #15N David Prickett, Fresno, CA; 7. #15N David Prickett,
Fresno, CA; 8. #85 Patrick Bruns, Champaign, IL; 9. #37T Josh Grady, Farmington, NM; 10.
#07 Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA
B
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #36 Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 2. #2 Davey Ray,
Rockford, IL; 3. #75Z Dusty Zomer, Brandon, SD; 4. #91AU Brad Cox, Gunnedah, AUS; 6. #19W
Wes Gutierrez, San Martin, CA; 7. #47X Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA; 8. #37T Josh Grady,
Farmington, NM; 9. #91S Jeff Stasa, Kingman, KS; 10. #85 Patrick Bruns, Champaign, IL; 11.
#19T Tanner Mullens, Andale, KS; 12. #10P Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 13. #12H Rick
Hendrix, Palmdale, CA; 14. #11XC Steve Newman, Breckenridge, CO; 15. #73I Austen Wheatley,
Lake Stevens, WA; 16. #6C Brian Carter, Concord, NC
B Main 2: 1. #05S Casey Shuman, Tempe, AZ; 2. #14W Matt Westfall, Ludlow
Falls, OH; 3. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 4. #56 Shane Hmiel, Pleasant Garden, NC; 5.
#1AU Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 6. #07 Randy Hannagan, San Jose, CA; 7. #11C Chett
Gehrke, Broken Arrow, OK; 8. #27C Tony Elliott, Warsaw, IN; 9. #15N David Prickett,
Fresno, CA; 10. #10 Will Pierce, Lees Summit, MO; 11. #3J Julee Jamison, Highlands Ranch,
CO; 12. #60S Wink Schweitzer, Bakersfield, CA; 13. #89H Andrew Hannula, Matawan, NJ; 14.
#92 Jake Rosario, Guthrie, OK; 15. #2A J.C. Bland, Springfield, IL; 16. #31E Evan Sewell,
Tulsa, OK
A
Main (25 laps Top 3 advance to Saturday Night's Main Event)
1. #39 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, TN; 2. #71 Cole Whitt, Alpine, CA; 3. #17B Brad
Kuhn, Avon, IN; 4. #11W Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 5. #49 Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA;
6. #401 Daniel Adler, East Carondolet, IL; 7. #69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 8. #36
Jonathan Beason, Broken Arrow, OK; 9. #39B Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 10. #3W Brandon
Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI; 11. #12JR Josh Pelkey, Peoria, AZ; 12. #35T Tyler Robbins,
Collinsville, IL; 13. #14C Shane Cockrum, Benton, IL; 14. #05S Casey Shuman, Tempe, AZ;
15. #15H Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 16. #73 Josh Ford, Oxnard, CA; 17. #56 Shane Hmiel,
Pleasant Grove, NC; 18. #91K Kevin Bayer, Bixby, OK; 19. #14W Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls,
OH; 20. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 21. #91AU Brad Cox, Gunnedah, AUS; 22. #75Z Dusty
Zomer, Brandon, SD; 23. #12K Tyler Edwards, Ventura, CA; 24. #2 Davey Ray, Rockford, IL |