Battleground Speedway report 97-10-16

Mark Kinser Wins Battleground Fall Nationals By Richard Day HIGHLAND, TX (October 16) - As long as Karl Kinser maintains the #5M Wirtgen Maxim, it will always be a threat to end up in victory lane following a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series race. With that in mind, Karl's son, Mark Kinser, felt a sense of relief when he won the Third Annual Fall Nationals at Battleground Speedway Thursday. His 21st "A" Feature victory of the year ended an eight-race winless streak. "The wins have been few and far between the last few months, but my crew never gave up on me," Mark said. "Dad, of course, is probably the best (mechanic) there is, and Jamie (Adrian) and Dennis (Kohler) do a great job whether we win or crash." Kinser opened the Fall Nationals by approaching the qualifying standard he set at the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval on March 16, 1996. His 103.520-m.p.h. lap was fast enough to earn him his 31st Channellock Fast-Time Award of the season. Although he picked the #6 inversion pill which put him outside the third row to start the Vivarin Dash, Mark earned the second row inside starting position in the "A" Feature by finishing third. Vivarin Dash winner Andy Hillenburg burst into the lead from the pole as the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event. Steve Kinser, winner of four World of Outlaws "A" Features at Battleground, raced into third place from outside the fourth row within seconds, only to have Mark pass him with a high move in turn two early in the opening lap. Mark took the low line into the first corner to take second from outside polesitter Joe Gaerte the next time around. After Jac Haudenschild relegated Gaerte to fourth early in lap three, Steve Kinser passed them both with a low move into turn four. Hillenburg was six car-lengths ahead of his closest pursuers when he entered lapped traffic seven laps into the race. Mark immediately started narrowing the gap, however, and actually took the lead for an instant with a turn-three slide move late in the eighth lap. Hillenburg maintained the lead by steering his #2 STP J&J around Mark deep in the fourth corner. Kinser chased Andy down the front straightaway and took the lead with a low move into turn two. Steve Kinser passed Hillenburg for second late in the 10th lap, then challenged his cousin for the lead the next time around. Fourth Heat Race winner Bill Robertson brought out the caution flag late in lap 12 when he stopped on the back stretch with mechanical problems. Mark raced away from the field as the green flag replaced the yellow. Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Sammy Swindell passed six cars during the first 12 laps to take over seventh place. He had his #1 Channellock Gambler in fifth by lap 13, then took the high line into the second corner to pass "The Wild Child" for fourth the next time around. Kinser caught the backmarkers again midway through the race and raced through lapped traffic with ease, opening an eight-car- length lead by the 18th lap. He increased his advantage to a full straightaway within the next seven laps. Swindell challenged Hillenburg for five laps before passing him for third place with a high move in turn three late in lap 24. Dave Blaney, who won the World of Outlaws' race at Battleground March 15th, steered his #10 Vivarin J&J into the high groove in the fourth corner to pass Swindell with five laps remaining. Hillenburg relegated Sammy to fifth one lap later. Haudenschild steered the #22 Pennzoil Maxim into the high groove in turn four to pass Swindell for fifth place as they headed for the checkered flag. Steve Kinser was racing into the third corner when Mark took the checkered flag. "This track was pretty tough to figure when it comes to tires," Mark said in victory lane. "It hardly touched the right rear at all tonight, but my guys probably mounted more tires than anybody in the pits. "Andy ran me pretty hard. I could see his nose a couple of times, but we had the best car at the end." Blaney held off Hillenburg to finish the World of Outlaws' 66th event of the year in third place. Haudenschild finished fifth, ahead of Swindell, Johnny Herrera, Gaerte, Paul McMahan and 20th-starting Danny Lasoski. Dale Blaney, making his debut in brother Dave's #93 Amoco J&J, collided with Steve Kinser and Greg Hodnett as the green flag fell in the Second Heat Race. While Kinser and Hodnett flipped, "The King of the Outlaws" came back to finish fourth behind Blaney. Hodnett, forced to race a backup car the rest of the evening, finished 17th in the "B" Feature and was a provisional starter in the main event. He drove the #11H Selma Shell Maxim past nine cars to finish 16th. WoO 1997 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Third Annual Fall Nationals Battleground Speedway, Highland, TX Thursday, October 16, Feature Program #66 Qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.041; 2. