CAROLINIANS NOT FEELING PEACHY AFTER TRIP TO GEORGIA
No Legends Victories But Van Wingerden Takes Cup Race… Thunder Cup
By Bob Dillner
Justin Swilling had a strong run going in the Semi-Pro division. He started mid-pack and was in the top five when his car mysteriously shut off and came to a stop in between turns three and four. The CRM crew later reported the older Swilling boy was the victim of ignition box problems.
Younger brother Evan Swilling only has a few Legends Car races under his belt, but he made the most of a front-row starting spot in the Charger feature on Saturday to capture his first win on an oval.
“It feels pretty good because all the Cup guys are here and they are watching us. That’s what makes it even more special,” said Swilling, who has two road course Legends wins.
It was not an easy win though, as Rawlin West’s #38 put the pressure on Swilling late in the race.
“The car got pretty loose on me during the race. It was pretty good at the start, but the further we went the tougher it got,” explained Swilling. “I thought he was going to get me, but that lapped traffic helped out a little bit. I had to make the car a little wide, but I’m still learning these cars.”
Justin Swilling (top, #38) and Evan Swilling (bottom, #1) had two different outcomes during the racing action on Saturday at Atlanta. (LN Photo)
For those of you who didn’t make the trek to Atlanta (GA) for Legends and Bandolero Racing during NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend, don’t fret. With temperatures near the freezing mark and winds that made comb-over’s look like tunnels on top of gentlemen’s heads, it was difficult to crack a smile on Saturday when there was no track time except for race-time. Oh, and did I mention the snow during the morning hours of the day? Few from the Carolinas made the four-hour commute to the Peach State, but some who did left in a “Georgia State of Mind.”
A Tale of Two Races for Swilling Boys
The Swilling boys are from Georgia, but they race often in the Carolinas and are led by Concord’s Chris Rogers Motorsports. And while they may be brothers, that’s where the similarities ended on Saturday.
Carolina Boys at a Big Disadvantage
LegendsNation.com was at the Atlanta Motor Speedway this past weekend for the big race on the big NASCAR weekend and we feel it is a nice gesture for 600 Racing to include Legends Cars and Bandoleros. However, it was difficult for people outside of the Georgia area to come into this event this year and be competitive with the fact that no practice was given for any division (exception were the Roadsters).
It was cold and getting into the evening, but everyone that was there to compete had arrived in the morning hours and devoted their day to having fun at AMS. An extra 30-60 minutes would have been welcomed by everyone in order to have a practice; especially if you were from out of town and towed a good distance to be there.
In the past two years, AMS has been able to give some practice laps to the competitors and we hope this is something they will revert back to in future years.
Lone Bando from Carolinas Gets Shot Down
It’s hard to miss the gunbroker.com machines these days at the racetrack, whether it is Jason White’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck or Gray Gaulding’s #08 Bandolero.
Everyone could feel Gaulding’s presence at the big track on Saturday, but after running the front in the early part of the 20-lap race, contact with another car resulted in Gaulding spinning. He regained his composure for a top-10 finish.
Van Wingerden Celebrates Cup Win
Only in Michael Van Wingerden’s dreams did he ever think he’d win a Cup race at a mile-and-a-half track on a Cup weekend. His dream turned out to be reality on Saturday, well, sort of. The elder Van Wingerden brother took the victory in the Thunder Cup race (formerly Thunder Roadster) on the big track. His brother, Thomas finished third. Other Carolinians Kara Clark and her dad were also involved in what was a snoozer of a race for the fans.
On the other side of the spectrum, both Van Wingerden boys competed in the Legends Pro Division, which only featured seven cars. And the day didn’t finish the way it had started for either driver.
“Both Michael and I got spun out by the same guy (while coming to the front,” said Michael. “It’s ok; we came here to really run the other cars and this was just for fun.”
Silver Suffers Through a Tough Break
After striking gold out west one week ago when he won the Masters feature at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (NV), Bruce Silver came up empty handed at Atlanta.
“I was ready,” said Silver, who drives the Racing Electronics #53 for BDI Racing. “I messed up at the start and missed a shift and by the time I had got it in gear I had lost a bunch of spots. I’m disappointed (he finished 10th) because I was really looking forward to this, but I had never been here before and it was tough not having any practice.”
Silver, coincidentally, was Go-Karting with his son Gregory (Bandolero driver) on Sunday at “The Pit” in Mooresville (NC) when he slammed the wall and cracked a couple ribs. Bruce will be out of action for a few weeks while the ribs heal. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Bruce Silver is still smiling, one week after his first Legends win. (LN Photo)
