Defending Chili Bowl champ Kevin Swindell led all 25 laps to win the A-Feature during Thursday’s qualifying events at Tulsa Expo Raceway. Photo by Lindsey Marks
Dominating his heat and qualifier was the only difference between Kevin Swindell’s night and that of his father. Like Sammy on Wednesday night, Kevin earned the top of the US Fleet Tracking A-Feature line-up and led all 25 laps on night three of qualifying for the Chili Bowl Nationals at the Tulsa Expo Raceway in Tulsa, OK.
Pacing alongside Jerry Coons Jr., the Super Shox No. 39 left nothing to the imagination; jumping to a half straight-a-way advantage before the caution flew on lap six for the flipped No. 25B of Steve Buckwalter.
At speed, Jerry Coons Jr. made his bid for the race lead. Diving to the hub of turn one, Coons pulled the Dooling Machine No. 63 even with Swindell for the next pair of laps with Swindell holding the lead by inches before the cushion.
“I was ok and I just went back a little conservative after the restart” commented Swindell on his race with Coons. “I didn’t get a good one and two, or three and four, and I knew it would kind of go away. On the next yellow Dad walked out and said you are doing fine, keep doing what you are doing”
Pacing again under caution for the spun No. 67 of Rico Abreu, nine laps had passed as the field resumed with Swindell pulling to a sizable advantage as Coons was left to contend with Cole Whitt.
Charging from fifteenth, Tim McCreadie began his climb through the running order, breaking the top ten before the eleventh circuit in the Andy Bondio No. 47x. Pacing around the bottom berm, the 2006 Chili Bowl Champion held pace between sixth and tenth as attention turned again to the race for the runner up spot.
Trading back and forth for much of the contest, the battle between Coons and Whitt was joined by Brad Sweet with the Grass Valley, California native advanced past Whitt for third on lap eleven, then taking the second spot away from Coons the following lap.
Describing the preferred high line as “treacherous”, Sweet referred to mistakes made during his feature, “The car was really good when I’d hit it right but there was just so many spots on the cushion at the exit of four that it was just so big and ledgy and it was just easy to get tripped up on it.”
Cracking the top five in the later running of the US Fleet Tracking A-Feature, Tim McCreadie worked past Jerry Coons Jr. for third in slower traffic with a trio of laps remaining.
“Our whole night was behind” said McCreadie of his Thursday qualifier. “I’ve been here a few years and my success hasn’t been as good as my failures lately. I’m just happy to be up here with these guys.”
Closing on Sweet, the Watertown, New York native would settle for the final step on the podium as Brad Sweet earned second with Kevin Swindell navigating slower traffic without falter for his third prelim feature victory in as many years.
The top three are locked into Saturday’s Lucas Oil Championship A-Feature.
Jerry Coons Jr. crossed the stripe fourth with 2005 Chili Bowl Champion Tracy Hines navigating to fifth from thirteenth.
Cole Whitt would fade to sixth with J.J. Yeley seventh ahead of Chili Bowl Rookie D.J. Netto. A.J. Hopkins and Andrew Felker completed the top ten.
Thursday’s John Christner Trucking Qualifying Night began with eight Heat Races that saw victories going to Brett Anderson, J.J. Yeley, Brad Sweet, Matt Ward, Kevin Swindell, Tim Sine, Nic Faas, and Jerry Coons Jr.
C-Features went to Dakoda Armstrong and Tanner Swanson with B-Feature wins going to Troy Rutherford and Tim Crawley.
A-Feature Qualifiers numbered four with Kevin Swindell, Cole Whitt, Steve Buckwalter, and Andrew Felker topped the qualifying events.
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Thursday night had 67 drivers from 19 states including Australia draw in for competition.
Action continues tonight with Vacuworx Global qualifying night, leading to the Chili Bowl Nationals on Saturday. For more info, visit www.chilibowl.com.
Chili Bowl Nationals
Tulsa Expo Raceway – Tulsa, OK
John Christner Trucking Qualifier – Jan. 10, 2013
1. 39-Kevin Swindell
2. 67X-Brad Sweet
3. 47X-Tim McCreadie
4. 63-Jerry Coons, Jr.
5. 24-Tracy Hines
6. 5-Cole Whitt
7. 1ST-J.J. Yeley
8. 7N-D.J. Netto
9. 21D-A.J. Hopkins
10. 11A-Andrew Felker
11. 19S-Richard VanderWeerd
12. 05K-Bud Kaeding
13. 71S-Sheldon Haudenschild
14. 11R-Troy Rutherford
15. 67-Rico Abreu
16. 35-Billy Pauch Jr
17. 35S-Matt Sherrell
18. 69-A.J. Fike
19. 14W-Matt Westfall
20. 87-Tim Crawley
21. 11BA-Brett Anderson
22. 8L-Matt Ward
DNF 25B-Steve Buckwalter
DNF 15D-Andrew Deal
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