Mark Kinser Wins Mother's Day Race at Tri-State
                            By Richard Day
    HAUBSTADT, IN (May 12) - Mark Kinser and Andy Hillenburg put on a
show for the standing-room-only crowd that welcomed the Skoal Outlaw
Series to Tri-State Speedway Mother's Day, exchanging the lead often
and taking the checkered flag less than a car-length apart.
    The $6,000 victory, Mark's fourth of the season, gave him a 30-
point lead in the World of Outlaws point standings over cousin and 14-
time series champion Steve Kinser.
    "I'm glad to finally win one here in front of the Indiana fans,"
Mark said after stopping on the back straightaway during his victory
lap to acknowledge the Hoosier faithful. "I've never won one here
before."
    Hillenburg, who won both the Fourth Quaker State Heat Race and the
Vivarin Dash, started the "A" Feature on the pole. He burst into the
lead as the green flag fell in the main event, and immediately steered
his #2 STP J&J into the high groove on the high-banked, 1/4-mile oval.
Steve was trying to pass Andy for the lead when their tires touched,
causing the #11 Quaker State Maxim to spin.
    The green flag wasn't out long before a first-corner collision
involving Jason Smith and Danny Thoman sent Smith's #6 Materials
Recycling J&J flipping. The third start was the charm for Mark, who
steered the #5M Wirtgen Maxim deep into the third corner to pass
Hillenburg for the lead.
    Mark was racing away from the 24-car field when Jeff Swindell took
the #7TW Gold Eagle Maxim for a spin in turn two early in the second
lap. Within four laps after the race resumed, Mark was six car-lengths
ahead of Hillenburg. He caught the backmarkers three laps later.
    Kinser's search for an opening in lapped traffic allowed
Hillenburg and Stevie Smith to narrow the gap by lap 10. Two laps
later, however, when the close friends exchanged the runner-up spot,
Mark increased his lead a half-straightaway.
    Mark's lead reached almost a full straightaway as the battle for
second place raged through the race's midpoint. Andy found an opening
in lapped traffic that allowed him break free of Smith during the 23rd
lap, but was still a half-straightaway behind the leader.
    Hillenburg, a World of Outlaws "A" Feature winner at Tri-State on
May 15, 1994, steadily narrowed the gap during the next two laps, and
caught a break when Gary Hayhurst, Jr., blocked Mark's path late in
lap 25. Kinser was trying to turn sharply through the first corner the
next time around when the car spun completely around. Although he was
able to regain control the #5M before his engine died, the incident
allowed Hillenburg to pass Mark for the lead.
    Kinser reeled in Andy within three laps, but as quickly as he took
the lead with a slide move in turn three, Hillenburg returned the
favor deep in the fourth corner late in the 32nd lap.
    Mark passed Hillenburg in turn one the next time around. This
time, however, he slowed his pace to keep the #5M from sliding out of
the low groove, allowing him to cut off any angles Andy could use to
regain first place.
    Two laps later, Hillenburg tried to slide by Mark in turn one, but
was unable to clear him. He let off the accelerator just in time to
avoid a collision, but was able to catch the leader one lap later when
Jac Haudenschild clipped the outside retaining wall right in front of
Mark.
    Kinser was heading into turn three during the white-flag lap when
J.C. Sulawske and Tim Montgomery collided and spun on the front
stretch, bringing out the caution flag and setting up a two-lap dash
to the checkered flag.
    Although Mark raced away from Hillenburg on the restart, he
bicycled in the first corner, allowing Andy to catch him. Anticipating
a late slide move from Hillenburg, Kinser kept the #5M in the middle
of turns three and four. Andy lost some momentum as he tried to pass
Mark in the high groove, but was less half a car-length behind when
they took the checkered flag.
    Smith was followed across the finish line by Johnny Herrera, who
finished fourth for the second straight night. Dave Blaney, who
started inside the 11th row, passed Steve Kinser late to finish fifth.
Brian Paulus, the last driver to qualify for the main event, held off
fellow Rookie of the Year candidate Joey Saldana for seventh place,
while Lee Dunn and 24th-starting Jeff Swindell finished ninth and
10th, respectively.
