Because this was a Chili Bowl car, it allowed for some out-of-the-box thinking.
“You could be really nit-picky on a lot of stuff because you don’t have to worry about what you weigh or don’t weigh,” Swindell noted. “It made it fun to put together the nicest car I thought I could build.”
As things unfolded it became clear it was going to take more than just hard work and ingenuity to get the car to the track. Getting the parts and pieces proved to be more difficult than anticipated. Bertrand ordered a car in February, but the frame didn’t arrive until August. Then there were, ironically enough, supply-chain hassles.
“All of the bolt-on stuff really never stopped coming in until two days before the Race of Champions,” Bertrand said. “There were times when we really didn’t think the car was going to get done.”
Swindell knew he could cut corners, but hoped it didn’t come to that. In addition, there were the normal teething problems that come with a new car.
“Every time we thought we were done, we would have a gremlin pop up,” Swindell said. “Like trying to get the brakes bled and we had an issue with resetting the barrel valve. So that just kept pushing us back. Luckily, it fired and we decided to just make sure we were completely ready rather than go over to Port City (Raceway) and make a few laps. I think we made the right call.”
The choice of Seavey to handle the driver’s chores certainly paid dividends.
“I think the first time we brought him in for the Chili Bowl he ran fourth from pretty deep in the pack,” Swindell recalled. “You go back to 2021 and he won Turkey Night and did really well out west. I absolutely believed he could win. We got him a good car and got him comfortable and he went out and absolutely did his job.”
That may be an understatement.
Save the Race of Champions, Logan Seavey won every race he contested during the Chili Bowl.
As for Swindell, while it wasn’t the same level of exhilaration that driving provides, he said, “It was cool. It was a different level of fulfillment.”
Bertrand was over the moon and that enthusiasm was shared by his wife, Cara, who is his partner in racing ventures.
“My wife is a racing fan, but she is probably a little burnt out given how long I have done this,” Bertrand said. “But when she saw this result she said, ‘Yeah, let’s do more of that. That was amazing.’”
This year, Bertrand will field NEMA cars for Cabral and Stoehr. He will also be involved with the three midget races at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
“I do this to be associated with good people,” he said. “I work 80 hours a week. I can’t go to the races and be stressed out by the people I am around.”
Swindell’s plans are not set in stone. He will be doing something in the sprint car world, but isn’t sure what that will look like. “We will do it,” he said. “The question is just how much and what we do. It just got so expensive last year with tires and diesel fuel and things like that. It just made it a little harder to function at least in the way we try to do it.”
Seavey’s schedule filled up quickly. He will return to Rice Motorsports to make another run at the USAC Silver Crown championship and he inked a full-time midget deal with Abacus Racing. He will also run for the USAC sprint car title with veteran owner/mechanic Scott Benic.
Given their success many wondered if Swindell and Bertrand will make something happen during the outdoor season. Both men are pondering their options. However, don’t be surprised if this combo shows up at a marquee event or two.
“We are just playing it by ear,” Swindell said. “I think Tim is going to let me keep the engine and I think all we have to do is add some weight and we will be ready to go.”
This story appeared in the March 15, 2023, edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
