Eldora Speedway 1999-06-05

Shaffer Records Flag-to-Flag Victory at Eldora By Richard Day

ROSSBURG, OH (June 5) - Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series rookies seem to get better every year. Donny Schatz ranks fifth in the point standings only two years after earning the Manufacturers Rookie of the Year award. Tyler Walker won the prestigious Western World Championships during his rookie season in 1998. Tim Shaffer added his name to the list of outstanding Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series rookies Saturday when he roared to victory at legendary Eldora Speedway. "We've really struggled lately," Tim said, "but the guys on my crew and the guys at Jones Motors have really worked hard to try to get things straightened out. This place is tough to run, but the Vivarin car ran great tonight." The flag-to-flag victory was Shaffer's first in a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series main event. He won a Preliminary Feature at Gray's Harbor Raceway Park last August 21st. He is the ninth different driver to win an "A" Feature this season. Several other drivers also found "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" to their liking Saturday, and recorded season-best finishes. Brooke Tatnell raced past 13 cars to finish in sixth place. Jeff Swindell and Travis Whitney tied their best finishes of the season, finishing third and 12th, respectively. The evening belonged to Shaffer and Dave Helm's Vivarin team, however. Tim, the 14th-fastest qualifier in the 39-car field, won the Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race. He earned the right to start the 30- lap "A" Feature outside the front row by following fellow rookie Daryn Pittman across the finish line in the Channellock Dash. Pittman and Shaffer raced wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway as the green flag fell in the main event. Tim surged ahead high in the first corner to take the lead, and was 10-car- lengths ahead when he entered lapped traffic four laps later. Whitney brought out the first caution flag when he spun in turn two early in the seventh lap. At the same time, Frankie Kerr stopped in the fourth corner. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race winner Kasey Kahne surrendered fifth place when he coasted into the pit area after hitting the turn-two retaining wall. Shaffer controlled the ensuing restart and was a straightaway ahead of his closest pursuers within six laps. Swindell steered the #104+ Octane Boost J&J to the lowest point between the first and second corners to pass Pittman for second early in the 14th lap. Andy Hillenburg, who raced into 10th place from outside the 12th row during the first 14 laps, crashed in turn two midway through the race. Schatz, who followed Hillenburg from the rear of the field, lined up 11th when the race resumed. Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Mark Kinser used an inside move in the third corner to pass Pittman for third place as the green flag replaced the yellow. Schatz and Paul McMahan were battling for 10th place when they collided and flipped down the back stretch. Lance Blevins was unable to dodge McMahan's car and hit the #U2. Sammy Swindell steered his #1 Channellock Stealth into the low groove in turn one to pass Pittman for fifth place early in lap 19. Craig Dollansky, who returned to the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series after missing the New York tour, stopped in the first corner with a mechanical problem one lap later. Kinser, the series' points leader, steered the #5M Mopar Maxim deep in turn two to pass Jeff Swindell for the runner-up spot as the race resumed. Steve Kinser, who has won 22 "A" Features at Eldora Speedway, relegated Swindell to fourth with a low move into the fourth corner the next time around. Dollansky hit the turn-two retaining wall and flipped with 4 1/2 laps remaining, bringing out the red flag. Shaffer controlled the restart and was 10 car-lengths ahead of Mark when he took the checkered flag. A mechanical malfunction in the #11 Quaker State Maxim caused Steve Kinser to slow on the back straightaway as the race ended. "I tried to block it out (having Mark behind him on the last restart) and concentrated on making good laps," Shaffer said. "I saw Steve slow down on the back stretch, and thought 'Oh no, another yellow,' but we made it. Actually, the cautions helped me because we really didn't get into much traffic. That's where it gets really hard here. I hope this is the start of something, and we can win a few more." The Swindell brothers - Jeff and Sammy - finished third and fourth. Completing the top 10 were 14th-starting Johnny Herrera, Tatnell, Pittman, Jim Nier, "B" Feature winner Kenny Jacobs and Kerr. Mark Kinser received his 14th Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after lowering Eldora's qualifying standard by .118 seconds. He circled the high-banked, 1/2-mile oval in 12.790 seconds, an average speed of 140.735 m.p.h. The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the Beer Town Showdown Wednesday at Hales Corners Speedway, then run the Rumble at Route 66 at Route 66 Raceway Friday and Saturday. TNN Motorsports will televise Saturday's race live from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. (EDT). Illinois State Fair Speedway will host an afternoon race Sunday, May 13th. WoO

