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Swindell wins Don Martin Memorial Cup

Thomas Zuck
| Wednesday, July 21, 2004 4:00 a.m.
With all the distractions surrounding the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series, it was a good thing to see the cars back on the track. Tuesday night, Sammy Swindell took the checkered flag in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup XII. The victory was worth $30,000 for Swindell of Germantown, Tenn. It was also his 15th career World of Outlaws victory at Lernerville, and his third Silver Cup victory. Swindell won the inaugural Silver Cup race in 1992 and again in 2000. It was fitting too that Steve Kinser and Swindell, two of the World of Outlaws' most successful drivers, battled for the victory. "That's all right too," Swindell said of winning the race named for one of racing's top promoters. "It shows who the guys are that can get the most out of their cars. This is a driver's track, as opposed to one that is all about the motor." Swindell took the lead from Steve Kinser on lap 24 with a brilliant slide pass heading into turn one. Kinser, of Bloomington, Ind., eventually finished second followed by his cousin Mark Kinser of Oolitic, Ind. Greg Hodnett of Memphis, Tenn., finished fourth, followed by Joey Saldana of Brownsburg, Ind. The threat of rain did not hamper track preparations, but it also didn't make for a fast track during qualifying. Hodnett registered the best time at 12.951 seconds. He was the only driver of the 46 on site under 13 seconds. Mark Kinser, in the Beef Packers car formerly driven by Aliquippa's Timmy Shaffer, was second at 13.003. Apollo's Ed Lynch Jr., the defending Silver Cup champion, was fifth fastest with a 13.052. All drivers were well off the track record of 12.334, set in 2002 by Saldana. It was a rough night all around for Lynch. In the heat race, he finished sixth, two spots out of an automatic transfer. Then, in the B-Main Lynch, he was leading, but an oil line came loose and he drifted to a stop on the back straight. He went on to finish 12th in the B-Main, and earned a spot in the feature due to a World of Outlaws rule allowing for a promoter's provisional.


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