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Veteran racer Lamar Swindoll is making a comeback in the heads-up racing world and is prepared to give competitors across the country fits. After picking up back-to-back wins in X275 at the St. Louis Street Car Super Nationals, Swindoll is attacking the XDR and Limited Drag Radial classes with his beautiful and brutal ProCharger-boosted 1971 Camaro.
Swindoll spent years watching his father and uncles all make laps at the track bracket racing as a kid. Those were fun times, but something just never seemed right to Swindoll and that would influence his racing career. “I enjoyed watching my family race on the weekends, but always thought it should be the first one to the finish line that should win. So when I was old enough, heads-up racing was the only style of racing I wanted to do.”
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Starting in the ’90s Swindoll raced in the Super Chevy series to learn the ropes. Over the years Swindoll has driven everything from NHRA Pro Stock cars all the way to Pro Mods in the ADRL. Along the way, he has won events like the True 10.5 class at the Clash of the Titans, a radial tire win at the Orlando World Street Nationals, and a win in the wild ADRL Extreme 10.5 Class.
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Getting back into the heads-up racing game with this Camaro wasn’t planned and turned into an interesting adventure for Swindoll.
“In December of 2016, my Dad and I came across a great deal on an unfinished rolling chassis in Wyoming and decided to buy it. My wife and I loaded up and drove from Texas to Wyoming, during a blizzard, to go pick it up. That was a trip for the record books to put it mildly. Then at the beginning of 2017, we decided to set a goal to get this car race-ready by 2017 for the SCSN race in Las Vegas. From start to finish we were able to complete the car in 10 months.”
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To get the Camaro ready for Stevens Race Cars [8], Swindoll who owns an industrial paint company did all of the blasting on the car to get it clean. When the Camaro returned from Stevens’ shop with an updated 4-link, Smith Racecraft [9] front end, and Menscer Motorsports [10]shocks, Swindoll laid down the creamy gold paint himself.
Powering Swindoll’s Camaro is an SDPC Race Shop [11]-prepared engine that uses Brodix [12] SR20 heads that Slick Rick Racing Heads [13] worked over. The boost from the F1-X ProCharger [14] flows through an APD [15] blow-through carburetor that adds the air and methanol fuel to the engine. Behind the big motor is a Turbo 400 transmission from M&M Transmission [16]. Keeping everything running and under control is an MSD-8 [17] ignition box and Grid system.
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The SCSN race was the maiden voyage for the Camaro where Swindoll was able to run a best of 4.53 at 167 mph. For Swindoll, this is just the beginning of what he wants to accomplish with the car. “We really want to get the car to run in the 4.20s or quicker in the eighth-mile. Besides getting the car to run quicker, I want to win as many races as we can, all the while having fun making great memories with my family and friends.”
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Turning a rolling chassis into a fully built car in just 10 months was no small task and Swindoll is thankful for the support he received to get the project done. “Without the help of my wife, daughters, friends, parents, and help from our sponsors none of this would have been possible. So I really want them all to know how much I appreciate all their support,” Swindoll says.
The 2018 racing season will be interesting as Swindoll starts to sort his new ride out and lowers his elapsed times throughout the year. If the past is any indicator of things to come, you can expect to see Swindoll and his Camaro parked in multiple winner’s circles very soon.