Eldora Friday report

Blaney Takes WoO's "Night Before The Big One" Feature By Richard Day ROSSBURG, OH (August 11) - Preparations for "The Historic Big One" and the Amoco Knoxville Nationals brought out some of the best wheel-to-wheel racing in World of Outlaws history Friday at Eldora Speedway. Dave Blaney, Stevie Smith, Mark Kinser and Sammy Swindell battled through every corner of Eldora's high-banked, 1/2-mile oval during the final 14 laps before Blaney executed the winning pass with 2 1/2 laps remaining. The $6,000 victory was the second at Eldora in three weeks for the 1995 King's Royal champion and his fourth in World of Outlaws competition at the famed half-mile in the last three years. "That's probably the most exciting race I've been in in a long time," Kinser said. Smith opened the festivities by setting quick-time with a 13.545- second qualifying run. After receiving his eighth EcoWater Fast-Time Award of the year, Stevie earned a front-row starting position in the main event by following Swindell across the finish line in the Vivarin Dash. Smith drove the #71M EcoWater Systems Maxim around Sammy in turn four as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature, and opened a 10-car- length advantage within three laps. Kinser was battling Swindell for the runner-up spot as Smith caught the backmarkers six laps into the race. Less than six car- lengths separated Stevie, Sammy, Mark and Keith Kauffman when Greg Hodnett suffered a blown engine and stopped the #8TW Kele & Associates Maxim on the front straightaway late in lap six. Blaney raced past Jac Haudenschild in turn three to take over fifth place as the green flag replaced the yellow. Smith was 10 car- lengths ahead of his closest pursuers when Blaney took fourth place from Kauffman late in the 12th lap. Smith led the leaders into lapped traffic again the next time around, and Blaney made it a four-car battle for the lead two laps later. Swindell steered his #1 Hooters Gambler deep into the first corner to take the lead, only to have Smith return the favor in turn three later in the 20th lap. Blaney moved into the high groove to challenge Kinser as Mark used the low line in the second corner to pass Swindell for the runner-up spot with seven laps remaining. Two laps later, Kinser raced wheel-to-wheel with Smith through turn one and "The Buckeye Bullet" raced into third place with a second-corner pass of Swindell. Kinser was challenging Smith for the lead as Blaney steered the #10 Vivarin J&J into the low groove and won a front-straightaway drag race with Mark to take over second place with four laps remaining. "The Buckeye Bullet" returned to the high groove the next time around, and out-dragged Smith down the back straightaway to take the lead. Blaney increased his advantage as Swindell rode the rim around Kinser in turn one to regain third place two laps later. Smith was 10 car-lengths behind when Blaney took the checkered flag. "I had the advantage of being behind," Blaney said of the winning pass. "I could pick my line." "I just ran the wrong part of the track," Smith said. Blaney received his sixth Wells Lamont Hard Charger Award of the year for racing to victory from outside the third row. Haudenschild finished the main event in fifth place, ahead of Kauffman, Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser, Kenny Jacobs and Danny Lasoski. Joe Gaerte, racing in his first Skoal Outlaw Series event since early July, drove Ed Ulyate's #3DB J&J into 23rd place in the "A" Feature. Lasoski recorded his best qualifying time since taking the reins of the #77 Cornwell Tools J&J, but a sixth-place finish in the Fourth Snap-on Tools Heat Race kept him from qualifying for the Vivarin Dash. "The Dude" came back to win the "B" Feature, and moved into fifth place in the Skoal Outlaw Series point standings with a 10th-place run in the main event. The next stop on the World of Outlaws tour is the 35th Annual Amoco Knoxville Nationals, which is scheduled for August 16-19. TNN: The Nashville Network is televising the Nationals "Live in '95." Be sure to tune in for the August 19th telecast between 10 p.m. and midnight (EDT). WoO 1995 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH Friday, August 11th, Feature Program #53 Qualifications: 1. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 13.545; 2. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.556; 3. