WOO: Kinser's State Fair Victory Tightens Points Race
31 March 1998
By Richard DayOKLAHOMA CITY, OK (March 28) - The largest crowd in Spring Nationals history was treated to the highest number of cars the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series has ever brought to blustery State Fair Speedway Saturday.
With a sellout crowd in the stands and 46 cars in the pit area, all eyes were on the Kinser cousins - Mark and Steve. Their battle for first place in the World of Outlaws point standings got even closer during the series' seventh event of the season.
Mark, the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 1996 champion, won the Channellock Dash and led the first 11 laps from the pole only to have the engine in the #5M Wirtgen Maxim lose power. After Oklahoma's Donnie Crawford led four laps, Steve took over and kept his #11 Quaker State Maxim ahead of the field throughout the final 15 laps for his second victory in as weekends.
The $7,000 victory, the eighth of Steve's career at State Fair, left him only seven points behind Mark in the points race.
"I got messed up early, but I was able to get things straightened out and get going good again," the 14-time World of Outlaws champion said. "It's always windy here. Every time you go out, you just have to hang on until you see what's happening. There's not much you can do as far as adjustments go. You just have to drive it. I've seen it a lot worse here."
Mark, winner of two features at State Fair Speedway and the track's single-lap record holder, was in the right place at the right time before his engine exploded. Although he was the ninth- fastest qualifier, he was given the luxury of starting the Channellock Dash on the pole when three faster qualifiers had problems in their Racing Champions Heat Races. Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Sammy Swindell and Tyler Walker started outside the third row in their heat races, but both finished in sixth place. Stevie Smith's #19 Ingersoll-Rand sprinter suffered a broken spindle on its right front wheel midway through the Second Racing Champions Heat Race, causing him to finish eighth.
Mark burst into the lead as the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event. Crawford, who drives Harold Hillenburg's #1H car, passed Andy Hillenburg early and challenged Mark for the lead during the first two laps.
Kinser was racing away from Crawford when Scott Whitworth spun in turn two and was hit by Craig Dollansky and Oklahomans Larry Neighbors and Lance Blevins early in the fourth lap.
Donny Schatz, forced to take a provisional starting position when he finished fifth in the "B" Feature, raced into 16th place from the back of the pack during the first three laps. The World of Outlaws' 1997 Rookie of the Year eventually finished 13th.
Hillenburg and Steve Kinser exchanged third place three times during the next three laps as Mark opened a comfortable advantage. Mark was 12 car-lengths ahead of Crawford when he coasted into the infield with a blown engine late in lap 12.
Crawford was a full straightaway ahead of "The King of the Outlaws" and Hillenburg when he entered lapped traffic early in the 14th lap. Kinser narrowed the gap quickly and took the lead with a high move into turn four late in the 16th lap.
Hillenburg battled Crawford for five laps before steering his #2 J&J low in the second corner to take over second place with eight laps remaining. Jac Haudenschild steered the #22 Pennzoil Maxim high in turn two to pass Crawford for third one lap later.
Kinser was a full straightaway ahead of his closest pursuers with six laps remaining and took the checkered flag with Hillenburg racing down the back stretch.
When asked how he likes being a driver/owner after the 420th "A" Feature victory of his World of Outlaws career, Kinser said, "We've had some good times and bad times, but probably the only real difference is I don't get chewed out as much."
"The Wild Child" held off Crawford to finish in third place. Smith finished fifth, ahead of the Swindell brothers - Sammy and Jeff - Danny Lasoski, Walker and Dale Blaney.
