Knoxville Nationals Wednesday report

Hillenburg Wins Nationals Opener for Second Straight Year By Richard Day KNOXVILLE, IA (August 16) - Andy Hillenburg's sometimes disappointing 1995 season took an upward turn Wednesday when he won the Preliminary Feature at the 35th Annual Amoco Knoxville Nationals. It marked the second consecutive year that the World of Outlaws' 1998 Rookie of the Year won the opening-night's main event. "We're just happy to win," Hillenburg said following his first victory since June 14th at Kokomo Speedway. "The car was working well tonight. Our engine was putting out good horsepower and the car was handling well. With STP behind us, it makes things easier. "We've been struggling lately. We just came here with a new engine, but everything else was our regular equipment. The crew has been working hard on the car, and tonight everything just came together for us." Hillenburg, the seventh-fastest qualifier, finished third in the Second Snap-on Tools Heat Race. Leading the final 10 laps in the Preliminary Feature gave him the early points lead in the race to the pole in Saturday's nationally-televised championship race. Hillenburg started Wednesday's 20-lap feature outside the third row and raced into third place as Skip Jackson burst into the lead from the outside pole during the opening lap. After following the leaders into lapped traffic during the fifth lap, Hillenburg had 11-time Nationals champion Steve Kinser bearing down on him as he passed polesitter Jeff Shepard late in the 10th lap. He took the lead with a low move into the second corner the next time around. Two laps later, Kinser and Shepard were challenging for the lead when both stopped in the second corner with mechanical problems. With Tim Lewis restarting between Hillenburg and Jackson, Andy raced away from the field as the green flag replaced the yellow. He was 10 car-lengths ahead of Jackson when the caution flag was displayed for debris on the track the next time around. Lewis lined up between the leaders as the race resumed, and Hillenburg opened a 15-car-length lead within two laps as Jackson struggled to lap Lewis. Hillenburg was a half-straightaway ahead when Jackson finally made his way around Lewis with three laps remaining. Andy crossed the finish line with Jackson racing through turn three. "The track was a little wet early, especially on the bottom," Hillenburg said. "They were trying to make the track a little wider for more passing. We ironed in the bottom, and that's where we ran the whole race. We didn't have a whole lot of lapped traffic to deal with, either." Craig Dollansky, Steve Beitler and Stevie Smith finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively, with Randy Hannagan, Frankie Kerr, Steve Kent, "B" Feature winner Johnny Herrera and Brooke Tatnell rounding out the top 10. Hannagan, last year's Rookie of the Nationals, was third-quick in the qualifying session and finished third in the Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race. He finished the opening night only two points behind Hillenburg in the race for the pole in the championship feature. Joe Gaerte, driving Ed Ulyate's #3DB J&J for only the third time, earned his first EcoWater Fast-Time Award of the year by circling Knoxville's famous semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval in 15.807 seconds. Gaerte's and crew chief Brian Sperry's decision to remove the car's radiator and nerf bars to make it lighter paid off in qualifying. They weren't as fortunate in the First Snap-on Tools Heat Race, however, as a first-lap collision with Lance DeWease knocked Gaerte out of the race. He came back to win the "C" Feature, but his 11th-place run in the "B" kept him out of the evening's main event. WoO 1995 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series Amoco Knoxville Nationals, Knoxville Raceway, Knoxville, IA Wednesday, August 16, Preliminary Program #1 Qualifications: 1. Joe Gaerte, Ulyate 3DB, 15.807; 2. