WOO: Swindell Leads Every Lap in Hagerstown Finale
25 May 1998
By Richard DayHAGERSTOWN, MD - Sammy Swindell took a big step toward defending his Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series championship Sunday with a flag-to-flag victory at Hagerstown Speedway.
Swindell's $10,000 victory pushed him into second place in the point standings. The three-time World of Outlaws champion enters Friday's Williams Grove Speedway event 47 points behind Mark Kinser and nine points ahead of Steve Kinser.
"The Channellock car was working good tonight," Sammy said. "We were fairly strong last night, but had a few little problems and Donnie (Kreitz) and his guys did a great job. We've been fast all year, but we just haven't gotten the breaks we needed."
Kreitz started inside the front row in the Channellock Dash, but Swindell beat him across the finish line for the right to start the main event on the pole.
Swindell burst into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature, and started building a comfortable advantage as Mark Kinser challenged Kreitz for second place. Sammy had the #1 Channellock Stealth a full straightaway ahead of his closest pursuers five laps into the race. He entered lapped traffic two laps later.
Mark steered the #5M Wirtgen Maxim into the high groove in the third and fourth corners to pass Kreitz late in lap eight. Andy Hillenburg used a low move in turn one to pass Kreitz for third place the next time around.
Mark closed to within eight car-lengths of Swindell in dense lapped traffic during the 12th lap. He jumped the cushion between the first and second corners the next time around, however, allowing Hillenburg to take over second place.
Swindell maneuvered out of lapped traffic and opened a full straightaway advantage during lap 20. Jeff Shepard, Jac Haudenschild and Stevie Smith passed Kreitz between turns one and two early in the 21st, 22nd and 23rd laps.
Hillenburg narrowed the gap in dense lapped traffic with four laps remaining, but was 12 car-lengths behind when Swindell took the checkered flag for his third "A" Feature victory of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 20th Anniversary Season.
"Traffic was pretty tough tonight," Sammy said. "A couple of times, we caught cars in the middle of the corner. We were pretty good high in one and two, but they slid out in front of us and slowed us down a little.
"I just have to thank the Lord for letting the weather hold off so we could get this one in. We'll try to come back and get another one next weekend."
All three Racing Champions Heat Races, the Channellock Dash and the main event were caution-free as World of Outlaws officials rushed to beat bad weather in the Hagerstown area.
Mark Kinser finished in third place, ahead of Shepard, Haudenschild, Smith, Kreitz, First Racing Champions Heat Race winner Dale Blaney, 17th-starting Steve Kinser and Greg Hodnett.
Jeff Swindell took advantage of the break he received when Johnny Mackison was unable to start the main event. Instead of watching a World of Outlaws "A" Feature for the first time this year, Swindell drove the #104+ Octane Boost J&J past seven sprinters to finish in 14th place.
Mechanical problems in the #83 Beef Packers Eagle and the #15 Blue Beacon Gambler kept Danny Lasoski and Donny Schatz from lining up for the "A" Feature on time, so they started at the rear of the field. Lasoski's problems persisted, causing him to finish 24th and Schatz passed five cars to finish 19th.
Ed Lynch, Jr., earned the first Vivarin Fast-Time Award of his career by pacing the qualifying session with a 15.659-second, 114.950-m.p.h. lap around the semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval.
Australian driver Brooke Tatnell flipped his #7K RE Technologies sprinter during hot laps and his crew was unable to get it repaired for the remainder of the program.
The World of Outlaws' fire-breathing, mudslinging sprint car racing teams will have four days to prepare for a full schedule of racing next weekend. After Williams Grove hosts its third event in eight days Friday, the series is scheduled to visit Lincoln Speedway Saturday, then open its annual New York tour Sunday at Orange County Speedway.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, MD Sunday, May 24, Feature Program #19
Qualifications: 1. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 15.659; 2. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 15.781; 3. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 15.702; 4. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 15.801; 5. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 15.802; 6. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 15.807; 7. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 15.831; 8. Sean Michael, Harz 88M, 15.839; 9. Mike Wagner, Wagner 55, 15.852; 10. Lance Dewease, Dyer 461, 15.932; 11. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 15.933; 12. Kevin Gobrecht, Gobrecht 92, 15.944; 13. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 15.956; 14. Bryan Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 16.028; 15. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.037; 16. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 16.046; 17. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 16.069; 18. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 16.087; 19. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 16.127; 20. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 16.212; 21. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 16.286; 22. Johnny Mackison, Swope 65, 16.300; 23. Bobby Allen, Allen 1a, 16.390; 24. Daryn Pittman, Pittman 11P, 16.429; 25. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 16.434; 26. Randy Wolfe, Allebach 75W, 16.525; 27. Jimmy Mabe, Mabe 4M, 18.138; 28. Mike Dillman, Dillman 2C, no time; 29. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, no time.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dale Blaney, 2. Jeff Shepard, 3. Danny Smith, 4. Lance Dewease, 5. Ed Lynch, Jr., 6. Steve Kinser, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Lance Blevins, 9. Mike Dillman, 10. Johnny Mackison. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Sean Michael, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Johnny Herrera, 6. Brian Paulus, 7. Jeff Swindell, 8. Randy Wolfe, 9. Bobby Allen. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Kevin Gobrecht, 2. Mike Wagner, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Donny Schatz, 7. Daryn Pittman, 8. Craig Dollansky, 9. Jimmy Mabe. DNS - Brooke Tatnell. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Finishing 1-4 in Saturday's Preliminary Feature automatically qualified Don Kreitz, Jr., Sammy Swindell, Mark Kinser and Andy Hillenburg for the first four starting positions in the Channellock Dash.
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Don Kreitz, Jr., 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Ed Lynch, Jr., 6. Jac Haudenschild. (finish determined the first six starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Craig Dollansky, 4. Johnny Mackison ($200); 5. Dion Hindi, 6. Jeff Swindell, 7. Randy Wolfe ($175); 8. Lance Blevins ($150); 9. Jimmy Mabe ($100); 10. Mike Dillman ($90); 11. Daryn Pittman ($80); 12.. Bobby Allen ($60); 13. Brian Paulus ($50). DNS -Brooke Tatnell. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell ($10,000); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($6,000); 3. Mark Kinser ($3,500); 4. Jeff Shepard ($3,200); 5. Jac Haudenschild ($3,000); 6. Stevie Smith ($2,500); 7. Don Kreitz, Jr. ($2,300); 8. Dale Blaney ($2,200); 9. Steve Kinser ($2,120); 10. Greg Hodnett ($2,000); 11. Kevin Gobrecht ($1,500); 12. Tyler Walker ($1,400); 13. Danny Smith ($1,300); 14. Jeff Swindell ($1,220); 15. Lance Dewease ($1,000); 16. Johnny Herrera ($1,000); 17. Joe Gaerte ($800); 18. Mike Wagner ($600); 19. Donny Schatz ($620); 20. Craig Dollansky ($620); 21. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($600); 22. Dion Hindi ($620); 23. Sean Michael ($600); 24. Danny Lasoski ($600). DNS - Johnny Mackison; replaced by Jeff Swindell
Lap leader: Sammy Swindell 1-30
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Ed Lynch, Jr.
