WoO, Grays Harbor, WA. 08/16/02

Mark Kinser Ends Slump in Grays Harbor Opener By Richard Day ELMA, WA (August 16) – Mark Kinser, struggling through his least productive season in 10 years, returned to victory lane Friday when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series opened a $95,350 event at Grays Harbor Raceway Park. The series’ two-time champion passed cousin Steve Kinser following a third-lap restart and led the final 22 1/3 laps to claim his third Preliminary Feature victory of the year. The $5,000 victory was Mark’s first since April 24th at Lakeside Speedway. “We’ve been in a slump – to say the least – for I don’t know how long,” Kinser said. “Cale Kahne, from here in Washington, and Dennis (Kohler) and Justin (Adams), they’ve been working really hard. They’ve stuck by me through some tough times, and Mopar has, too.

“It seems like the surface here gets better and better each time we come here, and Fred Brownfield and his crew do a great job not only with the race track, but promoting the whole event. I think I have as many fans out here as I do in Indiana, and this is one of my favorite stops. If we can get back here (to victory lane) tomorrow night, it will really help to turn our season around.” Mark, who won “A” Features at Grays Harbor in 1999 and 2000, was the second-fastest qualifier in 41-car field. He earned the privilege of starting the 25-lap feature outside the second row by following Danny Lasoski across the finish line in the Second O’Reilly Auto Parts Dash.

Steve Kinser, who won the First O’Reilly Auto Parts Dash, started on the pole and raced wheel-to-wheel with Lasoski down the front straightaway as the green flag fell in the evening’s main event. Kinser drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim past Lasoski high in the second corner to take the lead. Mark Kinser took the high line through turns three and four to pass “The Dude” several seconds later.

Jac Haudenschild used an inside move between the third and fourth corners to pass Lasoski for third place the next time around. The leaders were approaching lapped traffic early in the third lap when Roger Crockett spun in turn two. Crockett also spun into Daryn Pittman early in the Second O’Reilly Auto Parts Dash. Mark chased the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader for almost a full lap after the race resumed, then drove the #5M Mopar Maxim past him in the low groove between turns three and four.

The leaders were approaching lapped traffic again two laps later when Jason Solwold flipped in turn one. Mark raced away as the green flag replaced the red, but Steve Kinser almost passed him deep in the fourth corner late in lap nine. Mark was .7 seconds ahead of Steve when the leaders caught the back-markers the next time around. Mark opened a comfortable advantage as Haudenschild challenged “The King of the Outlaws” for second place during the race’s middle stages.

“The Wild Child” raced wheel-to-wheel with Steve through turns three and four late in the 13th lap, but was unable to surge ahead. Brad Furr steered his #2 Sanmina/SCI Eagle around Craig Dollansky in the high groove between the third and fourth corners to take over fifth place a split-second later.

Stevie Smith, who won the “A” Feature at Grays Harbor last August 18th, lost three positions when the #11H Vivarin Maxim turned completely around in turn two with 2 2/3 laps remaining, and eventually finished 15th. Mark Kinser was .9 seconds ahead of cousin Steve when he took the checkered flag. Haudenschild finished in third place, ahead of Lasoski, Furr, Dollansky, 12th-starting Pittman, First Heat Race winner Joey Saldana, Randy Hannagan and Jason Meyers.

Donny Schatz made amends for a disappointing qualifying effort by winning the Fourth Heat Race and racing into 12th place from outside the 10th row in the Preliminary Feature. Smith set quick time for the eighth time this season, circling the semi-banked, 3/10-mile oval in 12.426 seconds, an average speed of 86.915 M.P.H. WoO 2002

Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Gray’s Harbor Raceway, Elma, WA Friday August 16, Preliminary Program

