Manzanita report 96-10-25

'Buckeye Bullet' Takes Western World Opener By Richard Day PHOENIX, AZ (October 25) - Although less than two weeks remain in his Skoal Outlaw Series title reign, Dave Blaney is still flashing the form that earned him the 1995 championship. "The Buckeye Bullet," racing at Manzanita Speedway for the first time since the Slick 50 Sprint Car World Series in 1992, led all 20 laps in the Preliminary Feature when the World of Outlaws opened the 29th Annual Western World Championships Friday. "It's been a while since we've been here," Blaney told the capacity crowd following his second Preliminary Feature victory of the season. "We've always had a good car here though. We did well in the Slick 50 World Series a few years ago when I started driving this car." Steve Kinser, winner of six World of Outlaws "A" Features at Manzanita, opened Friday's festivities by earning his ninth EcoWater Quick-Time Award of the year. His 15.485-second qualifying lap was the fastest ever run at the legendary semi- banked, 1/2-mile oval. Skoal Outlaw Series points leader Mark Kinser, forced to drive his backup car following the hot-lap session, was the second-fastest qualifier in the 52-car field. Steve and Mark were forced to start the Preliminary Feature inside the second and third rows, however, as Blaney and Andy Hillenburg finished first and second, respectively, in the Vivarin Dash. Hillenburg, winner of Tuesday's event at Southern New Mexico Speedway, steered his #2 STP J&J around Blaney as the green flag fell in the feature, only to have "The Buckeye Bullet" pass him back with a high move in the second corner. Blaney entered lapped traffic with a 10-car-length advantage as Sammy Swindell passed Steve Kinser for fourth place late in the fourth lap. "The King of the Outlaws" started making his way back through the field four laps later, however, passing Swindell then Danny Lasoski midway through the race. Hillenburg's right rear tire started losing air pressure early in lap 12, and Kinser passed him for the runner-up spot seconds later. Swindell passed Lasoski for third place and Mark started challenging "The Dude" for fourth as Steve raced to within eight car-lengths of the leader. The only caution flag slowing the fast-paced race was thrown with four laps remaining. Hillenburg restarted the race at the back of the pack after his crew replaced his right rear tire and eventually finished in 10th place. Although the engine in the #10 Vivarin J&J lost a cylinder as the yellow flag fell, two lapped cars restarting between him and "The King of the Outlaws" allowed Blaney to open a six-car-length advantage within a lap after the race resumed. Kinser made quick work of the backmarkers, but was unable to narrow the gap to less than five car-lengths. Although his engine wasn't at full power, Blaney raced away from the field during the final four laps and took the checkered flag with six car-lengths to spare. Swindell and Lasoski earned the other two automatic qualifying positions in Saturday's Vivarin Dash by finishing third and fourth, respectively. Completing the top 10 in the Preliminary Feature were "B" Feature winner Johnny Herrera, Jeff Swindell, Quaker State Heat Race winners Stevie Smith and Joey Saldana and Hillenburg. After qualifying a disappointing 24th-quick, Jac Haudenschild's crew replaced the engine in the #22 Pennzoil Maxim. "The Wild Child" responded by winning the Fourth Quaker State Heat Race and passing nine cars on his way to a 15th-place finish in the feature. WoO 1996 World of Outlaws/Skoal Outlaw Series 29th Annual Western World Championships Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, AZ Friday, October 25, Preliminary Program Qualifications: 1. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 15.485 (new one- lap record); 2. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 15.489; 3. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 15.740; 4. Danny Lasoski, Black 1Z, 15.763; 5. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 15.773; 6. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 15.841; 7. Randy Hannagan, TRH Racing 1x, 15.987; 8. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 15.994; 9. Kevin Gobrecht, Crown Enterprises 63, 15.998; 10. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 16.011; 11. Joey Saldana, Herrera 75, 17.023; 12. Joe Gaerte, Gaerte 3G, 16.032; 13. Craig Dollansky, Lindsey 2D, 16.121; 14. Stevie Smith, Motter 71M, 16.167; 15. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29, 16.172; 16. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 16.175; 17. