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WOO: Saldana Takes Eldora Speedway Opener

12 April 1998

By Richard Day

ROSSBURG, OH - The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series often takes ironic twists and turns. Irony was the theme of Friday's preliminary program at Eldora Speedway.

Joey Saldana won his first World of Outlaws "A" Feature almost three years ago, the season before earning the series' Rookie of the Year award. He won that race at I-96 Speedway, a facility the World of Outlaws trimmed from its schedule a week ago due to a change in ownership.

"I can't believe it," Saldana said after leading all 20 laps in the Preliminary Feature. "It seemed like I was out of control out there. These guys are so fast.

"We haven't raced all that much this year. I wanted to go to Texas to run with the World of Outlaws, but our trailer wasn't ready. I ran here last week and finished second. I wasn't very happy with that, but this is great."

It was a strange evening for Steve Kinser, winner of 22 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series "A" Features at Eldora, including last year's Kings Royal. A steering malfunction in his #11 Quaker State Maxim caused him to crash into the turn-one wall during the first lap of the First Racing Champions Heat Race.

Kinser used a backup car to race into sixth place from the rear of the "B" Feature, making him the second alternate for the evening's main event. His brother, First Racing Champions Heat Race winner Randy Kinser, scratched, which put Kevin Huntley in the feature. Keith Kauffman suffered a blown engine at the end of the "B" Feature, and his teams' inability to get the #U2 sprinter ready to start the evening's main event allowed "The King of the Outlaws" to race in the feature. A blown engine less than a lap from the checkered flag caused Steve to finish in 20th place.

Mark Kinser extended his advantage over his cousin in their battle for first place in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws point standings by six points despite battling engine problems all night. The new engine 15-time championship car owner Karl Kinser tried in the #5M Wirtgen Maxim never ran well. Mark, who set Eldora's single-lap record last April, was the 24th-fastest qualifier in the 36-car field and went from the pole to fourth place during the first lap of the Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race. He finished 14th in the Preliminary Feature.

Sammy Swindell, winner of the World of Outlaws' last two April races at Eldora, suffered a flat right rear tire in a collision with Jac Haudenschild early in the Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race. His crew, minus former crew chief Keith Lani who left the team recently, changed the tire quickly and the defending series champion raced into fifth place from the rear of the field to claim the pole position in the Channellock Dash. Sammy won the five-lap dash for the right to start the feature on the pole. He finished second in the evening's main event and moved from eighth to fifth in the points race.

Kenny Jacobs, racing in only his second event since missing six weeks with a back injury, received the Vivarin Fast-Time Award after slicing .035 seconds off the previous single-lap record with a 12.945-second, 139.050-m.p.h. qualifying run. Jacobs is piloting the #94 Hughes sprinter Dale Blaney left to drive brother Dave Blaney's #93 Amoco J&J. Dean Jacobs drove his brother Kenny's former car, the #92 Ashworth sprinter, to victory in the Second Racing Champions Heat Race and into 22nd place in the feature.

Engine problems in the #15 Blue Beacon Gambler forced last season's Rookie of the Year, Donny Schatz, to start the Preliminary Feature at the rear of the field. He brought out the first caution two laps into the feature when the problem persisted, then raced into 16th place.

Saldana took the lead in the Preliminary Feature by steering the #17 MOX Motorsports sprinter around Sammy in the fourth corner as the green flag fell. He opened a 10-car-length lead within four laps, entered lapped traffic two laps later and had a half-straightaway advantage with six laps remaining. Swindell narrowed the gap in dense lapped traffic and was six car-lengths behind when Saldana took the checkered flag.

