Syracuse Nationals report

PAUCH SETS WORLD RECORD, WINS CHAMPION SPARK PLUGS NATIONALS By Richard Day SYRACUSE, NY (October 8) - Already a living legend in modified racing circles, Billy Pauch dominated the World of Outlaws' Champion Spark Plugs Sprint Nationals at New York State Fair Speedway Friday and Saturday. Pauch opened Friday's sprint car portion of Super DIRT Week by setting a new world record for speed on dirt, circling "The Moody Mile" in 24.825 seconds, an average speed of 144.590 m.p.h. Twenty-four hours later, Pauch was in victory lane after putting together a flag-to-flag victory in the championship feature. "I was as surprised as anyone about the record," Pauch said. "The car felt anything but comfortable, and the motor seemed flat. But I'll take it, as the starting position is so important in this event." Pauch, the fastest of eight drivers recording times faster than Sammy Swindell's seven-year-old record, received the luxury of starting the 35- lap championship feature on the pole. His world record broken, Swindell suffered even more bad luck before the main event was even a lap old. The top wing on the #1 Bull & Hannah's Jenkins collapsed into his view, forcing him to stop in turn one and putting him out of the race. As Swindell slowed, Ed Lynch, Jr., spun to avoid him. Pauch burst into the lead as the green flag replaced the yellow, and opened a 12-car-length advantage within six laps. He was racing comfortably ahead of 29-car field when defending Champion Spark Plugs Sprint Nationals champion Dave Blaney joined outside polesitter Andy Hillenburg and Jac Haudenschild in a battle for the runner-up spot. Hillenburg and "The Wild Child" were racing wheel-to-wheel when Pauch entered lapped traffic during the eighth lap. Len Thompson's flat right rear tire forced him to stop in turn four and bring out the caution the next time around, tightening the field. Pauch drove the #1Z Zemco Tool & Die Maxim into the lead again when the race resumed, and caught the backmarkers again six laps later. Haudenschild, last year's runner-up, steered the #22 Pennzoil Maxim deep into the second corner to pass Hillenburg for second place early in lap 14. The race was a lap from reaching its midpoint when the red flag was thrown so the sprinters could be re-fueled. Steve Kinser, a four-time Sprint Nationals champion, steered the #11 Valvoline Maxim high into the third corner when the race resumed, which allowed Two Winners Racing teammates Jeff Swindell and Greg Hodnett to race past. Blaney threaded the #10 Vivarin J&J between the guard rail and Hillenburg in turn four to take over third place as "The Wild Child" narrowed the gap on the leader late in the 18th lap. At the same time, "The King of the Outlaws" raced past Hillenburg and Jeff to regain fourth place. Haudenschild challenged Pauch for four laps before his attempt to take the lead in turn two early in lap 22 sent him sliding into the outside guard rail. Two laps later, the #77 MAC Tools J&J's engine exploded, causing Johnny Herrera to stop in the fourth corner. The race resumed with Kinser lining up in third place. But another high move into turn three on the ensuing restart allowed Swindell and Hillenburg to pass him again. "The Buckeye Bullet" caught Pauch with five laps remaining. After losing ground in an attempt to take the lead in turn one, Blaney reeled in the leader again within a lap. Pauch and Blaney took the white flag approaching heavy lapped traffic. "The Buckeye Bullet" inched ahead of Pauch in the first corner, but lost the lead when he slid out of the low groove in turn two. Pauch brought the standing-room-only crowd to its feet when he out-dragged Blaney across the finish line by less than a car-length to claim the $26,875 first prize. After taking a victory lap, Pauch jumped out of the winning sprinter and asked, "That does count as a World of Outlaws win, doesn't it." Yes, Billy. Congratulations, you've won your first World of Outlaws main event. "There at the