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WOO: Kinser Tightens Points Race with Tri-State Victory

11 May 1998

By Richard Day

HAUBSTADT, IN - Mark Kinser has been feeling the pressure of driving for his father, 15-time Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series car owner, Karl Kinser, lately. He knew winning the Mother's Day "A" Feature Sunday at Tri-State Speedway would ease the pressure, for a week anyway.

"My guys have been working as hard as anyone, and I think the driver has let them down lately," Mark said after leading the final 12 laps at Haubstadt's high-banked, 1/4-mile oval. "I know he did last night (at Tri-City Speedway) for sure.

"We haven't won in eight races, and for Karl Kinser, that's a long slump. I'm just glad I could get the job for them tonight. It was a great race."

Kinser was the last of three leaders in the action-packed 40- lap main event. Outside polesitter Joe Gaerte led the first four laps before giving way to Channellock Dash winner Jac Haudenschild. Mark pulled off a daring third-to-first move in the fourth corner as Steve Kinser battled Haudenschild, then held off his cousin for his fourth "A" Feature victory of the World of Outlaws' 20th Anniversary season.

The victory pushed Mark to within five points of series leader Stevie Smith, who finished in fourth place. Steve, who was six car-lengths behind when Mark took the checkered flag, is 13 points behind his cousin.

Haudenschild and Gaerte raced wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway and through turn one as the green flag waved to start the "A" Feature. Gaerte surged ahead, only to have Jac pass him for the lead with a low move through the first and second corners four laps later.

Steve Kinser passed Mark late in the second lap, then drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim deep into the fourth corner to pass Gaerte for second place during the sixth-lap restart. Mark passed Gaerte for third just seconds before Donny Schatz stopped in turn four with a flat tire late in lap eight.

Rookie Tyler Walker, who started outside the fourth row, took the low line through the third and fourth corners to pass Gaerte for fourth place as the green flag replaced the yellow.

Haudenschild entered lapped traffic with a six-car-length advantage during the 11th lap. He was increasing his lead when Danny Lasoski, Johnny Herrera and Lance Blevins collided in front of the leaders in the fourth corner eight laps later.

Second Racing Champions Heat Race winner Andy Hillenburg, who spun to avoid the collision, restarted at the rear of the field but roared back into ninth place within four laps.

With smoke coming from the back of the #22 Pennzoil Maxim, Haudenschild caught the backmarkers again with a four-car-length advantage during the 26th lap. Steve Kinser tried to take the lead with an inside move into the fourth corner two laps later. He slid out of the low groove, however, allowing Mark to pass him and Haudenschild.

"Jac was having some problems, and Steve tried to get around him and slid out a little bit and that opened the door for me," Mark said of the winning pass.

Mark was building a comfortable lead when Lee Dunn turned completely around in turn one and Larry Neighbors and Greg Hodnett spun to avoid him early in lap 33. Steve threatened to take the lead as the race resumed, but was unable to surge ahead.

Haudenschild surrendered fourth place when he stopped in the third corner with a broken rear end with five laps remaining. Crew chief Guy Forbrook revealed later that a bolt from the rear end caused Haudenschild's brakes to fail during the fourth lap, so Jac ran 32 laps without any way to stop the car.

Steve kept pace with Mark as the green flag replaced the yellow. He raced under his cousin in turn three late in the 37th lap, but Mark maintained the lead when Steve slid out of the low groove in the fourth corner.

"Steve's the best there is at restarts, and he got a run on me there in three and four," Mark said, "but he gave me enough room to diamond off the corner and I was able to get back by."

Walker's third-place finish is the best of his young World of Outlaws career. Smith finished fourth, ahead of Sammy Swindell, Hillenburg, Dale Blaney, 15th-starting Jeff Swindell, Blevins and Herrera.

Sammy Swindell sliced .079 seconds off the single-lap record Aaron Berryhill set on May 14, 1995, with a 11.512-second run.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the Terre Haute Action Track's $75,000 Winged Thunder event Friday and Saturday. Friday's race will be televised live on TNN: The Nashville Network's Motor Madness program. WoO

