Powercom Park: Race report

'The King' Wins Tough 40-Lapper at Powercom Park

BEAVER DAM, WI (June 12) -- Steve Kinser snapped Danny Lasoski's three-race winning streak in Saturday's hard-fought World of Outlaws Sprint Series "A" Feature at The Raceway at Powercom Park.

"The King of the Outlaws" drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim past front-row starter Daryn Pittman early in the 32nd lap and led the final 7 2/3 laps for the first victory of his career at Beaver Dam's 1/3-mile oval. Kinser's eighth main event victory of the season increased his advantage in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series standings to 135 points over Lasoski.

"I wasn't getting through the bottom very good," Kinser explained. "There was a rut there and it seemed like every time we'd catch it, it would get the car pretty upset. But I knew that might be our only shot to get by Daryn. We had a good car all night long, but the #6 pill (for the Dash Race inversion) put us toward the back, and we just had to keep moving forward."

Kinser, the second-fastest qualifier in the 44-car field, started outside the third row in both the Second Heat Race and the Second Dash Race. He won the Heat Race, then passed Joey Saldana, Brandon Wimmer and John Sernett in the Dash Race to claim the third row outside starting position in the feature.

Tim Shaffer, driving the #6 Casey's General Stores Maxim in only his second World of Outlaws Sprint Series event, burst into the lead from the pole as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. Lasoski passed Pittman for second place with an inside move through turns three and four late in the opening lap.

Shaffer was two car-lengths ahead of "The Dude" when he entered lapped traffic five laps into the race. Pittman, whose crew replaced the engine in the #21 Hop & Sack CMC after he won the Second Dash Race, challenged Lasoski late in the sixth lap and raced into second place in the low groove between the third and fourth corners the next time around.

"B" Feature runner-up Bob Bennett flipped in turn four several seconds later, bringing out the red flag and taking the leaders out of lapped traffic. Shaffer controlled the ensuing restart, and opened a straightaway advantage within four laps. The 1999 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year jumped the cushion in the fourth corner one lap later, however, allowing Pittman to close to within four car-lengths.

Shaffer lost the lead late in the 19th lap when he was unable to steer clear of Wimmer and Mike Kertscher, who tangled and flipped in turn three. Jason Sides also collided with the crashed cars, but kept moving and maintained 10th place after his crew replaced the top wing and front axle on the #7S Sides Motorsports Maxim during the open red period.

Pittman inherited first place, and raced away from the field as the "A" Feature resumed. Kinser passed Lasoski for second place deep in the fourth corner late in the 21st lap.

Fast qualifier Paul McMahan, who passed Kraig Kinser for fourth place three laps earlier, stopped the #11H Selma Shell Maxim in turn two with engine problems early in lap 25. Shaffer, who quickly raced back through the field, passed Craig Dollansky for seventh place deep in the second corner four laps later.

"The Dude" lost third place early in lap 31 when a mechanical malfunction on 2002 NASCAR Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart's #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle caused him to hit the wall in turn three and flip.

Kinser took the low line through the first and second corners to pass Pittman for the lead as the green flag replaced the red. Jason Meyers used a similar move between turns three and four to pass Steve's son, Kraig Kinser, for third place several seconds later.

"The King of the Outlaws" was four car-lengths ahead of Pittman when he caught the back-markers with 5½ laps remaining. Sides' fourth-corner spin late in lap 37 opened the track ahead of the leaders, tightened the field and set up a four-lap dash to the checkered flag.

Meyers drove the #14 Elite Landscaping Maxim past Pittman high in turn four within a lap after the race resumed, but was a straightaway behind when Kinser took the checkered flag.

"We've really run strong on the short tracks the last couple of years," Kinser said. "Scott (Gerkin, his crew chief) and the guys have gotten us rolling around these little places pretty good. It just feels good to win a race -- seems like it's been a month since we won back in Pennsylvania. I'm just glad to win after turning 50 -- I wasn't sure we were going to be able to do it. This short track racing is as tough as it gets, and I started sweating there at the start of the race. It was actually running into my ears and messing with my hearing, so I've got to work on my body a little more."

Pittman finished in third place, ahead of Saldana, Shaffer, Dollansky, Kraig Kinser, Donny Schatz, 18th-starting Brian Paulus and Jonathan Allard. Meyers and Dollansky moved into fourth and fifth place in the point standings, respectively, when McMahan finished 19th in the "A" Feature.

McMahan paced the qualifying session for the first time this season, circling the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval in 12.183 seconds.

The World of Outlaws Sprint Series will run a $51,600 event at Farley Speedway Wednesday, then sanction the 21st Annual Eagle Nationals at Eagle Raceway Friday and Saturday.

-WoO-