Cedar Lake Speedway race report 2001-07-09

Kinser Gets Back On Track at Cedar Lake

SOMERSET, WI (July 9) -- Tough experiences make one appreciate the good times ... just ask Mark Kinser.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' two-time champion suffered through a miserable weekend at Red River Valley Speedway, but reversed his fortunes Monday with a $10,000 victory at Cedar Lake Speedway.

"We had a rough time up there in Fargo; we tore up an entire car," Mark said. "My hat's off to my guys -- Dennis (Kohler), Justin (Adams), Cale (Kahne), and Willie (Kahne) -- for giving me a perfect race car tonight."

The "A" Feature victory, Kinser's 10th of the season, pushed him to within 15 points of Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Danny Lasoski.

Kinser, the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 30-car field, won the Third O'Reilly Heat Race and earned the right to start the "A" Feature outside the front row by following Donny Schatz across the finish line in the CHANNELLOCK Dash.

Schatz drove his family's #15 Parker Stores J&J into the lead as the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event. Kinser and Stevie Smith exchanged second place twice in the opening lap, Smith surging ahead in the low groove between turns one and two only to have Kinser regain the position high in the fourth corner.

Sammy Swindell, a five-time winner at Cedar Lake Speedway, steered his #1 CHANNELLOCK Stealth deep in turn one to pass Smith for third place early in lap three. Smith used a similar move in the third corner to pass Swindell three laps later.

Schatz was five car-lengths ahead of Kinser when he entered lapped traffic late in the sixth lap.

Steve Kinser, who started outside the third row, joined the battle for third place the next time around. "The King of the Outlaws" followed Swindell past Smith low in turn four, then steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the high groove between the third and fourth corners to pass Sammy for third place late in lap eight.

Mark Kinser drove Karl Kinser's #5M Mopar Maxim to the rim in turn four to pass Schatz for the lead two laps later. Steve Kinser used an identical move to pass Schatz for the runner-up spot six laps later.

Smith and ninth-starting Andy Hillenburg exchanged fifth place with inside moves in the fourth corner during the 12th and 16th laps.

Craig Dollansky, who enjoyed the thrill of victory at Red River Valley Speedway two days before, suffered the agony of defeat Monday. A blown engine in Karavan Racing's #7 Polydome Maxim kept the defending World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion from taking a qualifying lap. Dollansky qualified for the main event by passing four cars in the Third O'Reilly Heat Race, but collided with a slow-moving Randy Hannagan in turn two and spun early in the 20th lap.

Kinser raced away from the field while Swindell, Hillenburg and Smith passed Schatz during the three laps after the green flag replaced the yellow.

Mark was 10 car-lengths ahead of his closest pursuers when he caught the back-markers with 4 1/2 laps remaining. Steve caught his second cousin within two laps, however, and almost passed him with a low move through the first and second corners early in lap 27.

"The King of the Outlaws" tried to take the lead with a similar move during the final lap, but was unable to surge ahead. Mark was seven car-lengths ahead of Steve when he claimed his fourth victory in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' last six visits to Cedar Lake.

"The track took a little rubber, but I didn't find it until the very last lap," Mark said.

Swindell held off Smith to finish in third place. Hillenburg finished fifth, ahead of Lasoski, Schatz, Jeff Shepard, 15th-starting Brad Furr and Jason Meyers.

"The Dude" paced the qualifying session for the fourth time this year, driving NASCAR Winston Cup star Tony Stewart's #20L J.D. Byrider Eagle around the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in 11.485 seconds, an average speed of 117.545 m.p.h.

Shane Stewart, a crewman on Hillenburg's Luxaire team until Junior Holbrook hired him to drive his #8H sprinter recently, raced into 11th place from outside the eighth row.

-WoO