Eldora Speedway, 08/02/02, World of Outlaws, sprint cars

‘The King’ Wins Night Before The Big One Race By Richard Day ROSSBURG, OH (August 2) – Steve Kinser battled young Brad Furr for the lead when he won the 25th Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series “A” Feature of his career at Eldora Speedway two months ago. Kinser passed old nemesis Sammy Swindell for first place Friday on his way to winning the Night Before The Historical Big One race at “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile.” “With this bunch of guys, there’s going to be someone fast every night,” Kinser said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Sammy or who it is, there are some really fast race cars out here. I don’t think I’ll be climbing any fences tonight (like P.J. Chesson) – I could barely get out of the car. We’re rolling around this track pretty good right now, so we’ll just have to see what happens tomorrow night. We changed chassis a couple of races ago – this is only our second night on this one – but it seems to work really well. I’d trade tonight for tomorrow night!”

Kinser, the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader, claimed the $100,000 first prize in Eldora’s Historical Big One in 1995 and 2000. He earned the right to start Friday’s main event outside the third row by following Swindell and Second Heat Race winner Jeff Shepard across the finish line in the Second O’Reilly Auto Parts Dash. Jason Meyers, racing with the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series for the first time since the Silver State Shootout at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in early March, won the First O’Reilly Auto Parts Dash for the right to privilege of starting the 35-lap “A” Feature on the pole. Swindell, who has won 14 “A” Features at Eldora Speedway in his career, drove the #83jr Beef Packers Eagle around Meyers in turn four to take the lead as the green flag fell in the main event.

Shepard passed Meyers for second place with an inside move between turns three and four late in the opening lap. Kinser passed Meyers in similar fashion between the first and second corners two laps later. Joey Saldana raced past Third Heat Race winner Tim Shaffer deep in turn one to take over sixth place, then Jac Haudenschild passed Meyers for fifth with an inside move entering the fourth corner during lap four. Swindell was a straightaway ahead of Shepard when he entered lapped traffic seven laps into the race. Shepard surrendered the runner-up spot when he hit the wall and stopped in turn two the next time around, however. Shaffer lost seventh place when he collided with Shepard and Saldana fell out of the sixth position when he pitted with a damaged right rear tire.

Craig Dollansky, who set Eldora’s qualifying standard and won the April 13th “A” Feature at Eldora, drove the #7 V-Mac/Polydome Maxim past Meyers deep in the second corner two laps after the race resumed. Donny Schatz, who raced into eighth place from inside the 11th row during the first eight laps, stopped on the front straightaway with mechanical problems early in lap 10. Haudenschild, who won the inaugural Historical Big One in 1993, lost third place when he bounced off the retaining wall and stopped in turn four the next time around.

Daryn Pittman started outside the fifth row and drove the #21 Hop & Sac J&J past Dollansky in the low groove between the third and fourth corners for third place late in lap 14. Brian Paulus raced into fifth place from inside the eighth row during the first 15 laps, but fell off the pace after fast-qualifier Chad Kemenah passed him in the low groove in turn two the next time around. Kemenah continued his run toward the front early in the 18th lap, used a similar move to pass Dollansky for fourth place. Kinser drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim past Swindell deep in the first corner and slid in front of him in turn two to take the lead early in lap 20. “The King of the Outlaws” was five car-lengths ahead of Swindell when he entered lapped traffic three laps later.

Saldana, who won the Kings Royal July 20th, passed Paulus and Meyers during the 24th and 26th laps to claim sixth place. Swindell and Pittman exchanged the runner-up spot twice in the final four laps as Kinser took the checkered flag with a half-straightaway to spare. Pittman finished in third place, ahead of Kemenah, Dollansky, Saldana, Mark Kinser, Meyers, 18th-starting Greg Hodnett and Blake Feese. The main event featured quite a collection of winners. Twenty-one of the 24 drivers had at least one Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series “A” Feature victory on his resume, 20 of whom had won in the last two seasons.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the 42nd Annual Mopar Parts Knoxville Nationals Wednesday through Saturday. Speed Channel will tape the action for September 26th and October 24th telecasts. All Speed Channel telecasts are scheduled to start at 11 p.m. Eastern Time.