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.101; 3. Joe Gaerte, Gaerte 3G, 13.114; 4. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.134; 5. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.236; 6. Dale Blaney, Blaney 93, 13.296; 7. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 13.296; 8. Tommie Estes, Jr., Threatt 29, 13.301; 9. Dave Blaney, Blaney/Hylton 10, 13.337; 10. Craig Dollansky, Wahlie 1W, 13.363; 11. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 13.400; 12. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 13.476; 13. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 13.476; 14. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.488; 15. Peter Murphy, Williams 0, 13.489; 16. Keith Kauffman, Johnson U2, 13.514; 17. Dion Hindi, Hindi 11D, 13.539; 18. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.555; 19. Shane Stewart, Stewart 9S, 13.557; 20. Bill Robertson, Robertson 16, 13.573; 21. Danny Lasoski, Black 1Z, 13.576; 22. Van Gurley, Jr., Gurley 3B, 13.603; 23. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.623; 24. Bobby Davis, Jr., Salvino 1A, 13.629; 25. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.683; 26. Gary Wright, Action Motorsports 9, 13.755; 27. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 13.817; 28. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 13.831; 29. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.857; 30. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 13.881; 31. Daryn Pittman, Pittman 11P, 13.915; 32. John Bankston, Bankston 8, 13.983; 33. Travis Rilat, Rilat 53, 14.054; 34. Ronald Laney, Laney 52, 14.324; 35. Rick Ziehl, Ziehl 18, 14.550; 36. Alan Kissee, Kissee 61, 14.872; 37. Kenny Jacobs, RE Technology 7K, 14.878; 38. Greg Rilat, Rilat 15.044; 39. Chris Sweeney, Sweeney 93S, 15.523; 40. Larry Hartwell, Hartwell 10x, 15.527; 41. Dodie Miller, Miller 8K, 15.884; 42. Hershel Cronin, Cronin 26, no time. First Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Dave Blaney, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Dion Hindi, 6. Jeff Swindell, 7. Lance Blevins, 8. Tyler Walker, 9. Kenny Jacobs, 10. Dodie Miller, 11. Travis Rilat. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Dale Blaney, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Gary Wright, 6. Van Gurley, Jr., 7. Ronald Laney, 8. Craig Dollansky, 9. Greg Hodnett, 10. Greg Rilat, 11. Hershel Cronin. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Peter Murphy, 6. Joey Saldana, 7. Shane Stewart, 8. Chris Sweeney, 9. Rick Ziehl, 10. Daryn Pittman. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Bill Robertson, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Jeff Shepard, 4. Keith Kauffman, 5. Bobby Davis, Jr., 6. Tommie Estes, Jr., 7. Larry Neighbors, 8. Larry Hartwell, 9. Alan Kissee, 10. John Bankston. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Joe Gaerte, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Dave Blaney, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Paul McMahan, 8. Steve Kinser. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Shane Stewart, 2. Tommie Estes, Jr., 3. Tyler Walker, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Craig Dollansky ($200); 6. Lance Blevins ($180); 7. Larry Neighbors ($150); 8. John Bankston ($110); 9. Van Gurley, Jr. ($90); 10. Daryn Pittman ($80); 11. Ronald Laney ($60); 12. Rick Ziehl ($60); 13. Travis Rilat ($50); 14. Kenny Jacobs ($50); 15. Dodie Miller ($50); 16. Joey Saldana ($50); 17. Greg Hodnett; 18. Alan Kissee ($50); 19. Larry Hartwell ($50); 20. Chris Sweeney ($50); 21. Greg Rilat ($50); 22. Hershel Cronin ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($7,000); 2. Steve Kinser ($4,000); 3. Dave Blaney ($3,000); 4. Andy Hillenburg ($2,500); 5. Jac Haudenschild ($2,300); 6. Sammy Swindell ($2,200); 7. Johnny Herrera ($2,100); 8. Joe Gaerte ($2,000); 9. Paul McMahan ($1,700); 10. Danny Lasoski ($1,600); 11. Tommie Estes, Jr. ($1,220); 12. Stevie Smith ($1,150); 13. Jeff Swindell ($1,120); 14. Jeff Shepard ($1,050); 15. Donny Schatz ($1,000); 16. Greg Hodnett ($720); 17. Keith Kauffman ($600); 18. Dale Blaney ($500); 19. Tyler Walker ($520); 20. Peter Murphy ($500); 21. Dion Hindi ($500); 22. Bobby Davis, Jr. ($500); 23. Shane Stewart ($520); 24. Bill Robertson ($500); 25. Gary Wright ($500). Provisional starter: Greg Hodnett Lap leaders: Andy Hillenburg 1-8, Mark Kinser 9-30 Channellock Fast-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser WoO