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 16.201; 19. Marlon Jones, Oswalt 1J, 16.203; 19. Calvin Landis, Landis 70, 15.305; 20. Jim Carr, McCarr 7M, 16.310; 21. Paul McMahan, Roth 83, 16.321; 22. Greg Hodnett, Helm 11H, 16.381; 23. Rickey Hood, Herrera 45x, 16.420; 24. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.461; 25. Dion Hindi, Hindi 11x, 16.467; 26. Tony Smiley, Smiley 24, 16.487; 27. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 16.511; 28. Toni Lutar, Lutar 16, 16.521; 29. Terry McCarl, Holbrook 8H, 16.526; 30. Eric Wilkins, Smith 70S, 16.531; 31. Cary Faas,. Faas 37, 16.538; 32. Marty Wilcox, Wilcox 13W, 16.551; 33. Gary Wright, White 9, 16.560; 34. Ted Lee, Senior 44, 16.598; 35. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 16.647;; 36. Lindsey Casto, Casto 40, 16.655; 37. Wayne Bennet, Passarelli 48, 16.738; 38. Buddy Earle, Earle 95, 16.772; 39. Travis Cram, Cram 92, 16.837; 40. J.J. Yeley, Yeley 7, 16.955; 41. Victor Hensley, Hensley 51P, 17.013; 42. Scott Jones, Jones 13, 17.105; 43. Jay Burns, Burns 2AZ, 17.211; 44. Troy Rutherford, Jordan/Rogers 51, 17.221; 45. Steve Dunn, Lane/Dunn 14, 17.285; 46, Billy Wilburn, Wilburn 10W, 17.298; 47. Steve Bennet, Carston 91, 17.308; 48. Paul Norbury, Moody 11A, 17.354; 49. Fred Bryan, Bryan 77, 17.405; 50. Keith Watkins, Martin 21AZ, 17.606; 51. Keith Bryan, Bryan 426; 17.739; 52. Jim Bell, Jr., Stewart 3, no time. First Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Paul McMahan, 2. Craig Dollansky, 3. Dave Blaney, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Donny Schatz, 6. Gary Wright, 7. Kevin Gobrecht, 8. Dion Hindi, 9. Terry McCarl, 10. Steve Dunn, 11. Victory Hensley, 12. Fred Bryan, 13. Wayne Bennet. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Second Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Greg Hodnett, 3. Marlon Jones, 4. Andy Hillenburg, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Scott Jones, 8. Ted Lee, 9. Eric Wilkins, 10. Billy Wilburn, 11. Keith Watkins, 12. Buddy Earle, 13. Tony Smiley. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Third Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Joey Saldana, 2. Rickey Hood, 3. Calvin Landis, 4. Larry Neighbors, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Randy Hannagan, 7. Tyler Walker, 8. Travis Cram, 9. Cary Faas, 10. Brian Paulus, 11. Steve Bennet, 12. Jay Burns, 13. Keith Bryan. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Fourth Quaker State Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Jim Carr, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. J.J. Yeley, 7. Lindsey Casto, 8. Toni Lutar, 9. Marty Wilcox, 10. Lance Blevins, 11. Paul Norbury, 12. Troy Rutherford; 13. Jim Bell, Jr. (first five qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Dave Blaney, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Danny Lasoski, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Sammy Swindell, 7. Jeff Swindell, 8. Joey Saldana. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the Preliminary Feature) C Feature (10 laps): 1. Travis Cram, 2. J.J. Yeley, 3. Scott Jones ($110); 4. Troy Rutherford ($90); 5. Billy Wilburn ($70); 6. Paul Norbury ($60); 7. Victor Hensley ($50); 8. Steve Bennet ($40); 9. Keith Watkins ($35); 10. Fred Bryan ($35); 11. Jay Burns ($35); 12. Steve Dunn ($35). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Lance Blevins, 3. Randy Hannagan, 4. Kevin Gobrecht, 5. Toni Lutar ($160); 6. Terry McCarl ($135); 7. Tyler Walker ($110); 8. Dion Hindi ($85); 9. Cary Faas ($70); 10. Brian Paulus ($60); 11. Marty Wilcox ($50); 12. Lindsey Casto ($70); 13. Travis Cram ($90); 14. Ted Lee ($50); 15. Buddy Earle ($50); 16. J.J. Yeley ($70); 17. Gary Wright ($50); 18. Wayne Bennet ($50); 19. Eric Wilkins ($50); 20. Tony Smiley ($50). (first four qualified for the Preliminary Feature) Preliminary Feature (20 laps): 1. Dave Blaney ($4,010); 2. Steve Kinser ($2,310); 3. Sammy Swindell ($1,610); 4. Danny Lasoski ($1,410); 5. Mark Kinser ($1,260); 6. Johnny Herrera ($1,180); 7. Jeff Swindell ($1,110); 8. Stevie Smith ($1,060); 9. Joey Saldana ($1,035); 10. Andy Hillenburg ($1,010); 11. Randy Hannagan ($930); 12. Greg Hodnett ($710); 13. Joe Gaerte ($610); 14. Kevin Gobrecht ($530); 15. Jac Haudenschild ($310); 16. Marlon Jones ($310); 17. Lance Blevins ($280); 18. Paul McMahan ($260); 19. Rickey Hood ($260); 20. Calvin Landis ($260); 21. Donny Schatz ($260); 22. Larry Neighbors ($260); 23. Jim Carr ($260); 24. Craig Dollansky ($260). Lap leader: Dave Blaney 1-20 EcoWater Quick-Time Award winner: Steve Kinser WoO