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.698; 4. Danny Lasoski, Hamilton 77, 13.705; 5. Keith Kauffman, Sonner 47, 13.719; 6. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 13.758; 7. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.793; 8. Joey Saldana, Wendt 77W, 13.822; 9. Charlie Fisher, Fisher 48, 13.828; 10. Kenny Jacobs, Johnson U2, 13.886; 11. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.910; 12. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 13.949; 13. Duane Lieber, Lieber 62, 13.954; 14. Byron Reed, B&S Racing 5R, 13.959; 15. Greg Hodnett, Two Winners 8TW, 13.976; 16. Dale Blaney, Hughes 94, 13.984; 17. Billy Pauch, Zemaitis 1Z, 14.013; 18. Tommie Estes, Jr., Gray 51, 14.052; 19. Jimmy Hawley, Shoup 21, 14.059; 20. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 14.072; 21. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 14.090; 22. Steve Kent, Helm 11K, 14.102; 23. Lee Brewer, Jr., Daugherty 7D, 14.108; 24. Joe Gaerte, Ulyate 3DB, 14.122; 25. Kevin Huntley, Lindsey 2D, 14.125; 26. Jack Hewitt, Hampshire 63, 14.135; 27. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 14.190; 28. Art Wendt, Wendt 77A, 14.195; 29. Mark Slade, Slade 1S, 14.277; 30. Tim Engler, Engler 73, 14.281; 31. Van Gurley, Jr., Gurley 3B, 14.286; 32. Jeff Shepard, Wahlie 1W, 14.293; 33. Jason Dukes, Andrews 6D, 14.329; 34. Shawna Wilskey, Wilskey 5JR, 14.356; 35. Todd Kelley, Kelley 21K, 14.360; 36. Tracy Hoover, Crowder 9, 14.366; 37. Dean Jacobs, Davis 1F, 14.380; 38. Daniel Coggeshell, Coggeshell 3, 14.436; 39. Randy Kinser, Kinser 14, 14.529; 40. Gus Wasson, Wasson 4G, 14.641; 41. Chuck Scribner, Scribner 33S, 14.986; 42. Kent Wolters, Wolters 25, 15.016; 43. Keith Crabtree, Crabtree 6C, 15.547. First Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Charlie Fisher, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Billy Pauch, 5. Keith Kauffman, 6. Duane Lieber, 7. Mark Slade, 8. Kevin Huntley, 9. Dean Jacobs, 10. Jason Dukes, 11. Chuck Scribner. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Dave Blaney, 3. Tommie Estes, Jr., 4. Steve Kent, 5. Kenny Jacobs, 6. Byron Reed, 7. Jack Hewitt, 8. Tim Engler, 9. Shawna Wilskey, 10. Daniel Coggeshell ($10); 11. Kent Wolters. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Lee Brewer, Jr., 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Greg Hodnett, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Jimmy Hawley, 7. Van Gurley, Jr., 8. Randy Hannagan, 9. Keith Crabtree, 10. Todd Kelley, 11. Randy Kinser. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Frankie Kerr, 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Dale Blaney, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Tracy Hoover, 8. Jeff Shepard, 9. Art Wendt ($10); 10. Gus Wasson ($10). (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Keith Kauffman, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Jac Haudenschild, 6. Dave Blaney, 7. Joey Saldana, 8. Charlie Fisher. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Byron Reed, 3. Jack Hewitt, 4. Duane Lieber, 5. Tracy Hoover ($210); 6. Randy Hannagan ($185); 7. Jimmy Hawley ($160); 8. Jeff Shepard ($110); 9. Dean Jacobs ($100); 10. Tim Engler ($90); 11. Mark Slade ($70); 12. Chuck Scribner ($60); 13. Kent Wolters ($60); 14. Kevin Huntley ($60); 15. Todd Kelley ($60); 16. Randy Kinser ($60); 17. Keith Crabtree ($60); 18. Van Gurley, Jr. ($60); 19. ($60); Jason Dukes ($60); 20. Shawna Wilskey ($60). DNS - Art Wendt, Gus Wasson, Daniel Coggeshell. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Dave Blaney ($6,010); 2. Stevie Smith ($3,510); 3. Sammy Swindell ($2,510); 4. Mark Kinser ($2,210); 5. Jac Haudenschild ($2,110); 6. Keith Kauffman ($2,010); 7. Joey Saldana ($1,610); 8. Steve Kinser ($1,510); 9. Kenny Jacobs ($1,410); 10. Danny Lasoski ($1,330); 11. Jeff Swindell ($1,160); 12. Dale Blaney ($1,110); 13. Byron Reed ($1,080); 14. Duane Lieber ($1,030); 15. Billy Pauch ($710); 16. Andy Hillenburg ($510); 17. Steve Kent ($410); 18. Tommie Estes, Jr. ($410); 19. Lee Brewer, Jr. ($410); 20. Frankie Kerr ($410); 21. Jack Hewitt ($430); 22. Charlie Fisher ($410); 23. Joe Gaerte ($410); 24. Greg Hodnett ($410). Lap leaders: Stevie Smith 1-27, Dave Blaney 28-30 EcoWater Fast Time Award winner: Stevie Smith Wells Lamont Hard Charger Award winner: Dave Blaney WoO