WOO: Stevie Smith Completes Sweep of I-80 Event
2 May 1998
By Richard DayGREENWOOD, NE (May 1) - Stevie Smith took the lead early and used some daring moves in lapped traffic down the stretch to complete his sweep of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series event at I-80 Speedway Friday.
The double-feature sweep was the third of Smith's career. He won the Preliminary and "A" Features in the 1989 Williams Grove National Open and four years later at San Jose Speedway.
"I owe all this to my dad (Steve Smith) and Devin (Delugio)," Stevie said. "They've been working really hard and the Ingersoll- Rand car feels great.
"The track was really nice. It was a little slick in the middle, but it didn't hurt tires at all."
Smith, who led all 20 laps from outside the front row in Thursday's Preliminary Feature, won the Channellock Dash from the pole for the right to start the 30-lap main event inside the front row.
Stevie drove the #19 Ingersoll-Rand Smith past outside polesitter Jac Haudenschild as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. Haudenschild challenged for the lead for several laps before Smith started building a comfortable advantage. Stevie was 10 car-lengths ahead when he entered lapped traffic during the fifth lap.
Smith increased his advantage by splitting Larry Neighbors and Leonard Lee between the third and fourth corners the next time around. Unfortunately for Haudenschild, he was unable to duplicate the move on the front straightaway. The tires on the #22 Pennzoil Maxim touched Neighbors, sending him flipping. Jac was scored 23rd in the race, allowing Andy Hillenburg and Sammy Swindell to pass him in the World of Outlaws point standings.
Stevie controlled the ensuing restart and caught the back- markers again within three laps. He was seven car-lengths ahead of Steve Kinser when he encountered dense lapped traffic during lap 12.
Tyler Walker, who earned the Vivarin Fast-Time Award both nights at I-80, exchanged third place with Hillenburg during the 13th and 14th laps. Mark Kinser passed the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Rookie of the Year candidate for fourth with an inside move in turn two midway through the race. Kinser, winner of four of the World of Outlaws' first six events at I-80, drove the #5M Wirtgen Maxim into third place late in lap 20.
Smith, whose lead reached a half-straightaway during the 16th lap, saw his advantage diminish to four car-lengths with 10 laps remaining. "The King of the Outlaws" drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim around Stevie high in turn four the next time around.
Smith regained the lead when Kinser had trouble getting around a lapped car in turn four late in the 25th lap and cruised to a 12-car-length victory as the Kinser cousins battled for second place during the final five laps.
"I knew somebody had to be pretty close behind me," Smith said. "Steve got by me and showed me the fast way around. I changed my line a little bit and was able to get back by him.
"Lapped traffic was pretty tough. Like always, there were a couple of cars that didn't want to cooperate. But they're racing, too, so I can't expect them to just pull over.
"I just hope we can keep going this well the rest of the year. I think we're going to have a good season."
Steve increased his advantage in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings to five points by beating Mark under the checkered flag for second place. Hillenburg finished fourth, ahead of Walker, Danny Lasoski, Third Racing Champions Heat Race winner Johnny Herrera, Donny Schatz, Swindell and Joe Gaerte.
Dion Hindi, last year's Vivarin Perseverance Award winner, tied his season-best finish with a 14th-place run.
Neighbors finished sixth in the "B" Feature, but started at the rear of "A" Feature lineup when mechanical problems kept Matt Moro from taking the green flag.
Craig Dollansky won the "B" Feature, but drove the #75 Mopar Schnee into the pits early in the main event, never to return.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, NE Friday, May 1, Feature Program #11
Qualifications: 1. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 14.364; 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 14.443; 3. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 14.545; 4. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 14.603; 5. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 14.623; 6. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 14.686; 7. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 14.712; 8. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 14.747; 9. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 14.867; 10. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 14.942; 11. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 14.949; 12. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 14.958; 13. Marlon Jones, Jones 6, 15.013; 14. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 15.023; 15. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 15.027; 16. Leonard Lee, Lee 16L, 15.113; 17. Skip Jackson, Serace 55, 15.133; 18. Bill Robertson, Eckley 16, 15.229; 19. Billy Anderson, Kain 1K, 15.385; 20. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 15.483; 21. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 15.523; 22. Matt Moro, Moro 2M, 15.694; 23. Jeff Lowery, Lowery 45L, 15.968; 24. Gerald Cressman, Cressman 56C, 16.049; 25. Nick Bellino, Bellino 41B, 16.351; 26. Kevin Hulse, Hulse 15x, 16.694; 27. John Lambertz, Lambertz 12L, no time.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Leonard Lee, 6. Marlon Jones, 7. Nick Bellino, 8. Billy Anderson, 9. Matt Moro. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Lance Blevins, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Danny Smith, 6. Craig Dollansky, 7. Skip Jackson, 8. Jeff Lowery, 9. Kevin Hulse. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Terry McCarl, 5. Dion Hindi, 6. Larry Neighbors, 7. Bill Robertson, 8. John Lambertz, 9. Gerald Cressman. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Finishing 1-4 in Thursday's Preliminary Feature qualified Stevie Smith, Andy Hillenburg, Jac Haudenschild and Steve Kinser for the first four starting positions in the Channellock Dash.
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Andy Hillenburg, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. Danny Lasoski. (finish determined the first six starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Marlon Jones, 3. Bill Robertson, 4. Matt Moro ($200); 5. Skip Jackson, 6. Larry Neighbors, 7. Nick Bellino ($175); 8. John Lambertz ($150); 9. Jeff Lowery ($100); 10. Kevin Hulse ($90); 11. Billy Anderson ($80); 12. Gerald Cressman ($60). (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Stevie Smith ($10,000); 2. Steve Kinser ($6,000); 3. Mark Kinser ($3,500); 4. Andy Hillenburg ($3,200); 5. Tyler Walker ($3,000); 6. Danny Lasoski ($2,500); 7. Johnny Herrera ($2,300); 8. Donny Schatz ($2,200); 9. Sammy Swindell ($2,100); 10. Joe Gaerte ($2,000); 11. Jeff Swindell ($1,500); 12. Danny Smith ($1,400); 13. Dale Blaney ($1,300); 14. Dion Hindi ($1,200); 15. Greg Hodnett ($1,000); 16. Terry McCarl ($1,000); 17. Skip Jackson ($820); 18. Leonard Lee ($600); 19.Marlon Jones ($620); 20. Lance Blevins ($600); 21. Larry Neighbors ($620); 22. Bill Robertson ($620); 23. Jac Haudenschild ($600); 24. Craig Dollansky ($620); DNS - Matt Moro; replaced by Larry Neighbors Lap leaders: Stevie Smith 1-21, 25-30; Steve Kinser 22-24
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Tyler Walker
