Forum: SCRAFAN.COM Forum (go)
Moderators: ljennings

This was posted on the main Hosehead forum yesterday. It looks like it was posted by the times and I would assume Kevin. I wonder why Kevin Ekert would leave this forum out, especially since the race's he covered was on the left side...Any thoughts?...http://www.diversifiedracing.com/pdfs/dmi_ecks.pdf

Kenny

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Don't have an answer Kenny, but he doesn't care to much for the Swindells. Chris Holt interviewed Bentley Warren at the PAS. An interesting personality with quite a record in the super modifieds back East that also included a few runs at Indy. I had the opportunity to shake the man's hand afterwards. He looks like a race car driver!. Here's is another link to a feature by my favorite motorsports writer - Kevin Oldham. Its about former driver, car owner and USAC official Greg Staab. Its long, but a good read. KO's Indiana Bullring:

http://www.hoseheads.com/ko4.html

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS

Thanks for the link Trip

"but he doesn't care to much for the Swindells." Ya think LOL... I was a little suprised about how personal he made that deal. I have mixed feeling about that.. Do you think Sammy is going to bitch slap him next time they meet? http://www.openwheeltimes.com/index.php

Kenny

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

If I was Eckert I wouldn't be going anywhere near the Rolfe pit too soon. Look out! On second thought he shouldn't worry to much about the kid - just Sammy. The kid lets his Daddy take care of the rough stuff.

"Ralphie, Senor, muchas gracias por una mas cerveza"  -
Scott Daloisio @ the PAS

Why do so many talk ( drivers and fan's alike) about Kevin Swindells lack of respect for other drivers etc, because of Sammy? No way, it's because of his actions. He brings in on himself and then Sammy acts like he's protecting a little boy from the men... He may be right... If I was Kevin, I would be embarrassed to have my dad fighting my fights like I was a child, not a man capable to handle a big bad 410 on a big bad 1/2 mile like Manzy.

Kevin was not boo'd at Manzy after winning the Western in November... not even after beating our home boy, Jerry Cooooons Jr, with a wild crazy slide job with a few to go... He sure was in Feb though, after his antics after the race, and his over the top, and out of control driving during it.

I'm certainly not a Sammy hater or anything even close, but he just keeps acting foolish in my opinion. I had a friend who was at the Chili Bowl and though it was not reported, Sammy was acting out there as well, in Kevin's behalf. He needs to get a grip and let the boy grow up.

Kenny

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

I think Kevin Eckert is voicing what a lot of people, who do not have the same mediums available to them, think. Listen to the amount of boos the kid gets everytime this happens. And, this did not start at the Oval Nationals just two years ago. For those that remember at a pavement race in Florida about four years ago, Kevin had an incident on the track and on the ensuing yellow, Sammy came onto the track in the team's mule (or other) pit machine and attempted to or rammed the other driver involved. I do not recall what happened on the track or who was at fault, but no matter what, Sammy had no business doing that. And, it has continued on ever since.

Kevin is a good kid and darn good driver. Sammy is a good and proud father, but as I wrote in The PAS program late in 2007 after the Oval Nationals incident or early last year, he needs to step back and let the kid be responsible for his actions on the track. Is this going to continue when the Kid is 40 and Sammy is 70? Likewise, if somebody does something to Kevin and Kevin has a problem with it, Sammy needs to let Kevin handle it. And, I do not mean on the racetrack hammering another drivers car on the slow down lap. To me, the kid has no respect for anybody elses equipment. Perhaps if the kid had to fight his own battles off the track, he may start to respect the equipment of others.

I have always maintained that if something happens between two drivers (or riders when I worked in Speedway Motorcycle racing), it should be settled between them and them only. Not their car owners, crews, fans or family. In Speedway, the American Motorcycle Association had a stern rule. A rider was totally responsible for his crew. If a crewman got into a fight with another rider or another crewman, he was suspended and so was the RIDER he was working for. And, the rider would also get fined for the crew members antics. Perhaps if USAC or other sanctioning bodies adopted this rule, Sammy Swindell and others who jump in when they should not would think twice.

"To me, the kid has no respect for anybody else's equipment. Perhaps if the kid had to fight his own battles off the track, he may start to respect the equipment of others."

