Heartland Park Topeka Results 199-06-20

Herrera Takes Sunflower Shootout Finale By Richard Day TOPEKA, KS (June 20) - Johnny Herrera has a knack for overcoming obstacles to win prestigious Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series races. Three years ago, a collapsed top wing couldn't keep him from claiming the $50,000 first prize at the Kings Royal. Herrera didn't let a flat tire deter him from winning the O'Reilly's Auto Parts Sunflower Shootout at Heartland Park Topeka Sunday, either. The left front tire on the #1BK Networks Eagle started losing air pressure when Herrera hit the inside retaining wall with nine laps remaining, but he held off Preliminary Feature winner Andy Hillenburg for the $20,000 victory. "It (racing with a flat left front tire) wasn't that bad in the turns because you had to really slow down," Johnny said, "but down the straightaways it was a handful. I didn't think I hit the wall that hard, but it was enough to get the tire, I guess. "It's great to win one with Craig (Cormack, his car owner) here. He's been here for all of our wins this year. His wife hasn't seen me win. I thought I let her down last night, but we put the DOCC Networks Klein Engines car in victory lane tonight. I want to thank O'Reilly Auto Parts and Heartland Park. Martin Cat built a great little track here, and I hope we get to come back next year." Herrera, who finished fourth in Saturday's Preliminary Feature, started the Channellock Dash outside the second row. He earned the right to start the "A" Feature on the front row by following Craig Dollansky across the finish line in the seven-lap dash. Herrera chased Dollansky down the front straightaway as the green flag fell in the main event. He won a back-stretch drag race, only to have Dollansky drive his #7 Polydome Gambler into the low groove in turn three to regain the lead. Herrera passed Dollansky with a high move into the second corner the next time around and maintained the lead though nine caution periods during the remaining 38 1/2 laps. "I knew it was going to be hard to pass, and I thought Craig would try to run the top there at the start," Herrera explained. "I rolled in hard and then drove off the corner to get the lead." Hillenburg used an inside move in turn one to pass Dollansky for the runner-up spot early in the third lap. He crossed the finish line before Steve Kinser collided with Tyler Walker and stopped on the front straightaway with a flat right rear tire. Scott Whitworth spun in turn four as the race resumed, and Donnie Crawford collided with Brooke Tatnell and Joey Saldana in the fourth corner late in lap six. A brake failure caused Travis Whitney to stop on the back stretch two laps later. Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Gary Wright spun out of fifth place in turn three as the race resumed. Kinser suffered a flat left rear tire when he collided with Tatnell early in the 10th lap. Tim Shaffer took the #11H Vivarin Eagle for a spin in the fourth corner five laps later. Herrera controlled the ensuing restart, and opened a 1.9-second advantage within five laps. He was 2.2 seconds ahead of Hillenburg when he entered lapped traffic during the 25th lap. Sammy Swindell steered his #1 Channellock Stealth deep into turn three to pass Dollansky for third place as Hillenburg caught Herrera three laps later. Scott Whitworth stopped on the front stretch with a flat left rear tire early in lap 30, bringing out the caution flag and tightening the field even more. Herrera allowed the #1BK to clip the inside guard rail in the fourth corner two laps later, and realized his left front tire was losing pressure after Brian Paulus tangled with Joey Saldana the next time around. Hillenburg steered his #2 Luxaire J&J into the high groove between turns three and four as the green flag replaced the yellow, but was unable to surge ahead of Herrera. Swindell joined the battle for the lead during the 38th lap, but Herrera took the checkered flag with .47 seconds to spare. Herrera's third "A" Feature victory of the year pushed him past Stevie Smith into fifth place in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings. Kevin Gobrecht finished fourth, ahead of Tyler Walker, Dollansky, Danny Lasoski, Donny Schatz, Shane Stewart and Daryn Pittman. Stewart, driving the #8H Energy Release Eagle in only his third race, won the "B" Feature and passed 12 cars to finish in ninth place. The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the Bud Carson Memorial at State Fair Speedway in Oklahoma City, OK, Tuesday, before heading to Cormack's Eagle Raceway in Eagle, NE, for the 16th Annual Eagle Nationals Friday and Saturday. WoO

1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series O'Reilly Auto Parts Sunflower Shootout Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, KS Sunday, June 20, Feature Program #32 Vivarin qualifications: 1. Gary Wright, Wright 9, 17.906; 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 18.047; 3. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 18.063; 4. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 18.076; 5. Kevin Gobrecht, Hylton/Blaney 93, 18.162; 6. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 18.203; 7. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 18.245; 8. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 18.287; 9. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 18.314; 10. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 18.413; 11. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 18.489; 12. Scott Whitworth, Whitworth 96, 18.528; 13. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 18.592; 14. Donnie Crawford, Hillenburg 1H, 18.692; 15. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 18.892; 16. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 18.896; 17. Shane Stewart, Holbrook 8H, 18.969; 18. Bill Robertson, Eckley 16, 18.977; 19. Steve King, King 88K, 18.996; 20. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 19.078; 21. Nick Smith, Smith 15S, 19.128; 22. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 19.266; 23. Dan Oswalt, Oswalt D1, 19.493; 24. Billy Vielhauer, Vielhauer 12x, 20.072; 25. Mallory Armfield, Armfield 5MA, 20.328. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Gary Wright, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Joey Saldana, 5. Daryn Pittman, 6. Brooke Tatnell, 7. Scott Whitworth, 8. Steve King, 9. Mallory Armfield. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Donnie Crawford, 4. Kevin Gobrecht, 5. Brian Paulus, 6. Shane Stewart, 7. Travis Whitney, 8. Dan Oswalt. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Bill Robertson, 6. Lance Blevins, 7. Nick Smith, 8. Billy Vielhauer. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Finishing 1-4 in Saturday's Preliminary Feature automatically qualified Andy Hillenburg, Steve Kinser, Craig Dollansky and Johnny Herrera for the first four starting positions in the Channellock Dash. Channellock Dash (seven laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Gary Wright, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Steve Kinser. (finish determined the first six starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Shane Stewart, 2. Scott Whitworth, 3. Brooke Tatnell, 4. Lance Blevins, 5. Travis Whitney, 6. Nick Smith ($400); 7. Dan Oswalt ($200); 8. Steve King ($150); 9. Mallory Armfield ($100); 10. Billy Vielhauer ($90); (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (40 laps): 1. Johnny Herrera ($20,000); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($10,000); 3. Sammy Swindell ($5,000); 4. Kevin Gobrecht ($3,200); 5. Tyler Walker ($3,000); 6. Craig Dollansky ($2,500); 7. Danny Lasoski ($2,300); 8. Donny Schatz ($2,200); 9. Shane Stewart ($2,120); 10. Daryn Pittman ($2,050); 11. Stevie Smith ($2,000); 12. Brooke Tatnell ($1,620); 13. Tim Shaffer ($1,500); 14. Jeff Swindell ($1,200); 15. Mark Kinser ($1,100); 16. Lance Blevins ($1,020); 17. Steve Kinser ($1,000); 18. Bill Robertson ($1,000); 19. Joey Saldana ($1,000); 20. Donnie Crawford ($1,000); 21. Brian Paulus ($1,000); 22. Scott Whitworth ($1,020); 23. Gary Wright ($1,000); 24. Travis Whitney ($1,020). Lap leaders: Craig Dollansky 1, Johnny Herrera 2-40 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Gary Wright WoO