Silver Dollar report 95-09-16

Hillenburg Defends Gold Cup Championship By Richard Day CHICO, CA (September 16) - It didn't take Andy Hillenburg long to put the disappointment of losing the lead in Friday's preliminary feature behind him. He was a man on a mission Saturday, and led all but two laps in the championship feature to win the Gold Cup Race of Champions for the second straight year. "We've had a tough year, so I'm glad to be able to defend this title," Hillenburg said after receiving the $20,000 winner's check. "It's a great race to win; I'm glad to get this one for STP." The victory was Hillenburg's second in a World of Outlaws "A" Feature this year, and the 16th of his career. Steve Kinser, going for his 10th Gold Cup championship, battled Hillenburg for much of the 40-lap race. After Hillenburg burst into the lead from the pole, Kinser had the #11 Quaker State Maxim on his rear bumper when Bobby McMahan stopped in the third corner late in the second lap. Hillenburg, who said his was the fastest of the 80 cars in the 42nd Annual Gold Cup field, raced away from Kinser as the green flag replaced the yellow. He opened an eight-car-length advantage as 1993 Gold Cup champion Stevie Smith challenged Kinser for the runner-up spot four laps into the race. The caution flag was flying again during lap six as Hillenburg caught the backmarkers. Andy was approaching lapped traffic again four laps later when Kinser, Smith and two-time Mini Gold Cup champion Jac Haudenschild caught him. "The Wild Child" started making his way toward the front the next time around, steering the #22 Pennzoil Maxim high into turn one to pass Smith for third place. Four laps later, he rode the rim around Silver Dollar Speedway's high-banked, 1/4-mile oval to pass Kinser for the runner-up spot in the second corner. Haudenschild narrowed the gap during the next five laps, and won a back-straightaway drag race to take the lead midway through the race. His stay in first place was short-lived, however, as his 22nd-lap collision with Scooter Lambert sent him flipping over the catch fence on the back straightaway. Haudenschild's crew went to work quickly on the #22, and had it race-ready by the time the fence was repaired. Hillenburg restarted at the front of the field, and quickly opened a comfortable advantage. Kinser closed to within two car-lengths of the lead as Hillenburg caught the backmarkers again late in the 25th lap, however. Seven laps later, as Hillenburg took the low line through lapped traffic, Kinser raced wheel-to-wheel with him through turn two but was unable to complete the pass. "The King of the Outlaws" kept his #11 within striking distance of Hillenburg before making one final attempt to steal the victory early in the white-flag lap. He took the high line into turn one as Hillenburg stayed in the low groove to pass a pack of backmarkers. Andy maneuvered through lapped traffic quickly, and was three car- lengths ahead when he took the checkered flag. Opening-night preliminary feature winner Danny Lasoski passed Smith late to claim third place. Rounding out the top 10 in the championship feature were Jeff Swindell, Kevin Pylant, Greg DeCaires, Paul McMahan, Brent Kaeding and Steve Kent. Skoal Outlaw Series point standings leader Dave Blaney won the "B" Feature and held off a late charge by Haudenschild to finish 11th. Tim Green won the "C" Feature, while Stephen Allard captured the "D" and Jamie Cavagnaro crossed the finish line first in the "E" Feature. WoO 1995 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series 42nd Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, CA Saturday, September 16, Feature Program #62 E Feature (12 laps): 1. Jamie Cavagnaro, 2. Jim Fernandez, 3. Shawna Wilskey ($100); 4. Keith Nafzger, 5. Mike McCreary, 6. Ron Tabor ($75); 7. Dave Finkelstein ($50); 8. Alan Howell ($50). (first five qualified for the "D" Feature) D Feature (12 laps): 1. Stephen Allard, 2. Jason Statler, 3. Greg Blevins ($100); 4. Graydon Cross ($75); 5. Dale Smith ($75); 6. Rick Williams ($50); 7. Gary Willey ($50); 8. Jack Clark ($50); 9. Mike McCreary ($100); 10. Jamie Cavagnaro ($100); 11. Jim Fernandez ($100); 12. Keith Nafzger ($100); 13. Mike Wasina, Jr. ($50); 14. Ryan Bailey ($50); 15. Tom Esposito ($50); 16. Jamie Hood ($50). (first two qualified for the "C" Feature) C Feature (15 laps): 1. Tim Green, 2. Greg Brown, 3. Brian Hodges ($300); 4. George Koerber ($250); 5. Jason Statler ($250); 6. Casey Diemert ($175); 7. Brian Crockett ($150); 8. Shawna Hogg ($125); 9. Stephen Allard ($150); 10. Bill Nutter ($100); 11. Tyler Walker ($100); 12. Dan Belton ($100); 13. Tres Gurney ($100); 14. Jim Richardson ($100); 15. Jason McMillen ($100); 16. Mark Abouzied ($100). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (20 laps): 1. Dave Blaney, 2. Jimmy Sills, 3. Sean Fenn, 4. Rick Martin, 5. Kevin Urton ($500); 6. Mark Monico ($450); 7. Bob Walker ($400); 8. Randy Hannagan ($350); 9. Chad Riolo ($300); 10. Jimmy Trulli ($250); 11. Tim Green ($250); 12. Keith Kauffman ($200); 13. Jerry Bonema ($175); 14. Greg Brown ($175); 15. Jason Lund ($150); 16. Shane Scott ($150); 17. Marc Zeske ($150); 18. Eric Rossi ($150). (first four qualified for the Championship Feature) Championship Feature (40 laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg ($20,000); 2. Steve Kinser ($9,000); 3. Danny Lasoski ($5,000); 4. Stevie Smith ($4,000); 5. Jeff Swindell ($3,000); 6. Kevin Pylant ($2,500); 7. Greg DeCaires ($2,000); 8. Paul McMahan ($1,900); 9. Brent Kaeding ($1,800); 10. Steve Kent ($1,750); 11. Dave Blaney ($1,625); 12. Jac Haudenschild ($1,500); 13. Bobby McMahan ($1,300); 14. Joe Gaerte ($1,200); 15. Greg Hodnett ($1,100); 16. Johnny Rodriguez ($1,000); 17. Rick Martin ($825); 18. Lee Brewer, Jr. ($600); 19. Sean Fenn ($525); 20. Scooter Lambert ($500); 21. Dale Cross ($500); 22. Emory Gray ($500); 23. Jimmy Sills ($525); 24. Glenn Boune ($500). Lap leaders: Andy Hillenburg 1-19, 22-40, Jac Haudenschild 20-21 WoO