The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will take a couple of weeks off before running a $75,000 event at Eldora Speedway, Friday and Saturday, April 10-11. WoO
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
State Fair Speedway, Oklahoma City, OK
Saturday, March 28, Feature Program #7Qualifications: 1. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.408, 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 16.431; 3. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.466; 4. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.477; 5. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 16.487; 6. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 16.491; 7. Donnie Crawford, Hillenburg 1H, 16.508; 8. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 16.539; 9. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.585; 10. Scott Whitworth, Whitworth 96, 16.589; 11. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 16.724; 12. Gary Wright, Wright 9, 16.728; 13. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 16.744; 14. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 16.755; 15. Danny Wood, Woodburn 21W, 16.824; 16. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 16.852; 17. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 16.856; 18. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 16.866; 19. Don Droud, Jr., DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 16.886; 20. Tommie Estes, Jr., Archer 1A, 16.957; 21. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 16.965; 22. Calvin Landis, Landis 70, 17.011; 23. Shane Stewart, Stewart 9S, 17.023; 24. Brooke Tatnell, RE Technologies 7K, 17.042; 25. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 17.086; 26. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 17.100; 27. Mike Peters, Grandstaff 66, 17.104; 28. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 17.104; 29. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 17.162; 30. Bob Ewell, Ewell 85, 17.211; 31. Garry Lee Maier, Bishop 9x, 17.314; 32. Daryn Pittman, Pittman 11P, 17.365; 33. Leonard Lee, Lee 16L, 17.370; 34. Matt Moro, Moro 2M, 17.399; 35. Randy Anderson, RCMF 12A, 17.564; 36. John Ewell, Ewell 19J, 17.776; 37. Steve King, King 88, 17.822; 38. David Chappell, Chappell 50, 17.876; 39. John Bankston, Bankston 8, 17.888; 40. Bill Robertson, Eckley 16, 17.916; 41. Lou Kennedy, Jr., Kennedy 21K, 18.043; 42. Danny Jennings, Woodburn 61J, 18.148; 43. Dan Oswalt, Oswalt D1, 18.268; 44. Rick Barksdale, Schmidt 75H, 18.393; 45. Dennis Park, Carlisle 1x, 18.590; 46. Shawn Sander, Sander 48, 18.740.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Lance Blevins, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Dale Blaney, 5. Andy Hillenburg, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Leonard Lee, 9. Steve King, 10. Lou Kennedy, Jr., 11. Dennis Park, 12. Terry McCarl. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Greg Hodnett, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Scott Whitworth, 4. Larry Neighbors, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Calvin Landis, 7. David Chappell, 8. Stevie Smith, 9. Matt Moro, 10. Bob Ewell, 11. Danny Jennings, 12. Shawn Sander. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Shane Stewart, 2. Don Droud, Jr., 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Donnie Crawford, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Mike Peters, 7. Garry Lee Maier, 8. John Bankston, 9. Dan Oswalt, 10. Danny Wood, 11. Randy Anderson. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Brooke Tatnell, 4. Tommie Estes, Jr., 5. Gary Wright, 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Daryn Pittman, 8. Dion Hindi, 9. John Ewell, 10. Rick Barksdale, 11. Bill Robertson. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Donnie Crawford, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Jeff Swindell, 8. Scott Whitworth. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
