World of Outlaws

Delaware: Race report

'King of the Outlaws' christens Delaware International Speedway DELMAR, DE (May 13) -- Visiting a racing facility for the first time has never bothered Steve Kinser. When "The King of the Outlaws" won Tuesday's O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series ...

Published: May 15, 2003, 11:45 PM

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'King of the Outlaws' christens Delaware International Speedway

DELMAR, DE (May 13) -- Visiting a racing facility for the first time has never bothered Steve Kinser.

When "The King of the Outlaws" won Tuesday's O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series "A" Feature before a record crowd at Delaware International Speedway, it was the 55th time in his career he has won when the series christened a new track. The defending and 17-time champion passed front-row starter Joey Saldana early in the 17th lap on his way to the $10,000 victory.

"We got to squirting off of turn two pretty good and Joey was a little loose there, and it gave us a chance to get by," Kinser said following the 477th victory of his career. "Passing's pretty tough here, but we got the job done and that's all that matters. I almost got by him a couple of other times, but I had to wait until I could clear him getting off of turn two. I wasn't going to run in there underneath him in turn three and lose too much speed.

"Danny (Lasoski, the O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series points leader) and I have both been running pretty good all year long. He got on a hot streak the last couple of weeks on the big half-miles, and that's usually where we run pretty good -- but we ran second to him a lot the past few weeks."

Kinser's sixth "A" Feature victory of the season pushed him to within 49 points of "The Dude," who finished in fourth place.

Kinser, the seventh-fastest qualifier, was .012 seconds faster than Saldana in time trials. They won their Dash Races for the right to start the 30-lap main event on the front row.

Paul McMahan, driving the #11H Vivarin Maxim for only the fifth time, spun in the second corner as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. Saldana, who flipped during hot-laps, raced wheel-to-wheel with "The King of the Outlaws" down the front straightaway, and surged ahead in turn one. Justin Collett stopped in the second corner with mechanical problems the next time around.

Brian Paulus, who started outside the fourth row, drove P and P Motorsports' #28 Verdelli Farms Maxim into the high groove in turn four to pass Todd Shaffer for seventh place as the race resumed.

Saldana was .9 seconds ahead of Kinser when he entered lapped traffic during the fifth lap. "The King of the Outlaws" raced down the back stretch with Saldana nine laps later, but couldn't drive his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the lead.

Kinser battled Saldana for three more laps before passing him deep in the second corner early in lap 17. The defending and 17-time O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series champion opened a 1.7-second within three laps.

Deric Parker's turn-three spin took the leaders out of lapped traffic late in the 21st lap. Lance Dewease surrendered fourth place during the caution period when he coasted into the pit area with a blown engine.

Bob Bennett spun over the bank in the fourth corner late in lap 24. After pitting with oil line problems while the yellow flag waved, Shaffer dropped out of the race two laps later.

Kinser controlled the final restart, and took the checkered flag with 1.3 seconds to spare after catching the back-markers with a quarter-lap remaining.

Greg Hodnett finished in third place, ahead of Lasoski, fast qualifier Daryn Pittman, 13th-starting Donny Schatz, First Heat Race winner Craig Dollansky, Fred Rahmer, Paulus and McMahan.

Jason Sides, whose crew replaced the engine in the #7S Aramark Uniform Services Maxim following the hot-lap session, tightened his grip on the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year award by finishing 11th.

Pittman paced the qualifying session for the first time this season, driving Sher-Don Motorsports' #21 Hop & Sack J&J around the slightly-banked, ½-mile oval in 15.677 seconds, an average speed of 114.818 M.P.H.

-WoO

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