Linden’s Schweikart avoids trouble for top career ARCA finish

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By Harold Raker
The Daily Item
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LONG POND — Dale Schweikart thought he had a top-10 car for Saturday’s ARCA 200 race at Pocono International Raceway.
Unfortunately, he was qualified 25th. Even worse, he was 33rd after his No. 78 Autobarn Dodge developed problems less than 10 laps into the race.

But, with the help of crew chief Scott Fidler, the veteran late model racer from Linden worked his way through the field and finished a career-best 11th after passing a car on the final lap of the 80-lap race.

Nextel Cup driver Travis Kvapil won the race in the No. 27 Kodak Dodge owned by Penske Racing.

Schweikart was in good spirits after the race, but he also knew he could have done better.

"I know we have a top-10 car, but we keep having a little rotten luck, just something stupid every time," he said as his wife, Kelly, placed ice packs inside his uniform to help cool him off after nearly two hours in the scorching heat.

This was the fourth Pocono race for Schweikart, who runs his late model at Selinsgrove Speedway, and fifth overall.

Schweikart thought his day might be finished early on Saturday when, about eight to 10 laps into the race, the car’s engine started missing and the fuel pressure was fluctuating.

"I didn’t know if we burned a piston or what was going on, and it would go away and come back and go away, and I thought maybe something was wrong with the fuel," he said. "You never know, everything goes through your mind out there."

Schweikart decided to pit and change tires "so at least if it blows up the guys had a good pit stop."

After a couple laps back on the track, the engine started skipping again. That’s when crew chief Fidler told him to change the control box, and switch over to the backup ignition.

"And that fixed it, so I just had to start climbing back," he said. "I kept pecking away."

Schweikart gradually worked his way toward the front and was 15th with 27 laps to go, and 12th with 12 to go.

"I couldn’t run with a couple of the leaders, but I think I can run with the cars that were one lap down and maybe the tail end of the lead lap. I think at the end of the race I was pretty fast. I might have been able to run with the tail end of the lead lap," Schweikart said.

"I told these guys (the crew) I (stink) at qualifying; just give me the rabbit to chase. I’ll pass him."

Schweikart is preparing another car that he hopes to run in the July 23 Pocono race. If not, he will return with the same car.

And with some better luck.

Not that he hasn’t had any. He has managed to escape some close calls, including one Saturday when Benny Chastain of Tallahassee, Fla., lost control, hit the wall and came down in front of him. Chastain was treated in the infield care center and released.

"I started going low and I was committed and about that time he started coming back down so I had to cut through the grass and I bent the front valance on the car a little bit in the grass and stuff was flying," Schweikart said. "Luckily we didn’t touch anything."

"I did that last year, too, but I didn’t get in the grass, a guy in front of me got in the grass. And I spun myself out the first year here and didn’t hit anything, luckily," he said.

He recalled another race here where he was crowded going into turn one and spun out, again without hitting anything.

"So I’ve been fortunate," he said.

Schweikart said if he has a good race here in July, he will try to hit a couple of ARCA’s short-track races late in the season, to get more seat time and the publicity that comes with running with ARCA.

"After that, you’ll have to ask my wife," he said with a grin.

Schweikart said he also has a new car that’s about ready to run at Selinsgrove, and he expects to be there next Saturday night.

The defending late model champion at Clinton County Speedway said he will not run regularly at that track again this season because of what he described as "blatant bad calls" by the track officials.