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 15.860; 3. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 15.902; 4. Johnny Herrera, Forbrook 5, 15.937; 5. Tommie Estes, Jr., Gray 51, 15.965; 6. Lance DeWease, Dyer 461, 15.965; 7. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 15.991; 8. Dale Blaney, Hughes 94, 16.001; 9. Keith Kauffman, Sonner 47, 16.019; 10. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 16.064; 11. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 16.068; 12. Gary Wright, White 9W, 16.136; 13. Steve Beitler, Beitler 21, 16.157; 14. Craig Dollansky, Serace 55, 16.167; 15. Don Droud, Jr., Cormack/Orth 1BK, 16.168; 16. Kenny Jacobs, Johnson U2, 16.115; 17. John Kearney, Kearney 86, 16.225; 18. Brent Antill, Jordan 1J, 16.262; 19. Donnie Kreitz, Jr., Kreitz 69K, 16.294; 20. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21L, 16.304; 21. Skip Jackson, Vanderecken 10V, 16.323; 22. Jeff Shepard, Wahlie 1W, 16.323; 23. Daniel Coggeshell, Coggeshell 3C, 16.359; 24. Terry Gray, Gray 10T, 16.361; 25. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 16.365; 26. Greg Hodnett, Two Winners 8TW, 16.376; 27. Tim Baker, Vandemheen 29V, 16.383; 28. Lyle Howe III, Howe 55H, 16.396; 29. Rickey Hood, Herrera 45x, 16.399; 30. Kevin Doty, Cahill 7, 16.408; 31. Bob Weuve, Hanson 19, 16.426; 32. Mark Cassella, Shoup 21G, 16.438; 33. Butch Hanssen, Hanssen 8, 16.441; 34. Tim Engler, Engler 73, 16.442; 35. Jim Carr, McManus 7MT, 16.449; 36. Steve Kent, Helm 11K, 16.471; 37. Jim Ziehl, Ziehl 7AZ, 16.482; 38. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.484; 39. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 16.507; 40. Shane Stewart, Stewart 9S, 16.530; 41. Dennis Moore, Jr., Nickel 12, 16.539; 42. Tony Moro, Moro 2M, 16.548; 43. Tim Lewis, Lewis 3, 16.562; 44. Brooke Tatnell, Hodnett 3H, 16.580; 45. Chad Radel, Radel 25, 16.601; 46. Brent Kaeding, Kaeding 69B, 16.615; 47. Danny Smith, Holbrook 18J, 16.623; 48. Dan Hamilton, Bissnett/Sisk 15x, 16.624; 49. Terry Reilly, Reilly 69R, 16.660; 50. Randy Martin, Martin 14M, 16.692; 51. Doran Doty, Doty 14, 16.730; 52. Dan Oswalt, Oswalt D1, 16.734; 53. Max Dumesny, Ball 3B, 16.737; 54. Bo Baker, Baker 22N, 16.773; 55. Troy Parsons, Parsons 57C, 16.781; 56. Rich Bubak, Bubak 9, 16.811; 57. Rod Holliday, Holliday 62, 16.851; 58. Rod Henderson, Henderson 83, 16.888; 59. John Bankston, Bankston 8B, 16.905; 60. Mark Smyser, Smyser 69, 16.928; 61. Jim Melis, Melis 51M, 16.953; 62. Todd Taeger, Taeger 71, 16.979; 63. Shawn Moore, Moore 2x, 17.030; 64. Rich Brahmer, Brahmer 26, 17.031; 65. Eric Rossi, Filipich 98x, 17.143; 66. John Hall, Hall 7H, 17.162; 67. Rick Haas, Switzer 9Z, 17.180; 68. Doug Martens, Martens 51D, 17.204; 69. Wayne Redmond, Hauge 2H, 17.225; 70. Danny Jennings, Vonderfrecht 65, 17.722; 71. Archie Ergenbright, Ergenbright 11A, 17.944; 72. Earnest Jennings, Jennings 61J, 17.950; 73. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 18.641. Last-Chance Race #1 (eight laps): 1. Max Dumesny, 2. Doran Doty, 3. Rod Holliday, 4. Troy Parsons, 5. Jim Melis ($100); 6. Eric Rossi ($75); 7. Wayne Redmond ($50); 8. John Bankston ($45); 9. Shawn Moore ($40); 10. Archie Ergenbright ($35); 11. Travis Whitney ($30). DNS - Rick Haas. 2:15.9 (first four qualified for the "C" Feature) Last-Chance Race #2 (eight laps): 1. Bo Baker, 2. Todd Taeger, 3. Rich Bubak, 4. John Hall, 5. Earnest Jennings ($100); 6. Doug Martens ($75); 7. Dan Oswalt ($50); 8. Danny Jennings ($45); 9. Mark Smyser ($40). DNS - Rod Henderson, Rich Brahmer. 