1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH Saturday, June 5, Feature Program #29 Vivarin qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 12.790 (new single-lap record); 2. Joey Saldana, Mox Motorsports 17, 12.998; 3. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 13.001; 4. Butch Schroeder, Gottschalk 17S, 13.034; 5. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.046; 6. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.072; 7. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.095; 8. Paul McMahan, Johnson U2, 13.109; 9. Kasey Kahne, Kahne 23K, 13.139; 10. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.186; 11. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 13.190; 12. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 13.196; 13. Johnny Herrera, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 13.203; 14. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 13.204; 15. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.205; 16. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.209; 17. Kenny Jacobs, Jacobs 6, 13.236; 18. Jim Nier, Nier 00, 13.241; 19. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 13.265; 20. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.279; 21. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 13.284; 22. Craig Dollansky, Dollansky 7, 13.308; 23. Dean Jacobs, Holbrook 8, 13.311; 24. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.317; 25. Byron Reed, B&S Racing 5R, 13.337; 26. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.366; 27. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 13.404; 28. Kevin Gobrecht, Hylton/Blaney 93, 13.404; 29. Danny Smith, Ashworth 92, 13.406; 30. Rocky Hodges, Holbrook 88, 13.448; 31. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.455; 32. James Fisher, Fisher 48J, 13.566; 33. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 13.575; 34. Kent Wolters, Wolters 12, 13.726; 35. Fred Boso, Javalina Construction 7B, 13.795; 36. Tim Allison, Lotz 11x, 13.955; 37. Robert Jackson, Stroud 1S, 14.086; 38. John Buchy, Buchy 28B, 14.308; 39. Bob Bennett, Mickle 3, 14.766. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Kasey Kahne, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Joe Gaerte, 6. Kenny Jacobs, 7. Danny Smith, 8. Byron Reed, 9. Brian Paulus, 10. Robert Jackson. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Joey Saldana, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Craig Dollansky, 6. Jim Nier, 7. Rocky Hodges, 8. Lance Blevins, 9. Kent Wolters, 10. John Buchy. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Travis Whitney, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Frankie Kerr, 5. Andy Hillenburg, 6. Brooke Tatnell, 7. Bob Bennett, 8. Fred Boso, 9. Ed Lynch, Jr., 10. Dean Jacobs. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Daryn Pittman, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Butch Schroeder, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. Donny Schatz, 7. Kevin Gobrecht, 8. Tim Allison, 9. James Fisher. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Daryn Pittman, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Frankie Kerr, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Mark Kinser, 7. Kasey Kahne, 8. Butch Schroeder. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Kenny Jacobs, 2. Jim Nier, 3. Brooke Tatnell, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Lance Blevins, 6. Dean Jacobs ($200); 7. Kevin Gobrecht ($180); 8. Danny Smith ($150); 9. Rocky Hodges ($110); 10. Tim Allison ($90); 11. James Fisher ($80); 12. Kent Wolters ($60); 13. Bob Bennett ($50); 14. Fred Boso ($50); 15. Byron Reed ($50); 16. Brian Paulus ($50); 17. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($50); 18. John Buchy ($50); 19. Robert Jackson ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Tim Shaffer ($8,000); 2. Mark Kinser ($4,000); 3. Jeff Swindell ($3,000); 4. Sammy Swindell ($2,500); 5. Johnny Herrera ($2,300); 6. Brooke Tatnell ($2,220); 7. Daryn Pittman ($2,100); 8. Jim Nier ($2,020); 9. Kenny Jacobs ($1,820); 10. Frankie Kerr ($1,700); 11. Stevie Smith ($1,400); 12. Travis Whitney ($1,200); 13. Jac Haudenschild ($1,100); 14. Butch Schroeder ($1,050); 15. Joe Gaerte ($1,000); 16. Steve Kinser ($900); 17. Craig Dollansky ($700); 18. Tyler Walker ($550); 19. Paul McMahan ($550); 20. Donny Schatz ($570); 21. Lance Blevins ($570); 22. Andy Hillenburg ($550); 23. Joey Saldana ($550); 24. Danny Lasoski ($550); 25. Kasey Kahne ($550). Provisional starter - Lance Blevins Lap leader: Tim Shaffer 1-30 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser WoO