WOO: Calistoga report 96-08-30 


     Swindell's Engine Problem Gives Kinser Calistoga Opener
                         By Richard Day
    CALISTOGA, CA (August 30) - Luck has definitely played a part
in the 1996 season for Mark Kinser and Sammy Swindell. While Mark
has parlayed his good fortune into a career year, Swindell has
had to persevere through bad luck to maintain a top-five ranking
in the Skoal Outlaw Series point standings.
    Opening night at the World of Outlaws' Fourth Annual Harvest
Classic at Calistoga Speedway Friday epitomized the season for
Kinser and Swindell. Sammy was leading the Preliminary Feature
with less than a lap remaining when the engine in his #1
Channellock Gambler jumped out of gear, allowing Mark to pass him
for the $4,000 victory. Ten other cars passed Swindell before he
crossed the finish line.
    The World of Outlaws' California tour opener also featured
the return of Jac Haudenschild. "The Wild Child," who sustained
back injuries in a crash at Lebanon Valley Speedway on August
6th, was the first driver to qualify. His first lap was the
fastest ever run at Calistoga, but Kinser set the record seconds
later.
    Although the #22 Pennzoil Maxim suffered a blown engine in
the Second Quaker State Heat Race, Haudenschild came back to win
the "B" Feature and finish 13th in the evening's main event.
    Kinser received his 34th EcoWater Quick-Time Award after
circling the semi-banked, 1/2-mile oval in 16.307 seconds. The
lap was .239 seconds faster than the previous record, set by
Steve Kinser last September 2nd.
    Although Mark put himself on the pole by picking the #0
inversion pill for the Vivarin Dash, Swindell beat him from
inside the second row. Their battle continued throughout the 20-
lap Preliminary Feature.
    Kinser and Sammy raced wheel-to-wheel down the front
straightaway as the green flag fell in the feature. Mark took the
lead by steering the #5M Wirtgen Maxim around Swindell high in
the first corner. Steve Kinser and Dave Blaney, who dominated
last year's Harvest Classic, passed Paul McMahan before the first
lap was completed.
    As the battle for the lead raged, Kinser and Sammy put eight
car-lengths between themselves and Jeff Swindell within three
laps. The leaders were entering lapped when Tyler Walker's power
steering malfunctioned, causing him to crash into the retaining
wall in the first corner. Haudenschild surrendered eighth place
when he took the #22 for a spin during the ensuing restart.
    Mark and Swindell raced away from the field again as the
green flag replaced the yellow, and were 10 car-lengths ahead of
Jeff within two laps. Kinser was eight car-lengths ahead of Sammy
when he caught the backmarkers midway through the race.
    Swindell, a Skoal Outlaw Series "A" Feature winner at
Calistoga in 1990, sliced through lapped traffic with ease, and
caught Mark early in the 13th lap. He took the lead with a low
move in the third corner two laps later as more family members -
Jeff Swindell and Steve Kinser - joined the battle for first
place.
    Mark made a run at the lead the next time around, but Sammy
was equal to the challenge. Steve caught Mark early in the 17th
lap, and passed him for the runner-up spot on the back stretch
seconds later. Mark returned the favor the next time around when
Steve had trouble passing a lapped car in the fourth corner.
    Swindell slowed as he took the white flag, allowing Mark to
pass him in turn one. The #1 appeared to regain speed as they
exited the first corner, but could only coast the final three-
quarters of a lap. Mark was six car-lengths ahead of Steve when
he took the checkered flag for his sixth Preliminary Feature
victory of the year.
    "The Buckeye Bullet" passed Jeff late to claim third place.
Rounding out the top 10 in the first preliminary feature were
13th-starting Andy Hillenburg, McMahan, Randy Hannagan, "B"
Feature runner-up Johnny Herrera, Stevie Smith and Second Quaker
State Heat Race winner Greg Hodnett. WoO
            1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series
                  Fourth Annual Harvest Classic
                Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, CA
            Friday, August 30, Preliminary Program #1
    Qualifications:  1. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.307 (new one-
lap record); 2. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.527; 3. Sammy
Swindell, Swindell 1, 16.677; 4. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 16.686;
5. Paul McMahan, Roth 83, 16.687; 6. Dave Blaney, Luna 10,
16.782; 7. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 16.896; 8. Joe Gaerte,
Gaerte 3G, 16.944; 9. Randy Hannagan, M&M Racing 2M, 16.955; 10.
Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 16.956; 11. Tyler Walker, Walker 35,
17.008; 12. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 17.051; 13. Andy
Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 17.119; 14. Joey Saldana, Stanton 75,
17.248; 15. Kevin Pylant, Pylant 14P, 17.384; 16. Bobby McMahan,
Lamar 3, 17.400; 17. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 17.418; 18. Sean
Fenn, Fenn 36, 17.461; 19. Jim Carr, McCarr Racing 7M, 17.463;
20. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 17.510; 21. Steve Coelho, Coelho
6C, 17.591; 22. Johnny Rodriguez, Orth 24, 17.623; 23. Jason
Lund, Lund 8L, 17.626; 24. Jamie Cobbe, McMillian 2C, 17.858; 25.
Greg DeCaires, Williams 0, 17.955; 26. Robert Walker, Walker 98,
17.955; 27. Brian Coelho, Coelho 5C, 18.081; 28. Toni Lutar,
Lutar 16, 18.205; 29. Rob Johnson, Johnson 2D, 18.239; 30. Erik
Folger, Folger 17E, 18.781; 31. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28,
no time; 32. Steve Kent, Toledo Brothers 3T, no time.
    First Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Bobby McMahan, 2.
Andy Hillenburg, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Mark
Kinser, 6. Johnny Rodriguez, 7. Greg DeCaires, 8. Toni Lutar, 9.
Jim Carr, 10. Johnny Herrera, 11. Brian Paulus. (first six
qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
    Second Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Greg Hodnett, 2.
Joey Saldana, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Tyler Walker, 6.
Lance Blevins, 7. Robert Walker, 8. Jason Lund, 9. Rob Johnson,
10. Jac Haudenschild, 11. Steve Kent. (first six qualified for
the Preliminary Feature)
    Third Quaker State Heat Race (10 laps):  1. Sean Fenn, 2.
Stevie Smith, 3. Randy Hannagan, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Dave
Blaney, 6. Steve Coelho, 7. Jamie Cobbe, 8. Brian Coelho, 9. Erik
Folger, 10. Kevin Pylant. (first six qualified for the
Preliminary Feature)
    Vivarin Dash (five laps):  1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Mark Kinser,
3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Dave Blaney, 6. Steve
Kinser, 7. Joe Gaerte, 8. Randy Hannagan. (finish determined the
first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature)
    B Feature (12 laps):  1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Johnny Herrera,
3. Kevin Pylant, 4. Jason Lund, 5. Jamie Cobbe, 6. Greg DeCaires,
7. Robert Walker ($160); 8. Brian Coelho ($135); 9. Toni Lutar
($110); 10. Rob Johnson ($85); 11. Erik Folger ($70); 12. Jim
Carr ($60); 13. Steve Kent ($50); 14. Brian Paulus ($50). (first
six qualified for the Preliminary Feature)
    Preliminary Feature (20 laps):  1. Mark Kinser ($4,010); 2.
Steve Kinser ($2.310); 3. Dave Blaney ($1,610); 4. Jeff Swindell
($1,410); 5. Andy Hillenburg ($1,260); 6. Paul McMahan ($1,160);
7. Randy Hannagan ($1,110); 8. Johnny Herrera ($1,080); 9. Stevie
Smith ($1,035); 10. Greg Hodnett ($1,010); 11. Joe Gaerte ($910);
12. Sammy Swindell ($710); 13. Jac Haudenschild ($630); 14. Sean
Fenn ($510); 15. Jason Lund ($330); 16. Lance Blevins ($310); 17.
Steve Coelho ($260); 18. Kevin Pylant ($280); 19. Johnny
Rodriguez ($260); 20. Greg DeCaires ($280); 21. Jamie Cobbe
($280); 22. Joey Saldana ($260); 23. Bobby McMahan ($260); 24.
Tyler Walker ($260).
    Lap leaders:  Mark Kinser 1-14, 20; Sammy Swindell 15-19
         EcoWater Quick-Time Award winner:  Mark Kinser
                               WoO
All information courtesy of MNI - Motorsport News International
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