WOO: Calistoga report 96-09-01

• Richard Day
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Mon Sep 2 22:28:40 EDT 1996

          Blaney Gives Crew Chief Special Birthday Gift
                         By Richard Day
    CALISTOGA, CA (September 1) - Defending Harvest Classic
champion Steve Kinser had the tables turned on him Sunday when it
appeared he would win the event for the second consecutive year.
    "The King of the Outlaws" was leading the championship
feature by six car-lengths when Jason Lund spun in front of him.
With nowhere to go, Kinser slammed into Lund, sending Jason's #8L
flipping and mangling the #11 Quaker State Maxim's front end.
    Dave Blaney restarted the race at the front of the field and
led the final 16 laps for the $15,000 victory. "The Buckeye
Bullet" dedicated the victory to crew chief Kenny Woodruff, who
was celebrating his birthday. It was the second straight year
Blaney presented Woodruff with a birthday victory.
    "I have to credit my crew," Blaney told the sellout crowd
from victory lane. "They've been working hard on the Vivarin J&J
all weekend, and it was perfect tonight."
    The turn of events represent a rather ironic twist of fate
for the former World of Outlaws champions. After winning both
preliminary features in last year's Harvest Classic, Blaney
passed Kinser for the lead late in the main event, only to have a
caution nullify the move. Kinser returned to first place and
cruised to victory.
    Winning for the seventh time this season pushed Blaney to
within 354 points of Mark Kinser in their battle for the lead in
the Skoal Outlaw Series point standings.
    Mark, who suffered a blown engine during the hot-lap session,
started next to cousin Steve Kinser on the front row of the main
event. They raced wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway as
the green flag fell in the 30-lap feature, and Steve surged into
the lead in turn one. Sammy Swindell, who passed Blaney seconds
before, threaded his #1 Channellock Gambler between Mark and the
inside berm in the first corner to take over the runner-up spot.
    After challenging Mark for 1 1/2 laps, "The Buckeye Bullet"
passed him for third place with a fourth-corner slide move late
in lap three.
    Kinser opened a 10-car-length advantage within five laps, and
entered lapped traffic the next time around. Within a lap,
however, Swindell caught Steve in the third corner and Blaney
made it a three-car battle for the lead as they entered the turn
four.
    "The Buckeye Bullet" continued his run to the front the next
time around, steering the #10 Vivarin J&J through lapped traffic
and around Swindell high in turn one. By lap nine, Blaney was
challenging Kinser for the lead while Mark battled Sammy for
third place.
    Splitting a pair of backmarkers allowed Kinser to increase
his advantage to 10 car-lengths two laps later. More dense lapped
traffic allowed Blaney to close to within six car-lengths by the
14th lap, however.
    Kinser was threatening to run away with the race the next
time around. He passed Kevin Pylant deep in the third corner,
only to have Lund spin in front of him and end his night. "The
King of the Outlaws," a five-time winner at Calistoga, was
credited with a 23rd-place finish. "B" Feature winner Sean Fenn
sent the red flag flying again as the race resumed, flipping in
turn three.
    Blaney must have thought it was his birthday when the race
resumed. Restarting at the front of the field with a clear track
ahead of him, he put six car-lengths between himself and his
closest pursuers within two laps.
    "The Buckeye Bullet" slowed in lapped traffic with 10 laps
remaining, allowing Sammy and Mark to catch him. Swindell raced
next to Blaney through turn one the next time around, but was
unable to surge ahead.
    A quick move between a pair of backmarkers early in the 24th
lap allowed "The Buckeye Bullet" to increase his advantage to
four car-lengths. Although he was eight car-lengths ahead with
four laps remaining, Sammy cut his lead in half by lap 28.
    Swindell was right behind the leader when they took the white
flag, but a quick move past a lapped car in turn one allowed
Blaney to take the checkered flag with four car-lengths to spare.
    Mark Kinser held off hard-charging Californian Paul McMahan
for third place. Rounding out the top 10 in the World of Outlaws'
54th event of the year were Stevie Smith, First Heat Race winner
Jac Haudenschild, 11th-starting Jeff Swindell, Second Heat Race
winner Johnny Herrera, Andy Hillenburg and Joe Gaerte.
    The next stop on the Skoal Outlaw Series' annual tour of
California is San Jose Speedway, which hosts the fire-breathing,
mud-slinging sprint car racing teams Friday and Saturday,
September 6-7. WoO
            1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series
                  Fourth Annual Harvest Classic
                Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, CA
            Sunday, September 1, Feature Program #54
    First Heat Race (eight laps):  1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Stevie
Smith, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Greg Hodnett, 5. Lance Blevins, 6.
Greg DeCaires, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. Brian Coelho, 9. Steve Coelho.
(first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Second Heat Race (eight laps):  1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Paul
McMahan, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Joe Gaerte, 5. Kevin Pylant, 6.
Jason Lund, 7. Steve Kent, 8. Jamie Cobbe, 9. Robert Walker.
(first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    Third Heat Race (eight laps):  1. Randy Hannagan, 2. Andy
Hillenburg, 3. Bobby McMahan, 4. Johnny Rodriguez, 5. Tyler
Walker, 6. Toni Lutar, 7. Rob Johnson, 8. Keith Nafzger, 9. Sean
Fenn. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    B Feature (12 laps):  1. Sean Fenn, 2. Steve Coelho, 3. Greg
DeCaires, 4. Jason Lund, 5. Steve Kent, 6. Jamie Cobbe ($210); 7.
Robert Walker ($185); 8. Brian Coelho ($160); 9. Toni Lutar
($135); 10. Keith Nafzger ($110); 11. Brian Paulus ($100); 12.
Rob Johnson ($90). (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
    A Feature (30 laps):  1. Dave Blaney ($15,000); 2. Sammy
Swindell ($10,000); 3. Mark Kinser ($5,000); 4. Paul McMahan
($4,010); 5. Stevie Smith ($3,010); 6. Jac Haudenschild ($2,510);
7. Jeff Swindell ($2,010); 8. Johnny Herrera ($1,910); 9. Andy
Hillenburg ($1,810); 10. Joe Gaerte ($1,760); 11. Greg Hodnett
($1,610); 12. Randy Hannagan ($1,510); 13. Bobby McMahan
($1,310); 14. Joey Saldana ($1,210); 15. Tyler Walker ($1,110);
16. Lance Blevins ($1,010); 17. Kevin Pylant ($810); 18. Jason
Lund ($630); 19. Steve Kent ($530); 20. Greg DeCaires ($530); 21.
Johnny Rodriguez ($510); 22. Steve Coelho ($530); 23. Steve
Kinser ($500); 24. Sean Fenn ($530).
       Lap leaders:  Steve Kinser 1-14, Dave Blaney 15-30
                               WoO