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

WOO: Tyler Walker Wins Western World Preliminary

26 October 1998

By Richard Day

PHOENIX, AZ - Tyler Walker is doing everything he can to catch Dale Blaney in their battle for the 1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaw Series Rookie of the Year award.

Walker won his second Preliminary Feature in two weeks Friday when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series opened the 31st Annual Western World Championships at Manzanita Speedway. His flag-to-flag victory left him 153 points behind Blaney in the Manufacturers' Rookie of the Year point standings with one preliminary and three main events remaining on the series' 20th anniversary schedule. Blaney won the Second Racing Champions Heat Race and finished 15th in the feature.

Walker, the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 41-car field, started the Channellock Dash on the pole. He earned the right to start the Preliminary Feature inside the front row by winning his fifth Channellock Dash of the season.

Several mishaps delayed the start of the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 23rd Preliminary Feature the year. Paul McMahan flipped in the fourth corner just seconds after the green flag fell. Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race winner Donny Schatz and "B" Feature winner Jeff Swindell collided as they dodged the crash, but managed to restart at the back of the pack.

Flips by Peter Murphy and Johnny Herrera gave McMahan's crew a chance to repair the #75 Mopar Maxim and get him back in the race.

Walker burst into the lead as the green flag replaced the red. Jeff Shepard, who started outside the front row, raced wheel-to-wheel with Walker through turn four late in the second lap, but was unable to surge ahead.

Walker was four car-lengths ahead of Shepard when they entered lapped traffic six laps later. He increased his advantage when Danny Lasoski challenged Walker for second during the race's middle stages.

Defending Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series champion Sammy Swindell took the high line through turns three and four to pass Andy Hillenburg for fifth place late in the 12th lap.

Lasoski steered the #83 Beef Packers Eagle into the low groove between the first and second corners to pass Shepard for the runner-up spot three laps later.

Swindell allowed his #1 Channellock Stealth to turn sideways in turn four with 1 1/4 laps remaining, allowing Hillenburg to regain fifth place.

Walker had his family's #35 Air Sep Eagle 12 car-lengths ahead of "The Dude" when he took the checkered flag.

Shepard held off defending Western World champion Mark Kinser for third place. Hillenburg finished fifth, ahead of Sammy Swindell, Stevie Smith, Calvin Landis, First Racing Champions Heat Race Jac Haudenschild and Tim Shaffer.

Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Steve Kinser recorded his worst qualifying showing of the year, but atoned for it in the Preliminary Feature. "The King of the Outlaws" qualified 28th- quick, his 16.166-second lap more than a half-second slower than Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Sammy Swindell's pace-setting lap. After finishing sixth in the Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race, Kinser earned the 12th row outside starting position in the feature by following Jeff Swindell and Shaffer across the finish line in the "B." Kinser, winner of nine Western World championships, drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim past 12 cars to finish 12th in the evening's main event.

Sammy Swindell received his 12th Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after pacing the qualifying session with a 15.585-second lap around the legendary semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval.

Gary Wright, who only a week before won the Preliminary Feature at Devil's Bowl Speedway, flipped his #9 F&J Construction Maxim in the fourth corner early in the Third Racing Champions Heat Race. His 18th- place finish in the "B" kept him from qualifying for the Preliminary Feature.


1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series

31st Annual Western World Championships

Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, AZ

Friday, October 23, Preliminary Program

Qualifications: 1. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 15.585; 2. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 15.624; 3. Joey Saldana, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 15.630; 4. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 15.647; 5. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 15.658; 6. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 15.738; 7. Calvin Landis, Landis 70, 15.768; 8. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 15.777; 9. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 15.838; 10. Peter Murphy, Williams 0, 15.845; 11. Gary Wright, Wright 9, 15.858; 12. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 15.861; 13. Jim Carter, Rudeen 14, 15.897; 14. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 15.898; 15. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 15.905; 16. Dean Jacobs, Holbrook 8, 15.920; 17. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 15.934; 18. Dale Blaney, Hylton/Blaney 93, 15.951; 19. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 15.955; 20. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 15.964; 21. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 16.004; 22. Daryn Pittman, Blevins 21, 16.005; 23. Craig Dollansky, Dollansky 7, 16.010; 24. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.060; 25. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 16.065; 26. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 16.105; 27. James Chesson, Chesson 22C, 16.141; 28. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.166; 29. John Bankston, Bankston 8B, 16.224; 30. Billy Wilburn, Wilburn 0W, 16.459; 31. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 16.584; 32. Kaylene Verville, Verville 01, 16.659; 33. Dan Oswalt, Oswalt D1, 16.772; 34. Gerald Cressman, Cressman 56, 16.787; 35. Marty Wilcox, Wilcox 3, 16.946; 36. Cesar Fuentas, Fuentas 27, 17.121; 37. J.R. Patton, Patton 86, 17.400; 38. Mike Wells, Roach 2T, 17.467; 39. Ham Diaz, Fuentes 28D, 17.728; 40. Joe Bustillos, Bustillos 37, 19.121; 41. Shawn Sander, Sander 48, no time.

First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Paul McMahan, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Jeff Shepard, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Jeff Swindell, 7. Jim Carter, 8. John Bankston, 9. Dan Oswalt, 10. J.R. Patton, 11. Shawn Sander. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dale Blaney, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Peter Murphy, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. P.J. Chesson, 7. Gerald Cressman, 8. Mike Wells, 9. Billy Wilburn, 10. Brian Paulus. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Travis Whitney, 3. Johnny Herrera, 4. Joey Saldana, 5. Calvin Landis, 6. Terry McCarl, 7. Marty Wilcox, 8. James Chesson, 9. Ham Diaz, 10. Gary Wright. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Dean Jacobs, 6. Steve Kinser, 7. Tim Shaffer, 8. Kaylene Verville, 9. Cesar Fuentas, 10. Joe Bustillos. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Jeff Shepard, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Andy Hillenburg, 7. Calvin Landis, 8. Joey Saldana. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature)

B Feature (12 laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. P.J. Chesson, 5. Jim Carter ($150); 6. Terry McCarl ($125); 7. John Bankston ($100); 8. James Chesson ($75); 9. Marty Wilcox ($60); 10. Dan Oswalt ($50); 11. Gerald Cressman ($40); 12. Cesar Fuentas ($40); 13. Mike Wells ($40); 14. Ham Diaz ($40); 15. J.R. Patton ($40); 16. Kaylene Verville ($40); 17. Billy Wilburn ($40); 18. Gary Wright ($40); 19. Brian Paulus ($40); 20. Joe Bustillos ($40); 21. Shawn Sander ($40). (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Tyler Walker ($4,500); 2. Danny Lasoski ($2,500); 3. Jeff Shepard ($1,700); 4. Mark Kinser ($1,500); 5. Andy Hillenburg ($1,350); 6. Sammy Swindell ($1,250); 7. Stevie Smith ($1,200); 8. Calvin Landis ($1,100); 9. Jac Haudenschild ($1,075); 10. Tim Shaffer ($1,070); 11. Craig Dollansky ($1,000); 12. Steve Kinser ($820); 13. Dean Jacobs ($7000; 14. Donny Schatz ($630); 15. Dale Blaney ($400); 16. Jeff Swindell ($420); 17. Joey Saldana ($300); 18. P.J. Chesson ($320); 19. Joe Gaerte ($300); 20. Daryn Pittman ($300); 21. Travis Whitney ($300); 22. Paul McMahan ($300); 23. Johnny Herrera ($300); 24. Peter Murphy ($300).

Lap leader: Tyler Walker 1-20

Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Sammy Swindell