2002 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Night Before The Historical Big One Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH Friday, August 2, Feature Program #47

Qualifications: 1. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15K, 13.202; 2. Blake Feese, Feese 1F, 13.209; 3. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 13.224; 4. Greg Hodnett, Apple 12, 13.229; 5. Jac Haudenschild, Forbrook 5, 13.241; 6. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1x, 13.244; 7. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.249; 8. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 13.280; 9. Craig Dollansky, Karavan Racing 7, 13.281; 10. Brian Paulus, P and P Motorsports 28, 13.340; 11. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.353; 12. Brad Furr, Furr 2, 13.360; 13. Jason Meyers, Carter 14, 13.385; 14. Jeff Shepard, Ashworth 92, 13.425; 15. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 13.443; 16. Sammy Swindell, Roth 83jr, 13.471; 17. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 13.472; 18. Danny Wood, Parsons 6, 13.512; 19. Paul McMahan, Johnson U2, 13.549; 20. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.558; 21. Kenny Jacobs, Jacobs 6K, 13.561; 22. Stevie Smith, Helm 11H, 13.630; 23. Dale Blaney, Andrews 72, 13.632; 24. Johnny Herrera, Stewart 20, 13.687; 25. Kraig Kinser, Kinser 11K, 13.702; 26. Nick Naber, Jarrell 22, 13.702; 27. Brandon Wimmer, Two Winners Racing 7TW, 13.852; 28. Tim Kuhn, Kuhn 2$, 14.117.

First Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Paul McMahan, 2. Jason Meyers, 3. Chad Kemenah, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Danny Wood, 6. Stevie Smith, 7. Brad Furr, 8. Kraig Kinser, 9. Randy Hannagan. DNS – Tim Kuhn. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)

Second Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Shepard, 2. Joey Saldana, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. P.J. Chesson, 5. Jac Haudenschild, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Blake Feese, 9. Nick Naber. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)

Third Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Craig Dollansky, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Daryn Pittman, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Greg Hodnett, 8. Kenny Jacobs, 9. Brandon Wimmer. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)

First O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (five laps): 1. Jason Meyers, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. P.J. Chesson, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Chad Kemenah, 7. Paul McMahan, 8. Brian Paulus. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in the “A” Feature)

Second O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Jeff Shepard, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Daryn Pittman, 6. Mark Kinser, 7. Danny Wood, 8. Stevie Smith. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in the “A” Feature)

B Feature (10 laps): 1. Blake Feese, 2. Brad Furr, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Greg Hodnett, 5. Kenny Jacobs, 6. Randy Hannagan, 7. Brandon Wimmer ($200); 8. Nick Naber ($180); 9. Kraig Kinser ($150). DNS – Tim Kuhn. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)

A Feature (35 laps): 1. Steve Kinser [6] ($10,000); 2. Sammy Swindell [2] ($5,500); 3. Daryn Pittman [10] ($3,200); 4. Chad Kemenah [11] ($2,800); 5. Craig Dollansky [8] ($2,500); 6. Joey Saldana [9] ($2,300); 7. Mark Kinser [12] ($2,200); 8. Jason Meyers [1] ($2,100); 9. Greg Hodnett [18] ($2,070); 10. Blake Feese [17] ($2,020); 11. Brad Furr [20] ($1,520); 12. Kenny Jacobs [22] ($1,220); 13. Tim Shaffer [3] ($1,100); 14. Brian Paulus [15] ($1,050); 15. P.J. Chesson [7] ($1,000); 16. Dale Blaney [23] ($900); 17. Johnny Herrera [24] ($800); 18. Danny Wood [14] ($800); 19. Paul McMahan [13] ($800); 20. Stevie Smith [16] ($800); 21. Jac Haudenschild [5] ($800); 22. Donny Schatz [21] ($820); 23. Jeff Shepard [4] ($800); 24. Randy Hannagan [19] ($820).

Lap leaders: Sammy Swindell 1-19, Steve Kinser 20-35

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