Tri-City Speedway 1999-06-16

Mark Kinser Dominates at Tri-City Speedway By Richard Day GRANITE CITY, IL (June 16) - Mark Kinser has won 111 "A" Features in his Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series career. Among his prestigious triumphs are the Amoco Knoxville Nationals, the Western World Championships at Manzanita Speedway, the Williams Grove National Open, the Spring and Winter Nationals at the Devil's Bowl, the Eagle Nationals and the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway. Before leading all 30 laps in Wednesday's main event, he had never won at Tri-City Speedway, however. "I've been coming here since 1984, and finally winning one here tastes like fine wine," Mark said. "It's become sort of a joke with the crew. We can win 10 in a row, but they'll always say 'we're going to Granite City next.' I told my dad (15-time car owner champion Karl Kinser) maybe I'd win one here after he retired, but I got it here tonight. I've never seen him so excited." Although Karl was also happy about the Mopar team's 180-point advantage over Danny Lasoski in the point standings, Mark said it's too early to start thinking about his second title in four years. "We're not counting that (championship) money yet," Mark said. "There's still a long way to go, and there's a lot of tough competition out here." There was very little competition for the #5M Mopar Maxim Wednesday. Kinser received his 16th Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season for lowering the single-lap record he set at Tri-City Speedway a month ago by .320 seconds, then led all 30 laps in the "A" Feature. Mark earned the right to start the main event outside the front row by following cousin Steve Kinser across the finish line in the Channellock Dash. Mark used a high move in turn four to take the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. Although the #5M was smoking, Mark opened a 10-car-length advantage within 2 1/2 laps. "We've been trying some different things here lately with the oil system," Kinser explained. "It's making more horsepower, but it occasionally blows a little oil out. There's really nothing wrong with the car." Mark was eight car-lengths ahead of Steve when he entered lapped traffic six laps into the race. Sammy Swindell, winner of eight "A" Features at Tri-City Speedway, surrendered fourth place two laps later when he stopped his #1 Channellock Stealth in the fourth corner with a broken rear end. Kinser was six car-lengths ahead when he caught the backmarkers again within six laps after the green flag replaced the yellow. Travis Whitney's turn-four spin took the leaders out of lapped traffic the next time around. Steve, who has won 20 of the 42 main events the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series has run at Tri-City Speedway, steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the low groove in the first corner to pass Mark as the race resumed. Mark returned the favor deep in turn two, however. Lasoski, who suffered a blown engine during the Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race, won the "B" Feature. He started inside the fifth row in the main event and passed Johnny Herrera and Donny Schatz with an inside move through the first and second corners early in lap 15. He exchanged third place with Stevie Smith three times during laps 19 and 20. "The Dude" raced wheel-to-wheel with Steve Kinser throughout the 22nd lap, only to have "The King" surge ahead in turn four. Smith lost fourth place the next time around when a blown engine in the #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit forced him to stop in the fourth corner. Shane Stewart, making his debut in the #8H Energy Release Eagle, flipped in the fourth corner late in the 25th lap. Herrera passed Schatz for fourth place and Lasoski took second from Steve Kinser as the green flag replaced the red. Kinser came back with a low move into turn four to regain the runner-up spot seconds later. Tyler Walker, the "A" Feature winner at Tri-City on May 15th, drove the #35 Air Sep Maxim around 12 cars during the first 26 laps. He passed Schatz for fifth place with a high move in turn three late in lap 27. Jac Haudenschild took sixth from Schatz deep in the first corner the next time around. Mark was eight car-lengths ahead of Steve when he took the checkered flag in his 11th "A" Feature victory of the year. Lasoski finished in third place, ahead of Herrera, Walker, Haudenschild, Schatz, 20th-starting Kevin Gobrecht, Jeff Swindell and Brooke Tatnell. Andy Hillenburg started outside the 11th row and drove his #2 Luxaire J&J past 11 cars to finish 11th.

1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Tri-City Speedway, Granite City, IL Wednesday, June 16, Feature Program #31 Vivarin qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 15.917 (new single-lap record); 2. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 16.233; 3. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.353; 4. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 16.420; 5. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.421; 6. Johnny Herrera, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 16.473; 7. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 16.477; 8. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.488; 9. Shane Stewart, Holbrook 8H, 16.576; 10. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 16.594; 11. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 16.609; 12. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 16.616; 13. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.685; 14. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 16.765; 15. Scott Whitworth, Whitworth 96, 16.833; 16. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 16.849; 17. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 16.934; 18. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 16.935; 19. Bob Weuve, BW Racing 19W, 17.103; 20. Kevin Gobrecht, Hylton/Blaney 93, 17.111; 21. Jim Moughan, M&L Motorsports 1M, 17.117; 22. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 17.192; 23. Tommy Scott, Scott 4S, 17.339; 24. Robert Jackson, Stroud 1S, 17.699; 25. Randy Combs, Combs 1C, 17.857; 26. Wayne Sternbergh, Sternbergh 14S, 18.844; 27. Eddie Lynch, Lynch 29, 18.935; 28. Jim Dolan, Dolan 707, no time. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Johnny Herrera, 4. Travis Whitney, 5. Brooke Tatnell, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Andy Hillenburg, 8. Randy Combs. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Lance Blevins, 6. Kevin Gobrecht, 7. Tommy Scott, 8. Danny Lasoski, 9. Wayne Sternbergh. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Frankie Kerr, 2. Shane Stewart, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Tyler Walker, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Scott Whitworth, 7. Robert Jackson, 8. Jim Moughan, 9. Eddie Lynch. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Frankie Kerr, 4. Stevie Smith, 5. Tim Shaffer, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Johnny Herrera. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (10 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Bob Weuve, 4. Jim Moughan, 5. Tommy Scott, 6. Randy Combs, 7. Robert Jackson ($200); 8. Eddie Lynch ($180); 9. Wayne Sternbergh ($150). (first six qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($8,000); 2. Steve Kinser ($4,000); 3. Danny Lasoski ($3,020); 4. Johnny Herrera ($2,500); 5. Tyler Walker ($2,300); 6. Jac Haudenschild ($2,200); 7. Donny Schatz ($2,100); 8. Kevin Gobrecht ($2,000); 9. Jeff Swindell ($1,800); 10. Brooke Tatnell ($1,700); 11. Andy Hillenburg ($1,420); 12. Lance Blevins ($1,200); 13. Tim Shaffer ($1,100); 14. Frankie Kerr ($1,050); 15. Daryn Pittman ($1,000); 16. Travis Whitney ($900); 17. Bob Weuve ($720); 18. Shane Stewart ($550); 19. Randy Combs ($570); 20. Stevie Smith ($550); 21. Jim Moughan ($570); 22. Tommy Scott ($570); 23. Sammy Swindell ($550); 24. Scott Whitworth ($550). Lap leader: Mark Kinser 1-30 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser WoO