Eldora report 98-08-07

Haudenschild Wins 'Night Before The Big One' Race By Richard Day ROSSBURG, OH (August 7) - Jac Haudenschild continued to stake his claim as the driver to beat in the Amoco Knoxville Nationals Friday by winning the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' "Night Before The Big One" event at Eldora Speedway. Haudenschild's ninth victory of the season was his third straight in a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature at Eldora. He has also won all five feature races the series has run at Knoxville Raceway this year. "The Pennzoil car was really good tonight," Jac said. "I just have to thank Jack Elden for giving me the best equipment I've ever had. My crew guys have worked really hard." Haudenschild, the third-fastest qualifier in the 50-car field, earned the right to start the 30-lap main event on the pole by winning his 10th Channellock Dash of the season from outside the second row. He drove the new-look #22 Pennzoil Maxim into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature, only to have outside polesitter Andy Hillenburg pass him high in turn two. The move was erased seconds later when Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Steve Kinser hit the outside retaining wall in the first corner and flipped. Dave Blaney, driver of the #93 Amoco Ultimate Pontiac in NASCAR's Busch Grand National Series and the defending Historic Big One and Amoco Knoxville Nationals champion, was competing in his first World of Outlaws race of the season. His involvement in the crash sent him to the pit area with Kinser. Manufacturers Rookie of the Year candidate Tyler Walker, who was using a provisional to start the main event, was also involved in the crash. His crew quickly repaired the #35 Air Sep Eagle, allowing him to rejoin the race. Hillenburg drove his #2 J&J around Haudenschild in the fourth corner as the green flag replaced the red, and was eight car- lengths ahead of Haudenschild when they entered lapped traffic during the fifth lap. Jac narrowed the gap to four car-lengths in dense lapped traffic within two laps, however. Hillenburg increased his advantage to 10 car-lengths late in lap 12 when Haudenschild had problems negotiating the fourth corner, only to have Jac close to within five car-lengths two laps later. Haudenschild was challenging Hillenburg for the lead during the 16th lap when Mark Kinser steered the #5M Wirtgen Maxim into the low groove between turns one and two to pass Dale Blaney for third place. Haudenschild used a similar move in the first and second corners to take the lead the next time around. Hillenburg raced wheel-to-wheel with Jac through turns three and four, but was unable to surge ahead. Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Danny Lasoski took the high line through the third and fourth corners to pass Blaney for fifth late in the 19th lap. Haudenschild was a full straightaway ahead of Hillenburg with eight laps remaining, but Andy closed to within eight car-lengths within three laps. Hillenburg was still gaining with 3 1/2 laps remaining when Jac executed a daring move, threading the #22 between Johnny Herrera and Butch Schroeder in the second corner, to open a comfortable advantage. Hillenburg was racing through turn three when Haudenschild took the checkered flag. "I want to thank Pennzoil, Maxim, Weld Wheels and all my other sponsors," Jac said. "I also want to thank my wife, Patty, for standing by me and doing everything she does for this team. Thank God we got it in and everybody is OK. "Andy's been really strong this year, but we were able to get a run on him in traffic. We hope to be right back here tomorrow night." Mark Kinser's third-place run, coupled with cousin Steve's 24th-place finish, narrowed the gap in their battle for the 1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series championship to 44 points. Craig Dollansky finished fourth, his best so far this year. Lasoski finished in fifth place, ahead of Blaney, 12th-starting Sammy Swindell, Paul McMahan, Herrera and Kenny Jacobs. McMahan's eight-place finish equaled the season's best for Gary Stanton's #75 Mopar Maxim. Lasoski received his seventh Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after pacing the qualifying session with a 13.140-second, 136.986-m.p.h., lap around the high-banked, 1/2-mile oval. The next event on the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series schedule is the 38th Annual Amoco Knoxville Nationals. The $605,000 event starts Wednesday and runs through Saturday. TNN: The Nashville Network will televise the Friday and Saturday programs live. WoO 1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Night Before The Historic Big One Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH Friday, August 7, Feature Program #47 Qualifications: 1. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.140; 2. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.141; 3. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.193; 4. Kenny Jacobs, Hughes 94, 13.211; 5. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.264; 6. Craig Dollansky, Gleason 21G, 13.286; 7. