Outlaws at I-55 Raceway race report 2000-07-22

Haudenschild Wins Wild One at I-55 Raceway By Richard Day PEVELY, MO (July 22) -- They don't call Jac Haudenschild "The Wild Child" for nothing. His spectacular racing style has endeared him to Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series fans for 18 years. After bouncing off the turn-four retaining wall and turning in the air midway through the race, Haudenschild somehow kept the #22 fetchOmatic.com Maxim among the leaders. He passed Sammy Swindell for the lead early in the 34th lap on his way to winning the "A" Feature Saturday before a record crowd at I-55 Raceway. "I jumped the cushion there in turn four and got into the wall," Jac said. "It bent the right rear wheel, but I guess it didn't hurt the car too bad. We got really good right there at the end. "My guys (Ricky Warner, Todd Denvich and Billy Gaulle) gave me a great car. Hopefully, this means we have things straightened out. I think we'll be pretty good for the rest of the year. These World of Outlaws wins aren't easy. It's really tough out there this year." The $10,000 victory, Haudenschild's second straight at I-55 Raceway, was his second this season. He last won a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature March 4th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "The Wild Child" was the second-fastest qualifier in the 29-car field, only .005 seconds off Mark Kinser's blistering pace. Kinser received his 12th Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the year after circling the high-banked, 1/3-mile-oval at an average speed of 111.483 m.p.h. Haudenschild finished third in the Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race, then earned the second row outside starting position in the 40- lap main event by following Donny Schatz, Stevie Smith and Sammy Swindell across the finish line in the CHANNELLOCK Dash. Schatz drove his family's #15 Parker Stores Maxim into the lead, and Haudenschild passed Swindell and Smith as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. Swindell, a three-time winner at I-55 Raceway, passed Smith and "The Wild Child" deep in the first and second corners later in the opening lap. A collision involving Johnny Herrera and Dale Blaney sent the #93 Amoco Maxim flipping into Andy Hillenburg in turn two early in the second lap. While Hillenburg's crew replaced the front and top wings on the #2 Luxaire J&J, Blaney was unable to restart the race. Defending Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series champion Mark Kinser passed Smith for fourth place with an inside move between the first and second corners as the green flag replaced the red. The #5M Mopar Maxim bicycled two laps later, however, and three cars passed him. Swindell had his #1 CHANNELLOCK Stealth just inches from Schatz when the leaders entered lapped traffic during the sixth lap. The series' three-time champion passed Schatz deep in turn two, and "The Wild Child" took the high line through turns three and four to pass Donny for second place later in the seventh lap. Smith, Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Steve Kinser and Mark Kinser passed Schatz during laps 10 and 11. After answering a challenge from Mark early in the 14th lap, "The King of the Outlaws" won a front-straightaway drag race with Smith to take third place. Mark came back with an inside move through turns one and two to pass his cousin the next time around. Haudenschild and Swindell exchanged the lead during the 19th lap. As "The Wild Child" exited the fourth corner, he jumped the cushion. His collision with the retaining wall sent him spinning in the air on the front straightaway. He kept his engine running and ahead of the rest of the field, however. The flagman inadvertently dropped the caution flag, but Haudenschild maintained second place. Mark Kinser and Haudenschild exchanged the runner-up spot during laps 23 and 24 before Steve Short spun in turn four one lap later. Swindell raced away from the field as the race resumed, and opened a six-car-length advantage within six laps. Haudenschild caught Sammy early in the 34th lap and passed him for the lead deep in turn two. The Kinser cousins passed Swindell low in the second corner during the 37th and 38th laps. Steve steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim deep in turn four to pass Mark with 1 1/4 laps remaining, but was five car- lengths behind when "The Wild Child" took the checkered flag. Joey Saldana finished in fourth place, ahead of Swindell, Dean Jacobs, 17th-starting Tim Shaffer, Second NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race winner Danny Wood, Smith and Greg Hodnett. The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway Tuesday, race at Williams Grove Speedway Thursday and Friday and finish its Eastern tour at Hagerstown Speedway Saturday. TNN will televise Friday's race, starting at 11:30 p.m. EDT. WoO