HammerDown! Publications. Now on sale in the HammerDown! Store
Images
Yearbook Headlines - ...Yet another HammerDown! "work-in-progress" that we enjoy sharing with our readers. Please check back often, as each year will be updated further.
HammerDown! Publications
Kinser Wins With Last-Lap Pass at Lone Star Speedway By Richard Day KILGORE, TX (October 24) – Steve Kinser pulled of a last-lap pass of pole-sitter Donny Schatz Friday on his way to winning the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series “A” Feature before the largest crowd in the history of Lone Star Speedway. “The King of the Outlaws” steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the low groove in the first corner and slid in front of Schatz in turn two early in the 30th lap, then beat the 1997 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year under the checkered flag by three car-lengths. Kinser passed Schatz two laps earlier when the #15 Parker Stores J&J turned completely around in the first corner. Schatz kept the car moving, but the caution flag flew, allowing Donny to restart ahead of the 24-car field.
“The King of the Outlaws” took the lead with a slide move between turns one and two early in the 29th lap as well, but Schatz regained first place high in turn four, setting the stage for Kinser’s last-lap heroics.
“I think the caution came out a little bit early there, but we had a good race the last couple of laps,” Kinser said. “I could see Donny was in trouble there, and I thought I could get a good bite on the bottom, but I got off the turn too slow and let him by me. I should have gone to the top the first time and he would’ve never gotten past, but we made it work the second time. A win’s always good, and maybe this will give us a little breathing room for these last three nights.”
The $10,000 victory was the 25th of the season for the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series points leader, who opened a 153-point advantage on Danny Lasoski. The $51,600 event was the series’ first at Lone Star Speedway since 1986. Kinser, whose car suffered a broken rear end during his second time trial lap, was the 10th-fastest qualifier in the 31-car field. “The King of the Outlaws” won the Third Heat Race, then earned the right to start the main event inside the third row by following Schatz and Jeremy Campbell across the finish line in the First Dash Race.
Schatz burst into the lead as the green flag fell in the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ 66th main event of the season. Sammy Swindell, who won the first five “A” Features the series ran at Lone Star Speedway in 1984 and 1986, raced wheel-to-wheel with Schatz through turns one and two, but was unable to surge ahead. Daryn Pittman spun into 2003 Rookie of the Year Jason Sides in the fourth corner late in the second lap. Both Paul McMahan and Lasoski passed Tim Shaffer on the back straightaway for sixth and seventh place within a lap after the race resumed. Shane Stewart passed “The Dude” for seventh place with an inside move in the second corner two laps later. Schatz was 15 car-lengths ahead of Swindell when he entered lapped traffic seven laps into the race.
Kinser and Jac Haudenschild were battling for third place the next time around when “The Wild Child” jumped the cushion and crashed into the retaining wall in turn four. Craig Keel brought out the caution flag when he spun in the fourth corner late in lap nine. Kinser passed Swindell with an inside move in turn two early in the 12th lap, and was a straightaway behind Schatz when he entered lapped traffic three laps later. Jeff Shepard, who started outside the sixth row, drove C&W Motorsports’ #35 Eagle past Stewart, McMahan and Campbell during the 16th, 17th, and 18th laps to take over fourth place. McMahan and Stewart passed Campbell late in laps 20 and 21 to claim the fifth and sixth positions. Shepard took the low line through turn four to pass Swindell for third place two laps later. Swindell finished in fourth place, ahead of McMahan, Stewart, Lasoski, Joey Saldana, Campbell and Jason Johnson. Campbell’s ninth-place finish tied his career-best in an O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series main event.
