WOO: Swindell Nips Hillenburg at Southern Oregon
29 August 1998
By Richard DayMEDFORD, OR - The engine problems Two Winners Racing has suffered the last couple of years have been well chronicled. Recently, with Earl Gaerte's help, the Ford engine in the #104+ Octane Boost J&J has been strong, enabling Jeff Swindell to race with the leaders.
Swindell won his second Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature of the season Wednesday at Southern Oregon Speedway. The $7,000 victory pushed Swindell past Dale Blaney into ninth place in the points race.
"The Ford (engine) ran great tonight," Jeff said. "Earl Gaerte's done a lot of work to it the last month or so, and it's helped a bunch. We knew if we could qualify better, we could start up front a little more, and if we can start up front, we're going to win some races.
"I have to thank my crew chief Rob Hart and Rod (Larroway) and Tracy (Smart). They've kept a good car under me all year long. The 104+ Octane Boost J&J felt like a Cadillac out there tonight. I think the blue oval (the Ford logo) is here to stay."
Swindell, the fifth-fastest qualifier in the 36-car field, earned the right to start the 30-lap main event on the pole by winning his second Channellock Dash of the year. Outside polesitter Andy Hillenburg passed burst ahead of the field and led the first 28 3/4 laps before Swindell passed him in lapped traffic. They exchanged first place during the final lap and Swindell won in a photo finish.
Hillenburg steered his #2 J&J around Swindell high in the first corner within seconds after the green flag fell in the main event. He was eight car-lengths ahead of Jeff when he entered lapped traffic during the fifth lap. Swindell caught Hillenburg four laps later. They raced wheel-to-wheel through turn four, but Hillenburg maintained the lead.
An engine malfunction in the #5M Wirtgen Maxim forced Mark Kinser to stop in the second corner early in lap 14. He was unable to restart, and was credited with a 22nd-place finish.
Hillenburg controlled the ensuing restart, and was a full straightaway ahead of Swindell when he caught the backmarkers again during the 18th lap.
Hillenburg's comfortable advantage disintegrated two laps later when Randy Tiner's back-stretch flip brought out the red flag. With oil seeping through the cracked oil pan in the #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit, Stevie Smith dropped out during the red period.
Hillenburg raced away from the field as the race resumed, and entered lapped traffic with a straightaway advantage within three laps. Swindell steadily gained on Andy during the next 5 1/2 laps, and took the lead with a high move in dense lapped traffic between the third and fourth corners.
With the white flag flying, Hillenburg took the low line into the first corner. He passed Swindell as they headed into turn three, only to have Jeff race past him high in the fourth corner. Swindell was only half a car-length ahead of Andy when the checkered flag fell.
"I thought we had a better car in traffic than Andy did," Jeff said, "but it might have been one of those deals where it was better to be running second and see where the traffic was going to go. I knew it was better to start on the outside. The bottom was still too greasy at the beginning.
"I had a little run on him early, but he got squeezed by a lapped car and bumped me into the wall. It bent the right rear wheel, but those Real Wheels are pretty strong."
Tyler Walker finished third, ahead of Sammy Swindell, Jac Haudenschild, Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, "B" Feature winner Johnny Herrera, Joe Gaerte and 15th-starting Steve Kinser.
Walker received his fifth Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the year after pacing the qualifying session with a 12.054-second lap around the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval.
By finishing six positions ahead of Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell closed to within 44 points of first place in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings.
An engine problem in the #21 Up Front J&J kept Lance Blevins from starting the "A" Feature. Craig Dollansky was unable to race after the #64 sprinter suffered a blown engine during the Third Racing Champions Heat Race.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Southern Oregon Speedway, Medford, OR Wednesday, August 26, Feature Program #52
Qualifications: 1. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 12.054; 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 12.087; 3. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 12.123; 4. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 12.136; 5. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 12.147; 6. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 12.151; 7. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 12.185; 8. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 12.185; 9. Randy Tiner, Tiner 83T, 12.207; 10. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 12.235; 11. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 12.235; 12. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 12.262; 13. Sean Fenn, Fenn 36, 12.269; 14. Randy Hannagan, THR 1x, 12.275; 15. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 12.294; 16. Brent Kaeding, M&M Racing 2M, 12.365; 17. Kasey Kahne, Kahne 23K, 12.453; 18. Dale Blaney, Hylton/Blaney 93, 12.456; 19. Craig Dollansky, Fauver 64, 12.461; 20. Roger Crockett, Crockett 7N, 12.597; 21. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 12.620; 22. Shawna Wilskey, Wilskey 5, 12.727; 23. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 12.765; 24. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 12.850; 25. Billy Nutter, Nutter 3N, 13.022; 26. Jason Finley, Finley 77F, 13.051; 27. Jeff Thompson, Thompson 7T, 13.419; 28. David Fowler, Owens/ Fowler 24F, 13.448; 29. Bryon Harvey, Harvey 16, 13.465; 30. Dan Menne, Menne 75M, 13.537; 31. Matt Rodgers, Rodgers 4, 13.597; 32. Kevin Cory, Cory 2K, 13.612; 33. Chad Bauer, Bauer 49, 13.766; 34. Jackie McGahan, McGahan 77, 13.909; 35. Cale Carder, Carder 7, 14.063; 36. Brett James, James 09, 14.369.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Kasey Kahne, 2. Lance Blevins, 3. Randy Tiner, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. Sean Fenn, 7. Billy Nutter, 8. Bryon Harvey, 9. Chad Bauer. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dale Blaney, 2. Shawna Wilskey, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Randy Hannagan, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Jason Finley, 8. Jackie McGahan, 9. Dan Menne. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Andy Hillenburg, 5. Jac Haudenschild, 6. Jeff Thompson, 7. Cale Carder, 8. Matt Rodgers, 9. Craig Dollansky. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Roger Crockett, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Brent Kaeding, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Donny Schatz, 7. David Fowler, 8. Kevin Cory, 9. Brett James. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Randy Tiner, 8. Joe Gaerte. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Sean Fenn, 4. Jason Finley, 5. Billy Nutter ($200); 6. David Fowler ($180); 7. Jeff Thompson ($150); 8. Chad Bauer ($110); 9. Cale Carder ($90); 10. Jackie McGahan ($80); 11. Brett James ($60); 12. Bryon Harvey ($50); 13. Dan Menne ($50); 14. Matt Rodgers ($50); 15. Kevin Cory ($50). DNS - Craig Dollansky. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Jeff Swindell ($7,000); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($4,000); 3. Tyler Walker ($3,000); 4. Sammy Swindell ($2,500); 5. Jac Haudenschild ($2,300); 6. Danny Lasoski ($2,200); 7. Donny Schatz ($2,120); 8. Johnny Herrera ($2,020); 9. Joe Gaerte ($1,700); 10. Steve Kinser ($1,600); 11. Randy Hannagan ($1,200); 12. Brent Kaeding ($1,150); 13. Tim Shaffer ($1,100); 14. Sean Fenn ($1,070); 15. Randy Tiner ($1,000); 16. Kasey Kahne ($700); 17. Dale Blaney ($600); 18. Paul McMahan ($500); 19. Shawna Wilskey ($500); 20. Jason Finley ($520); 21. Stevie Smith ($500); 22. Mark Kinser ($500); 23. Roger Crockett 24. Lance Blevins ($500).
Lap leaders: Andy Hillenburg 1-28, Jeff Swindell 29-30
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Tyler Walker
