The Auto Channel
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
The Largest Independent Automotive Research Resource
Official Website of the New Car Buyer

WOO: Mark Kinser Gets Back on Track at Sweetwater

21 August 1998

By Richard Day

ROCK SPRINGS, WY - Although he passed 14 cars in the 38th Annual Amoco Knoxville Nationals championship feature, Mark Kinser wasn't pleased with his seventh-place finish.

The 1996 Amoco Knoxville Nationals champion did all he could to atone for that disappointment Tuesday when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series opened its annual Wild, Wild Northwest Tour at Riverside Speedway.

"We had a tough time at Knoxville," Mark admitted, "and it's good to be back up front. My dad (Karl Kinser) had a lot to do with it (winning). He just kept watching the track and making little adjustments here and there. He walks the track a lot. In fact, he'll probably walk around it again before we leave. He's the best there is, and he's a pretty good dad, too. As to whether the driver did any good or not, you'll have to ask him."

Kinser performed well in every phase of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 49th event of the season. He was the second- fastest qualifier in the 31-car field, only .043 seconds off Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Sammy Swindell's pace. He ran third in the Second Racing Champions Heat Race and earned the right to start the "A" Feature outside the second row by finishing fourth in the Channellock Dash.

Channellock Dash winner Danny Lasoski burst into the lead from the pole as the green flag fell in the main event, only to have Dale Blaney take the #93 Amoco J&J for a spin in turn one. The yellow flag fell, and the race restarted completely.

As was the case at the Amoco Knoxville Nationals, Lasoski was unable to maintain first place when the race resumed. "The Dude" led the first lap before Sammy steered his #1 Channellock Stealth into the low groove between the third and fourth corners to pass him for the lead. Kinser passed Jac Haudenschild for fourth with a low move through turns one and two early in the second lap.

Swindell was 12 car-lengths ahead of his closest pursuers when he entered lapped traffic four laps into the race. Kinser steered the #5M Wirtgen Maxim into the low groove between the third and fourth corners to pass Lasoski for second late in lap seven.

The leaders were taken out of lapped traffic the next time around when Willie Hernandez stopped in the fourth corner. Sammy controlled the ensuing restart and was 10 car-lengths ahead of Kinser when he caught the backmarkers again within five laps.

Swindell's comfortable lead disintegrated late in the 14th lap when Manufacturers Rookie of the Year candidate Tyler Walker stopped the #35 Air Sep Eagle in turn four. Kinser challenged Sammy in the first and second corners as the green flag replaced the yellow, then took the lead with an inside move between turns three and four.

Kinser was six car-lengths ahead of Swindell when he caught the backmarkers midway through the race.. Andy Hillenburg and Steve Kinser passed Lasoski during the 22nd and 24th laps. "The King of the Outlaws" was battling Hillenburg and Lasoski for third place early lap 25 when he allowed his #11 Quaker State Maxim to spin in the second corner.

Stevie Smith started making his way toward the front when the green flag replaced the yellow, steering his #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit to the rim between turns three and four to pass Haudenschild for fifth place.

Kinser was a full straightaway ahead of Swindell when he entered lapped traffic during the 31st lap. Bill Martin's second- corner flip two laps later took the leaders out of lapped traffic and allowed Sammy to line up behind Kinser as the race resumed. Hillenburg and Lasoski exchanged third place as Kinser opened a comfortable advantage. He was a straightaway ahead of Swindell when he caught the backmarkers with four laps remaining. Sammy was racing through turn three when Mark took the checkered flag.

"The track was in great shape," Mark said following his ninth "A" Feature victory of the season. "It definitely had a top and bottom groove tonight."

Hillenburg finished third, while Smith used a low move into turn two to pass "The Dude" for fourth early in the final lap. Completing the top 10 were Haudenschild, 14th-starting Jeff Swindell, Johnny Herrera, Tim Shaffer and Lance Blevins.

Steve Kinser raced back through the pack during the final 15 laps and finished in 11th place.

Sammy received his 10th Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after pacing the qualifying session with a 13.301-second, 101.496-m.p.h., lap around the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval.

Craig Dollansky's debut in Rod Fauver's #64 sprinter produced a 22nd-place finish.


1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Sweetwater Speedway, Rock Springs, WY
Tuesday, August 18, Feature Program #49

Qualifications: 1. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.301; 2. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.344; 3. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.355; 4. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 13.461; 5. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.469; 6. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 13.486; 7. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.521; 8. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.577; 9. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.661; 10. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.673; 11. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 13.687; 12. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 13.691; 13. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.693; 14. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.704; 15. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.778; 16. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 13.780; 17. Craig Dollansky, Fauver 64, 13.846; 18. Willie Hernandez, Hernandez 1M, 14.499; 19. Shane Liebig, Liebig 10L, 14.759; 20. Ray Evans, Evans 81, 14.831; 21. T.J. Thorne, Thorne 65, 15.075; 22. Keith Rauch, Rauch 99, 15.079; 23. Larry Lapointe, Lapointe 88, 15.107; 24. Chris Youngman, Youngman 83C, 15.329; 25. George Porter, Porter 7M, 15.352 26. Bill Martin, Martin 75M, 15.615; 27. Vince Novatny, Novatny 2N, 15.955; 28. Russ Yeager, Yeager 77, 16.382.

First Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Johnny Herrera, 6. Paul McMahan, 7. Shane Liebig, 8. Keith Rauch, 9. George Porter, 10. Russ Yeager. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)

Second Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Craig Dollansky, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Dale Blaney, 6. Lance Blevins, 7. Larry Lapointe, 8. Bill Martin, 9. Ray Evans. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)

Third Racing Champions Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. T.J. Thorne, 7. Willie Hernandez, 8. Chris Youngman, 9. Vince Novatny. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)

Channellock Dash (seven laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Tim Shaffer, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Lance Blevins, 8. Paul McMahan. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)

B Feature (12 laps): 1. Keith Rauch, 2. Willie Hernandez, 3. Larry Lapointe, 4. George Porter, 5. Bill Martin, 6. Ray Evans, 7. Chris Youngman ($200); 8. Russ Yeager ($180); 9. Vince Novatny ($150); 10. Shane Liebig ($110). (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)

A Feature (40 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($7,000); 2. Sammy Swindell ($4,000); 3. Andy Hillenburg ($3,000); 4. Stevie Smith ($2,500); 5. Danny Lasoski ($2,300); 6. Jac Haudenschild ($2,200); 7. Jeff Swindell ($2,100); 8. Johnny Herrera ($2,000); 9. Tim Shaffer ($1,700); 10. Lance Blevins ($1,600); 11. Steve Kinser ($1,200); 12. Donny Schatz ($1,150); 13. Joe Gaerte ($1,100); 14. Paul McMahan ($1,050); 15. Tyler Walker ($1,000); 16. Dale Blaney ($700); 17. Keith Rauch ($620); 18. Ray Evans ($520); 19. Larry Lapointe ($520); 20. T.J. Thorne ($500); 21. Bill Martin ($520); 22. Craig Dollansky ($500); 23. Willie Hernandez ($520); 24. George Porter ($520).

Lap leaders: Sammy Swindell 1-14, Mark Kinser 15-40

Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Sammy Swindell