Qualifications: 1. Stevie Smith, Helm 11H, 12.426; 2. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 12.640; 3. Brad Furr, Furr 2, 12.702; 4. Craig Dollansky, Karavan Racing 7, 12.796; 5. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 12.815; 6. Roger Cockett, Doyle 11C, 12.881; 7. Jac Haudenschild, Forbrook 5, 13.029; 8. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 13.040; 9. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 13.135; 10. Jason Meyers, Carter 14, 13.216; 11. Toni Lutar, Lutar 4x, 13.266; 12. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 13.338; 13. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 13.349; 14. Danny Wood, Parsons 6, 13.376; 15. Shawna Wilskey, Pierce 5SP, 13.424; 16. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1x, 13.573; 17. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 13.483 (scored 17th after missing his position in the time trial order); 18. Jason Solwold, Huson 3S, 13.589; 19. Jim Carter, Rudeen 26, 13.704; 20. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.721; 21. Jayme Barnes, Dewitt 9, 13.961; 22. Shannon Wheatley, Wheatley 45, 14.061; 23. Mike Melwicks, Melwicks 2M, 14.269; 24. Jeff Thompson, Thompson 7T, 14.325; 25. Travis Jacobson, Jacobson 18, 14.439; 26. Mike Dunham, Dunham 11D, 14.452; 27. Chad Hillier, Hillier 24C, 14.492; 28. Scott Aumen, Menard 2A, 14.558; 29. Geoff Beck, Beck 22, 14.765; 30. Steve Walker, Walker 7W, 14.782; 31. Jay Cole, Cole 0J, 14.835; 32. Randy Van Agton, Glick 20V, 14.979; 33. Tyler Pinceman, Beck 99, 15.047; 34. Mike Sellers, Sellers 19M, 15.096; 35. Tony Thomas, Thomas 1, 15.368; 36. Mark Hinkle, Hinkle 9H, 15.516; 37. Dawn L. Morison, Beck 49, 15.542; 38. Dan Dunlap, Dunlap 21D, 15.637; 39. Lance Sponberg, Sponberg 56W, 15.738; 40. Rich Kelly, Kelly 91, 16.358; 41. Jeff Hodgson, Hodgson V8, no time.

First Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Joey Saldana, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. P.J. Chesson, 5. Randy Hannagan, 6. Jeff Thompson, 7. Travis Jacobson, 8. Geoff Beck, 9. Tyler Pinceman, 10. Dawn L. Morrison. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Second Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Mike Melwicks, 2. Jason Meyers, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Jason Solwold, 5. Jac Haudenschild, 6. Mike Dunham, 7. Steve Walker, 8. Mike Sellers, 9. Dan Dunlap, 10. Shawna Wilskey. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Third Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Jim Carter, 2. Danny Wood, 3. Brad Furr, 4. Toni Lutar, 5. Roger Crockett, 6. Chad Hillier, 7. Shannon Wheatley, 8. Tony Thomas, 9. Jay Cole, 10. Lance Sponberg. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Fourth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Daryn Pittman, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Craig Dollansky, 6. Jayme Barnes, 7. Scott Aumen, 8. Rand Van Agton, 9. Rich Kelly. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

First O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (seven laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Brad Furr, 4. Joey Saldana, 5. Stevie Smith, 6. Tim Shaffer, 7. Randy Hannagan, 8. Toni Lutar. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in the Preliminary Feature)

Second O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (seven laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Craig Dollansky, 4. Jason Meyers, 5. Danny Wood, 6. Daryn Pittman, 7. Roger Crocket, 8. P.J. Chesson. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows in the Preliminary Feature)

B Feature (15 laps): 1. Shawna Wilskey, 2. Jayme Barnes, 3. Jay Cole, 4. Chad Hillier, 5. Jeff Thompson ($150); 6. Mike Dunham ($125); 7. Tony Thomas ($100); 8. Dawn L. Morrison ($75); 9. Tyler Pinceman ($60); 10. Steve Walker ($50); 11. Randy Van Agton ($40); 12. Travis Jacobson ($40); 13. Lance Sponberg ($40); 14. Geoff Beck ($40); 15. Mike Sellers ($40); 16. Shannon Wheatley ($40); 17. Rich Kelly ($40); 18. Dan Dunlap ($40); 19. Scott Aumen ($40); 20. Mark Hinkle ($40). (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature)

Preliminary Feature (25 laps): 1. Mark Kinser [4] ($5,000); 2. Steve Kinser [1] ($3,000); 3. Jac Haudenschild [3] ($2,500); 4. Danny Lasoski [2] ($2,200); 5. Brad Furr [5] ($2,100); 6. Craig Dollansky [6] ($2,000); 7. Daryn Pittman [12] ($1,800); 8. Joey Saldana [7] ($1,600); 9. Randy Hannagan [13] ($1,500); 10. Jason Meyers [8] ($1,300); 11. Tim Shaffer [11] ($1,200); 12. Donny Schatz [20] ($1,100); 13. Danny Wood [10] ($1,000); 14. P.J. Chesson [16] ($700); 15. Stevie Smith [9] ($600); 16. Toni Lutar [15] ($600); 17. Shawna Wilskey [17] ($620); 18. Jim Carter [19] ($600); 19. Chad Hillier [23] ($620); 20. Jayme Barnes [21] ($620); 21. Jay Cole [24] ($520); 22. Mike Melwicks [22] ($500); 23. Roger Crockett [14] ($500); 24. Jason Solwold [18] ($500). Lap leaders: Steve Kinser 1-2, Mark Kinser 3-25

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