Along with Doug Wolfgang and 2017 MSHFA inductee Steve Kinser, Swindell is known as one of “The Big Three” of modern winged Sprint Car racing. That he’s a three-time World of Outlaws champion (1981, 1982, 1997) and four-time runner-up only begins to speak to “Slammin’ Sammy’s” accomplishments. Over his career, Swindell won 294 A-Main events (2nd all-time) and captured the 1983 Knoxville Nationals. He’s also a five-time winner of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals (1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2009), the race some call the Super Bowl of Midget racing, a three-time winner of the Eldora Kings Royal (1992, 1999, 2012) and the 1981 Ascot Pacific Coast Nationals victor. As team owner, in 1997 he became the first owner-driver to win the WoO Crown. Swindell also tried NASCAR and IndyCar. The technically astute Tennessee native comes from a racing family. His dad, Sam Swindell, was a successful driver, as are brother Jeff Swindell and son Kevin Swindell . Swindell was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006.