WOO: LaSalle report 96-07-12 


            Sammy Swindell Emerges as LaSalle Winner
                         By Richard Day
    LASALLE, IL (July 12) - Racing at their fourth different
track in as many nights, the Skoal Outlaw Series' fire-breathing,
mud-slinging sprint car teams treated the capacity crowd at
LaSalle Speedway to an amazing event Friday.
    After Mark Kinser chopped more than three-quarters of a
second off LaSalle's previous one-lap record, five lead changes
by three different drivers in the "A" Feature produced one of the
most exciting races in World of Outlaws history.
    Rookie of the Year candidate Lance Blevins won the Vivarin
Dash and led the first 12 laps of the main event. Then Stevie
Smith and Dave Blaney exchanged first place three times before
Sammy Swindell led the final 16 laps for his fifth "A" Feature
victory of the season.
    Kinser, the leader in the series' point standings, circled
LaSalle's high-banked, 1/4-mile oval in 10.945 seconds. As the
fastest of 20 drivers bettering the previous one-lap standard, he
received the EcoWater Quick-Time Award. Mark, who led the series
with 22 quick-times in 1995, already has 23 at this season's
midpoint.
    Blevins earned the right to start the 40-lap main event on
the pole by executing a last-lap pass of Steve Kinser in turn
two in the Vivarin Dash. He burst into the lead as the green flag
fell and was three car-lengths ahead of his closest pursuers when
Swindell passed Steve Kinser for second place late in lap two.
    Blevins saw his five-car-length advantage disintegrate three
laps later when Brian Paulus, Dion Hindi and Jim Carr collided in
the third corner, bringing out the caution flag.
    The #11 Quaker State Maxim started suffering handling
problems soon after the green flag replaced the yellow, allowing
Blaney, "B" Feature winner Andy Hillenburg and Smith to relegate
"The King of the Outlaws" to sixth place within two laps.
    Blevins' bid to build a comfortable margin was thwarted again
when Third Quaker State Heat Race winner Joey Saldana, Jac
Haudenschild, Kim Mock and Paulus spun to a stop early in the
ninth lap.
    Swindell came within an eyelash of bringing out the caution
flag and being sent to the rear of the field three laps later. As
he slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision in turn four, the
engine in his #1 ChannelLock Gambler almost died, allowing Smith
and Blaney to pass him on both sides.
    "I was just following Lance into the low groove and I almost
killed the engine," Swindell said of the incident. "I wasn't sure
if we could recover after Blaney and Stevie passed me, but things
worked out for us."
    The 13th lap proved unlucky Blevins. Smith caught him early
in the lap, and steered the #71M EcoWater Systems Maxim around
him in turn four to take the lead. Blaney replaced Blevins in the
runner-up spot the next time around. Two laps later, after being
passed by Swindell and Hillenburg, Lance steered the #21 Citgo
J&J into the high groove. Unfortunately, he jumped the cushion,
hit the wall and flipped in the third corner.
    Blaney, winner of the Skoal Outlaw Series "A" Feature at
LaSalle last July 14th, took the low line into turn three to pass
Smith for the lead as the race resumed. After exchanging first
place with Smith during the 17th and 18th laps, "The Buckeye
Bullet" opened a six-car-length advantage while Swindell and
Hillenburg exchanged third place during the race's middle stages.
    Sammy started making his run toward the front early in the
22nd lap. He took the high road around Smith in turn two for the
runner-up spot, then out-dragged Blaney down the back stretch
into first place as the leaders entered lapped traffic two laps
later. Swindell was eight car-lengths ahead of Blaney by lap 26.
    As Steve Kinser's handling problems worsened, he dropped back
to 11th place with a near-spin early in the 27th lap. At the same
time, cousin Mark was racing back through the field, reaching
sixth place with 12 laps remaining. Then he drove the #5M Wirtgen
Maxim past First Quaker State Heat Race winner Johnny Herrera and
Knoxville Raceway points leader Danny Lasoski during the next two
laps to take over fourth place. He passed Smith late in lap 35 to
claim third place for the third time in as many nights.
    Sammy was a full straightaway ahead of Blaney with nine laps
remaining, only to have "The Buckeye Bullet" cut it in half
within three laps. Blaney narrowed the gap even more in heavy
lapped traffic during the final two laps, but was two car-lengths
behind when Swindell took the checkered flag.
