Bristol Motor Speedway
Late Swims praised as dirt racing pioneer
From staff and special reports
Mike Swims
Mike Swims, who helped propel Dirt Late Model racing to a new level while directing the Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Racing Series through the 1990s, died early Friday morning at his Woodstock, Ga., home after a seven-year battle with intestinal cancer, according to Roby Helm, former publicist for the Hav-A-Tampa tour. He was 42. | Video
"Mike personified and set the standard of what a motorsports professional should be," said Helm, who had Swims as best man at his wedding. "He's the guy that brought Dirt Late Model racing into the national spotlight. He was a pioneer in developing Dirt Late Model racing for television, and his contributions to the sport are so tremendous."
Swims was inducted Aug. 11 into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame along with his father Mickey, who guided Mike's career in racing as they promoted two of Georgia's top dirt tracks, Dixie Speedway in Woodstock and Rome Speedway.
Swims was hospitalized and underwent surgery not long after his Hall of Fame induction, but went home the Friday preceding his death, Helm said.
Swims joined with Jimmy Mosteller to former the Hav-A-Tampa tour in 1993 and it became one of the few national touring series with champions including Scott Bloomquist and Freddy Smith. After the loss of sponsorship from the cigar brand, the tour continued under the name UDTRA before being sold in 2004 and evolving into the Xtreme DirtCar Series. After selling UDTRA, Swims had spent recent years as a consultant with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Helm and others recognized Swims' accomplishments in the motorsports realm, but those who knew him best also recalled his spirituality
"God's greatest blessings come in human form, and Mike Swims was a great blessing," said Bob Patison, vice president at Lucas Oil. "Mike's faith caused me to take a serious look at my commitment to the Lord, and for that I will always be grateful to Mike. He was a good friend and an exceptional person. He was loved and he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."
Ritchie Lewis, series director of the Lucas Oil tour, worked with Swims many years on the Hav-A-Tampa circuit.
“Mike was a devout Christian and that was first in his life, his wonderful family followed and then racing," Lewis said. "For those of us that worked for Mike, he would encourage us to put God first, so we know he has gone to be with the Lord. My favorite thoughts of Mike are the time we spent in prayer together.”
Helm was glad that Swims got out of the everyday grind of racing in recent years to spend more time with his family.
"I'll always miss that extended hand, that broad smile and that 'Hey man' greeting he always gave me," Helm said. "It's just a very, very sad day for the entire motorsports industry."
Swims is survived by his wife of 21 years, Debra; 16-year-old daughter, Breanna, a junior at Woodstock High School; 18-year-old Chase, a freshman at University of Alabama; his parents Mickey and Martha, sister and brother–in-law, Mia and Marshall Green; nieces Macy and Marla Green.
The family will receive friends Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Road, Roswell, GA (phone 770-993-4811). A memorial service is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at the First Baptist Church of Woodstock. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Dirt Racing Outreach Ministry at 4920 Raccoon Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37938 (www.4DRO.com)
The Swims family also announced that the Lucas Oil events scheduled for Oct. 5-6 at Rome and Dixie have been cancelled. (Information from Todd Turner and Roby Helm)