end, the lapped cars were running wide and I didn't know which ones to follow," Pauch explained. "I went to the inside and Blaney got by me. I said, 'Oh no.' But he got loose off two and we got back by him." Kinser finished the championship feature in third place, ahead of Jeff Swindell, Hillenburg, 12th-starting Kenny Jacobs, Hodnett, Lance Dewease, Lynch and Joe Gaerte. WoO 1994 WORLD OF OUTLAWS/COPENHAGEN-SKOAL SHOOTOUT 17th Annual Champion Spark Plugs Nationals New York State Fair Speedway, Syracuse, NY Friday, October 7-Saturday, October 8, Feature Program #63 Qualifications: 1. Billy Pauch, Zemaitis 1Z, 24.898 (new world record); 2. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 25.036; 3. Sammy Swindell, Gilliam 1, 25.073; 4. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 25.097; 5. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 25.242; 6. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 25.243; 7. Greg Hodnett, Two Winners 8TW, 25.371; 8. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 25.439; 9. Joe Gaerte, Two Winners 9TW, 25.767; 10. Lance Dewease, Dyer 461, 25.859; 11. Johnny Herrera, Hamilton 77, 25.860; 12. Kenny Jacobs, Motter 71M, 25.910; 13. Steve Beitler, Beitler 21, 26.019; 14. Bill Brian, Jr., Brian 16, 26.575; 15. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 26.604; 16. Mike Haggenbottom, Thompson 14T, 26.951; 17. Sid Blandford, Blandford 31, 27.131; 18. Alan Cole, Cole 17C, 27.230; 19. Rob Hart, Lucia 86, 27.405; 20. Larry Smith, Smith 83, 27.532; 21. Mike Woodring, Woodring 19, 27.576; 22. Lance Yonge, Yonge 17, 27.990; 23. Denny Soltis, Soltis 1x, 27.992; 24. Lenny Krautheim, Anfuso 3A, 28.202; 25. Dave McGough, Emery 669, 28.262; 26. Jerry Dinnen, Dinnen 16D, 28.809; 27. Rick Hart, Hart 55, 29.106; 28. John Karklin, Jr., Zemaitis 1K, 29.327; 29. Doug Emery, Emery 32, 29.385; 30. Johnny Bridge, Bridge 53, 29.419; 31. Adrian Flath, Flath 10A, 29.810; 32. Kenny Townsend, Townsend 58, 29.818; 33. Midge Miller, Miller 5, 30.090; 34. Richard Nash, Nash 48, 30.688; 35. Gregg Pottorff, Pottorff 9, 30.358; 36. Mike Thomas, Thomas 37, 31.539; 37. John Karklin, Karklin 25, 35.072; 38. Mark Bragman, Bragman 3M, no time; 39. Phil Walter, Fry 88, no time; 40. Link Pettit, Pettit 3L, no time; 41. Randy Hannagan, Weikert 29, no time; 42. Kramer Williamson, Williamson 1W, no time; 43. Mike Walter, Walter 49, no time; 44. Michael Lauterborn, Lauterborn 41, no time. First B Feature (eight laps): 1. Sid Blandford, 2. Rob Hart, 3. Denny Soltis, 4. Lance Yonge, 5. Dave McGough, 6. Adrian Flath, 7. Doug Emery, 8. Midge Miller, 9. Rick Hart, 10. Gregg Pottorff, 11. Mike Walter. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Second B Feature (eight laps): 1. Alan Cole, 2. Larry Smith, 3. Mike Woodring, 4. Lenny Krautheim, 5. Jerry Dinnen, 6. Richard Nash, 7. John Karklin, Jr., 8. Johnny Bridge, 9. Mike Thomas, 10. Kenny Townsend, 11. Kramer Williamson, 12. Link Pettit. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature; Williamson had earned an automatic starting position) A Feature (35 laps): 1. Billy Pauch ($25,875); 2. Dave Blaney ($15,500); 3. Steve Kinser ($10,500); 4. Jeff Swindell ($6,000); 5. Andy Hillenburg ($4,000); 6. Kenny Jacobs ($3,000); 7. Greg Hodnett ($2,500); 8. Lance Dewease ($2,000); 9. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($1,700); 10. Joe Gaerte ($1,600); 11. Steve Beitler ($1,500); 12. Bill Brian, Jr. ($1,400); 13. Lenny Krautheim ($1,300); 14. Rob Hart ($1,200); 15. Dave McGough ($1,100); 16. Johnny Herrera ($1,000); 17. Jac Haudenschild ($1,000); 18. Larry Smith ($1,000); 19. Adrian Flath ($1,000); 20. Sid Blandford ($1,000); 21. Mike Walter ($1,000); 22. Mike Haggenbottom ($1,000); 23. Alan Cole ($1,000); 24. Jerry Dinnen ($1,000); 25. Denny Soltis ($1,000); 26. Mike Woodring ($1,000); 27. Lance Yonge ($1,000); 28. Kramer Williamson ($1,000); 29. Sammy Swindell ($1,000). Lap leader: Billy Pauch 1-35 Ecowater Fast-Time Award winner: Billy Pauch WoO *eof