    Smith held off a late charge by Jeff Swindell to finish
fourth. Rounding out the top 10 in the World of Outlaws' 37th
event of the year were Herrera, Lasoski, Hillenburg, Greg Hodnett
and Joe Gaerte. WoO
            1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series
                  LaSalle Speedway, LaSalle, IL
              Friday, July 12, Feature Program #37
    Qualifications:  1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 10.945 (new one-
lap record); 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 11.137; 3. Danny
Lasoski, Black 1L, 11.148; 4. Jim Carr, McCarr 7M, 11.190; 5.
Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 11.243; 6. Steve Kinser, Kinser
11, 11.281; 7. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 11.333; 8. Stevie
Smith, Motter 71M, 11.360; 9. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 11.362; 10.
Joe Gaerte, Gaerte 3G, 11.469; 11. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H,
11.480; 12. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 11.495; 13. Dennis
Moore, Jr., Cahill 7, 11.503; 14. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22,
11.601; 15. Joey Saldana, Stanton 75, 11.603; 16. Johnny Herrera,
Sonner 47, 11.611; 17. Travis Cram, Cram 92, 11.679; 18. Terry
Babb, Babb 3x, 11.680; 19. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28,
11.688; 20. Todd Hepfner, Hepfner 20H, 11.732; 21. Donny Schatz,
Schatz 15, 11.792; 22. Steve Beitler, Beitler 21B, 11.810; 23.
Shawn Moore, Moore 2x, 11.830; 24. Dion Hindi, Hindi 11H, 11.883;
25. Troy Hepfner, Hastings 82, 11.900; 26. Kim Mock, Mock 50,
12.005; 27. Bill Waite, Jr., Waite 3JR, 12.045; 28. John Hajduk,
Hajduk 21H, 12.190; 29. Tommy Rockwell, Rockwell 95, 12.239; 30.
Tim Moore, Elsbury 10T, 13.196.
    First Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Johnny Herrera,
2. Joe Gaerte, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Lance Blevins, 5. Dennis Moore,
Jr., 6. Jim Carr, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. John Hajduk, 9. Troy
Hepfner, 10. Steve Beitler. (first six qualified for the "A"
Feature)
    Second Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Sammy Swindell,
2. Greg Hodnett, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Jac Haudenschild, 5. Kim
Mock, 6. Todd Hepfner, 7. Shawn Moore, 8. Tommy Rockwell, 9.
Travis Cram, 10. Andy Hillenburg. (first six qualified for the
"A" Feature)
    Third Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Joey Saldana, 2.
Jeff Swindell, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Dave Blaney, 5. Danny Lasoski,
6. Terry Babb, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Bill Waite, Jr., 9. Dion
Hindi, 10. Tim Moore. (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Vivarin Dash (seven laps):  1. Lance Blevins, 2. Steve
Kinser, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6.
Stevie Smith, 7. Dave Blaney, 8. Jim Carr. (finish determined the
first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)
    B Feature (12 laps):  1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Donny Schatz, 3.
Travis Cram, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Steve Beitler, 6. Dion Hindi, 7.
Bill Waite, Jr. ($210); 8. Tommy Rockwell ($185); 9. Shawn Moore
($160); 10. Tim Moore ($110); 11. Troy Hepfner ($100); 12. John
Hajduk ($90). (first six qualified for the "A" Feature)
    A Feature (40 laps):  1. Sammy Swindell ($6,010); 2. Dave
Blaney ($3,510); 3. Mark Kinser ($2,510); 4. Stevie Smith
($2,210); 5. Jeff Swindell ($2,110); 6. Johnny Herrera ($2,010);
7. Danny Lasoski ($1,610); 8. Andy Hillenburg ($1,530); 9. Greg
Hodnett ($1,410); 10. Joe Gaerte ($1,310); 11. Kim Mock ($1,160);
12. Steve Kinser ($1,110); 13. Joey Saldana ($1,060); 14. Travis
Cram ($1,030); 15. Donny Schatz ($730); 16. Jac Haudenschild
($510); 17. Steve Beitler ($430); 18. Brian Paulus ($430); 19.
Dennis Moore, Jr. ($410); 20. Terry Babb ($410); 21. Todd Hepfner
($410); 22. Lance Blevins ($410); 23. Jim Carr ($410); 24. Dion
Hindi ($430).
      Lap leaders:  Lance Blevins 1-12; Stevie Smith 13-15,
         17; Dave Blaney 16, 18-24; Sammy Swindell 25-40
         EcoWater Quick-Time Award winner:  Mark Kinser
                               WoO
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