Williams Grove report 98-05-22

Herrera Dominates Channellock Spring Classic By Richard Day MECHANICSBURG, PA (May 22) - They don't call Johnny Herrera "Hollywood" for nothing. He's earned the nickname by putting together the best performances of his career when The Nashville Network televises prestigious Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series events. Two years ago, Herrera raced with a damaged top wing, but led every lap in the $50,000-to-win Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway. TNN was there recording all the action on its Motor Madness show. Herrera couldn't have written a better script for Friday's Channellock Spring Classic finale at Williams Grove Speedway. He beat new World of Outlaws points leader Mark Kinser across the finish line in the Channellock Dash, then kept the #47 Casey's General Stores Maxim ahead of the two-time Channellock Spring Classic champion throughout the 30-lap "A" Feature. "I have to give my guys all the credit in the world," Herrera said. "We've been struggling with engines a little bit. We had a new one (a McCuen) flown in yesterday and it got the job done. "We've been good all year. We've had some bad luck here and there, but it was ours tonight. The car was just flawless." Herrera started the main event on the pole next to Kinser. He beat Mark down the front straightaway and never let him by. Stevie Smith, who led the point standings for four events before Friday, steered his #19 Ingersoll-Rand sprinter into the high groove to pass seven cars during the first 3 1/2 laps. He was in sixth place by the end of the fourth lap. Lance Dewease stopped in turn four with a mechanical problem late in the fifth lap, bringing out the caution flag and tightening the field. Kinser drove the #5M Wirtgen Maxim under Herrera in the first corner as the race resumed, but Herrera had the momentum in the high groove and won a back-straightaway drag race to maintain the lead. Herrera entered lapped traffic with a four-car-length advantage during the 13th lap. Smith and Sammy Swindell exchanged fourth place four times in the next five laps. Swindell steered his #1 Channellock Stealth into the low groove and took the position on the back straightaway midway through lap 18. Jac Haudenschild, Williams Grove's single-lap record holder, closed to within two car-lengths of the leaders in dense lapped traffic with 10 laps remaining. Herrera maneuvered through the backmarkers with ease, however, and opened a 12-car-length lead within five laps. Smith surrendered fifth place and the points lead when he stopped on the back straightaway with a blown engine midway through lap 27. The caution period set up a three-lap dash to the checkered flag reminiscent of the one Herrera faced Thursday when Kinser passed him and won the Preliminary Feature. Herrera controlled the restart, however, and beat Mark under the checkered flag by eight car-lengths to claim the $10,000 first prize. "On the last caution, I was thinking about last night," Herrera said, "but there were a couple of lapped cars I knew Mark would have to deal with. The Casey's General Stores car was working really good. I could run the top or the bottom, especially in turns one and two." Kinser, whose second-place finish gave him a 28-point lead over Smith in their battle for first place in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point standings, was gracious in defeat. "Johnny and Gil (Sonner) and the boys did a really good job tonight," Mark said. "I tried a lot of different lines on the track. I went up to the fence and down to the guard rail and nothing seemed to make up any ground. A couple of times, I thought I had might had a shot at him in traffic, but he was definitely faster than we were." Swindell passed Haudenschild with 1 3/4 laps remaining to finish third. Donnie Kreitz, Jr., finished fifth, ahead of Andy Hillenburg, "B" Feature winner Tim Shaffer, Steve Kinser, 23rd- starting Jeff Swindell and Danny Lasoski. Tyler Walker received the Vivarin Fast-Time Award for pacing the qualifying session with a 18.555-second lap. WoO 1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Third Annual Channellock Spring Classic Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA Friday, May 22, Feature Program #18 Qualifications: 1. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 18.555; 2. Donnie Kreitz, Jr., Kreitz 69, 18.567; 3. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 18.648; 4. