World of Outlaws'' Joplin 66 Finale Report 2000-03-25

'The Dude' Completes Joplin 66 Speedway Sweep By Richard Day JOPLIN, MO (March 25) -- Danny Lasoski is a man on a mission. After finishing second - only 71 points behind Mark Kinser - in the 1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series standings, "The Dude" will accept nothing less than a championship this season. Lasoski opened a 48-point lead over Jac Haudenschild Saturday when he completed his sweep of the series' inaugural event at Joplin 66 Speedway. He swept two double-feature events last year. "I have to give this one to my crew," Danny said graciously. "It really came down to tire selection tonight. These Hoosier tires worked really well for us. Finishing in the top four on a preliminary night gives you the luxury of really being able to watch the track and see what's happening. "If we can just keep finishing in the top five and win a few, we'll definitely be one of the contenders this season." The $12,000 victory was Lasoski's third and his fourth top-five finish in the first five "A" Features in 2000. Winning Friday's Preliminary Feature gave "The Dude" the pole position in the Second CHANNELLOCK Dash. He won the 10-lap race for the right to start the "A" Feature inside the front row. Lasoski drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle into the lead as the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event. Steve Kinser, who also had Hoosier tires on his #11 Quaker State Maxim, took over second place with an inside move past Daryn Pittman between turns one and two. "The Dude" was a half-straightaway ahead of Kinser when he entered lapped traffic six laps into the race. "The King of the Outlaws" narrowed the gap to 10 car-lengths within two laps, however. Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Brian Paulus started making his way toward the front during the eighth lap. He steered P&P Motorsports' #28 Verdelli Farms Maxim to the rim of the high-banked, 3/8-mile oval to pass Fourth NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race winner Dale Blaney in the first corner, then took the high line around Craig Dollansky in turn three. The 1996 Vivarin Perseverance Award winner passed Sammy Swindell in the fourth corner the next time around, then raced into third place with a turn-two pass of Pittman three laps later. Dollansky and Lance Blevins, winners of the Second and First NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Races, relegated Pittman to sixth place with inside passes during the 16th lap. Blevins drove the #21 PC Joey J&J deep into the first corner to pass Dollansky for fourth one lap later. Blaney and Dollansky exchanged fifth place during lap 20, Dale taking the high line around Craig in turn two only to have a similar move push him back to sixth in the third corner. Blevins passed Paulus for third low in turn three the next time around, then Blaney and Dollansky raced past Brian in the fourth corner late in the 23rd lap. Blaney executed a daring move early in the final lap, steering the #93 Amoco Maxim deep in turn one to pass Dollansky for fourth place. Lasoski lapped up to 10th place en route to the 26th "A" Feature victory of his Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series career. The victory pushed him past Bobby Allen into 10th place in series history. Kinser climbed from sixth to third in the point standings by finishing second. Blevins tied his career-best finish by claiming third place. Blaney finished fourth, ahead of Dollansky, Swindell, Randy Hannagan, 17th-starting Johnny Herrera, Paulus and Fourth NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race winner Danny Wood. Paulus received the first Vivarin Fast-Time Award of his career after pacing the 47-car qualifying session with a 14.636-second lap. Donny Schatz used his second provisional of the season, and drove the #15 Parker Stores Maxim into 13th place from outside the 12th row. Haudenschild started at the rear of the field when Kenny Jacobs was unable to take the green flag and passed three sprinters to maintain second place in the point standings. The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will return to Texas for the Southern Bleacher Classic at Texas Motor Speedway Thursday and Friday. TNN will televise both programs of the historic $102,670 event live from the new semi-banked, 4/10-mile oval. WoO