Williams Grove National Open Preliminary Review

Eash Dedicates Preliminary Victory to Gobrecht By Richard Day MECHANICSBURG, PA (October 1) - Cris Eash has enjoyed a successful sprint car racing career. He was the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Rookie of the Year in 1987 and won an "A" Feature at Lincoln Speedway two years later. Nothing compares to winning Friday's Preliminary Feature at the 37th Annual Williams Grove National Open, however. "Wow," Eash yelled to the capacity crowd at Williams Grove Speedway. "I'm speechless. This is one of the greatest days in my life. My guys had the car working so good tonight, I think anyone could have won this one. I just wanted a Pennsylvania guy to win this one for Kevin Gobrecht. I waited all year to win a 410 race here at Williams Grove, and I just happened to do it on a night the World of Outlaws is in town. This one is for Kevin." Gobrecht, whose funeral in New Oxford, PA, attracted hundreds of mourners Thursday, suffered fatal injuries at NAPA I-80 Speedway September 24th. Eash, who lives in nearby Hanover, PA, was the 10th-fastest qualifier in the 47-car field. He won the Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race and followed 1996 Williams Grove National Open champion Lance DeWease and Fred Rahmer across the finish line in the Channellock Dash. DeWease won the five-lap race from outside the second row. DeWease burst into the lead from the pole as the green flag fell in the Preliminary Feature. Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Mark Kinser passed 1993 National Open winner Don Kreitz, Jr., for fourth place late in the opening lap. Eash was challenging Rahmer for second place during the fourth lap when two-time National Open champion Stevie Smith collided with Jeff Swindell. Although the crash bent his front axle and a radius rod while flattening his left front tire, Swindell's crew quickly repaired the #104+ Octane Boost J&J so he could restart the race. Eash steered his #17E E&G Classics sprinter into the low groove in the second corner to pass Rahmer as the race resumed. He caught DeWease late in the seventh lap, but was unable take the lead. Kinser passed Rahmer with an inside move in turn four late in lap nine, only to have "Fast Freddy" regain third place deep in the second corner the next time around. Eash won a back-straightaway drag race with DeWease midway through the 11th lap and maintained the lead throughout the final 9 1/2 laps. Kasey Kahne collided with Andy Hillenburg in the first corner one lap later around and flipped. Swindell's crew worked on his bent front axle again during the red period. Rahmer passed DeWease for the runner-up spot with an inside move through turns three and four as the green flag replaced the red. Kinser, the defending and two-time National Open champion, challenged DeWease during the final three laps, but was unable to drive the #5M Mopar Maxim into third place. Eash was 18 car-lengths ahead of Rahmer when he took the checkered flag. "I saw on the scoreboard that Freddy had gotten by Lance, and I didn't know if he was going to pressure me at the end or not," Cris said. "I have to thank Miller Brothers Chevrolet for leasing this motor for me. It's Don Ott's house motor, and it's really light and smooth on the throttle, and it made a big difference in how my car felt." Kreitz held off hard-charging Danny Lasoski for fifth place. Donny Schatz finished seventh, ahead of Greg Hodnett, Steve Kinser and 18th- starting Johnny Herrera. Mark Kinser received his 28th Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after pacing the qualifying session with a 16.940-second, 106.257 m.p.h., lap around the legendary, semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval. Oklahomans cousins Hillenburg and Lance Blevins had problems in their NAPA Auto Parts Heat Races. Hillenburg was running second in the Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race when the engine in his #2 Luxaire J&J lost power. He won the "B" Feature and finished 23rd in the evening's main event. Blevins wasn't as fortunate. After crashing his #21 PC Joey J&J in the Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race, Blevins finished 16th in the "B" Feature. 1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series 37th Annual Williams Grove National Open Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA Friday, October 1, Preliminary Program Vivarin qualifications: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.940; 2. Randy Hannagan, Hamilton 78, 17.182; 3. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 17.264; 4. Lance DeWease, Harz 88H, 17.402; 5. Cliff Brian, Dyer 461, 17.499; 6. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 17.460; 7. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 17.461; 8. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 17.466; 9. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 17.474; 10. Cris Eash, E&G Classics 17E, 17.478; 11. Greg Hodnett, Apple Motorsports 12, 17.493; 12. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 17.504; 13. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 17.561; 14. Don Kreitz, Jr., Kreitz 69, 17.566; 15. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 17.584; 16. Fred Rahmer, Hamilton 77, 17.625; 17. Keith Kauffman, Middlesworth 7, 17.638; 18. Johnny Herrera, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 17.662; 19. Kasey Kahne, Zematis 11Z, 17.695; 20. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 17.712; 21. Dale Blaney, Holbrook 8H, 17.739; 22. Johnny Mackison, Swope 65, 17.765; 23. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 17.766; 24. Dave Ely, Ely/Gilbert 77E, 17.787; 25. Todd Shaffer, Beam 88, 17.825; 26. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 17.826; 27. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 17.828; 28. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 17.840; 29. Jesse Wentz, Wentz 2W, 17.869; 30. Len Thompson, Thompson 10, 18.001; 31. Jimmy McBee, McBee 11M, 18.053; 32. Todd Gracey, Cooper 25, 18.108; 33. Dave Haight, Neiderer 10N, 18.131; 34. Shawn Keen, Keen 53, 18.144; 35. Brook Weibley, Weibley 32, 18.162; 36. Danny Jones, Creasy 8J, 18.212; 37. Mike Wagner, Wagner 55, 18.368; 38. Darren Eash, Eash 7E, 18.413; 39. Matt Wingard, Wingard 49, 18.491; 40. Chris Knopp, Knopp 6, 18.529; 41. Kevin Frey, Frey 2K, 18.628; 42. Judi Bates, Mourar 121, 18.663; 43. Billy Sims, Sims 55S, 18.919; 44. Mike Hudson, Hudson 1H, 19.802; 45. John Garrett, Garrett 0, 20.226; 46. Ed Fischl II, Fischl 40, 20.776; 47. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, no time. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Fred Rahmer, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Keith Kauffman, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. Jesse Wentz, 8. Mike Wagner, 9. Kevin Frey, 10. John Garrett, 11. Todd Shaffer, 12. Dave Haight. 2:19.9 (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Cris Eash, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Johnny Herrera, 4. Jeff Shepard, 5. Randy Hannagan, 6. Shawn Keen, 7. Johnny Mackison, 8. Daryn Pittman, 9. Darren Eash, 10. Len Thompson, 11. Judi Bates, 12. Ed Fischl II. 2:21.0 (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Don Kreitz, Jr., 2. Greg Hodnett, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Brooke Tatnell, 5. Donny Schatz, 6. Kasey Kahne, 7. Jimmy McBee, 8. Brook Weibley, 9. Billy Sims, 10. Matt Wingard, 11. Lance Blevins, 12. Brian Paulus. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Lance DeWease, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Cliff Brian, 5. Dave Ely, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Danny Jones, 8. Chris Knopp, 9. Andy Hillenburg, 10. Todd Gracey, 11. Mike Hudson. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Lance DeWease, 2. Fred Rahmer, 3. Cris Eash, 4. Don Kreitz, Jr., 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Randy Hannagan, 7. Danny Lasoski, 8. Cliff Brian. 1:31.6 (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature) C Feature (10 laps): 1. Brook Weibley, 2. Danny Jones, 3. Mike Wagner, 4. Brian Paulus ($125); 5. Billy Sims ($100); 6. Matt Wingard ($80); 7. Judi Bates ($70); 8. Ed Fischl II ($60); 9. Chris Knopp ($50); 10. John Garrett ($40); 11. Kevin Frey ($30); 12. Darren Eash ($30); 13. Mike Hudson ($30). 3:11.2 (first three qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Kasey Kahne, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Dale Blaney, 5. Johnny Mackison ($200); 6. Todd Shaffer ($175); 7. Jesse Wentz ($150); 8. Shawn Keen ($100); 9. Jimmy McBee ($90); 10. Dave Haight ($80); 11. Mike Wagner ($80); 12. Len Thompson ($50); 13. Brook Weibley ($70); 14. Danny Jones ($70); 15. Daryn Pittman ($50); 16. Lance Blevins ($50); 17. Todd Gracey ($50). (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Cris Eash ($5,000); 2. Fred Rahmer ($2,500); 3. Lance DeWease ($1,700); 4. Mark Kinser ($1,500); 5. Don Kreitz, Jr. ($1,350); 6. Danny Lasoski ($1,250); 7. Donny Schatz ($1,200); 8. Greg Hodnett ($1,100); 9. Steve Kinser ($1,075); 10. Johnny Herrera ($1,050); 11. Sammy Swindell ($1,000); 12. Tim Shaffer ($900); 13. Keith Kauffman ($800); 14. Jeff Shepard ($700); 15. Dale Blaney ($620); 16. Stevie Smith ($500); 17. Cliff Brian ($400); 18. Randy Hannagan ($400); 19. Dave Ely ($400); 20. Jac Haudenschild ($420); 21. Jeff Swindell ($400); 22. Brooke Tatnell ($400); 23. Andy Hillenburg ($420); 24. Kasey Kahne ($420). Lap leaders: Lance DeWease 1-10, Cris Eash 11-20 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Mark Kinser