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.296; 8. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.300; 9. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 13.326; 10. Dale Blaney, Hylton- Blaney 93, 13.332; 11. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 13.362; 12. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.394; 13. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 13.398; 14. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.408; 15. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 13.413; 16. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 13.426; 17. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.440; 18. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 13.449; 19. Dave Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93x, 13.469; 20. Dean Jacobs, Ashworth 92, 13.497; 21. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.501; 22. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 13.527; 23. Butch Schroeder, Gottschalk 17S, 13.554; 24. Garry Brazier, Brazier 21AU, 13.555; 25. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.556; 26. Kevin Gobrecht, Zemaitis 1Z, 13.557; 27. Keith Kauffman, Johnson U2, 13.589; 28. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 13.590; 29. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 13.600; 30. Jim Nier, Nier 00, 13.604; 31. Danny Smith, Vielhauer 12x, 13.611; 32. Fred Boso, Javalina Construction 7B, 13.612; 33. Kevin Huntley, Daugherty 7H, 13.615; 34. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 13.624; 35. Charlie Fisher, Fisher 48, 13.656; 36. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 13.662; 37. Sarah Fisher, Fisher 9F, 13.665; 38. Steve Suever, Suever 36S, 13.717; 39. Dwain Leiber, Leiber 62, 13.788; 40. Rob Chaney, Chaney 57, 13.966; 41. Dave Freed, Freed 8F, 14.043; 42. James Fisher, Fisher 48J, 14.077; 43. Greg Wilson, Wilson 63, 14.360; 44. Hud Horton, Horton 80, 14.983; 45. Butch Bahr, Bahr 25, 15.092; 46. Chris Simon, Racing Motors 24C, 15.211; 47. Don Johnson, Johnson 2J, 16.025; 48. Jack Hewitt, Hewitt 16, no time; 49. Skip Daugherty, Daugherty 27, no time; 50. Todd Kane, Kane 78, no time. First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Joey Saldana, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Ed Lynch, Jr., 6. Jeff Swindell, 7. Jeff Shepard, 8. Lance Blevins, 9. Sarah Fisher, 10. Dave Freed, 11. Butch Bahr, 12. Kevin Huntley. DNS - Skip Daugherty. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Joe Gaerte, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Tim Shaffer, 5. Craig Dollansky, 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Jim Nier, 8. Kevin Gobrecht, 9. Brian Paulus, 10. Steve Suever, 11. James Fisher, 12. Chris Simon. DNS - Todd Kane. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dave Blaney, 2. Butch Schroeder, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Frankie Kerr, 6. Stevie Smith, 7. Keith Kauffman, 8. Charlie Fisher, 9. Danny Smith, 10. Dwain Leiber, 11. Greg Wilson, 12. Don Johnson. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Garry Brazier, 3. Dean Jacobs, 4. Johnny Herrera, 5. Andy Hillenburg, 6. Kenny Jacobs, 7. Brooke Tatnell, 8. Rob Chaney, 9. Fred Boso, 10. Hud Horton, 11. Larry Neighbors. DNS - Jack Hewitt. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Danny Lasoski, 8. Paul McMahan. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) C Feature (10 laps): 1. Sarah Fisher, 2. Rob Chaney, 3. Steve Suever, 4. Dwain Leiber, 5. Hud Horton ($125); 6. Dave Freed ($100); 7. James Fisher ($80); 8. Chris Simon ($70); 9. Butch Bahr ($60); 10. Jack Hewitt ($50). (first four qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Jeff Shepard, 3. Kenny Jacobs, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Kevin Gobrecht ($200); 6. Keith Kauffman ($180); 7. Jim Nier ($150); 8. Danny Smith ($110); Kevin Huntley ($90); 10. Larry Neighbors ($80); 11. Lance Blevins ($60); 12. Brian Paulus ($50); 13. Dwain Leiber ($70); 14. Fred Boso ($50); 15. Tyler Walker, 16. Sarah Fisher ($70); 17. James Fisher ($50); 18. Steve Suever ($70); 19. Brooke Tatnell ($50); 20. Rob Chaney ($70). (first four six qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild ($7,000); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($4,000); 3. Mark Kinser ($3,000); 4. Craig Dollansky ($2,500); 5. Danny Lasoski ($2,300); 6. Dale Blaney ($2,200); 7. Sammy Swindell ($2,100); 8. Paul McMahan ($2,000); 9. Johnny Herrera ($1,700); 10. Kenny Jacobs ($1,620); 11. Joey Saldana ($1,200); 12. Joe Gaerte ($1,150); 13. Jeff Swindell ($1,120); 14. Donny Schatz ($1,050); 15. Stevie Smith ($1,020); 16. Tim Shaffer ($700); 17. Tyler Walker ($620); 18. Garry Brazier ($500); 19. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($500); 20. Butch Schroeder ($500); 21. Frankie Kerr ($500); 22. Jeff Shepard ($520); 23. Dean Jacobs ($500); 24. Steve Kinser ($500); 25. Dave Blaney ($500). Provisional starter - Tyler Walker Lap leaders: Andy Hillenburg 1-16, Jac Haudenschild 17-30 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Danny Lasoski WoO