WOO: Haudenschild Dominates Ethanol Classic Opener
5 July 1998
By Richard DayKNOXVILLE, IA (July 3) - Jac Haudenschild extended his winning streak at Knoxville Raceway to three when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series opened the Third Annual Iowa Ethanol Classic at the legendary semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval Friday.
Haudenschild, who swept the feature races when the series visited "The Home of the Nationals" in late April and early May, led all 20 laps in the Preliminary Feature. He also extended his streak of top-four finishes since returning from a shoulder injury and changing crew members to nine.
"The Pennzoil Maxim has been working really good lately," Haudenschild said. "I've had a whole new crew these last nine races, and they've just made the car great to drive. We're having a lot of fun, and hopefully, we'll come back and do this two more times tomorrow."
Haudenschild, the fifth-fastest qualifier in the 47-car field, earned the right to start the Preliminary Feature outside the front row by following Johnny Herrera across the finish line in the Channellock Dash.
Jac steered the #22 Pennzoil Maxim into the high groove in the fourth corner as the green flag fell in the evening's main event and won a front-straightaway drag race to take the lead. Herrera took the low line through turns one and two in an effort to pass Haudenschild, but was unable to surge ahead.
Herrera drove the #47 Casey's General Stores Maxim deep into the first and second corners two laps later, but Haudenschild was equal to the challenge. Jac opened a 1.05-second advantage as 11- time Amoco Knoxville Nationals champion Steve Kinser challenged Herrera for second place four laps into the race.
Haudenschild was 1.6 seconds ahead of Herrera when he entered lapped traffic early in the seventh lap. Sammy Swindell took the low line through turn one to pass Kinser for third place a split- second later.
Haudenschild was 1.5 seconds ahead of his closest pursuers midway through the race. Swindell steered his #1 Channellock Stealth into the high groove in the second and fourth corners during the 12th lap, but was unable to pass Herrera.
"The King of the Outlaws" joined the battle for second place the next time around, and raced nose-to-tail with Herrera and Swindell.
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Mark Kinser drove the #5M Wirtgen Maxim into the low groove between turns one and two early in the 15th lap, but was unable to pass Stevie Smith for fifth.
Herrera, the 1996 Knoxville Raceway track champion, narrowed the gap to .7 seconds in dense lapped traffic with five laps remaining.
Steve Kinser and Swindell exchanged third place during the final four laps. Kinser took the inside line through turn four and drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim past Sammy on the front stretch early in lap 17. Swindell regained the position two laps later with a low move through the first and second corners.
Haudenschild broke out of lapped traffic during the final lap and took the checkered flag with 2.592 seconds to spare. His fastest lap was clocked at 16.721 seconds. Sixteen of the 24 cars in the field finished on the lead lap.
Sammy and Steve claimed the final two automatic starting positions in Saturday's Channellock Dash by finishing third and fourth. Smith held off Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Mark Kinser for fifth place. Completing the top 10 in the Preliminary Feature were Danny Lasoski, Joe Gaerte, Skip Jackson and 18th-starting Andy Hillenburg.
Craig Dollansky, who left the Mopar team after the Eagle Nationals, made his debut in Howie Gleason's #21G sprinter and won the Second Racing Champions Heat Race. He finished 18th in the Preliminary Feature.
