WOO: Haudenschild Earns Pole in Nationals' Main Event
15 August 1998
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KNOXVILLE, IA (August 14) - The 1998 Amoco Knoxville Nationals will be remembered as one of the most competitive in the event's first 38 years. Friday's Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' "A" Scramble served further notice there's no clear-cut favorite to claim the $100,000 first prize.
All of the evening's action was televised live on TNN: The Nashville Network.
Jac Haudenschild, whose five-feature winning streak at Knoxville Raceway was snapped Thursday, emerged as the polesitter in Saturday's championship feature with his second runner-up finish in as many nights. He, along with "A" Scramble winner Sammy Swindell and Danny Lasoski passed previous points leader Steve Kinser, who was involved in the second first-lap crash of the 12-lap race. Jeff Swindell won the opening night Preliminary Feature, but didn't score enough points to qualify for the "A" Scramble.
"It helped us to lose those guys in front of us," Sammy, who gained five starting positions with the $5,000 victory. "We made a lot of changes and went in a little different direction. My guys did a great job on the Channellock car tonight. I'm blessed to have these guys.
"I just thank want to thank the Lord for giving us a good race and helping us get through those crashes."
Swindell, who started outside the second row, avoided two incidents involving Garry Brazier. Brazier's collision with Dale Blaney sent the #93 Amoco J&J flipping into the outside wall in the second corner within seconds after the green flag fell.
Brazier restarted on the pole, but spun as he tried to keep Swindell from taking the lead in turn two and collided with Kenny Jacobs. Both cars flipped and were towed into the pit area. Kinser's #11 Quaker State Maxim suffered a broken front wing and top wing side panel. He restarted at the rear of the field and eventually finished seventh.
Swindell executed a daring inside move in the second corner to pass both Haudenschild and Paul McMahan early in the ninth lap and held on to win the "A" Scramble.
"I feel really good and the crew has the Pennzoil car working really good," Jac said. "Jack Elden has given us all the best equipment, so I think we're going to have something for them this year (in the championship feature)."
McMahan finished third, ahead of Jeff Shepard, Lasoski, Donny Schatz, Kinser, Blaney and Jacobs.
Don Droud, Jr., won the "B" Scramble, while Travis Whitney was the winner of the "C" Scramble.
Craig Dollansky, winner of Friday's Non-Qualifiers' "A" Feature, and two-time Kele & Associates Australian/American Challenge Dash champion Skip Jackson also picked up momentum heading into Saturday's championship program.
Dollansky, who finished seventh in the main event last year, survived an early scare during the second lap and passed polesitter Jeff Mitrisin six laps later on his way to claiming the $3,000 first prize in the "A" Feature.
Dollansky opened a half-straightaway advantage with four laps remaining, then maintained a comfortable lead in lapped traffic. Completing the top 10 in the "A" Feature were Ronnie Day, Dean Jacobs, Brent Antill, Sean Michael, Bob Weuve, Terry McCarl, Mitrisin, Jaymie Moyle and Blake Robertson.
