Grays Harbor Preliminary Report

Swindell Takes Grays Harbor Preliminary By Richard Day ELMA, WA (August 20) - Two years ago, Sammy Swindell started a seven-race winning streak at Grays Harbor Raceway Park that pushed him to his third Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series championship. Swindell passed defending series champion Steve Kinser early in the 24th lap Friday and held off points leader Mark Kinser to win the Preliminary Feature at Grays Harbor again. "The Channellock car got better as the race went on," Sammy said. "I found something there on the bottom, and I moved the wing around to get the car a little tighter getting off the corner. Steve was starting to get loose coming off the turns, and when I saw the opportunity I just went by on the inside. It couldn't have been any more perfect. "Now we're locked in for tomorrow (Saturday) night, and we can take our time and make sure we have everything right to come back and do it again." The $5,000 victory was Swindell's first in a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Preliminary Feature this season. He was the fourth leader in the 25-lap race that featured four lead changes. Dale Blaney opened the Wild, Wild Northwest Tour festivities by slicing .143 seconds off the single-lap record Jac Haudenschild set last August 21st. Blaney received his second Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after driving the #8H Energy Release Eagle around the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval in 12.957 seconds, an average speed of 104.191 m.p.h. Swindell, the second-fastest qualifier in the 49-car field, followed Kinser across the finish line in the Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race. He passed Blaney and Tim Shaffer in the Channellock Dash for the right to start the Preliminary Feature outside the second row. Kevin Gobrecht earned his second pole of the season, beating Donny Schatz and Steve Kinser across the finish line in the Channellock Dash. Gobrecht and Schatz raced wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway as the green flag fell in the Preliminary Feature. Schatz surged into the lead in the second corner. Steve Kinser, who won the "A" Feature at Grays Harbor last August 22nd, used an inside move in turn four to pass Gobrecht for second place late in the opening lap. Schatz was three car-lengths ahead of Kinser when he entered lapped traffic during the seventh lap. The #15 Parker Stores Maxim slid over the cushion between the first and second corners the next time around, however, allowing Gobrecht to execute a third-to-first move. Schatz won a back-stretch drag race with Kinser for second. Gobrecht collided with Randy Ridge in turn one early in the 10th lap, sending Ridge spinning and the #93 Amoco Maxim into the outside guard rail. Schatz and Kinser collided with Gobrecht and Ridge, but kept their cars moving to maintain their positions. Kinser drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim past Schatz in the second corner as the green flag replaced the yellow. Swindell took the low line through turn four to pass Schatz for second place late in lap 10. Shaffer and Mark Kinser passed Schatz two laps later. After the race, Schatz' crew found a broken Jacob's Ladder on the #15 as a result of Donny's collision with Gobrecht and Ridge. Kinser was 10 car-lengths ahead of Swindell with 10 laps remaining. Sammy narrowed the gap to three car-lengths within three laps, however. Swindell caught "The King of the Outlaws" during the 20th lap, and made an unsuccessful run at the lead in turn four three laps later. He kept pace with Kinser, and drove his #1 Channellock Stealth deep in the second corner to take the lead early in lap 24. Mark Kinser charged from fourth to second place during the final lap, driving the #5M Mopar Maxim past Shaffer low in turn two and taking the high line around cousin Steve in the fourth corner. Stevie Smith finished fifth, ahead of Blaney, Danny Lasoski, 14th- starting Johnny Herrera, Lance Blevins and Schatz. WoO 1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Grays Harbor Raceway Park, Elma, WA Friday, August 20, Preliminary Program Vivarin qualifications: 1. Dale Blaney, Holbrook 8H, 12.957 (new single-lap record); 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.064; 3. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.101; 4. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 13.165; 5. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.179; 6. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.184; 7. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1x, 13.213; 8. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 13.272; 9. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.297; 10. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.299; 11. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.379; 12. Johnny Herrera, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 13.403; 13. Jason Solwold, Solwold 15S, 13.405; 14. Kevin Gobrecht, Hylton/Blaney 93, 13.441; 15. Randy Tiner, Fauver 64, 13.508; 16. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.518; 17. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.569; 18. Randy Ridge, Wilskey 56W, 13.648; 19. Brad Furr, Furr 2F, 13.717; 20. Chad Hillier, Hillier 24C, 13.814; 21. Shawna Wilskey, MK, Inc. 8, 13.825; 22. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 13.873; 23. Gary Taylor, Taylor 7, 13.894; 24. Shannon Wheatly, Wheatly 45, 13.956; 25. Dale Smith, Smith 75S, 13.985; 26. Dean Junell, Junell 77D, 14.010; 27. Travis Hawthorne, Wilskey 7W, 14.043; 28. Kirk Fellers, Fellers 77F, 14.056; 29. Jayme Barnes, Barnes 9, 14.228; 30. Cal Herdson, Herdson 16, 14.255; 31. Donny Fry, Glick 34, 14.255; 32. Michael Morelock, Lowther A1, 14.263; 33. John McDonald, McDonald 78, 14.289; 34. Bill Jensen, Jensen 82, 14.309; 35. Jay Follman, Follman 7F, 14.314; 36. Glenn Borden, Jr., Kufahl 67, 14.464; 37. Jimmy Kirkham, Kirkham 62K, 14.545; 38. Trevon Wilson, Wilson 5W, 14.563; 39. Ed Weirsma, Weirsman 49W, 14.625; 40. Mike Dunnam, Dunnam 11D, 14.686; 41. Ron Reed, Reed 97C, 14.777; 42. Andy Page, Page 26, 14.824; 43. Scott Pierce, Pierce 6PK, 14.830; 44. Mike Sather, Sather 77S, 14.853; 45. Denny Miller, Miller 17, 14.860; 46. Dan Dunlap, Dunlap 21D, 15.308; 47. Shawn Rice, Rice 76, 15.350; 48. Kirk Haefs, Haefs 32K, 17.526; 49. Jay Cole, Cole 0J, no time. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Lance Blevins, 3. Dale Blaney, 4. Daryn Pittman, 5. Shawna Wilskey, 6. Jeff Swindell, 7. Dale Smith, 8. John McDonald, 9. Jimmy Kirkham, 10. Jay Cole, 11. Ron Reed, 12. Denny Miller, 13. Jayme Barnes. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Randy Tiner, 4. Randy Hannagan, 5. Brooke Tatnell, 6. Randy Ridge, 7. Cal Herdson, 8. Trevon Wilson, 9. Dean Junell, 10. Andy Page, 11. Bill Jensen, 12. Dan Dunlap. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Kevin Gobrecht, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Andy Hillenburg, 5. Brad Furr, 6. Gary Taylor, 7. Travis Hawthorne, 8. Donny Fry, 9. Jay Follman, 10. Ed Weirsma, 11. Scott Pierce, 12. Shawn Rice. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Jason Solwold, 5. Chad Hillier, 6. Michael Morelock, 7. Mike Sather, 8. Shannon Wheatly, 9. Mike Dunnam, 10. Kirk Fellers, 11. Glenn Borden, Jr., 12. Kirk Haefs. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Channellock Dash (seven laps): 1. Kevin Gobrecht, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Tim Shaffer, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Danny Lasoski, 8. Mark Kinser. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature) C Feature (10 laps): 1. Trevon Wilson, 2. Jimmy Kirkham, 3. Jay Cole, 4. Ed Weirsma ($100); 5. Ron Reed ($80); 6. Shawn Rice ($60); 7. Mike Sather ($50); 8. Denny Miller ($40); 9. Andy Page ($30); 10. Mike Dunnam ($25); 11. Dan Dunlap ($25); 12. Scott Pierce ($25); 13. Kirk Haefs ($25). (first three qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Randy Ridge, 3. Dale Smith, 4. Bill Jensen, 5. Donny Fry ($150); 6. Jimmy Kirkham ($145); 7. John McDonald ($100); 8. Jay Cole ($95); 9. Jay Follman ($60); 10. Michael Morelock ($50); 11. Dean Junell ($40); 12. Trevon Wilson ($60); 13. Shannon Wheatly ($40); 14. Travis Hawthorne ($40); 15. Kirk Fellers ($40); 16. Jayme Barnes ($40); 17. Cal Herdson ($40); 18. Gary Taylor ($40). (first four qualified for the "B" Feature) Preliminary Feature (25 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell ($5,000); 2. Mark Kinser ($2,500); 3. Steve Kinser ($1,700); 4. Tim Shaffer ($1,500); 5. Stevie Smith ($1,350); 6. Dale Blaney ($1,250); 7. Danny Lasoski ($1,200); 8. Johnny Herrera ($1,100); 9. Lance Blevins ($1,075); 10. Donny Schatz ($1,050); 11. Randy Hannagan ($1,000); 12. Randy Tiner ($900); 13. Andy Hillenburg ($800); 14. Jeff Swindell ($720); 15. Daryn Pittman ($600); 16. Brooke Tatnell ($500); 17. Brad Furr ($400); 18. Kevin Gobrecht ($400); 19. Jason Solwold ($400); 20. Shawna Wilskey ($400); 21. Chad Hillier ($400); 22. Randy Ridge ($420); 23. Bill Jensen ($420); 24. Dale Smith ($420). Lap leaders: Donny Schatz 1-7, 9; Kevin Gobrecht 8; Steve Kinser 10-23; Sammy Swindell 24-25 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Dale Blaney WoO