Figure 8 racing can make fast friends of foes

Division leader Gary Swing says everybody is trying to win, but: "We're probably a lot closer to each other than any group of drivers out there."

By LOGAN NEILL

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 30, 2000

For Gary Swing, a sporting demeanor has always run hand in hand with a competitive attitude in the fraternal world of Figure 8 racing. Which is why, he said, when things get a little rough-and-tumble on the track, it's a good thing to know who your friends are.

"It all comes down to respect," said the former division champion. "We're all out there trying to win, but we also look out for each other too. We're probably a lot closer to each other than any group of drivers out there."

In his 13th season of driving Figure 8s at Citrus County Speedway, Swing, who has four wins and two top-five finishes this year, finds himself in familiar territory atop the leaderboard. Yet, even less of a surprise is the fact that just 10 points separate him from his good friend and defending division champion Robert Aaron.

"To me, it says a lot about how well our car has been working," said Swing, 40. "Robbie's just plain hard to beat, so if you're winning against him, you're really doing something right."

Swing feels the best may be yet to come. He and car owner Dick Mitchell, for whom he has driven the past four years, have been working to get the Mickey Winters Roofing/Spectrum Computers-sponsored No. 22 Camaro to perform better every week.

"It's been a team effort. Dick does the chassis and I work on the motor," said Swing. "It's taken a bit longer to get the handling we want, but it's running great now."

The Floral City driver has been a mainstay at the speedway since his rookie year in 1986. After a year of driving in the old Enduro division, Swing made the jump to the newly formed Figure 8 division.

Except for brief forays in Street Stocks and Limited Sportsman, Swing has found the thrill of criss-cross racing hard to beat. But success, he said, seems to be more a matter of style than just about any other factor.

"It's not just about how fast you can go," he said. "There's a lot of timing involved. It's pretty tricky, especially when you come to the cross. There are guys who do it well, and guys who take too many chances."

Swing knows first-hand how quickly trouble can happen. In 1997, the year following his only championship, he was the victim of another driver's miscalculation at the cross. Swing's car was clipped and sent into a violent rollover. Fortunately, he suffered only some heavy cuts and bruises. However, his car was demolished, dashing his chances for another crown.

The specialty nature of Figure 8 racing has made for a tight-knit community among the drivers who have done it for a while. Swing considers longtime veterans such as Aaron and Victor Stanley among his closest associates at the track.

"I guess a lot of the other drivers think we're a little crazy," offered Swing. "The great thing is our friendship. We can get mad at each other for something that happened on the track, and the next thing you know we're helping each other work on our cars."

While Swing would very much like to run away with this year's championship, he also knows that his friend Aaron is not likely to make it an easy battle. With Ken Crews currently in third place more than 40 points behind Aaron, every race from now until November will be important to both men.

Still, Swing concedes that finishing behind Aaron wouldn't be all that crushing a blow.

"Of course, I'd rather I win it," he said. "But it's not a big deal between us. Whoever wins did because he really earned it."

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.