Haudenschild and Stevie Smith earned the second-row starting positions in Saturday's Channellock Dash by finishing third and fourth in the Preliminary Feature. Twelfth-starting Dale Blaney finished fifth, ahead of Kenny Jacobs, Jeff Shepard, Tyler Walker, Andy Hillenburg and Frankie Kerr. WoO


1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series

Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH

Friday, April 10, Preliminary Program

Qualifications: 1. Kenny Jacobs, Hughes 94, 12.945 (new one- lap record); 2. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 12.978; 3. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.007; 4. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.010; 5. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.013; 6. Joey Saldana, MOX Motorsports 17, 13.063; 7. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.068; 8. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.113; 9. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.122; 10. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 13.144; 11. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.208; 12. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.209; 13. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 13.227; 14. Sarah Fisher, Fisher 9F, 13.243; 15. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 13.276; 16. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 13.318; 17. Randy Kinser, Kinser 14, 13.347; 18. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.351; 19. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 13.347; 20. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 13.368; 21. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 13.372; 22. Dean Jacobs, Ashworth 92, 13.390; 23. Brooke Tatnell, RE Technologies 7K, 13.404; 24. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.417; 25. Keith Kauffman, Johnson U2, 13.466; 26. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 13.534; 27. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.565; 28. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 13.646; 29. Kevin Huntley, Daugherty 7, 13.651; 30. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 13.795; 31. Nick Naber, G&N Racing 6H, 13.942; 32. Judi Bates, Maurer 121, 14.254; 33. Chris Simon, 24C Racing 24C, 14.451; 34. Kent Wolters, Wolters 12, 14.754; 35. Scott Young, Young 1Y, 15.084; 36. Jim Burgoon, Burgoon 2B, 16.910.

First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Randy Kinser ($125); 2. Craig Dollansky, 3. Kenny Jacobs, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Dale Blaney, 6. Kevin Huntley, 7. Keith Kauffman, 8. Chris Simon, 9. Steve Kinser. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dean Jacobs, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Ed Lynch, Jr., 4. Jeff Shepard, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Kent Wolters, 7. Sarah Fisher, 8. Larry Neighbors, 9. Dion Hindi. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Brian Paulus, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Frankie Kerr, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Brooke Tatnell, 7. Lance Blevins, 8. Scott Young, 9. Nick Naber. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Joe Gaerte, 2. Tyler Walker, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Andy Hillenburg, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Judi Bates, 8. Greg Hodnett, 9. Jim Burgoon. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Joey Saldana, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Kenny Jacobs, 5. Stevie Smith, 6. Jeff Shepard, 7. Andy Hillenburg, 8. Danny Lasoski. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature)

B Feature (12 laps): 1. Keith Kauffman ($150); 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Brooke Tatnell, 4. Greg Hodnett, 5. Kevin Huntley, 6. Steve Kinser, 7. Lance Blevins ($100); 8. Larry Neighbors ($75); 9. Judi Bates ($60); 10. Kent Wolters ($50); 11. Scott Young ($40); 12. Jim Burgoon ($40); 13. Chris Simon ($60); 14. Sarah Fisher ($40); 15. Dion Hindi ($40); 16. Nick Naber ($40). (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Joey Saldana ($4,500); 2. Sammy Swindell ($2,500); 3. Jac Haudenschild ($1,700); 4. Stevie Smith ($1,500); 5. Dale Blaney ($1,350); 6. Kenny Jacobs ($1,250); 7. Jeff Shepard ($1,200); 8. Tyler Walker ($1,100); 9. Andy Hillenburg ($1,075); 10. Frankie Kerr ($1,050); 11. Craig Dollansky ($1,000); 12. Johnny Herrera ($820); 13. Brooke Tatnell ($720); 14. Mark Kinser ($630); 15. Danny Lasoski ($400); 16. Donny Schatz ($400); 17. Joe Gaerte ($300); 18. Greg Hodnett ($320); 19. Kevin Huntley ($320); 20. Steve Kinser ($300); 21. Jeff Swindell ($300); 22. Dean Jacobs ($300); 23. Brian Paulus ($300); 24. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($300). DNS - Randy Kinser, Keith Kauffman; replaced by Kevin Huntley, Steve Kinser

Lap leader: Joey Saldana 1-20

Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Kenny Jacobs