Red River Valley report 96-07-06

Mark Kinser Takes Red River Valley Opener By Richard Day WEST FARGO, ND (July 6) - The early stages of the Skoal Outlaw Series' preliminary program at Red River Valley Speedway Saturday were similar to Wednesday's STP Classic. Mark Kinser set quick-time, Joey Saldana won the Vivarin Dash and led the first lap before giving way to the World of Outlaws' points leader. After that, however, the rain-delayed opener of the series' only visit of the year to North Dakota took on a different tone. Although Kinser held on to defeat Jeff Swindell to gain the pole position in Sunday's Vivarin Dash, it was anything but a Saturday evening stroll. Although Swindell's #7TW Gold Eagle Maxim was clearly the fastest car on the track, Mark's ability to keep the #5M Wirtgen Maxim on the racy areas of the high-banked, 1/2-mile oval allowed him to win. "I just tried to drive the car as straight as I could," Kinser said in victory lane. "I wanted to keep it where the track was best." After dominating time trials - his 15.911-second qualifying lap was more than a half-second faster than second-quick Sammy Swindell - and winning the First Quaker State Heat Race, Kinser noticed the low groove in the first and second corners started taking rubber. Although the pole position would have been the ideal place to start, Mark was content to follow Saldana and Andy Hillenburg across the finish line in the Vivarin Dash and line up inside the second row for the 20-lap feature. As Saldana drove the #75 Mopar Maxim into the lead at the drop of the green flag, Kinser passed Hillenburg for second place. Jeff passed brother Sammy, and dropped into the low groove to take third place from Hillenburg during the opening lap. Mark threaded the #5M between Saldana and the berm deep in the second corner to take the lead early in lap two. He was six car-lengths ahead of his closest pursuers when Jeff passed Saldana for second place low in the first corner the next time around. Kinser caught the backmarkers five laps into the race, and maintained a comfortable advantage as Sammy and Third Quaker State Heat Race winner Stevie Smith raced toward the front. Swindell took the low line into turn four to pass Hillenburg for fourth place late in lap seven, while Smith drove the #71M EcoWater Systems Maxim into fifth place from outside the seventh row. Jeff caught the leader as Sammy steered his #1 ChannelLock Gambler deep into the second corner to pass Saldana for third place midway through the race. Jeff took the low line into the second corner, then won a back-straightaway drag race to take the lead late in the 11th lap. He was trying to extend his advantage the next time around when he slid out of the low groove in turn three and allowed Mark to regain first place. Sammy made it a three-car battle for the lead as Smith raced into fourth place during lap 13. Knowing he had the fastest car on the track, Jeff wasn't content to follow Kinser in the low groove. He raced wheel-to-wheel with the leader during much of the final eight laps, but was never able to pass him. He was less than a car-length behind at the checkered flag. "I thought we had the faster car," Jeff said, "but I just drove it too hard into three and four and let Mark get back by me." Running a harder right rear tire than Mark and Jeff allowed Sammy to narrow the gap in the third and fourth corners. He had problems getting traction in rubber-covered turns one and two, however, and had to settle for third place. Saldana held off Smith for the final automatic starting position in Sunday's Vivarin Dash. Completing the top 10 in the Preliminary Feature were Hillenburg, Lance Blevins, Johnny Herrera, Joe Gaerte and Steve Kinser. WoO 1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series Red River Valley Speedway, West Fargo, ND Saturday, July 6, Preliminary Program Qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 15.911; 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.502; 3. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 16.595; 4. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 16.611; 5. Joey Saldana, Stanton 75, 16.765; 6. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 16.802; 7. Joe Gaerte, Gaerte 3G, 16.906; 8. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 16.932; 9. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.967; 10. Jim Carr, McCarr 7M, 17.003; 11. Marlon Jones, Oswalt 1J, 17.066; 12. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 17.077; 13. Tim Baker, Baker 2TZ, 17.120; 14. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 17.212; 15. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 17.253; 16. Terry Reilly, Julius 69R, 17.361; 17. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 17.432; 18. Dion Hindi, Hindi 11A, 17.696; 19. Chuck Swenson, Swenson X, 18.152; 20. Jamie McWalter, McWalter 55, 18.520; 21. Gerald Cressman, Cressman 56, 18.744; 22. Mike Dobmeier, Thompson 13, 19.066; 23. Jason Linnell, Linnell 22L, 19.217; 24. Mike Johnson, Leebrick 94, 19.222; 25. Jon LaBine, LaBine 7, 19.223; 26. Dan Pape, Pape 91, 19.674; 27. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, no time; 28. Dave Ekern, Ekern 11E, no time; 29. John Lambertz, Lambertz 12L, no time. First Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Jim Carr, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Chuck Swenson, 6. Terry Reilly, 7. Tim Baker, 8. Mike Dobmeier, 9. Jon LaBine. (first six qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Second Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Dave Blaney, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Brian Paulus, 7. Marlon Jones, 8. Jamie McWalter, 9. Dan Pape, 10. Jason Linnell. (first six qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Third Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Andy Hillenburg, 5. Lance Blevins, 6. Gerald Cressman, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Dave Ekern, 9. Mike Johnson, 10. John Lambertz. (first six qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Joey Saldana, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Lance Blevins, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Jeff Swindell, 7. Dave Blaney, 8. Joe Gaerte. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Dion Hindi, 2. Marlon Jones, 3. Mike Dobmeier, 4. Dave Ekern, 5. Jamie McWalter, 6. Mike Johnson, 7. Jason Linnell ($160); 8. Dan Pape ($135); 9. Jon LaBine ($110); 10. John Lambertz ($85); 11. Tim Baker ($70). (first six qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($4,010); 2. Jeff Swindell ($2,310); 3. Sammy Swindell ($1,610); 4. Joey Saldana ($1,410); 5. Stevie Smith ($1,260); 6. Andy Hillenburg ($1,160); 7. Lance Blevins ($1,110); 8. Johnny Herrera ($1,060); 9. Joe Gaerte ($1,035); 10. Steve Kinser ($1,010); 11. Dave Blaney ($910); 12. Jac Haudenschild ($710); 13. Dion Hindi ($630); 14. Donny Schatz ($510); 15. Chuck Swenson ($310); 16. Gerald Cressman ($310); 17. Dave Ekern ($280); 18. Terry Reilly ($260); 19. Jim Carr ($260); 20. Marlon Jones ($280); 21. Mike Dobmeier ($280); 22. Jamie McWalter ($280); 23. Mike Johnson ($280); 24. Brian Paulus ($260). Lap leaders: Joe Saldana 1, Mark Kinser 2-10, 12-20, Jeff Swindell 11 EcoWater Quick-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser WoO