Sammy Swindell

26/10/1955

Record updated 26-Oct-06

Swindell ranks second in all-time wins in the World of Outlaws series, having claimed more than 260 feature victories. Swindell has won the WoO championship on three occasions, in 1981, 1982 and 1997.

Sammy Swindell
One of the most recognized names in American motorsports, Sammy Swindell grew up watching his father behind the wheel at many of their local Memphis, Tennessee dirt tracks. In 1971, at the age of fifteen, Sammy took to the dirt at Riverside Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas. In his rookie season, the oldest of two racing Swindell brothers won eleven feature events.

His background is engineering and is mostly self-taught. Although he spent two years in college studying physics and engineering, his race winnings were what paid the bills, but to be successful in racing took a lot of preparation time. "I found myself in a "catch 22" situation. I didn't have the money to go to college without racing and racing took up too much time to go to college. I had some successes in racing, so I decided to stay focused in racing and learn along the way. I don't ever regret making that choice though."

Inherently, Swindell is a shy and private person. Over the years he has earned the reputation of being "all business" at the race track, and much of that reputation can be attributed to a very focused approach to his chosen profession. The best description of Sammy may have come from legendary sprint car owner, LaVerne Nance, the man with whom Sammy won two "World of Outlaws" championships. "When he's at the track or working on the car, it's a living to him and he takes it real seriously. A lot of people don't understand that. He has worked hard all of his life to be successful in racing."

Away from his job, Sammy can relax and chat away for hours on a variety of different subjects. That's a side that most people will never get to see. It's the side where he and his son, Kevin, work on Kevin’s cars or he and close friends just sit and chat away about racing. Also from a racing family, his wife Amy has been a companion since they grew up together around the dirt tracks of Memphis. Amy has been through the exciting times and also the heartbreaks that take place in a successful racing career.

When it's time to race, though, Sammy has an uncanny ability to block out the world and focus on the job at hand. He's always had a hand in preparing and fine tuning his race cars, so it's very common to see him bent over the engine or personally changing the shocks.

From an engineering standpoint, he's been on the leading edge for years. His driving record speaks for itself. Few people demonstrate excellence at either skill, but Sammy Swindell combines the two like a director. It is a very unique talent!

 

2006

  • Swept the April show at Eldora Speedway
  • Won his 267th career World of Outlaws A-Feature at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
2005

  • Finished 19th in World of Outlaws point standings for 2005.
  • Won 4 feature events.
  • Had 27 Top-10 finishes with 20 in the Top-5.
2004

  • Won 3 WoO Features including the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway
  • Had 18 Top-10 finishes with 10 coming in the Top-5
  • Finished 18th in World of Outlaws points despite running only 37 events
2003

  • Ranked 11th in WoO point standings – the 25th time in 26 seasons he finished in the top-20
  • Credited with win at Eldora Speedway on April 19th
  • Won at Bridgeport Speedway for the fifth time in his career
  • Gave the Roth Motorsports’ #83jr 26 Top-10 finishes with 12 in the top-5
2002

  • Drove Roth Motorsports’ #83jr OreCal/Beefpackers Eagle in 20 WoO events
  • Won at Cedar Lake Speedway on July 8th, making it the 258th of his career
  • Ranked 17th in overall point standings
  • Recorded 14 Top-10 finishes, with 6 being in the Top-5
2001

  • Had two "A" feature wins, including Hagerstown Speedway
  • Won the Channellock Challenge at Bristol Motor Speedway for the second and final time
  • Had 23 top-10 finishes with 16 in the top-5
  • Sustained injuries in a collision with a push truck at Lernerville Speedway on July 24th, but returned to race the Knoxville Nationals just two weeks later despite his broken hands
2000

  • Finished second in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points standings, the fourth time in his career he was runner-up
  • Tied for "A" main starts at 61
  • Finished 1st in Channellock Dash victories with 24 wins
  • Won 10 preliminary "A" mains including the Inaugural Wix Filters Southern Showdown at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the spring
  • Had 11 "A" main wins including the Duel in the Dakotas and the Eldora Clash
  • Won the Inaugural Channellock Bristol Challenge
  • Led the most "A" feature laps during the 2000 season with 348
  • Recorded 46 top-10 finishes, including 36 top-5 finishes
  • Holds 13 Vivarin Fast-time Award wins for 2000
  • Second-winningest driver in Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series history with a career total of 255
1999

  • Finished 5th in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points standings
  • 8 Feature wins, including the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH.
  • Recorded 48 top-10 finishes, including 39 top-5
  • Qualified for all 69 "A" features 
1998

