SAMMY... Not Retired Yet!

Sammy Swindell announced he would retire from sprint car racing on August 25, 2014. Now six months later he is back! The announcement came yesterday via Twitter from Sammy's PR guys at Inside Line Promotions that he will be driving the Cooper Racing #01 in a USCS sanctioned event at Magnolia, MS.

I don’t think this announcement is a huge shock to most fans. I was skeptical that his career would end at the time of his announcement. The rumors of Sammy returning in 2015 were there all winter, and I heard this was a serious possibility at the Chili Bowl. I have a credible source that told me there was a plan forming in early February for Sammy to be racing a car at a lot of Knoxville and NSL races this summer, but that plan has fizzled. 

2015 World of Outlaws Preview

It’s a new year and the scoreboard is set to zero for everyone. They all have hope for a great season to come. Some will win, some will struggle. Can Donny Schatz win a seventh championship? Will Daryn Pittman recapture the title? Can Joey Saldana build on his succes last year and win his first championship? After 6 wins last year will Kerry Madsen and his team take a step up and win more and be a serious contender? Can Paul McMahan and Shane Stewart be players this season? A lot of questions will be answered by the time the World Finals comes in November.

There will be 14 teams attempting to run the full season and it should be a very competitive one. Looking back one year ago we had Steve, Sammy, and Tim Kaeding in the picture. We still may see Steve on a limited schedule this year on the tour and I wouldn’t be shocked if Sammy is back in a sprint car at some point this summer. But the series has picked up Shane Stewart, Jason Johnson, and Craig Dollansky is back to even things out.

Bryan Clauson Has Wings!

Bryan Clauson at 2013 Knoxville Nationals
Studio 92 Photo Credit

Bryan Clauson, the 2-time USAC National Sprint Car champion, 2-time USAC National Midget champion, and 2014 Chili Bowl winner is adding a wing to his sprint car full-time in 2015. The decorated non-wing sprint car driver has tinkered with winged cars the past few seasons, racing a part-time schedule in 2013 and 2014, including an A-Main start in the 2014 FVP Knoxville Nationals in only his second entry at the Nationals. Now Clauson will tackle winged sprints full-time in the Midwest with a focus on the newly formed National Sprint League and at KnoxvilleRaceway in the Lucas Oil Knoxville Championship Cup Series aboard the Cole Wood Racing 17w car.

Clauson started the 2012 Indianapolis 500 and plans to attempt to qualify for 2015 Indy 500 this May. He also has some seat time in NASCAR on his resume. There is no doubt this guy has talent. Clauson was left without a full-time ride this fall when it was announced that Tony Stewart Racing was closing up their USAC operations, presumably to focus more on Schatz, Kinser, and now the All-Star Series