Tri-City report (94-05-18)

SAMMY SWINDELL TAKES TRI-CITY FEATURE By Richard Day GRANITE CITY, IL (May 18) - Sammy Swindell regained second place in the Copenhagen-Skoal Shootout point standings Wednesday night when he returned to victory lane at Tri-City Speedway. The World of Outlaws' $32,325 event was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 14th, but was re-scheduled when thunderstorms hit the St. Louis area. The only resemblance between Swindell's latest victory and his April 15th triumph at Bloomington Speedway was the fact that his car owner, Jeff Gilliam, was not in attendance. "I'm not going to any more races," Gilliam said Thursday morning. "We win when I stay away." Sammy started the 30-lap "A" Feature on the front row next to his younger brother, polesitter Jeff Swindell, and steered the #1 Bull & Hannah's Jenkins into the lead high in the fourth corner. Jeff kept the #7TW Gold Eagle Maxim in the low groove and tried to take the lead in the first corner. Sammy held him off, and raced out to a six-car-length advantage within two laps. Sammy was approaching lapped traffic during the fourth lap when Lee Dunn's engine exploded, forcing him to stop his #81 Prowl Herbicides J&J in turn three. When the green flag replaced the yellow, Sammy steered the #1 to the rim and held off Jeff's challenges from the low groove. Jeff, Ecowater Quick-Time Award winner Steve Kinser and Danny Lasoski were chasing Sammy in the high groove when the leaders entered lapped traffic during the ninth lap. Jeff reeled in Sammy within two laps, and took the lead with a dive into the low groove in turn four in heavy lapped traffic. With the semi-banked, half-mile oval scraping rubber from the fire- breathing, mud-slinging sprint cars' tires, the leaders dropped into the low groove to gain traction during lap 12. Two laps later, Sammy threaded the #1 between the berm and Jeff deep in the first corner to regain the lead. With Kinser challenging him for the runner-up spot early in the 17th lap, Jeff's engine exploded, forcing him to stop in turn one. He was credited with a 23rd-place finish. When the race resumed, Swindell and Kinser ran away from the field. The leaders caught the backmarkers again during lap 21. The final 10 laps featured Kinser challenging Swindell for the lead while Dave Blaney battled Lasoski for third place. Kinser was on Sammy's rear bumper when the leader caught Johnny Herrera with six laps remaining. With the white flag flying, Steve attempted to take the lead with a high move in turn one. But he slid into the high groove, giving Swindell the cushion he needed to pull off the six- car-length victory. The $5,200 victory was the two-time World of Outlaws champion's seventh at Tri-State Speedway since 1979. "The Dude" finished the main event in third place, ahead of "The Buckeye Bullet," Mark Kinser, Stevie Smith, Jac Haudenschild, Kenny Jacobs, Greg Hodnett and Andy Hillenburg. "The Wild Child" overcame the problems that plagued him in the Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race during the "B" Feature, then passed two cars in the main event. His seventh-place finish pushed him past Joe Gaerte into eighth place in the Copenhagen-Skoal Shootout point standings. Hillenburg, a six-time Ecowater Quick-Time Award winner, was only the 16th-fastest qualifier at Tri-City. He won the First Snap-on Tools Heat Race, and steered his #2 STP J&J around six cars to finish 10th in the "A" Feature. WoO 1994 WORLD OF OUTLAWS/COPENHAGEN-SKOAL SHOOTOUT Tri-City Speedway, Granite City, IL Wednesday, May 18, Feature Program #16 Qualifications: 1. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 18.351; 2. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 18.884; 3. Greg Hodnett, Two Winners 8TW, 18.930; 4. Danny Lasoski, Sonner 47, 19.012; 5. Sammy Swindell, Gilliam 1, 19.084; 6. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 19.025; 7. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 19.130; 8. Stevie Smith, Hamilton 77, 19.323; 9. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 19.340; 10. Tommie Estes, Jr., Gray 51, 19.351; 11. Johnny Herrera, Forbrook 5, 19.380; 12. Joe Gaerte, Two Winners 9TW, 19.438; 13. Danny Smith, Veilhauer 12x, 19.499; 14. Kenny Jacobs, Motter 71M, 19.520; 15. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 19.564; 16. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 19.580; 17. Kevin Huntley, Vandemark/Wahle 1M, 19.727; 18. Jim Carr, Carr 65, 19.758; 19. Don Beechler, Black 1x, 19.907; 20. Dale Blaney, Lindsey 2D, 19.924; 21. Jeff Shepard, Pack 4A, 19.957; 22. Steve Beitler, Beitler 21, 20.235; 23. Sid Blandford, Blandford 31, 20.395; 24. Aaron Berryhill, Berryhill 97, 20.454; 25. Jimmy Brewer, Brewer 32, 20.470; 26. Tim Engler, Engler 73, 20.904; 27. Lee Dunn, Dunn 81, 20.911; 28. Tommy Scott, Scott 4S, 21.901; 29. Bryan Ruble, Ruble 14R, 21.990; 30. Bob Siciliano, Siciliano 86, 22.203; 31. Bob Weuve, McCroskey 19, no time. First Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Danny Smith, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Don Beechler, 7. Steve Beitler, 8. Jimmy Brewer, 9. Tommy Scott, 10. Tommie Estes, Jr. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Kenny Jacobs, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Dave Blaney, 6. Kevin Huntley, 7. Dale Blaney, 8. Bryan Ruble, 9. Tim Engler, 10. Sid Blandford. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Frankie Kerr, 2. Jim Carr, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Joe Gaerte, 5. Aaron Berryhill, 6. Greg Hodnett, 7. Lee Dunn, 8. Jeff Shepard, 9. Jac Haudenschild, 10. Bob Weuve ($10); 11. Bob Siciliano. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Jeff Swindell, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Dave Blaney, 6. Greg Hodnett, 7. Mark Kinser, 8. Stevie Smith. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Jeff Shepard, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Tommie Estes, Jr., 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Steve Beitler, 6. Sid Blandford, 7. Jimmy Brewer ($260); 8. Tim Engler ($235); 9. Lee Dunn ($185); 10. Tommy Scott ($135); 11. Bryan Ruble ($110); 12. Mark Siciliano ($90). DNS - Bob Weuve. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell ($5,210); 2. Steve Kinser ($3,510); 3. Danny Lasoski ($2,510); 4. Dave Blaney ($2,210); 5. Mark Kinser ($2,110); 6. Stevie Smith ($2,010); 7. Jac Haudenschild ($1,630); 8. Kenny Jacobs ($1,510); 9. Greg Hodnett ($1,410); 10. Andy Hillenburg ($1,310); 11. Joe Gaerte ($1,110); 12. Danny Smith ($1,010); 13. Frankie Kerr ($810); 14. Johnny Herrera ($610); 15. Jeff Shepard ($510); 16. Jim Carr ($410); 17. Tommie Estes, Jr. ($380); 18. Don Beechler ($360); 19. Aaron Berryhill ($360); 20. Dale Blaney ($380); 21. Steve Beitler ($380); 22. Kevin Huntley ($360); 23. Jeff Swindell ($360); 24. Sid Blandford ($380). Lap leaders: Sammy Swindell 1-10, 14-30; Jeff Swindell 11-13 WoO*eot