1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series

Tri-State Speedway, Haubstadt, IN

Sunday, May 10, Feature Program #15

Qualifications: 1. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 11.512 (new one-lap record); 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 11.600; 3. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 11.730; 4. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 11.731; 5. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 11.747; 6. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 11.752; 7. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 11.817; 8. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 11.893; 9. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 11.902; 10. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 11.921; 11. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 11.926; 12. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 11.930; 13. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 11.961; 14. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 11.974; 15. Kelly Kinser, Kinser 4K, 11.977; 16. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+. 12.016; 17. Lee Dunn, Poole 79, 12.046; 18. Sarah Fisher, Fisher 9F, 12.082; 19. Gary Hayhurst Jr., Hayhurst 56x, 12.105; 20. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 12.108; 21. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 12.133; 22. J.C. Sulawske, Hobgood 12, 12.182; 23. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 12.202; 24. Jerrod Hull, Hull 11J, 12.223; 25. Randy Kinser, Kinser 14, 12.255; 26. Scott Campbell, Campbell 82, 12.270; 27. Paul Hart, Hart 32H, 12.297; 28. Brooke Tatnell, RE Technologies 7K, 12.313; 29. Tim Engler, Engler 73, 12.346; 30. Tim Montgomery, Dougherty 20, 12.369; 31. Kevin Stepter, Stepter 38, 12.385; 32. Scott Simion, Simion 4F, 12.413; 33. Bob Burkle, Burkle 21B, 12.440; 34. Adam Schmidt, Schmidt 12S, 12.446; 35. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 12.464; 36. Ike Worthington, Worthington 8W, 12.476; 37. Jason Evans, Evans 88E, 12.485; 38. Bryan Ruble, Ruble 38R, 12.509; 39. Matt Gilles, Gilles 22B, 12.521; 40. Rick King, Harper 88K, 12.605; 41. Larry Trunnell, Trunnell 18T, 12.652; 42. Andy Hirsch, Hirsch 41, 12.791; 43. Eric Davis, Davis 96, 12.808; 44. Brenda Buster, Buster 31, 12.822; 45. Troy Leonard, Leonard 91, 12.843; 46. Dickie Gaines, Gaines 11G, 12.868; 47. Steve Farner, Hart 55H, 12.917; 48. Levi Jones, Jones 2J, 13.078.

First Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Larry Neighbors, 5. Lee Dunn, 6. Randy Kinser, 7. Lance Blevins, 8. Tim Engler, 9. Troy Leonard, 10. Larry Trunnell, 11. Bob Burkle, 12. Jason Evans. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Second Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Sarah Fisher, 3. J.C. Sulawske, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Tim Montgomery, 7. Craig Dollansky, 8. Scott Campbell, 9. Adam Schmidt, 10. Dickie Gaines, 11. Andy Hirsch, 12. Bryan Ruble. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Third Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Gary Hayhurst, Jr., 2. Kelly Kinser, 3. Dale Blaney, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Danny Smith, 6. Greg Hodnett, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Kevin Stepter, 9. Paul Hart, 10. Eric Davis, 11. Matt Gilles. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Tyler Walker, 3. Johnny Herrera, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Jerrod Hull, 7. Rick King, 8. Scott Simion, 9. Brooke Tatnell, 10. Levi Jones, 11. Ike Worthington, 12. Brenda Buster. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Channellock Dash (seven laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Joe Gaerte, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Stevie Smith, 7. Sammy Swindell, 8. Tyler Walker. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)

C Feature (10 laps): 1. Adam Schmidt, 2. Bryan Ruble, 3. Eric Davis ($125); 4. Rick King ($100); 5. Levi Jones ($80); 6. Ike Worthington ($70); 7. Troy Leonard ($60); 8. Matt Gilles ($50); 9. Larry Trunnell ($40); 10. Steve Farner ($35); 11. Dickie Gaines ($30); 12. Jason Evans ($30); 13. Brenda Buster ($30); 14. Andy Hirsch ($30). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature)

B Feature (12 laps): 1. Greg Hodnett, 2. Dion Hindi, 3. Lance Blevins, 4. Randy Kinser, 5. Brooke Tatnell ($200); 6. Jerrod Hull ($180); 7. Paul Hart ($150); 8. Scott Campbell ($110); 9. Tim Engler ($90); 10. Adam Schmidt ($100); 11. Kevin Stepter ($60); 12. Scott Simion ($50); 13. Bryan Ruble ($70); 14. Bob Burkle ($50); 15. Craig Dollansky ($50); 16. Tim Montgomery ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)

A Feature (40 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($7,000); 2. Steve Kinser ($4,000); 3. Tyler Walker ($3,000); 4. Stevie Smith ($2,500); 5. Sammy Swindell ($2,300); 6. Andy Hillenburg ($2,200); 7. Dale Blaney ($2,100); 8. Jeff Swindell ($2,000); 9. Lance Blevins ($1,720); 10. Johnny Herrera ($1,600); 11. Joe Gaerte ($1,200); 12. Danny Smith ($1,150); 13. Lee Dunn ($1,100); 14. Donny Schatz ($1,050); 15. J.C. Sulawske ($1,000); 16. Gary Hayhurst, Jr. ($700); 17. Larry Neighbors ($600); 18. Dion Hindi ($520); 19. Jac Haudenschild ($500); 20. Greg Hodnett ($520); 21. Kelly Kinser ($500); 22. Danny Lasoski ($500); 23. Sarah Fisher ($500); 24. Randy Kinser ($520).

Lap leaders: Joe Gaerte 1-4, Jac

Haudenschild 5-27, Mark Kinser 28-40

Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Sammy Swindell