Swindell takes flag

Sammy Swindell of Bartlett, Tenn., took the victory Saturday night at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway to become the first five-time winner of the Short Track Nationals winged sprint car event. Swindell pocketed $15,800 in winning the event for the second year in row and for the fourth time in the past seven years. He also earned victories in 2013, 2011 and 1990.

Once again, it was veteran Sammy Swindell, showing the youngsters how it’s done.

Swindell, of Bartlett, Tenn., who will celebrate his 62nd birthday in 10 days, took the victory Saturday night at Little Rock’s I-30 Speedway to become the first five-time winner of the Short Track Nationals winged sprint car event.

Winning the event for the second year in row, Swindell pocketed $15,800 and for the fourth time in the past seven years. He also earned victories in 2013, 2011 and 1990.

He also finished second in the inaugural event in 1988, less than a month before second-place finisher Sam Hafertepe Jr. of Sunnyvale, Texas, turned 2 years old.

Gary Wright of Hooks, Texas, had previously shared the STN victories mark with Swindell, winning in 2004, 2003, 1999 and 1995.

Swindell led all 40 laps of Saturday night’s main event, but he had to hold off charges from Hafertepe and Aaron Reutzel to claim the victory.

Starting on the outside of the second row, Swindell split Reutzel, the polesitter, and No. 2 starter Tim Crawley at the green flag and took the lead on the backstretch.

The caution flag flew with 12 laps remaining. Circling the

track under caution, Swindell spied hand signals from the pits by his car owner, A.G. Rains of West Memphis.

“We had that caution, and A.G. signaled for me to go up high,” Swindell said, referencing the outside groove of I-30’s quarter-mile oval. “We were definitely a lot better up there.”

As Swindell maintained a half-straightaway lead, Reutzel passed Hafertepe for second at the white flag, only to have Hafertepe regain the spot on a crossover move and Bill Balog of Hartford, Wis.,

slipped past for third as well. At the checkered flag, Hafertepe took second and Reutzel rallied by Balog for third.

Tony Bruce Jr. of Liberal, Kan., the 2009 and 2008 STN champion was fifth, and 1998 winner Tim Crawley of Benton took sixth.

Marion’s Derek Hagar rallied for his 12th starting spot to finish seventh. Rounding out the top 10 were Jason Martin of Liberal, Kan., Morgan Turpen of Cordova, Tenn., and Skylar Gee of Leduc, Alberta. Benton’s Cody Gardner finished 11th.