WOO: Lasoski Wins Fourth Annual Fall Nationals
17 October 1998
By Richard DayHIGHLAND, TX - Two months ago, Danny Lasoski ran the race of his life to claim his first Amoco Knoxville Nationals championship. He hasn't slowed down since, finishing among the top 10 in 20 straight Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series events, including Thursday's "A" Feature victory in the Fourth Annual Fall Nationals at Battleground Speedway.
"Jimmy Carr was on the radio with me telling me where I needed to be tonight," Lasoski said. "I owe this one to him, Mark Ellis and Brian Brown. They've put a great car under me all year long.
"My hat's off to Dennis Roth and his whole Beef Packers organization. We've been talking lately, and it looks like I'm going to come back and do it again next year."
Lasoski's fourth "A" Feature victory of the season pushed him to within 16 points of Stevie Smith in their battle for fourth place in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings.
In a scene that closely resembled the Amoco Knoxville Nationals' main event, "The Dude" battled Sammy Swindell for the lead during the first two laps of the series' 62nd event of the season. Swindell burst into the lead from the pole. Lasoski, who started outside the second row, passed Tim Shaffer and Joe Gaerte - winner of the March race at Battleground - early in the opening lap and caught Swindell seconds later. Lasoski challenged the defending Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series champion for a lap before passing him for the lead with a high move through the third and fourth corners.
"The Dude" was six car-lengths ahead of Swindell when he entered lapped traffic six laps into the race. Sammy narrowed the gap to only two car-lengths within two laps in dense lapped traffic, however.
Smith's #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit suffered a broken rocker arm and stopped on the back straightaway the next time around, opening the track ahead of the leaders. First Racing Champions Heat Race winner Donny Schatz surrendered sixth place as his crew repaired a broken wing mount on the #15 Blue Beacon Maxim during the caution period. Smith, running on seven cylinders, joined Schatz at the back of the pack as the race resumed.
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race winner Travis Whitney stopped in turn two after his #7S sprinter bicycled during the ensuing restart.
Lasoski raced away from the field as the green flag replaced the yellow, only to have Brian Paulus spin in the first corner three laps later. The engine in the #11H Vivarin Eagle lost power, and Shaffer lost fourth place when he stopped in turn four late in the 15th lap.
Battleground's ultra-tacky racing surface forced drivers to use more tear-offs than usual. Third Racing Champions Heat Race winner Tyler Walker ran out of tear-offs and was forced to stop on the front stretch early in lap 19.
Swindell drove his #1 Channellock Stealth next to Lasoski through the third and fourth corners as the race resumed, but was unable to surge ahead. The leaders were approaching lapped traffic seven laps later when a flat right rear tire on the #21 Up Front Phone Cards J&J caused Lance Blevins to stop in turn four.
Lasoski controlled the final restart and drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle under the checkered flag with four car-lengths to spare.
"The open track was an advantage for us," Lasoski said. "When we got into traffic, there were so many cars I worried about having enough tear-offs on my helmet."
Swindell's 11th runner-up run of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 20th Anniversary Season pushed him to within 12 points of second-place Mark Kinser in the standings. Peter Murphy finished in third place, ahead of Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Johnny Herrera, Joe Gaerte, Jeff Swindell, Steve Kinser, 17th-starting Andy Hillenburg, Jac Haudenschild and "B" Feature winner Mark Kinser.
Jeff Swindell and Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Steve Kinser started side-by-side on the seventh row and raced into sixth and seventh place, respectively.
Herrera received his second Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the year for pacing the 36-car qualifying session with a 14.157-second, 95.359- m.p.h., lap around the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Fourth Annual Fall Nationals
Battleground Speedway, Highland, TX
Thursday, October 15, Feature Program #62
Qualifications: 1. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 14.157; 2. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 14.160; 3. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 14.189; 4. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 14.240; 5. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 14.242; 6. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 14.263; 7. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 14.267; 8. Dale Blaney, Hylton/Blaney 93, 14.268; 9. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 14.276; 10. Gary Wright, Wright 9, 14.277; 11. Peter Murphy, Williams 0, 14.291; 12. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 14.300; 13. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 14.359; 14. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 14.363; 15. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 14.376; 16. Garry Lee Maier, Bishop 9x, 14.379; 17. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 14.421; 18. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 14.437; 19. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 14.439; 20. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 14.444; 21. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 14.526; 22. Daryn Pittman, Pittman 11P, 14.720; 23. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 14.867; 24. Jason Johnson, Johnson 57, 14.928; 25. Shane Stewart, Stewart 9S, 14.954; 26. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 15.123; 27. John Bankston, Bankston 8, 15.182; 28. Ronald Laney, Laney 52, 15.307; 29. Brandon Corn, Corn 74, 15.330; 30. David Chappell, Chappell 50, 15.365; 31. Travis Rilat, Rilat 35T, 15.428; 32. Beau Smith, Smith 51, 15.439; 33. Larry Hartwell, Hartwell 10x, 15.583; 34. Gerald Cressman, Cressman 56C, 15.637; 35. Jackie Burke, Jr., Miller 8K, 15.708; 36. Chris Sweeney, Sweeney 93C, 16.194.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Johnny Herrera, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Mark Kinser, 7. Shane Stewart, 8. Brandon Corn, 9. Larry Hartwell. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Daryn Pittman, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Peter Murphy, 4. Tim Shaffer, 5. Jeff Swindell, 6. Paul McMahan, 7. Larry Neighbors, 8. David Chappell, 9. Gerald Cressman. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Joe Gaerte, 3. Lance Blevins, 4. Gary Wright, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. John Bankston, 7. Travis Rilat, 8. Jeff Shepard, 9. Jackie Burke, Jr. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Travis Whitney, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Jason Johnson, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Dale Blaney, 6. Garry Lee Maier, 7. Ronald Laney, 8. Beau Smith, 9. Chris Sweeney. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Joe Gaerte, 3. Tim Shaffer, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Dale Blaney, 6. Peter Murphy, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Johnny Herrera. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Jeff Shepard, 3. Paul McMahan, 4. Shane Stewart, 5. John Bankston ($200); 6. Brandon Corn ($180); 7. Beau Smith ($150); 8. Jackie Burke, Jr. ($110); 9. Chris Sweeney ($90); 10. Gerald Cressman ($80); 11. David Chappell ($60); 12. Garry Lee Maier ($50); 13. Ronald Laney ($50); 14. Larry Neighbors ($50); 15. Travis Rilat ($50); 16. Larry Hartwell ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski ($7,000); 2. Sammy Swindell ($4,000); 3. Peter Murphy ($3,000); 4. Johnny Herrera ($2,500); 5. Joe Gaerte ($2,300); 6. Jeff Swindell ($2,200); 7. Steve Kinser ($2,100); 8. Andy Hillenburg ($2,000); 9. Jac Haudenschild ($1,700); 10. Mark Kinser ($1,620); 11. Gary Wright ($1,200); 12. Dale Blaney ($1,150); 13. Stevie Smith ($1,100); 14. Donny Schatz ($1,050); 15. Paul McMahan ($1,020); 16. Brian Paulus ($700); 17. Tyler Walker ($600); 18. Travis Whitney ($500); 19. Lance Blevins ($500); 20. Daryn Pittman ($500); 21. Jason Johnson ($500); 22. Shane Stewart ($520); 23. Tim Shaffer ($500); 24. Jeff Shepard ($520).
Lap leaders: Sammy Swindell 1, Danny Lasoski 2-30
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Johnny Herrera
