Kings Speedway report 96-09-11

Sammy Returns to Victory Lane at Kings Speedway By Richard Day HANFORD, CA (September 11) - Although Sammy Swindell hasn't raced in every event the Skoal Outlaw Series has run at Kings Speedway since 1985, he was always among the leaders when he competed at Hanford's semi-banked, 1/3-mile oval. The two-time World of Outlaws champion was the victim of bad luck several times before winning an "A" Feature there in 1992. Staying out of trouble - and lapped traffic - Wednesday allowed him to claim the second victory of his career at Kings. Swindell's ninth victory of the season, coupled with Steve Kinser's ignition problems, pushed Sammy into third place in the Skoal Outlaw Series point standings. Sammy, the second-fastest of 19 drivers bettering Kings' previous one-lap record, passed Californians Tyler Walker and Paul McMahan in the Vivarin Dash for the right to start the "A" Feature inside the second row. Johnny Herrera, celebrating his 30th birthday, edged Steve Kinser to win the seven-lap race. Kinser, a five-time winner at Kings Speedway, won a front- straightaway drag race with Herrera to take the lead within seconds after the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event. Swindell relegated Herrera to third place with a low move in the second corner. Kinser was five car-lengths ahead of his closest pursuers and was approaching lapped traffic when Jac Haudenschild spun over the bank in turn three late in the seventh lap. "The Wild Child," running seventh at the time, restarted at the back of the pack and drove the #22 Pennzoil Maxim to a 12th-place finish. The leaders started changing positions two laps after the green flag replaced the yellow. Skoal Outlaw Series points leader Mark Kinser took the low line into turn three to pass Herrera for third and Swindell steered his #1 Channellock Gambler around "The King of the Outlaws" high in the fourth corner to take the lead. Sammy increased his advantage as Mark started challenging Steve for the runner-up spot the next time around. Dave Blaney exchanged fourth place with Herrera before Fourth Quaker State Heat Race winner Brent Kaeding stopped in turn three with a broken front wing late in lap 12. Two laps later, the red flag was flying as Lance Blevins' #21 Citgo J&J bicycled in turn one and flipped over the second-corner bank. Swindell opened a five-car-length advantage within a lap after the race resumed, only to have the Kinser cousins catch him midway through the race. Sammy increased his margin to 10 car- lengths, however, as Mark passed cousin Steve for second place late in the 17th lap. The #11 Quaker State Maxim's engine started sputtering within seconds after Mark passed him, and completely lost power early in lap 18. Unable to continue, "The King of the Outlaws" was credited with a 22nd-place finish. Swindell raced away from the field as the green flag replaced the yellow, only to have Joe Gaerte's flat right rear tire temporarily slow the race again with nine laps remaining. Although "The Buckeye Bullet" lined up fifth in the restart lineup, he had problems as the race resumed, allowing Stevie Smith and Andy Hillenburg to pass him. Smith and Hillenburg raced into third and fourth place, respectively, when Herrera and the #47 Casey's General Stores Maxim slid over the bank in the second corner two laps later. The final four laps featured Mark catching Sammy in lapped traffic, then Swindell racing away with quick moves around backmarkers. Although Mark threatened to take the lead during the 26th, 28th and 30th laps, Sammy threaded his way through lapped traffic en route to a two-car-length victory. "We didn't come out last year, but we've always run pretty well here," Swindell told the capacity crowd from victory lane. "We've have had some bad luck here - flat tires and ignition problems. "I was glad for the yellows tonight because lapped traffic was pretty tough. We didn't have to get into much traffic until the last few laps." Smith held off Herrera for third place, while Hillenburg, McMahan, Blaney, Jeff Swindell, Randy Hannagan and 20th-starting Greg Hodnett completed the top 10. Mark Kinser's 13.050-second qualifying run paced the qualifying session and chopped .402 seconds off Kings' previous one-lap record. He was rewarded for the effort with his 37th EcoWater Quick-Time Award of the year. Jeff's sixth-place finish ended a roller-coaster night for the Gold Eagle team. An oil leak caused Jeff to finish 8th in the Third Quaker State Heat Race. He came back to win the "B" Feature, however, then raced past eight sprinters in the main event. WoO 1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series Kings Speedway, Hanford, CA Wednesday, September 11, Feature Program #56 Qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.050 (new one- lap record); 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.115; 3. