Sammy Swindell

Samuel Alan "Slammin Sammy" Swindell (born October 26, 1955) is an American sprint car driver. He is a three-time champion and four-time runner-up in the World of Outlaws series; he has also competed in NASCAR and Champ Car competition and attempted to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500.

Career

Swindell is a three-time World of Outlaws champion. He won his first two titles in 1981 and 1982 driving the famous Nance Speed Equipment #1n house car. He won his third title in 1997 driving his own Channel Lock sponsored No. 1 team car. Sammy has 394 World of Outlaws A-main victories to his credit. He also competed in the CART series in 1985 and 1986 and failed to qualify for the 1987 Indianapolis 500 in a March-Pontiac. Swindell took off the wings in 1981, to win the prestigious Pacific Coast Nationals at Ascot.

Swindell made his debut in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in the 1985 Atlanta Journal 500; in 1991, he planned to move full-time to the Winston Cup Series, competing for Rookie of the Year for Moroso Racing, but he was fired by the team following several spins during Speedweeks and crashing again in qualifying for the second race of the year at Richmond International Raceway. Following his release he returned to sprint car racing.

Swindell ran a limited schedule in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1993; the team closed mid-season, and he returned to sprint car racing once more. Swindell also competed in a full season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1995, driving for Akins-Sutton Motorsports; he finished 12th in points, scoring five top-ten finishes in the series' inaugural season.

2007 was Swindell's 35th consecutive year as a race car driver, racing beside his eighteen-year-old son Kevin. He's a five-time winner of the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, the only driver to win it more than three times, until his son Kevin won his fourth straight race in 2013. During the 2008 season he raced in northern California winning a main event in the California Civil War Series in Placerville and also at the famed Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. Swindell is considered one of the best driver/setup men in the business. He is known for experimenting with innovative technology.

Swindell's father Sam, was a successful driver and his brother Jeff, is still an active and successful sprint car driver.

On August 25, 2014, Swindell announced he was retiring from racing, though he intends to race in the Chili Bowl Nationals.

In 2015, Swindell made short work of retirement and signed with Chad and Jenn Clemens owners of CJB Motorsports out of Telford, Pennsylvania. Swindell ran a partial schedule and will do the same in 2016. He stated he has no intention of running a full schedule anymore, but picks and chooses the races he wants to run. This benefits the team with testing and keeps him active in the sport he loves. As of September 2020, he has 394 World of Outlaws Sprint Car wins.

Swindell continues to compete in various sprint car events. He scored two wins in 2023, his first wins in a sprint car since 2018. He also won a race in 2025. In July 2025, Swindell raced a pavement sprint car for the first time since 1992.

Motorsports career results

World of Outlaws 1978: 9th in points – 2 wins 1979: 2nd in points – 11 wins 1980: 5th in points – 10 wins 1981: Champion – 28 wins 1982: Champion – 14 wins 1983: 3rd in points – 17 wins 1984: 2nd in points – 13 wins 1985: 7th in points – 14 wins 1986: 11th in points – 12 wins 1987: 12th in points – 6 wins 1988: 2nd in points – 8 wins 1990: 10th in points – 14 wins 1991: 9th in points – 15 wins 1992: 11th in points – 20 wins 1994: 5th in points – 7 wins 1995: 12th in points – 5 wins 1996: 3rd in points – 11 wins 1997: Champion – 19 wins 1998: 3rd in points – 7 wins 1999: 5th in points – 8 wins 2000: 2nd in points – 11 wins 2001: 18th in points – 2 wins 2002: 17th in points – 1 win 2003: 11th in points – 1 win 2004: 18th in points – 3 wins 2005: 19th in points – 3 wins 2006 2007 2008 2009: 13th in points – 0 wins 2010: 16th in points – 4 wins 2011: 12th in points – 4 wins 2012: 3rd in points – 13 wins 2013: 6th in points – 3 wins 2014: 14th in points – 2 wins 2015: 16th in points – 0 wins 2016: 16th in points – 0 wins 2017: 74th in points – 0 wins 2018: 57th in points – 0 wins 2019: 45th in points – 0 wins 2020: 38th in points – 0 wins 2021: 188th in points – 0 wins 2022: 93rd in points – 0 wins 2024: 134th in points – 0 wins

Indy Car World Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points Ref 1985 Patrick Racing LBH INDY MIL POR MEA CLE MCH23 ROA POC25 MOH SAN MCH LAG PHX MIA 53rd 0 1986 A. J. Foyt Racing PHX LBH INDY MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MIC POC MOH SAN MIC ROA LAG PHX MIA 29th 4 1987 Machinists Union Racing LBH PHX INDY MIL POR MEA CLE TOR MIC POC ROA MOH NAZ LAG MIA NC -

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series NASCAR Winston Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Pts Ref 1985 Blue Max Racing 72 Pontiac DAY RCH CAR ATL BRI DAR NWS MAR TAL DOV CLT RSD POC MCH DAY POC TAL MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR ATL30 RSD 100th 73 1991 Moroso Racing 20 Olds DAY41 RCHWth† CAR ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL CLT DOV SON POC MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 90th 40 † - Fired after first round qualifying and replaced by Bobby Hillin Jr.

Daytona 500 Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish 1991 Moroso Racing Oldsmobile 32 41

Busch Series NASCAR Busch Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Pts Ref 1984 Blue Max Racing 27 Pontiac DAY12 RCH CAR HCY MAR DAR ROU NSV LGY MLW DOV 69th 200 Olds CLT30 SBO HCY ROU SBO ROU HCY IRP LGY SBO BRI DAR RCH NWS CLT HCY CAR MAR 1985 Pontiac DAY20 CAR HCY BRI MAR DAR SBO LGY DOV CLT32 SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO LGY HCY MLW BRI DAR RCH NWS ROU 61st 216 77 CLT39 HCY CAR MAR 1986 Barcomb Racing 51 Pontiac DAY17 CAR HCY MAR BRI DAR SBO LGY JFC DOV CLT SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO RAL OXF SBO HCY LGY ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR ROU CLT CAR MAR 91st 112 1993 TMC Racing Team 26 Ford DAY CAR RCH DAR21 BRI HCY ROU MAR NZH CLT DOV19 MYB GLN MLW20 TAL IRP34 MCH NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV ROU CLT MAR CAR HCY ATL 56th 370

SuperTruck Series NASCAR SuperTruck Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Pts Ref 1995 Akins-Sutton Motorsports 38 Ford PHO17 TUS7 SGS24 MMR10 POR13 EVG17 I7024 LVL13 BRI4* MLW12 CNS26 HPT21 IRP33 FLM10 RCH17 MAR36 NWS24 SON10 MMR32 PHO39 12th 2109

Trans-Am Championship SCCA Trans Am Championship results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos Pts 1987 Rocketsports 81 Oldsmobile Toronado LBX SON PIR DET MOH BIR LRP ROA MEM6 MSP RAT SPG 31st 10