2:19.1 (first four qualified for the "C" Feature) First Snap-on Tools Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Skip Jackson, 2. Brent Kaeding, 3. Steve Kent, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Greg Hodnett, 6. Dennis Moore, Jr., 7. Lance DeWease, 8. Don Droud, Jr., 9. Bob Weuve, 10. Joe Gaerte. 3:47.8 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Second Snap-on Tools Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Tony Moro, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Jeff Shepard, 5. Danny Smith, 6. Kenny Jacobs, 7. Rick Ziehl, 8. Tim Baker, 9. Mark Cassella, 10. John Kearney ($50). (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Dan Hamilton, 2. Tim Lewis, 3. Randy Hannagan, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Gary Wright, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Butch Hanssen, 8. Brent Antill, 9. Lyle Howe III, 10. Daniel Coggeshell. 2:53.9 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Fourth Snap-on Tools Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Terry Reilly, 2. Brooke Tatnell, 3. Larry Neighbors, 4. Steve Beitler, 5. Johnny Herrera, 6. Terry Gray, 7. Keith Kauffman, 8. Tim Engler, 9. Donnie Kreitz, Jr., 10. Rickey Hood. 2:51.7 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Fifth Snap-on Tools Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Jim Carr, 2. Randy Martin, 3. Frankie Kerr, 4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Shane Stewart, 6. Tommie Estes, Jr., 7. Lance Blevins, 8. Dave Blaney, 9. Chad Radel, 10. Kevin Doty ($50). 2:51.4 (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) C Feature (10 laps): 1. Joe Gaerte, 2. Rickey Hood, 3. Daniel Coggeshell ($250); 4. Donnie Kreitz, Jr. ($225); 5. Bob Weuve ($200); 6. Max Dumesny ($190); 7. Mark Cassella ($180); 8. Doran Doty ($170); 9. Chad Radel ($160); 10. Troy Parsons ($150); 11. Rich Bubak ($140); 12. John Hall ($130); 13. Todd Taeger ($120); 14. Lyle Howe III ($110); 15. Bo Baker ($105); 16. Rod Holliday ($95). DNS - John Kearney, Kevin Doty. (first two qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Lance DeWease ($450); 4. Dave Blaney ($430); 5. Tommie Estes, Jr. ($360); 6. Kenny Jacobs ($310); 7. Keith Kauffman ($275); 8. Gary Wright ($280); 9. Terry Gray ($235); 10. Don Droud, Jr. ($200); 11. Joe Gaerte ($340); 12. Brent Antill ($180); 13. Rickey Hood ($325); 14. Tim Engler ($170); 15. Dennis Moore, Jr. ($175); 16. Tim Baker ($160); 17. Butch Hanssen ($155); 18. Shane Stewart ($180); 19. Danny Smith ($165); 20. Greg Hodnett ($160); 21. Rick Ziehl ($135); 22. Lance Blevins ($130). (first two qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg ($4,090); 2. Skip Jackson ($2,625); 3. Craig Dollasky ($2,080); 4. Steve Beitler ($1,830); 5. Stevie Smith ($1,580); 6. Randy Hannagan ($1,490); 7. Frankie Kerr ($1,390); 8. Steve Kent ($1,290); 9. Johnny Herrera ($1,370); 10. Brooke Tatnell ($1,100); 11. Donny Schatz ($980); 12. Jeff Shepard ($880); 13. Tony Moro ($800); 14. Dale Blaney ($810); 15. Jim Carr ($625); 16. Brent Kaeding ($500); 17. Randy Martin ($475); 18. Larry Neighbors ($440); 19. Terry Reilly ($450); 20. Tim Lewis ($400); 21. Steve Kinser ($425); 22. Dan Hamilton ($425). Lap leaders: Skip Jackson 1-10, Andy Hillenburg 11-20 EcoWater Fast-Time Award winner: Joe Gaerte WoO*eof