Hollywood Hills II: Steve Kinser clinches 2002 title

Kinser sweeps Hollywood Hills, clinches 2002 Title.

SAN FELIPE PUEBLO, NM (November 3) -- Even if he had written a script for Sunday's race at Hollywood Hills Speedway, Steve Kinser couldn't have been happier with the result or its significance.

"The King of the Outlaws" led all 35 laps in the main event to win his fourth straight feature at the new facility and, in the process, clinched his 17th Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series championship.

"It feels really good to win the championship again," Kinser said. "We want to go ahead and finish this season and hope everything works out well. I'd like to win another main event before the end of the year to get to an even 20."

Kinser's 19th "A" Feature victory of the year was worth $12,000, increasing his record purse earnings total to $562,385.

Kinser, who also swept the feature races when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series christened Hollywood Hills Speedway in March, earned the privilege of starting the "A" Feature on the pole by winning his 19th O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash of the season. He drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the lead as the green flag fell and was rarely challenged.

Fast qualifier Tim Shaffer started outside the third row and drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle into the low groove between turns three and four to pass Brad Furr for fifth place late in the opening lap.

World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion Tyler Walker steered C&W Motorsports' #35 Maxim around Jason Martin between the third and fourth corners to claim 16th place late in lap 10.

Kinser was approaching lapped traffic during the 12th lap when Jeff Slinkard stopped in turn four with mechanical problems. Brian Paulus and Danny Williams collided and flipped in the first corner as the race resumed, bringing out the red flag.

Ryan Coniam drove Junior Holbook's #8H Eagle around Danny Wood between turns one and two as the green flag replaced the red. Wood regained 11th place with a back-straightaway pass four laps later. Wood's 11th-place finish pushed him past Daryn Pittman into 11th place in the point standings. Randy Hannagan passed Coniam for 12th place with an inside move between the first and second corners early in lap 19.

"The King of the Outlaws" was 1.2 seconds ahead of Danny Lasoski when he entered lapped traffic with 13 laps remaining, and took the checkered flag with a half-second to spare.

"This was a lot different track than last night." Kinser said. "It's kind of tough to come out here in the daytime with the wind like this and get a good, two-groove race track, but I'm glad all these people came out. Next year, I think we're here a month earlier, and we'll put on a good show for everybody."

Mark Kinser finished in third place, ahead of Craig Dollansky, Shaffer, Furr, Johnny Herrera, Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana and "B" Feature winner Shane Stewart.

Herrera and Stewart collided early in the Fourth Heat Race, damaging the front axle on the #4M MIN Motorsports Management Eagle and keeping Stewart from finishing the race. A crash involving Rich Bubak, Scott Box and Craig Stidham as the race resumed sent Stidham flipping.

Pittman, who suffered a back injury when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series invaded Hollywood Hills Speedway in March, was the hardest charging driver for the second straight day. The 2001 World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion, the last driver to qualify for the main event, drove the #21 Hop & Sac J&J into 14th place from outside the 11th row.

Shaffer paced the qualifying session for the 11th time this year, circling the semi-banked, 3/8-mile oval in 12.878 seconds, an average speed of 104.830 M.P.H.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 25th season will climax at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday. The series will honor its most outstanding teams Sunday evening during its 25th Annual Awards Banquet at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino.

-WoO