Swindell slows down, still racing

LITTLE ROCK — The landscape of sprint car racing has changed considerably since Jeff Swindell walked away from the sport nearly 10 years ago.

But even though he has not been a part of the sport's national scene since 1999, Swindell will still be considered one of the favorites to win the 20th annual O'Reilly Short Track Nationals, which begins tonight at Little Rock's I-30 Speedway.

Swindell, of Memphis, circled the nation for more than two decades with the World of Outlaws sprint tour. Before that, he and his older brother Sammy, Bobby Davis Jr., Mike Ward, Eddie Gallagher and others formed one of the most lethal sprint weekly shows anywhere at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis. Sammy Swindell and Davis would go on to win World of Outlaws national championships.

Jeff Swindell, 45, enjoyed his share of Outlaws success as well. His 32 career victories in the series still rank 12th on the all-time list.

But by 1999, the strain of the road and the staggering length of the Outlaws schedule - typically 90-100 races - helped him decide to step away.

"Everything with the Outlaws had gotten so monotonous," he said. "At one point, there was a three-month stretch before we got to come home. The kids were growing up, and I was missing too much of that, and I was too old at that point to be considered by any of the NASCAR or Indy car teams.

"So I decided, 'To hell with it. I'm going home.' "

Swindell spent most of the nextfour years managing his home development/sales business. In 2003, he was approached to drive a 360 sprinter for Donn Goodson in the United Sprint Car Series. He agreed, and the victories that followed included a 360 Nationals title at the famed Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway.

But the USCS schedule forced him to travel considerably throughout the Southeast, which was more than Swindell wanted.

"It was 30 or 35 races, and that was too much," he said. "So I backed out."

Swindell was rarely far from racing. He built cars that his wife Sissy and daughter Britini raced in the mini-stock division at Riverside.

But heading into last year's Fourth of July weekend, discussions began that eventually put Swindell back in a sprint car seat. Kevin Davis, a 305 sprint driver who did paint and dry wall work for Swindell's house business, purchased a 360 sprinter. But after a couple 360 outings, he decided it was not for him.

"He called me and said the 360 was a little too quick for him, and he wanted me to jump in it," Swindell said. "I tried to talk my way out of it, but finallyI decided, 'What the heck?' We went over and finished fourth in a USCS show at Garnertown [Tenn.]."

He drove the car about six times last season and has been a regular at Riverside in both the 360 and 305 divisions this season. He won 11 features at Riverside this season - 8 in the 360s and 3 in the wingless 305 cars.

Practically every sprint car in the nation carried a 410-cubic inch engine when Swindell was in his racing heyday. In the early 1990s, the American Sprint Car Series - the sanctioning body of the Short Track Nationals - began utilizing smaller and cheaper 360 engines. Today, only the World of Outlaws and a handful of larger tracks run 410 sprinters consistently.

"I'm not sure why anyone is running 410s anymore, unless it's the egos of the guys who are," Swindell said. "Heck, the 360s are making about as much horsepower as the 410s were when I was [with the Outlaws]."

This weekend, Swindell plans to venture west to I-30 Speedway for one of two most prestigious 360 events in the nation. The purse, which includes $20,000 to win and $2,000 to start, figures to draw most of the top sprintdrivers in the world.

The winner's purse could be even larger by virtue of the Comp Cams Challenge. The top two qualifiers after tonight and Friday night's preliminaries will be given the option of giving up their front-row starting spots for spaces in the final row of the 24-car field. If they do opt to make the move and are able to win, they will collect $45,000.

Swindell was never a regular at I-30 during the formative years of his career, visiting the track only for special events and Outlaws shows. And Swindell said he does not think he has raced at I-30 since 1993, the last year the Short Track Nationals was a 410 event.

"I've talked to a few guys who race over there quite a bit, Terry Gray and a few others," he said. "They said the only thing different is the lights are better. So hopefully, we can go over there and have a good run."20th annual O'Reilly Short Track Nationals WHAT One of the nation's richest and most prestigious 360 sprint car events WHERE I-30 Speedway, Little Rock WHEN Tonight-Saturday night. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 7:30 p.m. both nights.

PURSE $20,000 to win, $2,000 to start Saturday night's main event. Also, top two qualifiers will have opportunity to accept the Comp Cams Challenge, start from the rear and earn a $25,000 bonus if they win.

SCHEDULE Tonight and Friday night: Heats, last-chance races, qualifiers and preliminary features. Saturday night: Heats, last-chance races, qualifiers, Pack's Dash for Cash, 40-lap finale.

TICKETS Tonight and Friday night: Grandstand admission is $15 for adults, $2 for children aged 6-12; pit passes are $30. Saturday night: Grandstand admission is $27 for adults, $5 for children aged 6-12; pit passes are $35.