    Sammy Swindell's problems persisted, and only got worse as the
weekend progressed. After using one of his two provisionals Saturday
at Tri-City Speedway, the two-time Skoal Outlaw Series champion
finished ninth in the First Quaker State Heat Race and suffered a
broken front end in the "B" Feature when he crashed with Justin Via
and Ike Worthington. He was missing from the "A" Feature when he chose
not to use his remaining provisional. WoO
              1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series
                  Tri-State Speedway, Haubstadt, IL
                Saturday, May 12, Feature Program #14
    Qualifications:  1. Joe Gaerte, Gaerte 3G, 13.317; 2. Stevie
Smith, Motter 71M, 13.745; 3. Jerrod Hull, Hull 11J, 13.771; 4. Andy
Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.787; 5. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.876;
6. Danny Thoman, Hurst 76, 13.904; 7. Kevin Briscoe, Briscoe 5K,
13.925; 8. Tom Montgomery, Montgomery 32, 14.068; 9. Joey Saldana,
Roth 83, 13.948; 10. J.C. Sulawske, Hobgood 12, 14.115; 11. Mark
Kinser, Kinser 5M, 14.147; 12. Jim Carr, McCarr 7M, 14.164; 13. Brian
Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 14.169; 14. Joey Nash, Nash 86, 14.251;
15. Lee Dunn, Dunn 81, 14.261; 16. Ike Worthington, Worthington 88,
14.289; 17. Jason Smith, Gates 6, 14.296; 18. Larry Bland, Bland 2B,
14.309; 19. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 14.357; 20. Alex Shanks, Shanks
39, 14.366; 21. Danny Smith, Smith/Bodkins 00, 14.415; 22. Justin Via,
Vye 24V, 14.415; 23. Pete Abel, Holt 04, 14.416; 24. Tim Engler,
Engler 73, 14.422; 25. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 14.422; 26. Randy
Hannagan, Stanton 75, 14.427; 27. Gary Wright, Action Motorsports 9,
14.546; 28. Randy Kinser, Kinser 14, 14.584; 29. Dave Blaney, Luna 10,
14.635; 30. Gary Hayhurst, Jr., Hayhurst 56x, 14.859; 31. Larry
Trunnell, Trunnell 18, 14.689; 32. Matt Gilles, Gilles 22B, 14.722;
33. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 14.745; 34. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H,
14.762; 35. Van Gurley, Jr., Gurley 3B, 14.784; 36. Kevin Stepter,
Stepter 38, 14.870; 37. Kelly Kinser, Kinser 4K, 14.915; 38. Jac
Haudenschild, Elden 22, 15.031; 39. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW,
14.131; 40. Mark Cummins, Bradham 98, 15.185; 41. Nick Naber, G&N
Racing 6N, 15.386.
    First Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Danny Smith, 2. Jason
Smith, 3. Dave Blaney, 4. Tim Montgomery, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Brian
Paulus, 7. Joe Gaerte, 8. Lance Blevins, 9. Sammy Swindell, 10. Kelly
Kinser, 11. Nick Naber. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Second Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Larry Bland, 2. J.C.
Sulawske, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Gary Hayhurst, Jr.,
6. Randy Hannagan, 7. Greg Hodnett, 8. Danny Thoman, 9. Justin Via,
10. Joey Nash. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Third Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Johnny Herrera, 2.
Mark Kinser, 3. Lee Dunn, 4. Kevin Briscoe, 5. Jeff Swindell, 6.
Jerrod Hull, 7. Pete Abel, 8. Gary Wright, 9. Van Gurley, Jr., 10.
Larry Trunnell. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Fourth Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Andy Hillenburg, 2.
Tim Engler, 3. Randy Kinser, 4. Jim Carr, 5. Joey Saldana, 6. Ike
Worthington, 7. Alex Shanks, 8. Mark Cummins, 9. Matt Gilles, 10.
Kevin Stepter. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Vivarin Dash (seven laps):  1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Steve Kinser,
3. Stevie Smith, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Kevin Briscoe, 6. Joey Saldana, 7.
Tim Montgomery, 8. J.C. Sulawske. (finish determined the first eight
starting positions in the "A" Feature)
    B Feature (12 laps):  1. Joe Gaerte, 2. Danny Thoman, 3. Lance
Blevins, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Jerrod Hull ($210); 6. Gary Wright
($185); 7. Larry Trunnell ($160); 8. Kelly Kinser ($110); 9. Van
Gurley, Jr. ($100); 10. Joey Nash ($90); 11. Alex Shanks ($70); 12.
Randy Hannagan ($60); 13. Pete Abel ($60); 14. Kevin Stepter ($60);
15. Ike Worthington ($60); 16. Justin Via ($60); 17. Nick Naber ($60);
18. Matt Gilles ($60); 19. Greg Hodnett ($60); 20. Sammy Swindell
($60); 21. Mark Cummins ($60). (first four qualified for the "A"
Feature)
    A Feature (40 laps):  1. Mark Kinser ($6,010); 2. Andy Hillenburg
($3,510); 3. Stevie Smith ($2,510); 4. Johnny Herrera ($2,210); 5.
Dave Blaney ($2,110); 6. Steve Kinser ($2,010); 7. Brian Paulus
($1,630); 8. Joey Saldana ($1,510); 9. Lee Dunn ($1,410); 10. Jeff
Swindell ($1,310); 11. Joe Gaerte ($1,180); 12. Jac Haudenschild
($1,110); 13. Randy Kinser ($1,060); 14. Gary Hayhurst, Jr. ($1,010);
15. Kevin Briscoe ($710); 16. Danny Smith ($510); 17. Lance Blevins
($430); 18. Tim Montgomery ($410); 19. Jim Carr ($410); 20. Tim Engler
($410); 21. Larry Bland ($410); 22. J.C. Sulawske ($410); 23. Danny
Thoman ($430); 24. Jason Smith ($410).
     Lap leaders:  Mark Kinser 1-25, 33-40; Andy Hillenburg 26-32
            EcoWater Quick-Time Award winner:  Joe Gaerte
                                 WoO