1/14/1989
Chili Bowl Nationals
SAMMY SWINDELL TAKES TULSA’S THIRD ANNUAL CHILI BOWL NATIONALS
By Don Hubbard
TULSA, Okla. (January 14, 1989) – A crowd of over 3,000 fans were on hand to see Sprint Car star Sammy Swindell start outside pole in the brand new Jack Runyon/Jack Rentals sponsored Pontiac powered Challenger midget and lead flag-to-flag to win the Third Annual “Original Chili Bowl Midget Nationals” at Tulsa’s Expo Square indoor quarter-mile dirt track.
Before the twenty-one car field hit the starting line for the start of the 35-lap feature, several cars tangled between turns three and four with Robby Flock’s #96A eliminated with a punctured oil tank. On the restart, Swindell took command. Rick Taylor took a slow roll in turn two calling for a red flag. Duke DeRosa was also involved but both were able to restart at the rear.
Swindell again took off on the green with Vogler the chaser, with Johnny Heydenreich third and Kevin Olson fourth. Meanwhile, Jack Hewitt, one of the few cars working the outside groove thrilled the fans with his drive from eighth to third at the halfway mark, keeping Vogler in sight until the twentieth lap when he blasted by the five-time National Midget champion into second position.
Vogler pressed harder and harder to try and regain second, bouncing off the number one turn wall a few times, which cost him another position on the 33rd lap Heydenreich snuck by for third, moving Vogler to fourth, with Olson rounding out the top five at the checkered.
Steve Enlow was sixth, with Dave Strickland, Jr., Dean Ward, Mike Gregg and Danny Frye, Jr., rounding out the top ten.
Over eighty cars on hand required nine qualifying races won by Enlow, Duke DeRosa, Rick Taylor, Flock, Ward, Don Lehmann, Gregg, Jackie Burke and Randy Koch.
Bev Griffis, one of two female drivers in the field, won the first C Feature, with Tim Siner taking the second C Main. Dean Franklin and Jerry Russell won the B Features.
Danny Frye, Jr., involved in a skirmish in his heat, used a guaranteed spot to start the A. Frye won the Creek County Speedway Chili Bowl qualifier.
Results
First Heat: 1. Steve Enlow, 2. Roy Payne, 3. Randy Mausteller, 4. Kelly Shaw, 5. Gene Beach, 6. Kenny French, 7. Pat Lysell, Jr., 8. Lisa French, 9. Buster Linne.
Second Heat: 1. Duke DeRosa, 2. Dave Strickland, Jr., 3. Bob Thoman, 4. Dean Billings, 5. Gary Germar, 6. Rossie Morris, 7. Jeff Palazzio, 8. Steve Knepper, 9. Bill Eslick.
Third Heat: 1. Rick Taylor, 2. Jack Hewitt, 3. J.R. Miller, 4. Billy Molkenbur, 5. Kevin Doty, 6. Dave Burns, 7. Shane Carson, 8. Dink Glidden, 9. Shannon Finley.
Fourth Heat: 1. Robby Flock, 2. Adrian Berryhill, 3. Dean Franklin, 4. Mel Kenyon, 5. Mike Wente, 6. Mike Stewart, 7. Stan Lindsay, 8. Steve Stasa, 9. Ken Schrader.
Fifth Heat: 1. Dean Ward, 2. Ricky Johnson, 3. Terry Holderfield, 4. Greg Lueckert, 5. Wesley Hardin, 6. Rory Peachy, 7. Robert McGuire, 8. Ron Hughes, Jr., 9. Dick Billings.
Sixth Heat: 1. Don Lehmann, 2. Aaron Berryhill, 3. Richard Pole, 4. Terry Wente, 5. Jon Backlund, 6. Steve Newman, 7. John Yonke III, 8. Steve Hahn, 9. Jerry Russell.
Seventh Heat: 1. Mike Gregg, 2. Gene Gennetten, 3. Steve Gennetten, 4. Dan Ford, 5. Scotty Weyant, 6. Steve Enlow, 7. Darrell Calhoun, 8. Dave Baldini.
Eighth Heat: 1. Jackie Burke, 2. Scott Hatton, 3. Scott Frew, 4. Jeff Lee, 5. Tim Siner, 6. Bill Luse, 7. Leo Tucker, 8. Danny Frye, Jr., 9. Tom Eatwell.
Ninth Heat: 1. Randy Koch, 2. Bobby Brummett, 3. Mike Brooks, 4. Jim McVay, 5. Larry Dewell, 6. Bev Griffis, 7. Rex Combs, 8. David Camfield, 9. Tommy Hahn.
First C Feature: 1. Bev Griffis, 2. Jerry Russell, 3. Jeff Palazzio, 4. Steve Hahn, 5. Tommy Hahn, 6. Leo Tucker, 7. Darrell Calhoun, 8. Gery Germar, 9. Howie Sewell, 10. Steve Newman, 11. David Camfield, 12. Ken Schrader, 13. Kenny French, 14. Stan Lindsay.
Second C Feature: 1. Tim Siner, 2. Rory Peachy, 3. Gene Beach, 4. Buster Linne, 5. Bill Luse, 6. Rossie Morris, 7. Dink Glidden, 8. Pat Lysell, 9. Dick Billings, 10. Robert McGuire, 11. Shane Carson, 12. Shannon Finley, 13. Lisa French, 14. John Yonke III, 15. Dave Baldini, 16. Tom Eatwell, 17. Rex Combs.
First B Feature: 1. Dean Franklin, 2. Scott Frew, 3. J.R. Miller, 4. Ricky Johnson, 5. Tim Siner, 6. Jim McVay, 7. Wesley Hardin, 8. Jeff Lee, 9. Rory Peachey, 10. Bobby Brummett, 11. Billy Molkenbur.
Second B Feature: 1. Jerry Russell.
A Feature (35 Laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Jack Hewitt, 3. John Heydenreich, 4. Rich Vogler, 5. Kevin Olson, 6. Steve Enlow, 7. Dave Strickland, Jr., 8. Dean Ward, 9. Mike Gregg, 10. Danny Frye, Jr., 11. Scott Hatton, 12. Duke DeRosa, 13. Don Lehmann, 14. Dean Franklin, 15. Jerry Russell, 16. Randy Koch, 17. Scott Frew, 18. Rick Taylor, 19. Richard Pole, 20. Gene Gennetten.
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