To me, it seems that he's not respecting someone's life, not just equipment, especially on the big tracks... Has Sprint car racing become so safe that it's just a afterthought nowadays?... Oh, I know what the reaction to that statement will be, Oh, but that's understood, it's a given..Is it?... I thought the Oval national's had way to many people on their top to be a good race. I think to many drivers depend on big bumpers and big nerf bars to make passes, and that results in bad choices by the drivers, and in turn, to many on their lids from contact. They are calling us "flip cars", for crying out loud... There was a time when other divisions looked at us with respect, and awe. I also think the prevalence of that style of racing at the PASS is one of the reasons for the poor showing at the Western and the Copper on dirt, skill is being replaced with bravado, and you just can't play that game everywhere. I think Hockett came into the Nationals looking at his two second place finishes at Calistoga and decided he would do whatever he had to do to win, to not finish second again. I've seen him drive many many times at Manzy without resorting to those tactics,( I know he wasn't that bad) and maybe he came in second to many times there as well, but he drove with more skill from the back to the front without pushing people out of the way. Intimidating them, well yes..LOL but not often making contact.

Answers? I wish I had some.

Don't jump my a**, to hard.... I'm a big fan of all our non wing guy's over on our left side, have been from their beginning.

Do I need a life, or what..LOL

Kenny, duck!!

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Excellent read as usual Eck!

As a young kid Kevin raced karts and micros on his way up. I'm sure there are dozens of stories of their antics (I observed a few) but more importantly how did this kid get this way? Perhaps what contributed most to the problem was the special treatment he received from promoters because of his dad's fame. Emmett Hahn's Tulsa Shootout (one week prior to the Chili Bowl if you are not familiar with it) is an event for micros, karts and quads, the participant attendance is incredible. Trailers would frequently arrive 4-5 days prior to move-in day just to get in line in the parking lot. You would wait in your truck for a day or more in the cold and typically snow so you had a reasonable chance to get a descent pit spot (or one at all). Once inside you were literally elbow to elbow with the racer next to you.......a real sardine can. The situation for the Swindels was quite different. They arrived at their leisure and of course went straight to the head of the line. If pit spaces were motel rooms then theirs was the Presidential Suite. Emmett made sure there were no neighbors to bother Sammy and that he was very close to the track and complete with barrier ribbon. Kevin had a knack of starting on the pole just about every-time he hit the track. Considering starting positions were determined by pill-draw all I can say is that boy had incredible luck. There were times when the track was inexplicably prepped just seconds before the heat or feature was due to go off. Of course Sammy pulled the strings on that and guess what, Kevin's ride had the appropriate set-up for the new track while everyone else was scrambling to make adjustments. The point of all of this is Kevin never had a chance. His dad, who worked very hard to give him an (unfair) advantage my have just put a lid on his career.

WOW, a Swindell bashing on a west coast message board. NEVER seen that before. LOL

Driver, Car Owner, Promoter...... if your name is Swindell.....you arent very popular.

First, I read my post from yesterday and decided I don't know poop, so I looked it up.. http://www.smellypoop.com/facts_about_poop.php

It's a very sad deal in my opinion... I think we all enjoy seeing second and third generation drivers doing well, at least I do... It gives the sport continuity and makes me feel good that I, being a life long fan, can see a new beginning, while still trying to hold on to traditions... Even if that's just a name... Dog gone, we lost a 50 year or so tradition of being USAC's...Whoops...Never mind..

I liked seeing Bubby's kid come up and be another straight shooter, just like his dad. Look at Casey, who's had to work hard to get to the level he's at now, and he's already giving back. Chad works with Billy even more than Kevin works with Sammy.. Billy finished school at ASU while racing, and he makes sure that Chad isn't forgetting his education as well. Chad's a good kid, and the old mans proud of how he's doing, but he tries to keep some balance in the young mans life. In short (who me?) I've never disliked Sammy as a driver, or as a hard working man who has looked at this sport as his life long business, but he's starting to piss me off..LOL

Kenny

Half the lies they tell about me aren't true. 

Amen, I have always been a fan of Sammy's but after watching the antics of his kid I was booing both at the Copper and at Perris, I have never booed a driver in all the time I've been going to the races. There is no doubt that Sammy is one of a kind driver, however I was told a story about a person in a wheel chair that twice tried to get Sammy's autograph and he refused at the Chili Bowl, to this I say stick where the sun doesn't shine Sammy and I hope you and your son get booed out of this sport.

Grady

.