Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

is he done racing for the year or only running weekend shows?

This article should answer your question:

http://www.racinboys.com/2014/08/13/big-game-motorsports-driver-sammy-swindell-meets-mechanical-woes-at-knoxville/

Good question. I was disappointed in 410 performance after prelim wins at King's Royal & Knoxville 360s. He only made the A based on good time trial. Even sadder to say he's finally beating Kinser..... ouch

He's going to take a month off? I can't believe that. 

Not too hard for me to believe as someone close to Sammy's age and equally gray and tied to the recliner.  The tour is brutal at any age but especially for folks old enough to qualify for an AARP card.  You have to be that age to understand, it really does take a lot more effort to do the things we did as younger men. 

They lost two motors and it sounds like they need to do some work on their transporter.  Steve is on his farewell tour, Sammy has followed the whole tour and run a regional schedule over the years.  It's really no surprise, I'm guessing if they'd have had a better spot in the points they might have stuck with it.  No sense burning up diesel, motors and tires criss crossing the country at this point. 

Stan Meissner

Anyone else get the feeling this deal is about done ??. No speed really all season and don't know why..

I think your right but hope your wrong, it's like he all the sudden fell out of the seat and don't have it no more. I don't remember a season this bad for him ever. I don't see how Todd and Big game can keep backing Sammy with such poor results but hope they do.

Maybe do the ole switcharoo, and put dollanksy in the outlaw car, and sammy in the knoxville car

wouldn't be surprised to see Jason Meyers in that car next year.

Sammy has had a ton of bad luck this year also.

If Sammy can still win at Pevely and Eldora I don't think he's become a slouch in the seat, those are awful tough places to win at and one HAS to be elbows up in both places.....

Wasn't he running Parker motor at the beginning of the year, then Kistler Motor for awhile, and then Parker Motor again at Kville.....just curious about the switching back and forth?

My understanding is the Night before the King's Royal he was still running a Parker, but Kistler had tuned the motor for him.

Surprised I hadn't seen it talked about yet, but might have missed it that same evening was his first evening on Penske Shocks too. That was part of the reason they wanted to go test at Knoxville over the next few weeks after that.

Here's his last month since making some changes:

First night at Knoxville quick time and a 6th in the A on a heavy track. Brown started 7th and finished 5th with a late pass on Sammy if that puts in in perspective. Great race that night by the way between Madsen and Henderson for the win. 

Next week, also near the top of qualifying, did not make it out of his heat, lost a u joint while running top two in the B.

Looked good at 360 nationals. Win and a podium.

Qualifying night running 5th in his heat when the motor gave out. Makes it out of the B and gains 8 spots on a heavy track. Was up 10 spots at one point before fading a bit at the end.

Started the A 15th on Saturday, only about 90 other drivers would have like to be in his position and was up to 11th in a lap and a half. Another motor blown.

MSPN said it in a shorter fashion but he can still get the job done. Nothing to see here, just regrouping and continuing to get the program back on track.

Craig is sleeping in his own bed by choice.

Stan Meissner

If that would happen, and Sammy runs the entire season at Knoxville, he's my hands down choice as the 2015 Knoxville Nationals Champion. 

I agree with Missouri - But I bet Sammy wants on the tour full time

Man, I'm a BIG Sammy fan and all season (and most of last) have hated to see him struggle. I watched him at Knoxville when he came off the WoO tour to tune up for Nationals and WASN'T impressed at all with what I saw. I realize they were trying some different setups and what not, but whatever they were trying sure didn't seem to be working. But then he looked good on his 360 qualifying night and won the A-Main and I thought "hmmm, if only that could translate into the 410's". Wishful thinking, I thought. But then on his Time trial laps he looked like, well, himself! Timing 5th at the Knoxville Nationals isn't EVER easy and I would say impossible for someone that has fallen out of the seat or is past his prime. Then he came out for his heat and he looked like 2010 Sammy again, like he was in one of the 5-10 dominant cars at the Nationals, and  I couldn't believe it. Then of course the motor issues washed out his opportunities the rest of the way (was that 4 Parker motors blown in 360 & 410 Nationals combined?!!?-unheard of). I still can't believe that he's only won ONE Nationals, but bad luck happens to everybody and he just seems to have stockpiles of it come August in Iowa.

I really hope that the bright spots at Knoxville are something that they can build on and not regress back to struggling like they had been earlier this year. Sammy #1!

Are you saying Craig did not want to be running with the outlaws? Are you interested in buying a bridge ?

It is a long trip fron Tenn. every week to race

Hey, I called it !!