WOO: Swindell Christens Paducah International Raceway
19 April 1998
By Richard DayPADUCAH, KY - New Two Winners Racing crew chief Rob Hart used an interesting combination to help Jeff Swindell win his first Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series race of the year Friday at Paducah International Raceway.
Hart installed a new Ford engine in the #104+ Octane Boost J&J while putting an old Goodyear tire on the right rear. Swindell held off polesitter Andy Hillenburg throughout the 30- lap race to claim the $7,000 first prize.
"We just got this motor yesterday," Swindell said. "Our motor builder (Jack Cornett) is from right here in Kentucky.
"We had on an older Goodyear tire, the kind of tire they ran four or five years ago. It was really good on restarts.
"We've struggled a little bit this year with some engine problems, but my crew hung in there, worked really hard and we kept our points up. Hopefully, this means things are back on the right track."
Jac Haudenschild set Paducah's single-lap record in the World of Outlaws' first visit, circling the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in 13.357 seconds, an average speed of 101.071 m.p.h. Hillenburg and Swindell, the sixth- and seventh-fastest qualifiers in the 30-car field, started on the front row of the Channellock Dash. They finished 1-2, then started the "A" Feature on the front row.
Hillenburg and Swindell raced wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway as the green flag flew at the beginning of the main event. Jeff surged ahead in the second corner and kept the #104+ out front when Hillenburg made a run at him in turn three. Stevie Smith passed Andy high in the fourth corner a split-second later.
Stevie lost momentum when he allowed his #19 Ingersoll-Rand Smith to clip the outside retaining wall in turn one the next two times around, and Hillenburg regained second place. Steve Kinser took the low line into the second corner to pass Smith for third place early in the fifth lap.
Defending Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series champion Sammy Swindell passed nine cars during the first six laps and was in 10th place when Johnny Herrera took the #47 Casey's General Stores Maxim for a spin in turn two early in lap seven.
Hillenburg challenged Jeff for the lead as the green flag replaced the yellow, then exchanged second place with Kinser during the eighth and ninth laps. They raced side-by-side through turn four late in lap nine, but Andy surged ahead when Kinser's #11 Quaker State Maxim pulled a wheelstand on the front stretch. Smith passed "The King of the Outlaws" with a low move into the second corner to take over third place the next time around.
Jeff was a full straightaway ahead of his closest pursuers when he entered lapped traffic 11 laps into the race. Hillenburg was narrowing the gap, however, when Smith stopped in turn one with a flat right rear tire early in the 14th lap.
Andy made another run at Swindell as the race resumed, only to have Greg Hodnett drive the #11H Vivarin Maxim past him deep in the third corner the next time around. Hillenburg regained second place with a low move in turn one early in lap 16, and was gaining on Swindell again when Dion Hindi allowed his #18 Sam's Town Casinos J&J to spin in turn two early in the 20th lap.
Hillenburg battled Jeff when the green flag replaced the yellow, but couldn't maneuver his #2 J&J into first place. Mark Kinser and cousin Steve passed Hodnett for third and fourth place during lap 23, and Steve replaced Mark in third the next time around.
Swindell caught the backmarkers again with six laps remaining. Andy was challenging him for the lead when Hodnett hit the fourth-corner retaining wall and turned over late in lap 28. Jeff controlled the restart and took the checkered flag with seven car-lengths to spare.
"The cautions probably won the race for us," Swindell said. "I knew if I could keep the momentum on the top side on the restarts, Andy couldn't get by me on the bottom.
"This is a really racy track. I know they've had a lot of bad weather around here recently and the track got a little slick. Maybe next time it'll be a little wetter and we put on even more of a show."
Steve Kinser closed to within 13 points of cousin Mark in their battle for the points lead by finishing third. Mark was fourth, ahead of Sammy Swindell, Danny Lasoski, Haudenschild, 22nd-starting Joe Gaerte, Danny Smith and Dale Blaney.
Steve Brazier, former crew chief on the #75 Mopar Schnee, is the new owner of the #21S car Danny Smith drove into ninth place.
Robert Hubbard is 1997 Rookie of the Year Donny Schatz' new crew chief, replacing Scott Benic who left the team recently. Schatz won the "B" Feature and ran 13th in the main event. WoO
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Paducah International Raceway, Paducah, KY
Friday, April 17, Feature Program #9
Qualifications: 1. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.357 (new one-lap record); 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.484; 3. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 13.493;; 4. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.571; 5. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 13.584; 6. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.833; 7. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.999; 8. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 14.031; 9. Kevin Stepter, Stepter 38, 14.094; 10. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 14.096; 11. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 14.121; 12. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 14.165; 13. Bob Burkle, Burkle 21B, 14.182; 14. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 14.182; 15. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 14.235; 16. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 14.245; 17. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 14.389; 18. Jerrod Hull, Hull 11J, 14.523; 19. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 14.544; 20. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 14.681; 21. Larry Bland, Bland 20, 14.823; 22. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 14.930; 23. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 14.956; 24. Randy Kinser, Kinser 14, 15.130; 25. Brooke Tatnell, RE Technologies 7K, 15.219; 26. Paul Hart, Hart 32H, 15.299; 27. Jim Williams, Williams 2L, 15.501; 28. Rick King, Harper Ford 88K, 15.717; 29. Jason Evans, Evans 88, 15.722; 30. Randy Dukes, Dukes 58, no time.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Danny Smith, 6. Stevie Smith, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Rick King, 9. Bob Burkle, 10. Brooke Tatnell. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Larry Neighbors, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Dale Blaney, 8. Donny Schatz, 9. Paul Hart, 10. Jason Evans. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Lance Blevins, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Randy Kinser, 6. Larry Bland, 7. Jerrod Hull, 8. Kevin Stepter, 9. Randy Dukes, 10. Jim Williams. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg. 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7.. Danny Lasoski, 8. Mark Kinser. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Dion Hindi, 4. Kevin Stepter, 5. Jerrod Hull, 6. Paul Hart, 7. Rick King ($200); 8. Jim Williams ($180); 9. Bob Burkle ($150); 10. Randy Dukes ($110); 11. Jason Evans ($90); 12. Brooke Tatnell ($80). (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Jeff Swindell ($7,000); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($4,000); 3. Steve Kinser ($3,000); 4. Mark Kinser ($2,500); 5. Sammy Swindell ($2,300); 6. Danny Lasoski ($2,200); 7. Jac Haudenschild ($2,100); 8. Joe Gaerte ($2,000); 9. Danny Smith ($1,700); 10. Dale Blaney ($1,620); 11. Johnny Herrera ($1,200); 12. Tyler Walker ($1,150); 13. Donny Schatz ($1,120); 14. Randy Kinser ($1,050); 15. Stevie Smith ($1,000); 16. Larry Neighbors ($700); 17. Dion Hindi ($620); 18. Kevin Stepter ($520); 19. Jerrod Hull ($520); 20. Greg Hodnett ($500); 21. Larry Bland ($500); 22. Craig Dollansky ($500); 23. Paul Hart ($520); 24. Lance Blevins ($500).
Lap leader: Jeff Swindell 1-30
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Jac Haudenschild