Greg Hodnett, the runner-up in last year's Amoco Knoxville Nationals championship feature, spun into the outside retaining wall early in the First Racing Champions Heat Race. His crew was unable to repair the extensive rear-end damage to the #11H Vivarin Eagle, so Hodnett was unable to compete in any of the feature races. Haudenschild's second Preliminary Feature victory of the season pushed him to within three points of Hodnett in their battle for 12th place in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Third Annual Iowa Ethanol Classic
Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, NE
Friday, July 3, Preliminary Program
Qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 15.370; 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 15.382; 3. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 15.464; 4. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 15.494; 5. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 15.587; 6. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 15.642; 7. Scott Whitworth, Whitworth 96, 15.748; 8. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 15.782; 9. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 15.788; 10. Skip Jackson, Serace 55, 15.794; 11. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 15.796; 12. John Kearney, Kearney 86, 15.802; 13. Chris Walraven, Walraven 56W, 15.814; 14. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 15.861; 15. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 15.902; 16. Lee Nelson, Nelson 25, 15.921; 17. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 15.922; 18. Craig Dollansky, Gleason 21G, 15.925; 19. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 15.931; 20. Don Droud, Jr., DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 15.935; 21. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 15.950; 22. Leonard Lee, Lee 16L, 15.964; 23. Daryn Pittman, Blevins 21, 16.007; 24. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 15.025; 25. Bob Weuve, BW Motorsports 19W, 16.067; 26. Matt Moro, Moro 2M, 16.103; 27. Kerry Madsen, Madsen 99, 16.172; 28. Jaymie Moyle, Vanderecken 10, 16.173; 29. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 16.204; 30. Bryan Grimes, Grimes 6B, 16.223; 31. Larry Pinegar II, Pinegar 11L, 16.235; 32. Jeff Mitrisin, Sereg 5J, 16.241; 33. Brent Antill, Antill 57, 16.274; 34. Randy Anderson, Anderson 71A, 16.312; 35. Travis Cram, RCMP 12, 16.365; 36. Nick Bellino, Bellino 41B, 16.394; 37. Marlon Jones, Jones 6, 16.305; 38. Manny Rockhold, Rockhold 71, 16.420; 39. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 16.475; 40. Tony Norem, Sibet 45, 16.478; 41. Bill McCroskey, Weuve 91KW, 16.658; 42. Kevin Frey, Motter 71M, 16.723; 43. Larry Weeks, Weeks 00, 16.772; 44. Dennis Moore, Jr., Beahlers 56, 16.858; 45. Gerry Crab, Crab 55KC, 16.934; 46. Steve Wares, Wares 10x, 17.165; 47. Chad Smith, Smith 17, no time.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Joe Gaerte, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Dale Blaney, 6. Chris Walraven, 7. Brooke Tatnell, 8. Marlon Jones, 9. Dennis Moore, Jr., 10. Chad Smith, 11. Brent Antill. (all four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Tyler Walker, 3. Skip Jackson, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Johnny Herrera, 6. Leonard Lee, 7. Bryan Grimes, 8. Manny Rockhold, 9. Randy Anderson, 10. Bill McCroskey, 11. Gerry Crab, 12. Matt Moro. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Daryn Pittman, 5. Scott Whitworth, 6. Jaymie Moyle, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Kevin Frey, 9. Travis Cram, 10. Steve Wares, 11. Larry Pinegar II, 12. Greg Hodnett. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Terry McCarl, 4. Don Droud, Jr., 5. John Kearney, 6. Kerry Madsen, 7. Jeff Mitrisin, 8. Nick Bellino, 9. Tony Norem, 10. Larry Weeks, 11. Lee Nelson. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Stevie Smith, 7. Danny Lasoski, 8. Scott Whitworth. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature)
C Feature (10 laps): 1. Travis Cram, 2. Manny Rockhold, 3. Marlon Jones ($100); 4. Dion Hindi ($80); 5. Tony Norem ($60); 6. Nick Bellino ($50); 7. Dennis Moore, Jr. ($40); 8. Gerry Crab ($30); 9. Chad Smith ($25); 10. Steve Wares ($25); 11. Bill McCroskey ($25); 12. Larry Weeks ($25). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Lee Nelson, 2. Leonard Lee, 3. Brooke Tatnell ($150); 4. Chris Walraven, 5. Jeff Mitrisin, 6. Kerry Madsen ($125); 7. Bryan Grimes ($100); 8. Brent Antill ($75); 9. Travis Cram ($80); 10. Manny Rockhold ($70); 11. Jaymie Moyle ($40); 12. Tony Norem ($40); 13. Randy Anderson ($40); 14. Bob Weuve ($40). DNS - Greg Hodnett. (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild ($4,500); 2. Johnny Herrera ($2,500); 3. Sammy Swindell ($1,700); 4. Steve Kinser ($1,500); 5. Stevie Smith ($1,350); 6. Mark Kinser ($1,250); 7. Danny Lasoski ($1,200); 8. Joe Gaerte ($1,100); 9. Skip Jackson ($1,075); 10. Andy Hillenburg ($1,050); 11. Scott Whitworth ($1,000); 12. Tyler Walker ($800); 13. Jeff Swindell ($700); 14. Donny Schatz ($630): 15. Terry McCarl ($400); 16. John Kearney ($400); 17. Dale Blaney ($300); 18. Craig Dollansky ($300); 19. Leonard Lee ($320); 20. Jeff Mitrisin ($320); 21. Daryn Pittman ($300); 22. Lee Nelson ($320); 23. Chris Walraven ($320); 24. Don Droud, Jr. ($300). DNS - Brooke Tatnell; replaced by Jeff Mitrisin
Lap leader: Jac Haudenschild 1-20
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser
