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'The King' Comes Back Strong at Tri-City Speedway By Richard Day GRANITE CITY, IL (May 11) - It's tough to keep a good man down, especially when he has such a strong desire to win and he's racing at a track where he has enjoyed tremendous success. Steve Kinser was down and out of Friday's race at State Fair Speedway before completing even a quarter of a lap. His crash with Danny Wood ended his streak of seven straight top-five finishes and cost him the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points lead. "The King of the Outlaws" came back Saturday at Tri-City Speedway and showed the determination that has earned him 16 series championships, passing Brad Furr late in the 18th lap on his way to winning the "A" Feature.
"I feel a little sore today," Kinser admitted. "I'm just glad we kept it on all four wheels and didn't hit anything. It's good to come back here and get a win after crashing like that last night. I hope next time I at least get to make a lap at Sedalia. I've crashed on the first lap the last two times I've been there." Kinser, the first driver to win five Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series main events this season, has won 19 "A" Features at Tri-City Speedway. The $10,000 victory pushed "The King of the Outlaws" to within 20 points of first-place Danny Lasoski in the standings.
"I've run awful good here over the years," Kinser said. "I like coming to this track." Kinser, the fifth-fastest qualifier in the 28-car field, finished fourth in the Second Heat Race and earned the right to start the main event inside the second row by following Furr across the finish line in the First O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash. Furr drove his #2 Sanmina/SCI Eagle into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature and quickly built a comfortable advantage. He was 12 car-lengths ahead of Second O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash winner Paul McMahan when he entered lapped traffic six laps into the 30-lap race. A mechanical malfunction in the #5M Mopar Maxim forced Mark Kinser to coast into the pit area three laps later. Kinser, who won a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series main event at Tri-City on June 16, 1999, lost second place in the point standings with the early departure.
Kinser steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim to the deepest point in the fourth corner to pass McMahan for second place late in the 15th lap. "The King of the Outlaws" used an almost identical in the same spot to pass Furr for the lead two laps later. Kinser started separating himself from the rest of the field as McMahan challenged Furr for the runner-up spot the next time around. Randy Hannagan, who won the "B" Feature and started inside the ninth row, raced into fourth place during the first 20 laps. Joey Saldana rode the rim around Hannagan between the first and second corners the next time around. Lasoski started driving NASCAR Winston Cup star Tony Stewart's #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle toward the front late in the 24th lap. "The Dude" passed Craig Dollansky deep in turn four, then raced past Tyler Walker for sixth place in the low groove between turns one and two early in lap 26. He passed Hannagan as the engine in the #1X K&C Drywall Engine started losing power one lap later.
Furr slowed on the back straightaway as his engine lost a cylinder during the final lap. Saldana and Lasoski raced past McMahan, whose engine also malfunctioned. Kinser took the checkered flag with a straightaway to spare. McMahan and Furr coasted across the finish line in fourth and fifth place, respectively. Walker finished sixth, ahead of Dollansky, Tim Shaffer, Jac Haudenschild and Daryn Pittman. Donny Schatz drove his family's #15 Parker Stores J&J into 11th place from inside the 10th row. Lasoski set quick time for the sixth time this season, circling the semi-banked, ½-mile oval in 16.326 seconds, an average speed of 110.254 M.P.H.
The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will open its spring tour of the northeast Tuesday at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA. The series will also run a double-feature event at Williams Grove Speedway Thursday and Friday, then race at Hagerstown Speedway Saturday.
2002 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series Tri-City Speedway, Granite City, IL Saturday, May 11, Feature Program #18
Qualifications: 1. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 16.326; 2. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 16.395; 3. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 16.401; 4. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 16.473; 5. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.483; 6. Craig Dollansky, Karavan 7, 16.499; 7. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1X, 16.504; 8. Brad Furr, Furr Racing 2, 16.513; 9. Paul McMahan, Johnson U2, 16.578; 10. Blake Feese, Feese 1F, 16.583; 11. Stevie Smith, Helm 11H, 16.599; 12. Tyler Walker, C&W Motorsports 35, 16.628; 13. Jac Haudenschild, Forbrook 5, 16.680; 14. Daryn Pittman , Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 16.696; 15. Danny Wood, Parsons 6, 16.722; 16. Shane Stewart, Holbrook 8H, 16.752; 17. Jason Sides, Hunting Catalog 7S, 16.883; 18. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.943; 19. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 17.057; 20. Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10C, 17.285; 21. Wayne Johnson, Threat 29, 17.314; 22. Craig Keel, Potorff 9, 17.331; 23. Kurt Winker, Winker 10W, 17.559; 24. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 17.603; 25. Bob Bennett, Acme 3, 17.770; 26. Eddie Lynch, Lynch 29L, 18.365; 27. Steve Zelch, Jr., Zelch Z34, 18.539; 28. Wayne Barnes, Barnes 86, 19.676.
First Heat Race (eigth laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Tyler Walker, 4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Donny Schatz, 7. Randy Hannagan, 8. Bob Bennett, 9. Craig Keel, 10. Wayne Barnes. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jason Sides, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Daryn Pittman, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Brad Furr, 6. P.J. Chesson, 7. Jeremy Campbell, 8. Kurt Winker, 9. Eddie Lynch. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Shane Stewart, 2. Blake Feese, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Danny Wood, 5. Paul McMahan, 6. Tim Shaffer, 7. Wayne Johnson, 8. Brian Carlson, 9. Steve Zelch, Jr. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
First O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (five laps): 1. Brad Furr, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. Daryn Pittman, 7. Blake Feese, 8. Shane Stewart. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows of the "A" Feature)
Second O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (five laps): 1. Paul McMahan, 2. Craig Dollansky, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Tim Shaffer, 5. P.J. Chesson, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Jason Sides, 8. Danny Wood. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows of the "A" Feature)
B Feature (10 laps): 1. Randy Hannagan, 2. Craig Keel, 3. Jeremy Campbell, 4. Wayne Johnson, 5. Brian Carlson, 6. Kurt Winker, 7. Bob Bennett ($200); 8. Steve Zelch, Jr. ($180); 9. Eddie Lynch ($150). DNS - Wayne Barnes. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Steve Kinser [3] ($10,000); 2. Joey Saldana [5] ($5,500); 3. Danny Lasoski [7] ($3,200); 4. Paul McMahan [2] ($2,800); 5. Brad Furr [1] ($2,500); 6. Tyler Walker [9] ($2,300); 7. Craig Dollansky [4] ($2,200); 8. Tim Shaffer [8] ($2,100); 9. Jac Haudenschild [12] ($2,050); 10. Daryn Pittman [11] ($2,000); 11. Donny Schatz [19] ($1,500); 12. Stevie Smith [6] ($1,200); 13. Blake Feese [13] ($1,100); 14. Danny Wood [16] ($1,050); 15. Shane Stewart [15] ($1,000); 16. Jason Sides [14] ($900); 17. Randy Hannagan [17] ($820); 18. Wayne Johnson [21] ($820); 19. Craig Keel [22] ($820); 20. Jeremy Campbell [20] ($820); 21. Brian Carlson [24] ($820); 22. P.J. Chesson [10] ($800); 23. Kurt Winker [23] ($820); 24. Mark Kinser [18] ($800).
Lap leaders: Brad Furr, 1-16; Steve Kinser 17-30 WoO