World of Outlaws

I-55: Race report

'Wild Child' wins I-55 feature PEVELY, MO (March 30) -- Brad Furr's misfortune turned into Jac Haudenschild's first victory in 1 1/3 years Saturday as a record crowd packed I-55 Raceway. Furr was a straightaway ahead of Haudenschild when the ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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'Wild Child' wins I-55 feature

PEVELY, MO (March 30) -- Brad Furr's misfortune turned into Jac Haudenschild's first victory in 1 1/3 years Saturday as a record crowd packed I-55 Raceway.

Furr was a straightaway ahead of Haudenschild when the caution flag flew with nine laps remaining in the "A" Feature. After the #2 Sanmina/ISC Eagle suffered a blown engine during the caution period, "The Wild Child" restarted ahead of the field and beat early leader Tyler Walker under the checkered flag by a straightaway. It was Haudenschild's first victory in a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series main event since July 22, 2000, at I-55 Raceway.

"Brad (Furr) got by me there, then he lost a motor, so that was bad luck for him," Haudenschild said. "It was pretty tough out there -- the track was fast all night long.

"This Wirtgen car's been running good lately. We've been really close the last couple of weeks, and we finally got one tonight. This (winning the "A" Feature) really helps -- it gets your confidence up. We need that right now after the year we had last year. Guy Forbrook called me up and hired me this winter, and it was probably the best phone call I ever got."

Haudenschild, the fifth-fastest qualifier in the 44-car field, finished third in the First Heat Race and earned the privilege of starting the 30-lap main event outside the second row by following Walker across the finish line in the Second O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash.

Danny Lasoski, whose fifth-place finish pushed him into the series points lead, started on the pole after winning the First O'Reilly Auto Parts Heat Race. He drove the #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature only to have Walker pass him in the high groove between turns one and two.

"The Wild Child," who passed Brian Paulus during the first lap, took the low line through the first and second corners to pass Lasoski for second place two laps later.

Walker was 10 car-lengths ahead of Haudenschild when they entered lapped traffic early in the fourth lap. "The Wild Child" caught him within a lap, however, and passed him for the lead deep in turn two.

Furr found the high line between the third and fourth corners to his liking and passed "The Dude" and Walker there during laps seven and eight. Tim Montgomery took the leaders out of lapped traffic early in the ninth lap when a mechanical problem caused him to stop in turn four. Randy Hannagan and Danny Smith collided and flipped the fourth corner on the ensuing restart, bringing out the red flag.

Furr raced with Haudenschild down the front straightaway as the race resumed, and took the lead in the high groove between turns one and two. Furr caught the back-markers with a four-car-length advantage three laps later.

Paulus and Walker exchanged third place, while Craig Dollansky stopped the #7 Vmac/ Polydome Eagle in turn four during the race's middle stages. Steve Kinser, who has won three "A" Features at I-55 Raceway, took the high line through the first and second corners to pass Paulus for fourth place late in lap 19.

Furr enjoyed a comfortable advantage when Mark Kinser stopped in the second corner two laps later. Furr's engine malfunctioned and Paulus lost fifth place with mechanical problems during the caution period.

Walker kept pace with Haudenschild as the race resumed and raced wheel-to-wheel with him through turns three and four, but was unable to surge ahead. "The Wild Child" had a five-car-length advantage when he entered lapped traffic with 4 ½ laps remaining. Haudenschild raced through lapped traffic with ease and took the checkered flag with a straightaway to spare.

Donny Schatz, who started outside the fifth row, drove the #15 Parker Stores J&J high around Lasoski between the first and second corners early in lap 27, then passed Steve Kinser for third place deep in turn four as they raced toward the checkered flag.

"The King of the Outlaws" finished fourth, ahead of Lasoski, fast-qualifier Stevie Smith, Tim Shaffer, First Heat Race winner Blake Feese, Jason Sides and Dollansky.

Smith set quick-time for the second time in as many events, circling the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval in a record time of 10.189 seconds, an average speed of 117.774 m.p.h.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the Third Annual Southern Bleacher Classic at Texas Motor Speedway Friday and Saturday.

-WoO-

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