  • 6 Feature wins
  • 3rd in Car Owner and Driver Point standings with the World of Outlaws
  • Set world record for speed on dirt with 24.719 seconds(145.637 m.p.h.) at Illinois State Fair Speedway on June 7th, 1998
  • Won his 4th Chili Bowl midget championship, no one else has won more than two
1997

  • Won his 3rd World of Outlaws Championship – (1st and 2nd were 1981 & 1982)
  • Going 15 years between championships is the longest period between championships in major auto racing series
  • Celebrated 25th year in racing
  • 31 Feature wins with only 6 DNF’s for the entire schedule of 100 races
  • Named to 1st Team - All-American Team
  • Received "Driver of the Year" and "Team of the Year" honors
  • Set a record with seven straight feature victories in late August and early September
1996

  • Finished third in the World of Outlaws series points
  • 11 "A" Feature wins and 44 top-5 finishes in 67 races
  • Won his 3rd Chili Bowl title
1995

  • Finished 11th in the final point standings in the inaugural NASCAR SuperTruck series
  • Recorded the first clean sweep in World of Outlaws history at Bridgeport Speedway on August 7th, setting the one-lap record, winning the first Heat race, the Vivarin Dash and the "A" main
1994

  • Posted two sprint car victories in eight starts
  • Won $10,000 to win race on "Slick 50" Sprint Car World Series televised live on TNN - consisted of top finishers from previous races.
1993

  • CHAMPION "Slick 50" Sprint Car World Series televised live on TNN
1992

  • 32 Sprint Car victories, including Kings Royal $50,000 race at Eldora Speedway
  • United States Nationals at Indianapolis
  • Pavement Nationals in Kansas City
  • 25th Anniversary Race in Lernerville, PA
  • 2nd Chili Bowl title

1991

  • 35 Sprint Car victories
  • Claimed the 2nd and last historic Fram Dash Championship for World of Outlaws - first prize paid $65,000
  • Syracuse Dirt Nationals
  • Pavement Nationals in Kansas City
  • Ohio All-Star Sprint Week Champion
  • The only driver in World of Outlaw history to win "A" features at different tracks on the same day - New York State Fair Speedway and Rolling Wheels Raceway on October 12

1990

  • 35 Sprint Car victories
  • Broke seven track records
  • Selinsgrove $50,000 Open
  • 1st Fram Dash Champion for World of Outlaws – paid $65,000 to win
  • Syracuse DIRT Nationals

1989

  • 23 Sprint Car victories
  • Western World Champion, Phoenix, AZ
  • Won his 1st Chili Bowl title
 
1988

  • 21 Sprint Car victories
  • Fram-Autolite Points Champion (points earned via qualifying and Fram Dash Events)
1987

  • 14 Sprint Car victories
  • Alternate in Indianapolis 500 in an '86 March with a Pontiac engine
  • Broke world record for 1 mile dirt track (Syracuse, NY)
1986

  • 28 Sprint Car victories
  • Finished 9th in Pocono 500 in A.J. Foyt car
  • American Racing Series - finished 8th in points - competed in only 8 of 10 events

1985

  • 25 Sprint Car victories
  • Drove STP sponsored Indy car in Michigan 500 and Pocono 500
  • Set one mile dirt track record (Syracuse, NY)
1984

  • 29 Sprint Car victories
  • Set trac12; mile world record at Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH.
  • Finished 12th in Busch Series "Goody’s 300" at Daytona

1983

  • 31 Sprint Car victories
  • Knoxville Nationals Champion
  • Named to All-American Team of Race Drivers

1982

  • 29 Sprint Car victories
  • Won his 2nd World of Outlaws Championship
  • Syracuse DIRT Nationals
  • Winner of Busch Bash for Outlaws "Pole Position" winners

1981

  • 28 Sprint Car victories.
  • Won his 1st World of Outlaws Championship
  • Winner of Busch Bash for Outlaws "Pole Position" winners

1979-80

  • 31 victories in Modifieds, Sprint Cars and Late Models

1978

  • 24 Sprint Car victories
  • 12 Modified victories
  • 10 Late Model Stock Car victories

1977

  • 30 Sprint Car victories in 51 race starts
  • 12 Modified victories in 16 races
  • USAC Midget Feature winner - Denver, CO.

1976

  • 14 Sprint Car victories
  • 13 Modified victories
  • Modified Champion at Riverside Speedway

1975

  • 22 Sprint Car victories
  • Riverside Speedway Points Champion
  • Greenville Speedway Points Champion
  • 15 Modified victories
1974

  • 11 Sprint Car victories
  • 12 Modified victories
  • Riverside Speedway Points Champion in both divisions

1973

  • 16 Modified victories
  • First year driving sprint cars

1972

  • 28 Modified victories at Riverside Speedway
1971

  • 11 B-Modified victories - Riverside Speedway Rookie Season – 15 years of age


Sammy Swindell

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