'Down Under' Parramatta finale report

'The King' rules Outlaws 'Down Under' finale

GRANVILLE, NSW, AU (January 10) -- Steve Kinser showed why he is considered the world's best sprint car racer Friday at Parramatta City Raceway in the O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series' 'Down Under' finale.

"The King of the Outlaws" drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim to the 497th victory of his incomparable career to claim the $20,000 first prize.

"This is a great win," the jubilant Kinser said as he pumped his fist before the adoring sellout crowd. "After spending so much of this weekend searching for the right setup on this car, we dialed it in nicely tonight. My regular crew chief, Scott Gerkin, stayed home and it is tribute to these guys here that we came on strong when it counted."

Kinser won the First Heat Race, then earned the privilege of starting the main event outside the second row by finishing fourth in the Dash Race. The victory was Kinser's eighth in an O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series season opener.

Sammy Swindell, who followed Kinser across the finish line in Thursday's Preliminary Feature, earned $11,000 for his runner-up run.

"We had a strong car and I am really happy with our run here with a new team, driver and track," Swindell said. "To be up there so quick is great. We made a few mistakes in traffic there, and that was the difference with Steve getting by there in the end. I have loved my time here and I am pretty keen to come back again next year if you will have me back."

Joey Saldana won the Third Heat Race and passed four cars to finish third in the "A" Feature.

"The car was great and we had a nice hard tire on that really worked good up top or down low there," Saldana said. "Parramatta City Raceway put on one hell of an event here these three nights, and here is hoping we get even more of these American guys here next year to treat you guys."

Australian Kerry Madsen, who won both Preliminary Features, appeared to be on his way to a second-place finish before a front-end suspension failure with several laps remaining cost him two positions.

Donny Schatz, who won Parramatta's International Event a week before, finished in fifth place. Jason Sides finished sixth, ahead of Second Heat Race winner Daryn Pittman, 16th-starting Jason Meyers, 15th-starting Kraig Kinser and Tim Kaeding, who won the 2002 O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series season opener. Brian Paulus raced past seven cars to finish in 12th place.

Troy Little passed six cars to finish third in the "B" Feature, then raced into 14th place from outside the 12th row in the main event.

The O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series will open its United States racing schedule February 20-21 at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, AZ.

-WoO