World of Outlaws

I-55: Race report

'The King' Takes Points Lead with I-55 Victory. PEVELY, MO (April 12) -- Steve Kinser took the lead in the O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series point standings Saturday by dominating the $51,600 event at I-55 Raceway. Kinser, who led the standings ...

Published: Apr 14, 2003, 11:26 PM

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'The King' Takes Points Lead with I-55 Victory.

PEVELY, MO (April 12) -- Steve Kinser took the lead in the O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series point standings Saturday by dominating the $51,600 event at I-55 Raceway.

Kinser, who led the standings for 48 of 67 races while winning his 17th series championship a year ago, won every race he entered Saturday -- the First Heat Race, the First Dash Race and the 40-lap "A" Feature. "The King of the Outlaws" enters next weekend's double-feature event at Eldora Speedway with a four-point lead over 2001 champion Danny Lasoski.

"We'll take this one," Kinser said following his second consecutive victory. "We've been running good all year long. (Crew chief) Scott (Gerkin) and the guys have been working really hard this season, and this Maxim car's been running great."

Kinser, the eighth-fastest qualifier, was .294 seconds off son Kraig Kinser's 84.333-M.P.H. lap, which paced the 39-car qualifying session. Kraig was also the fastest qualifier the night before at Sedalia's State Fair Speedway.

"The King of the Outlaws" earned the right to start the main event on the pole by winning his eighth Dash Race of the season. Craig Dollansky won the Second Dash Race for the privilege of starting next to Kinser on the front row.

Kinser drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the lead as the green flag fell in the O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series' 12th "A" Feature of the season. Lasoski, who started outside the third row, passed Kraig Kinser and Brooke Tatnell during the first two laps. "The Dude" challenged Donny Schatz for two laps before taking over third place with an inside move between the first and second corners.

"The King of the Outlaws" was two car-lengths ahead of Dollansky when he entered lapped traffic six laps into the race. Dollansky raced wheel-to-wheel with Kinser through turns three and four late in lap 11, but was unable to drive the #7 VMAC Maxim into the lead. Kinser raced between Jonathan Allard and Jason Keith to open a 15-car-length advantage two laps later.

Mechanical problems forced Keith to stop in the first corner midway through the race, opening the track ahead of the leaders. Randy Hannagan hit the fourth-corner retaining wall late in the 23rd lap and flipped, bringing out the red flag.

Kinser controlled the ensuing restart and was half a straightaway ahead of Dollansky when he caught the back-markers again five laps later. A caution for Jan Howard's blown right rear tire tightened the field late in lap 30, however.

Dollansky, who found extra traction in the rubber collecting in turns three and four, kept pace with "The King of the Outlaws" as the green flag replaced the yellow. The leaders raced nose-to-tail with Lasoski only two car-lengths behind as they entered lapped traffic with 5 ½ laps remaining.

Tyler Walker lost fourth place early in the 37th lap when he stopped C&W Motorsports' #35 Maxim in turn one with a flat right rear tire. Allard, a fellow Californian, joined Walker in the pit area with a flat left rear tire.

Kinser controlled the final restart and claim the $10,000 first prize with seven car-lengths to spare.

"I didn't know how many laps were left when that last caution came out," Kinser said following the fourth victory of his career at I-55 Raceway. "I just knew I was glad to get an open track in front of me again. It's not a whole lot of fun when the track takes rubber, and I knew the only way anyone was going to get by me was in traffic."

Lasoski finished in third place, ahead of Schatz, Jeff Shepard, Tatnell, Shane Stewart, Daryn Pittman, Tim Shaffer and 17th-starting Sammy Swindell.

Mechanical problems kept Mark Kinser from starting the Third Heat Race. The two-time O'Reilly World of Outlaws Series champion used a provisional to start the "A" Feature only to have a tow truck run over the right rear of the #5M Durst Auctions/Williams Properties Maxim, severely damaging the car.

Jac Haudenschild was battling Allard for third place during the First Heat Race when he hit the turn-four retaining wall and flipped. Guy Forbrook and his crew were unable to repair the #5 MPD Hand Controls/Wirtgen America Maxim in time for "The Wild Child" to compete in any more races.

-WoO-

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