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.141; 4. Paul McMahan, Roth 83, 13.174; 5. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.215; 6. Johnny Herrera, Herrera 47, 13.258; 7. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 13.275; 8. Bob Walker, Walker 98, 13.289; 9. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 13.308; 10. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 13.308; 11. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.308; 12. Joe Gaerte, Gaerte 3G, 13.312; 13. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.364; 14. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 13.368; 15. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 13.373; 16. Kevin Pylant, Pylant 14P, 13.380; 17. Joey Saldana, Stanton 75, 13.390; 18. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 13.398; 19. Jason Lund, Luna 8L, 13.422; 20. Brent Kaeding, Kaeding 69, 13.465; 21. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 13.490; 22. Bobby McMahan, Lamar 3, 13.495; 23. Monte Faccinto, Faccinto 4B, 13.509; 24. Mark Monico, Monico 21M, 13.561; 25. Steve Kent, Toledo Brothers 3T, 13.603; 26. Jason Meyers, Meyers 14J, 13.630; 27. Jim Taves, Taves 34, 13.647; 28. Craig Dillard, Dillard 51, 13.764; 29. Darrin Howard, Howard 1H, 13.826; 30. Steve Coelho, Coelho 6C, 13.833; 31. Mike Farria, Farria 4, 13.885; 32. Graydon Cross, Cross 8C, 13.973; 33. J.J. Yeley, Yeley 7, 14.084; 34. Brian Coelho, Coelho 5C, 14.806; 35. Tommy Tarlton, Tarlton 21T, no time. First Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Joey Saldana, 2. Greg Hodnett, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Dave Blaney, 6. Andy Hillenburg, 7. Darrin Howard, 8. J.J. Yeley, 9. Steve Kent. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Brian Paulus, 2. Bobby McMahan, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Lance Blevins, 5. Johnny Herrera, 6. Randy Hannagan, 7. Steve Coelho, 8. Brian Coelho, 9. Jason Meyers. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Jason Lund, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Monte Faccinto, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Stevie Smith, 6. Jim Taves, 7. Mike Farria ($10); 8. Jeff Swindell. DNS - Tommy Tarlton. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Brent Kaeding, 2. Mark Monico, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Kevin Pylant, 5. Paul McMahan, 6. Craig Dillard, 7. Bob Walker, 8. Graydon Cross. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Vivarin Dash (seven laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Stevie Smith, 6. Mark Kinser, 7. Paul McMahan, 8. Dave Blaney. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Steve Kent, 4. Randy Hannagan, 5. J.J. Yeley ($210); 6. Jason Meyers ($185); 7. Steve Coelho ($160); 8. Brian Coelho ($110); 9. Craig Dillard ($100); 10. Graydon Cross ($90); 11. Bob Walker ($70); 12. Darrin Howard ($60); 13. Jim Taves ($60). DNS - Mike Farria, Tommy Tarlton. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell ($6,010); 2. Mark Kinser ($3,510); 3. Stevie Smith ($2,510); 4. Johnny Herrera ($2,210); 5. Andy Hillenburg ($2,130); 6. Paul McMahan (2,010); 7. Dave Blaney ($1,610); 8. Jeff Swindell ($1,530); 9. Randy Hannagan ($1,430); 10. Greg Hodnett ($1,310); 11. Bobby McMahan ($1,160); 12. Jac Haudenschild ($1,110); 13. Brent Kaeding ($1,060); 14. Jason Lund ($1,010); 15. Steve Kent ($730); 16. Joe Gaerte ($510); 17. Tyler Walker ($410); 18. Kevin Pylant ($410); 19. Mark Monico ($410); 20. Joey Saldana ($410); 21. Brian Paulus ($410); 22. Steve Kinser ($410); 23. Lance Blevins ($410); 24. Monte Faccinto ($410). Lap leaders: Steve Kinser 1-8, Sammy Swindell 9-30 EcoWater Quick-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser WoO