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Lebanon Valley report 98-06-01

Kinser Extends Lead With Lebanon Valley Victory By Richard Day WEST LEBANON, NY (June 1) - Mark Kinser isn't winning races as regularly as in recent years, but that hasn't kept him from leading the Pennzoil ...

Kinser Extends Lead With Lebanon Valley Victory By Richard Day WEST LEBANON, NY (June 1) - Mark Kinser isn't winning races as regularly as in recent years, but that hasn't kept him from leading the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings. A year ago, despite missing several events, Kinser won eight of the first 22 "A" Features. Mark drove the #5M Wirtgen Maxim to his fifth victory of the World of Outlaws' 20th Anniversary Season Monday when the series opened its annual New York Tour before a standing-room-only crowd at Lebanon Valley Speedway. "It's nice to get another one," Kinser said following the $10,000 victory. "We got into a little slump for a while and we haven't won since Indiana (Tri-State Speedway on May 10th). "The way things are going this year, a guy could win a lot of races and still not win the championship. There are so many fast cars out here, we'll just take one whenever we can get it." In the six races between victories, Kinser recorded five top- four finishes to maintain the points lead. Entering Wednesday's event at Rolling Wheels Raceway, Mark holds a 73-point advantage over defending World of Outlaws champion Sammy Swindell. Mark and cousin Steve Kinser finished 1-2 in the Channellock Dash for the right to start the 25-lap "A" Feature on the front row. They raced wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway and into turn one before Mark surged ahead in the second corner. Mark, the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 1996 champion, opened a 20-car-length advantage within four laps. He was 25 car- lengths ahead when he entered lapped traffic two laps later. Steve closed to within eight car-lengths when the leaders encountered dense lapped traffic during lap 10. Swindell caught Steve on the front stretch and drove his #1 Channellock Stealth into the low groove in the second corner to pass him. Mark burst out of lapped traffic midway through the race and quickly opened a 20-car-length advantage. He lost his comfort zone during the 14th lap, however, when Dion Hindi allowed his #18 Sam's Town J&J to hit the wall and flip in the fourth corner. Kevin Gobrecht's #92 suffered a broken radius rod when he bumped the outside retaining wall in turn two within seconds after the green flag replaced the red. Mark, Sammy and Steve raced nose-to-bumper for a couple of laps after the race resumed, but each managed to maintain their running positions. Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Stevie Smith drove his #19 Ingersoll-Rand sprinter into the low groove in the first corner to pass Danny Lasoski for fourth place early in lap 17. Jeff Swindell lost seventh place three laps later when the #104+ Octane Boost J&J suffered a flat right rear tire and spun into the inside guard rail on the front stretch. As the race resumed, Andy Hillenburg bumped the outside wall in turn two. As Hillenburg regained control of his #2 J&J, he collided with Dale Blaney, hit the back straightaway retaining wall and suffered a broken front axle. Mark controlled the ensuing restart and was 15 car-lengths ahead of Swindell when he took the checkered flag. "My crew had the car feeling as good as it's ever felt here," Mark said following his second victory in four years at Lebanon Valley. "Traffic actually went pretty well for us. It seemed like we were catching the guys in the right spots, and it made it fairly easy to get by. "We have a good time coming here to New York. The fans here really seem to appreciate what we do. We had a group of people from Wirtgen here tonight, and I'd like to thank them for helping make this possible." Steve Kinser finished third, ahead of Smith, Lasoski, Blaney, Third Racing Champions Heat Race Johnny Herrera, Greg Hodnett, Danny Smith and Todd Shaffer. Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Rookie of the Year candidate Tyler Walker drove his family's #35 Air Sep Eagle into 11th place from outside the eighth row. Smith lowered Lebanon Valley's qualifying standard by .043 seconds with a 17.155-second lap around the high-banked, 1/2-mile oval. He received his fourth Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the year following the record-setting effort. Jac Haudenschild slid out of the high groove and flipped after hitting the retaining wall during his first qualifying lap. After his Pennzoil crew quickly put a backup car together, Haudenschild finished seventh in the Third Racing Champions Heat Race and passed nine cars to finish fourth in the "B" Feature. He dropped out of the main event after several laps, however. WoO 1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, NY Monday, June 1, Feature Program #22 Qualifications: 1. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 17.155 (new single-lap record); 2. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 17.257; 3. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 17.499; 4. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 17.540; 5. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 17.598; 6. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 17.608; 7. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 17.725; 8. Kevin Gobrecht, Gobrecht 92, 17.734; 9. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 17.760; 10. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 17.784; 11. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 17.835; 12. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 17.862; 13. Todd Shaffer, Beam 88, 17.875; 14. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 17.886; 15. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 17.929; 16. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 17.953; 17. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 17.983; 18. Don Kreitz, Jr., Kreitz 69, 18.144; 19. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 18.244; 20. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 18.325; 21. Shawn Keen, Keen 53, 18.378; 22. George Suprick, Suprick 87, 18.484; 23. Len Thompson, Thompson 10, 18.927; 24. Denny Soltis, Soltis 1x, 19.163; 25. Wayne Iffland, Iffland 5W, 19.328; 26. Bob Bennett, Mickle 3, 19.478; 27. Rick Hart, Hart 21H, 19.840; 28. Dick Spadero, Spadero 29, 19.946; 29. Larry Hoyt, Hoyt 27H, 19.956; 30. Lee Sanders, Sanders 26, 20.498; 31. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, no time. First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Todd Shaffer, 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. George Suprick, 9. Wayne Iffland, 10. Dick Spadero. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Kevin Gobrecht, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Craig Dollansky, 6. Jeff Shepard, 7. Greg Hodnett, 8. Bob Bennett, 9. Larry Hoyt, 10. Len Thompson. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Danny Smith, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Don Kreitz, Jr., 6. Joe Gaerte, 7. Jac Haudenschild, 8. Denny Soltis, 9. Shawn Keen, 10. Rick Hart, 11. Lee Sanders. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Kevin Gobrecht, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Stevie Smith, 8. Jeff Swindell. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. George Suprick, 2. Greg Hodnett, 3. Dion Hindi, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Shawn Keen, 6. Len Thompson, 7. Denny Soltis ($200); 8. Bob Bennett ($180); 9. Lee Sanders ($150); 10. Dick Spadero ($110); 11. Rick Hart ($90); 12. Wayne Iffland ($80); 13. Larry Hoyt ($60). (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (25 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($10,000); 2. Sammy Swindell ($6,000); 3. Steve Kinser ($3,000); 4. Stevie Smith ($2,500); 5. Danny Lasoski ($2,300); 6. Dale Blaney ($2,200); 7. Johnny Herrera ($2,100); 8. Greg Hodnett ($2,020); 9. Danny Smith ($1,700); 10. Todd Shaffer ($1,600); 11. Tyler Walker ($1,200); 12. Jeff Swindell ($1,150); 13. Joe Gaerte ($1,100); 14. Kevin Gobrecht ($1,050); 15. Donny Schatz ($1,000); 16. Jeff Shepard ($700); 17. Craig Dollansky ($600); 18. Shawn Keen ($520); 19. George Suprick ($520); 20. Andy Hillenburg ($500); 21. Don Kreitz, Jr. ($500); 22. Dion Hindi ($520); 23. Jac Haudenschild ($520); 24. Len Thompson ($520). Lap leader: Mark Kinser 1-25 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Stevie Smith WoO

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