Craig Dollansky, driving Karavan Motorsports’ #7 VMAC Maxim with the series for the first time since his May 17th crash in an Infiniti Pro Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, won the “B” Feature and raced into 11th place from inside the ninth row. Brian Brown, whose #6 Casey’s General Stores Maxim blew an engine during the qualifying session, passed 11 cars to finish 13th in the main event. Craig Keel raced into 14th place from inside the 11th row. Mark Kinser paced the qualifying session with a 104.235-M.P.H. lap around the high-banked, 4/10-mile oval. The 1996 and 1999 series champion lost fifth place in the First Dash Race when the #5M SABKO Maxim blew an engine. Kinser was forced to start at the rear of the field because he was late lining up for the “A” Feature, then dropped out during the eighth lap. WoO
2003 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series Lone Star Speedway, Kilgore, TX Friday, October 24, Feature Program #66
Qualifying: 1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.815; 2. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 13.952; 3. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 13.987; 4. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 14.015; 5. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 14.028; 6. Sammy Swindell, Roth 1, 14.036; 7. Kraig Kinser, Kinser 11K, 14.067; 8. Jeremy Campbell, Campbell 10C, 14.070; 9. Jac Haudenschild, Woodward 4, 14.070; 10. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 14.080; 11. Paul McMahan, Helm 11H, 14.115; 12. Shane Stewart, Chilcutt 4M, 14.135; 13. Jeff Shepard, C&W Motorsports 35, 14.155; 14. Jason Johnson, Harrison 22, 14.173; 15. Tim St. Arnold, St. Arnold 8S, 14.183; 16. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 14.203; 17. Jonathan Allard, Wright 35W, 14.177 (scored 17th after missing his spot in the qualifying order); 18. Jason Meyers, Elite 1M, 14.224; 19. Jason Sides, Sides Motorsports 7S, 14.260; 20. Craig Dollansky, Karavan Motorsports 7, 14.272; 21. Danny Wood, Grandstaff 66, 14.293; 22. Danny Smith, Smith 4X, 14.313; 23. Aaron Berryhill, Walden 97, 14.336; 24. Brian Paulus, P and P Motorsports 28, 14.439; 25. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 14.465; 26. Travis Rilat, Threat 29, 14.512; 27. Craig Keel, Pottorff 9, 14.817; 28. Johnny Herrera, Herrera 45X, 14.967; 29. David Forbis, Forbis 28F, 17.234; 30. Rick Holt, Holt 20H, 17.764; 31. Brian Brown, Parsons 6, 22.348.
First Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Shane Stewart, 2. Jason Meyers, 3. Jeff Shepard, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Jason Sides, 7. Brian Carlson, 8. Johnny Herrera, 9. Danny Smith, 10. Kraig Kinser. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
Second Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jason Johnson, 2. Jonathan Allard, 3. Paul McMahan, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Tim Shaffer, 6. Jeremy Campbell, 7. Craig Dollansky, 8. Aaron Berryhill, 9. Travis Rilat, 10. David Forbis. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
Third Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Daryn Pittman, 4. Joey Saldana, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Brian Brown, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. Craig Keel, 9. Rick Holt, 10. Tim St. Arnold. (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
First Dash Race (five laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Jeremy Campbell, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Shane Stewart, 6. Jason Johnson, 7. Mark Kinser, 8. Jonathan Allard. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows in the “A” Feature lineup)
Second Dash Race (five laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Jac Haudenschild, 3. Tim Shaffer, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Jeff Shepard, 7. Daryn Pittman, 8. Jason Meyers. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows in the “A” Feature lineup)
B Feature (10 laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Kraig Kinser, 3. Brian Paulus, 4. Travis Rilat, 5. Danny Smith, 6. Craig Keel, 7. Tim St. Arnold ($200); 8. Aaron Berryhill ($180); 9. Brian Carlson ($150); 10. David Forbis ($120). (first six qualified for the “A” Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Steve Kinser [5] ($10,000); 2. Donny Schatz [1] ($5,500); 3. Jeff Shepard [12] ($3,200); 4. Sammy Swindell [2] ($2,800); 5. Paul McMahan [8] ($2,500); 6. Shane Stewart [9] ($2,300); 7. Danny Lasoski [7] ($2,200); 8. Joey Saldana [10] ($2,100); 9. Jeremy Campbell [3] ($2,050); 10. Jason Johnson [11] ($2,000); 11. Craig Dollansky [17] ($1,520); 12. Jason Meyers [16] ($1,200); 13. Brian Brown [24] ($1,100); 14. Craig Keel [21] ($1,070); 15. Travis Rilat [22] (1,020); 16. Brian Paulus [19] ($920); 17. Daryn Pittman [14] ($800); 18. Tim Shaffer [5] ($800); 19. Danny Smith [20] ($820); 20. Jonathan Allard [13] ($800); 21. Mark Kinser [23] ($800); 22. Jac Haudenschild [4] ($800); 23. Jason Sides [18] ($800); 24. Kraig Kinser [15] ($820).
Lap leaders: Donny Schatz 1-29, Steve Kinser 30