Charlotte Thursday report

MARK KINSER DOMINATES METROLINA OPENER By Richard Day CHARLOTTE, NC (May 18) - Mark Kinser put his nightmarish memories of Metrolina Speedway to rest Thursday when the World of Outlaws returned to Charlotte for the first time in eight years. Kinser, a 25th-lap crash victim in the Skoal Outlaw Series' inaugural visit to Metrolina back on March 28, 1987, broke the one-lap record and put together a green-to-checker victory in the Preliminary Feature Thursday. "Danny (Lasoski) gave me a wake-up call when he beat me in the (Vivarin) Dash," Kinser said after winning his third Preliminary Feature of the year. "We knew we had to make some changes on the car. Dad (Karl Kinser, Mark's car owner and crew chief) did a great job, and we had a good car for the feature." Mark circled Metrolina's semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval in 16.687 seconds, an average speed of 107.868 m.p.h., during the qualifying session to earn his fourth Ecowater Fast-Time Award of the year. "The Dude" earned the right to start the Preliminary Feature on the pole by beating Kinser, Andy Hillenburg, Sammy Swindell, Stevie Smith, Dave Blaney, Rickey Hood and Ed Lynch, Jr., across the finish line in the Vivarin Dash. Mark drove the #5M Wirtgen Maxim around Lasoski in the fourth corner as the green flag fell in the main event and never lifted his foot from the accelerator as the green flag flew throughout the 20-lap race. He opened a five-car-length lead within a lap and was 10 car-lengths ahead of Lasoski when he entered lapped traffic three laps later. Blaney was challenging Swindell for third place and Kinser's lead was 15 car-lengths as the race approached its midpoint. "The Buckeye Bullet" passed Swindell as the engine in the #1 Hooters Restaurants Gambler started malfunctioning early in lap 10. Hillenburg steered his #2 STP J&J high into the first corner to pass Sammy for fourth place during the 14th lap. Swindell steered the #1 into the pits to save what was left of his engine the next time around. Kinser raced through lapped traffic with ease to maintain his comfortable margin, and took the checkered flag with Lasoski racing into turn four. The left side panel on Hillenburg's top wing broke with two laps remaining, but Andy managed to hold off Smith to claim the final guaranteed starting position in Friday's Snap-on Tools Dash. Skoal Outlaw Series point standings leader Jac Haudenschild drove the #22 Pennzoil Maxim past four sprinters to finish sixth, ahead of Lynch, Hood, Jeff Swindell and Van Gurley, Jr. Billy Wilburn, who changes tires on the #2 Miller Genuine Draft Ford Thunderbird driven by Rusty Wallace on NASCAR's Winston Cup circuit, finished in 18th place. WoO 1995 WORLD OF OUTLAWS/SKOAL OUTLAW SERIES Metrolina Speedway, Charlotte, NC, Thursday, May 18, Preliminary Program Qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.687 (new one-lap record); 2. Danny Lasoski, Sonner 47, 16.717; 3. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.750; 4. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 16.793; 5. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 16.858; 6. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 17.038; 7. Rickey Hood, Herrera 45x, 17.061; 8. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 17.094; 9. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 17.137; 10. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 17.166; 11. Van Gurley, Jr., Gurley 3B, 17.392; 12. Aaron Berryhill, Berryhill 97, 18.201; 13. Greg Hodnett, Two Winners 8TW, 18.328; 14. Joe Gaerte, Hamilton 77, 18.351; 15. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 18.440; 16. Gus Wasson, Wasson 4G, 19.155; 17. Tim Kuhn, Kuhn 11, 19.211; 18. Billy Wilburn, Wilburn 5, 21.095; 19. Chris Pochiro, Pochiro 24, 21.176. First Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Greg Hodnett, 2. Gus Wasson, 3. Rickey Hood, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Andy Hillenburg, 7. Chris Pochiro. (first seven qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Second Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Joe Gaerte, 2. Ed Lynch, Jr., 3. Dave Blaney, 4. Tim Kuhn, 5. Van Gurley, Jr., 6. Danny Lasoski. (first six qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Randy Hannagan, 2. Aaron Berryhill, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Jeff Swindell, 6. Billy Wilburn. (first six qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Stevie Smith, 6. Dave Blaney, 7. Rickey Hood, 8. Ed Lynch, Jr. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature) Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($4,010); 2. Danny Lasoski ($2,310); 3. Dave Blaney ($1,610); 4. Andy Hillenburg ($1,410); 5. Stevie Smith ($1,260); 6. Jac Haudenschild ($1,160); 7. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($1,110); 8. Rickey Hood ($1,060); 9. Jeff Swindell ($1,035); 10. Van Gurley, Jr. ($1,010); 11. Greg Hodnett ($910); 12. Aaron Berryhill ($710); 13. Joe Gaerte ($610); 14. Randy Hannagan ($510); 15. Sammy Swindell ($310); 16. Gus Wasson ($310); 17. Tim Kuhn ($260); 18. Billy Wilburn ($260); 19. Chris Pochiro ($260). Lap leader: Mark Kinser 1-20 Ecowater Fast-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser WoO*eot