Jackson, of Sydney, New South Wales, won his second straight Kele & Associates Australian/American Challenge Dash, starting on the pole and leading all 10 laps. Iowans Terry McCarl and Brent Antill finished second and third, ahead of Californian Randy Hannagan, Australian Brooke Tatnell, Danny Smith of Indiana and Australians Peter Murphy, Max Dumesny and Trevor Green.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series 38th Annual Amoco Knoxville Nationals Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IA
Friday, August 14, Scramble/Non-Qualifiers' Program
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jaymie Moyle, 2. Jeff Mitrisin, 3. Brent Antill, 4. Bob Weuve, 5. Brad Furr, 6. Steve King, 7. Peter Murphy, 8. James Fisher, 9. Robert Jackson, 10. Sarah Fisher ($50). (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Mike Peters, 3. John Sernett, 4. Mike Reinke, 5. Lee Nelson, 6. Kevin Frey, 7. Shawn Keen, 8. Bryan Grimes, 9. Bill McCroskey, 10. Trevor Green. 2:16.0 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dean Jacobs, 2. Ronnie Day, 3. Blake Robertson, 4. Travis Cram, 5. Randy Anderson ($70); 6. Mike Frost, 7. Ryan Jamison, 8. Jason Statler, 9. Scott Robertson ($50). DNS - Matt Moro. 2:13.3 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sean Michael, 2. Terry McCarl, 3. Shane Stewart, 4. Ricky Logan, 5. Tony Norem, 6. Kim Mock, 7. Bob Felmlee, 8. Jake Peters, 9. Butch Bahr, 10. Leonard Lee. (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Fifth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Justin Henderson, 2. Wayne Johnson, 3. John Kearney, 4. Nick Bellino, 5. Jason Dukes, 6. Larry Pinegar II, 7. Jason Johnson, 8. Bob Adamson, 9. Jerry Richert, Jr. ($50); 10. Manny Rockhold. 2:19.5 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
Australian/American Challenge Dash (10 laps): 1. Skip Jackson ($5,000); 2. Terry McCarl, 3. Brent Antill, 4. Randy Hannagan ($500); 5. Brooke Tatnell, 6. Danny Smith ($500); 7. Peter Murphy ($570); 8. Max Dumesny ($500); 9. Trevor Green ($550). 2:49.7
C Feature (six laps): 1. Leonard Lee, 2. Manny Rockhold, 3. Bill Robertson, 4. Bill McCroskey ($250); 5. Butch Bahr ($225). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Mike Frost, 2. Lee Nelson, 3. Larry Pinegar II ($560); 4. Bob Felmlee ($450); 5. Steve King ($410); 6. Leonard Lee ($500); 7. Kevin Frey ($285); 8. Kim Mock ($235); 9. Jason Statler ($200); 10. James Fisher ($175); 11. Shawn Keen ($150); 12. Robert Jackson ($140); 13. Bryan Grimes ($130); 14. Jake Peters ($120); 15. Billy Wilburn 16. Ryan Jamison ($100); 17. Jason Dukes ($120); 18. Jason Johnson ($100); 19. Brad Furr ($120); 20. Tony Norem ($120); 21. Manny Rockhold ($250); 22. Bob Adamson ($100). 3:47.9 (first two qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
A Feature (20 laps): 1. Craig Dollansky ($3,125); 2. Ronnie Day ($2,600); 3. Dean Jacobs ($2,125); 4. Brent Antill ($2,590); 5. Sean Michael ($1,300); 6. Bob Weuve ($1,080); 7. Terry McCarl ($3,000); 8. Jeff Mitrisin ($900); 9. Jaymie Moyle ($825); 10. Blake Robertson ($690); 11. Mike Reinke ($580); 12. Wayne Johnson ($500); 13. Shane Stewart ($465); 14. Ricky Logan ($430); 15. Mike Peters ($425); 16. Justin Henderson ($425); 17. Mike Frost ($635); 18. John Kearney ($340); 19. Nick Bellino ($325); 20. Travis Cram ($320); 21. John Sernett ($320); 22. Lee Nelson ($600).
C Scramble (12 laps): 1. Travis Whitney ($2,000); 2. Rocky Hodges ($1,000); 3. Kevin Huntley ($900); 4. Keith Kauffman ($800); 5. Frankie Kerr ($700); 6. Brian Paulus ($600); 7. Larry Neighbors ($500); 8. Kevin Huntley ($400); 9. Len Thompson ($300). DNS - Mike Frost. 3:48.1
B Scramble (12 laps): 1. Don Droud, Jr. ($3000); 2. Mark Kinser ($2,000); 3. Joe Gaerte ($1,000); 4. Joey Saldana ($900); 5. Brooke Tatnell ($1,300); 6. Kevin Gobrecht ($700); 7. Tim Shaffer ($600); 8. Calvin Landis ($500); 9. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($400); 10. Charlie Fisher ($300). 3:48.4
A Scramble (12 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell ($5,000); 2. Jac Haudenschild ($4,000); 3. Paul McMahan ($3,000); 4. Jeff Shepard ($2,000); 5. Danny Lasoski ($1,500); 6. Donny Schatz ($1,000); 7. Steve Kinser ($900); 8. Dale Blaney ($800); 9. Garry Brazier ($700); 10. Kenny Jacobs ($600). 3:43.0
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