C Feature (10 laps): 1. John Bankston, 2. Steve King, 3. David Chappell ($125); 4. Lou Kennedy, Jr. ($100); 5. Rick Barksdale ($80); 6. Bill Robertson ($70); 7. Dan Oswalt ($60); 8. Danny Jennings ($50); 9. Shawn Sander ($40); 10. Dennis Park ($35). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Tyler Walker, 4. Mike Peters, 5. Donny Schatz, 6. Garry Lee Maier ($200); 7. Calvin Landis ($180); 8. Terry McCarl ($150); 9. Dion Hindi ($110); 10. Daryn Pittman ($90); 11. Bob Ewell ($80); 12. Leonard Lee ($60); 13. Steve King ($70); 14. John Bankston ($70); 15. John Ewell ($50); 16. Danny Wood ($70); 17. Matt Moro ($50); 18. Randy Anderson ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Steve Kinser ($7,000); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($4,000); 3. Jac Haudenschild ($3,000); 4. Donnie Crawford ($2,500); 5. Stevie Smith ($2,320); 6. Sammy Swindell ($2,220); 7. Jeff Swindell ($2,100); 8. Danny Lasoski ($2,000); 9. Tyler Walker ($1,720); 10. Dale Blaney ($1,600); 11. Greg Hodnett ($1,200); 12. Gary Wright ($1,150); 13. Donny Schatz ($1,120); 14. Johnny Herrera ($1,050); 15. Joe Gaerte ($1,000); 16. Shane Stewart ($700); 17. Mike Peters ($620); 18. Don Droud, Jr. ($500); 19. Brooke Tatnell ($500); 20. Tommie Estes, Jr. ($500); 21. Mark Kinser ($500); 22. Larry Neighbors ($500); 23. Scott Whitworth ($500); 24. Craig Dollansky ($500); 25. Lance Blevins ($500). Provisional starter - Donny Schatz
Lap leaders: Mark Kinser 1-11, Donnie
Crawford 12-15, Steve Kinser 16-30
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Sammy Swindell
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Point Standings & Statistics Through March 29th
Pennzoil World of Outlaws Pennzoil World of Outlaws
Driver Point Standings Car Owner Point Standings
1. Mark Kinser . . . . 1,066 1. Karl Kinser 5M . . . 1,066
2. Steve Kinser . . . 1,059 2. Steve Kinser 11 . . . 1,059
3. Stevie Smith . . . 1,013 3. Smith Racing 19 . . . 1,013
4. Jac Haudenschild . 1,008 4. Jack Elden 22 . . . . 1,008
5. Johnny Herrera . . . 994 5. Gil Sonner 47 . . . . . 994
6. Joe Gaerte . . . . . 993 6. Henry Holbrook, Jr. 8H 993
7. Andy Hillenburg . . . 991 7. Andy Hillenburg 2 . . . 991
8. Sammy Swindell . . . 987 8. Sammy Swindell 1 . . . 987
9. Jeff Swindell . . . . 983 9. Two Winners 104+ . . . 983
10. Dale Blaney . . . . . 965 10. Hylton-Blaney 93 . . . 965
11. Greg Hodnett . . . . 959 11. David Helm 11H . . . . 959
12. Danny Lasoski . . . . 952 12. Dennis Roth 83 . . . . 952
13. Donny Schatz . . . . 928 13. Danny Schatz 15 . . . . 928
14. Tyler Walker . . . . 851 14. Bob Walker 35 . . . . . 851
15. Craig Dollansky . . . 811 15. Larry Neighbors 29N . . 797
16. Larry Neighbors . . . 797 16. Terry McCarl 24 . . . . 780
17. Terry McCarl . . . . 780 17. Gary Stanton 75 . . . . 697
18. Daryn Pittman . . . . 685 18. Dale Pittman 11P . . . 685
19. Dion Hindi . . . . . 670 19. Shawkeet Hindi 18 . . . 670
20. Lance Blevins . . . . 496 20. Joe Blevins 21 . . . . 496
Pennzoil World of Outlaws Pennzoil World of Outlaws
Driver Earnings "A" Feature Winners
1. Mark Kinser . . . $40,415 1. Mark Kinser
2. Steve Kinser . . $33,800 (tie) Steve Kinser . . . . . 2
3. Jac Haudenschild $24,840 3. Jac Haudenschild
4. Joe Gaerte . . . $19,050 (tie) Joe Gaerte . . . . . . 1
5. Stevie Smith . . $18,840 Pennzoil World of Outlaws
6. Johnny Herrera . $18,270 Preliminary Feature Winners
7. Danny Lasoski . . $17,635 1. Mark Kinser
8. Andy Hillenburg . $17,500 (tie) Steve Kinser . . . . . 1
9. Jeff Swindell . . $15,180 Channellock Dash Pole Winners
10. Sammy Swindell . $14,590 1. Mark Kinser . . . . . . . 3
11. Greg Hodnett . . $14,110 2. Steve Kinser . . . . . . 2
12. Dale Blaney . . . $12,850 3. Jac Haudenschild
13. Donny Schatz . . $11,400 (tie) Johnny Herrera
14. Tyler Walker . . $8,380 (tie) Sammy Swindell
15. Craig Dollansky . $6,845 (tie) Terry McCarl . .. . . . 1
16. Terry McCarl . . $5,810 Vivarin Fast-Time Award Winners
17. Frankie Kerr . . $5,200 1. Mark Kinser . . . . . . . 3
18. Larry Neighbors . $4,715 2. Jac Haudenschild . . . . 2
19. Brent Kaeding . . $3,750
20. Garry Brazier . . $3,720
