WOO: Stevie Smith Takes Bud Carson Memorial
25 June 1998
By Richard DayOKLAHOMA CITY, OK - While Shane Carson honored his late father with a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series event in his name, Stevie Smith gave his father and crew all the credit after winning the Charles' Barbecue Bud Carson Memorial at State Fair Speedway Tuesday.
"My dad, Steve, and Devin Deluzio and Mike Miller are the ones who make it all happen," Stevie said graciously. "This is a total team effort."
Smith, who also won a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature at State Fair Speedway last June 24th, was equal to Sammy Swindell's challenges and claimed the $10,000 first prize.
"When you look up into a grandstand like this and see all the people who are into racing, it pumps you up," Smith said following his seventh "A" Feature victory of the season.
"Charles' Barbecue put up an extra $3,000 to win tonight and it made it even more exciting for us. I also have to thank Ingersoll-Rand for their support. They've given me the opportunity to do what I love to do."
Smith, the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 28-car field, won the Third Racing Champions Heat Race and his third Channellock Dash of the year for the right to start the "A" Feature on the pole. He drove his #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit into the lead as the green flag fell in the main event.
Jac Haudenschild passed Danny Lasoski for second early in the opening lap and challenged Smith for the lead throughout the first seven laps. Haudenschild raced wheel-to-wheel with Smith through the first and second corners early in the seventh lap, but was unable to put the #22 Pennzoil Maxim in the lead. Seconds later, Swindell used an inside move to pass Lasoski in turn two.
Smith entered lapped traffic with a four-car-length advantage during lap eight. Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Mark Kinser steered the #5M Wirtgen Maxim into the high groove in turn one to pass Dale Blaney for sixth place five laps later.
Swindell, who won the First Racing Champions Heat Race, took the low line into the second corner to pass Haudenschild for the runner-up spot early in the 18th lap. He was gaining on Smith the next time around when Daryn Pittman, driving the #21 Up Front Phone Cards J&J for Lance Blevins, stopped in the high groove between turns three and four with a flat tire. Greg Hodnett was unable to find an escape route and collided with Pittman.
Kinser won a back-straightaway drag race with "The Dude" to take over fourth place as the green flag replaced the yellow. His run toward the front ended during lap 20 when Larry Neighbors stopped in turn two with a flat right front tire.
Swindell steered his #1 Channellock Stealth into the low groove between the third and fourth corners to pass Smith for the lead as the race resumed. Stevie duplicated Sammy's move the next time around to regain first place. Haudenschild followed Smith past Swindell between turns three and four.
After Sammy regained the runner-up spot, Haudenschild and Lasoski exchanged third place during the 25th and 26th laps.
Danny Smith's first-corner flip brought out the red flag,allowing the leaders to fine-tune their sprinters for the four- lap dash to the checkered flag.
Stevie surged ahead as the race resumed, only to have Sammy catch him late in the 28th lap. Smith beat Swindell across the finish line by a wheel. Sammy challenged Stevie in every corner during the final three laps. They raced side-by-side through turns three and four with the white flag flying, and Smith was less than one car-length ahead when he took the checkered flag.
"This track is similar to some of the tracks I ran back home (in Pennsylvania), and that helps," Stevie said. "We're just glad to win another one."
Seventh-starting Steve Kinser put on a late charge to finish third. Completing the top 10 were Haudenschild, Lasoski, Mark Kinser, Blaney, Johnny Herrera, Joe Gaerte and Tyler Walker.
Walker's sixth top-10 finish in the last seven events pushed him to within nine points of Blaney in their battle for the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Rookie of the Year award.
Swindell received his fifth Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after pacing the qualifying session with a 16.481-second lap around the semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval.
All five races preceding the main event - the Racing Champions Heat Races, the Channellock Dash and the "B" Feature - were caution-free. WoO
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Charles' Barbecue Bud Carson Memorial State Fair Speedway, Oklahoma City, OK
Tuesday, June 23, Feature Program #31
Qualifications: 1. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.481; 2. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.484; 3. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.532; 4. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 16.578; 5. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 16.580; 6. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 16.623; 7. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.673; 8. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 16.912; 9. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 16.914; 10. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 16.995; 11. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 17.000; 12. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 17.034; 13. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 17.072; 14. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 17.082; 15. Donnie Crawford, Hillenburg 1H, 17.117; 16. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 17.126; 17. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 17.153; 18. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 17.200; 19. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 17.262; 20. Shane Stewart, Stewart 9S, 17.281; 21. Daryn Pittman, Blevins 21P, 17.347; 22. Mike Peters, Grandstaff 66, 17.395; 23. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 17.524; 24. John Bankston, Bankston 8, 17.534; 25. Aaron Berryhill, Berryhill 97, 17.591; 26. Bill Robertson, Eckley 16, 17.616; 27. Rick Barksdale, Schmidt 75B, 17.787; 28. David Chappell, Chappell 50, 18.000.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Brooke Tatnell, 3. Craig Dollansky, 4. Dale Blaney, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Donny Schatz, 7. Mike Peters, 8. Aaron Berryhill, 9. David Chappell, 10. Andy Hillenburg. 2:22.19 (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Danny Smith, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Shane Stewart, 8. Dion Hindi, 9. Bill Robertson. 2:22.74 (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Larry Neighbors, 3. Tyler Walker, 4. Greg Hodnett, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Daryn Pittman, 7. John Bankston, 8. Rick Barksdale, 9. Donnie Crawford. 2:23.88 (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Steve Kinser, 8. Danny Smith. 1:29.0 (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Shane Stewart, 3. Mike Peters, 4. Dion Hindi, 5. Aaron Berryhill, 6. Bill Robertson, 7. Rick Barksdale ($200); 8. David Chappell ($180); 9. John Bankston ($150); 10. Donnie Crawford ($110). 3:02.6 (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Stevie Smith ($10,000); 2. Sammy Swindell ($4,000); 3. Steve Kinser ($3,000); 4. Jac Haudenschild ($2,500); 5. Danny Lasoski ($2,300); 6. Mark Kinser ($2,200); 7. Dale Blaney ($2,100); 8. Johnny Herrera ($2,000); 9. Joe Gaerte ($1,700); 10. Tyler Walker ($1,600); 11. Jeff Swindell ($1,200); 12. Donny Schatz ($1,150); 13. Brooke Tatnell ($1,100); 14. Greg Hodnett ($1,050); 15. Andy Hillenburg ($1,020); 16. Craig Dollansky ($700); 17. Larry Neighbors ($600); 18. Aaron Berryhill ($520); 19. Dion Hindi ($520); 20. Daryn Pittman ($500); 21. Shane Stewart ($520); 22. Danny Smith ($500); 23. Mike Peters ($520); 24. Bill Robertson ($520).
Lap leaders: Stevie Smith 1-20, 22-30; Sammy Swindell 21
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Sammy Swindell