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 18.652; 5. Lance Dewease, Dyer 461, 18.661; 6. Tim Shaffer, Apple 12, 18.690; 7. Fred Rahmer, Hamilton 77, 18.722; 8. Donnie Schatz, Schatz 15, 18.756; 9. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 18.850; 10. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 18.905; 11. Dale Blaney, Hylton-Blaney 93, 18.918; 12. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 18.926; 13. Cris Eash, Eash 17E, 18.966; 14. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 18.989; 15. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 19.010; 16. Kevin Gobrecht, Gobrecht 92, 19.024; 17. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 19.031; 18. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 19.049; 19. Sean Michael, Michael 88x, 19.049; 20. Todd Shaffer, Beam 88, 19.069; 21. Mike Wagner, Wagner 55, 19.119; 22. Dave Ely, Ely 77E, 19.237; 23. Todd Gracey, Cooper 25, 19.321; 24. Dion Hindi, Hindi 18, 19.378; 25. Daryn Pittman, Pittman 11P, 19.457; 26. Danny Smith, Brazier 21S, 19.511; 27. Jess Thomas, Thomas 77T, 19.514; 28. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 19.523; 29. Len Thompson, Thompson 10, 19.556; 30. Craig Dollansky, Stanton 75, 19.604; 31. Randy Wolfe, Wolfe 75W, 19.616; 32. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 19.637; 33. Billy Wilburn, Wilburn 0W, 19.640; 34. Shawn Keen, Keen 53, 19.717; 35. Bill Brian, Jr., Brian 16, 19.767; 36. Cliff Brian, Brian 16C, 19.888; 37. George Suprick, Suprick 87, 19.931; 38. Darren Eash, Eash 7E, 19.996; 39. Chuck Roan, Jr., Roan 22R, 20.151; 40. Steve Kenawell, Kenawell 66Z, 21.182. First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Tyler Walker, 3. Cris Eash, 4. Lance Dewease, 5. Jeff Swindell, 6. Daryn Pittman, 7. Mike Wagner, 8. Len Thompson, 9. George Suprick, 10. Billy Wilburn. 2:28.80 (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Donnie Kreitz, Jr., 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Jeff Shepard, 5. Tim Shaffer, 6. Dave Ely, 7. Craig Dollansky, 8. Danny Smith, 9. Darren Eash, 10. Shawn Keen. 2:35.53 (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Fred Rahmer, 2. Dale Blaney, 3. Lance Blevins, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Sean Michael, 6. Todd Gracey, 7. Bill Brian, Jr., 8. Jess Thomas, 9. Randy Wolfe, 10. Chuck Roan, Jr. 2:40.62 (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Kevin Gobrecht, 5. Todd Shaffer, 6. Brian Paulus, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Cliff Brian, 9. Steve Kenawell, 10. Brooke Tatnell. 2:39.28 (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Finishing 1-4 in Thursday's Preliminary Feature automatically qualified Mark Kinser, Johnny Herrera, Sammy Swindell and Jac Haudenschild for the first four starting positions in the Channellock Dash. Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Donnie Kreitz, Jr., 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Joe Gaerte, 8. Danny Lasoski. 1:38.53 (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) C Feature (10 laps): 1. Brian Paulus, 2. Randy Wolfe, 3. Shawn Keen ($125); 4. Billy Wilburn ($100); 5. George Suprick ($80); 6. Cliff Brian ($70); 7. Darren Eash ($60); 8. Steve Kenawell ($60); 9. Bill Brian, Jr. ($40); 10. Chuck Roan ($30). 3:29.66 (first two qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Sean Michael, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Todd Shaffer, 5. Danny Smith ($200); 6. Mike Wagner, 7. Daryn Pittman ($175); 8. Dion Hindi, 9. Brooke Tatnell ($150); 10. Len Thompson ($100); 11. Todd Gracey, 12. Craig Dollansky ($90); 13. Brian Paulus ($100); 14. Randy Wolfe ($80); 15. Jess Thomas ($50). DNS - Dave Ely. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Johnny Herrera ($10,000); 2. Mark Kinser ($6,000); 3. Sammy Swindell ($3,500); 4. Jac Haudenschild ($3,200); 5. Donnie Kreitz, Jr. ($3,000); 6. Andy Hillenburg ($2,500); 7. Tim Shaffer ($2,320); 8. Steve Kinser ($2,200); 9. Jeff Swindell ($2,120); 10. Danny Lasoski ($2,000); 11. Tyler Walker ($1,500); 12. Joe Gaerte ($1,400); 13. Dale Blaney ($1,300); 14. Donny Schatz ($1,200); 15. Cris Eash ($1,000); 16. Greg Hodnett ($1,000); 17. Lance Blevins ($800); 18. Fred Rahmer ($ 600); 19. Sean Michael ($620); 20. Todd Shaffer ($620); 21. Kevin Gobrecht ($600); 22. Mike Wagner ($620); 23. Dion Hindi ($620); 24. Stevie Smith ($600); 25. Jeff Shepard ($600); 26. Todd Gracey ($620); 27. Lance Dewease ($600). Provisional starters: Dion Hindi, Mike Wagner, Todd Gracey Lap leader: Johnny Herrera 1-30 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Tyler Walker WoO