WOO: Smith Wins LaSalle Feature After Swindell Crashes
22 June 1998
By Richard DayLASALLE, IL - Stevie Smith took the lead in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series victory column Friday at LaSalle Speedway, winning the "A" Feature after defending series champion Sammy Swindell crashed out of first place late in the 18th lap.
It was the second straight year that Swindell was leading well past the race's midpoint only to have misfortune cause him to finish near the rear of the 24-car field.
Smith, who battled Swindell throughout the first 18 laps, kept his #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit up front during the final 12 laps to claim his sixth victory of the season and the 40th of his World of Outlaws career.
Stevie, the fourth-fastest qualifier in the 30-car field, followed Swindell across the finish line in the Channellock Dash for the right to start the main event outside the front row.
Swindell, who won his sixth Channellock Dash of the season, drove his #1 Channellock Stealth into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. Dale Blaney allowed the #93 Amoco J&J to spin into Steve Kinser early in the opening lap. Broken radius rods and tie rods on the #93 kept Blaney from restarting.
Swindell burst into the lead as the green flag replaced the yellow. Kinser, who kept his #11 Quaker State Maxim going despite colliding with Blaney on the original start, took the low line through turn three to pass Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Jac Haudenschild for fourth place.
Sammy was 10 car-lengths ahead of Smith when he entered lapped traffic five laps into the race. Stevie narrowed the gap to five car-lengths in dense lapped traffic during the seventh lap. Swindell raced around a pack of backmarkers four laps later and regained his 10-car-length comfort zone.
Smith caught Swindell in tight traffic midway through the feature. He raced wheel-to-wheel with Sammy through the first and second corners, but was unable to surge ahead early in lap 15.
Second Racing Champions Heat Race winner Joe Gaerte and Troy Hepfner brought out the caution flag the next time around when they spun between turns one and two. Manny Rockhold was to restart between Swindell and Smith, but hit the restart cone and was sent to the back of the pack. The mishap led to Stevie and Sammy restarting nose-to-tail.
Smith was battling Swindell for the lead two laps later when Sammy jumped the cushion in the third corner and hit the outside retaining wall. Stevie inherited the lead and restarted the race at the front of the field.
Jeff Swindell drove the #104+ Octane Boost J&J into the low groove between turns one and two and passed Haudenschild for fourth as the race resumed. Haudenschild, who has finished among the top three in his first three races since returning from a shoulder injury June 13th, took the high line through the third and fourth corners to regain the position. He steered the #22 Pennzoil Maxim to the lowest point between turns three and four to pass Kinser for third place the next time around.
Smith was eight car-lengths ahead of Danny Lasoski when he caught the backmarkers again with seven laps remaining. "The Dude" steered the #83 Beef Packers Eagle into the high groove and was even with Stevie between the third and fourth corners in dense traffic the next time around. Smith was a wheel ahead of Lasoski as they completed the 25th lap.
The battle for the lead continued to rage through lap 26. After racing wheel-to-wheel with Lasoski through turns one and two and down the back straightaway, Smith took the high line into the third corner to gain the advantage.
Haudenschild caught "The Dude" in turn one and passed him with a low move into the second corner during the final lap. Jac was five car-lengths behind when Smith took the checkered flag.
Lasoski held off Kinser for third place. Jeff Swindell finished fifth, ahead of Mark Kinser, Greg Hodnett, Tyler Walker, 16th-starting Lance Blevins and Andy Hillenburg.
Haudenschild lowered LaSalle Speedway's qualifying standard by .048 seconds with a 10.827-second lap around the high-banked, 1/4-mile oval. Jac was rewarded for his record-breaking effort with his sixth Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
LaSalle Speedway, LaSalle, IL
Friday, June 19, Feature Program #28
Qualifications: 1. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 10.827 (new single-lap record); 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 11.000; 3. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 11.089; 4. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 11.090; 5. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 11.123; 6. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 11.135; 7. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 11.173; 8. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 11.176; 9. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 11.203; 10. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 11.222; 11. Kelly Kinser, Kinser 4K, 11.278; 12. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 11.295; 13. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 11.320; 14. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 11.326; 15. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 11.340; 16. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 11.380; 17. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 11.420; 18. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 11.702; 19. Matt Rogerson, Rogerson 91, 11.775; 20. Manny Rockhold, Rockhold 71, 11.884; 21. Mike Frost, Frost 88F, 11.918; 22. Howie Gleason, Gleason 21G, 11.996; 23. Terry Babb, Babb 88, 12.010; 24. Bob Adamson, Adamson 2A, 12.092; 25. Tim Moore, Elsbury 10T, 12.917; 26. Eddie Lynch, Lynch 29L, 12.933; 27. Bill Waite, Jr., Waite 3JR, 13.252; 28. Keith Siefert, Siefert 25, 13.338; 29. Troy Hepfner, Hastings 82, 13.435; 30. Terry Starks, Starks 13, 13.460.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Lance Blevins, 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Jac Haudenschild, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Matt Rogerson, 8. Howie Gleason, 9. Tim Moore, 10. Keith Siefert. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Joe Gaerte, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Kelly Kinser, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Manny Rockhold, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Terry Babb, 9. Eddie Lynch, 10. Troy Hepfner. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Terry McCarl, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Greg Hodnett, 5. Craig Dollansky, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Bob Adamson, 8. Bill Waite, Jr., 9. Mike Frost, 10. Terry Starks. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Jac Haudenschild, 6. Andy Hillenburg, 7. Dale Blaney, 8. Tyler Walker. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Matt Rogerson, 3. Mike Frost, 4. Terry Babb, 5. Bob Adamson, 6. Troy Hepfner, 7. Bill Waite, Jr. ($200); 8. Eddie Lynch ($180); 9. Keith Siefert ($150); 0. Terry Starks ($110); 11. Howie Gleason ($90); 12. Tim Moore ($80). (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Stevie Smith ($7,000); 2. Jac Haudenschild (4,000); 3. Danny Lasoski ($3,000); 4. Steve Kinser ($2,500); 5. Jeff Swindell ($2,300); 6. Mark Kinser ($2,200); 7. Greg Hodnett ($2,100); 8. Tyler Walker ($2,000); 9. Lance Blevins ($1,700); 10. Andy Hillenburg ($1,600); 11. Craig Dollansky ($1,500); 12. Kelly Kinser ($1,150); 13. Terry McCarl ($1,100); 14. Joe Gaerte ($1,050); 15. Johnny Herrera ($1,100); 16. Donny Schatz ($720); 17. Terry Babb ($620); 18. Matt Rogerson ($520); 19. Manny Rockhold ($500); 20. Bob Adamson ($520); 21. Troy Hepfner ($520); 22. Sammy Swindell ($500); 23. Mike Frost ($520); 24. Dale Blaney ($500).
Lap leaders: Sammy Swindell 1-18, Stevie Smith 19-30
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Jac Haudenschild
