Manzanita Western World finale, Saturday, October 23rd

Schatz Sweeps Through Western World Championships By Richard Day PHOENIX, AZ (October 23) - Donny Schatz joined the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series elite Saturday. The series' 1997 Rookie of the Year completed his sweep of one of the series' premier events, passing points leader Mark Kinser in dense lapped traffic with 1 1/4 laps remaining to win the 32nd Annual goracing.com Western World Championships at Manzanita Speedway. "I'm glad to be here (victory lane) for the second night in a row for Parker Stores," Donny said. "I'm glad we're finishing the season so well. I'd like to get a couple more (victories) before it's over." Kinser entered the Western World finale with a 55-point advantage over Danny Lasoski in their battle for the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series championship. When Jason Meyers suffered a flat right rear tire ahead of him late in the 28th lap, Mark slowed rather than attempt a heroic move that might have cost him his second title in four years. "Jason blew a tire there right in front of me, but there was nothing he could have done," Mark explained. "We're being a little bit conservative here, and protecting our points lead. Earlier in the year, I might have tried to squeeze underneath him (Meyers), but Donny was the best here tonight and he won the race. We're just hoping to bring that championship home for Mopar Performance Parts." Kinser, who received 150 points for finishing second and leading the most laps in the race, added 10 points to his advantage when Lasoski finished in fifth place. With only Saturday's single-program event at Perris Auto Speedway and three dates in the Wirtgen Classic at Las Vegas Motor Speedway remaining on the schedule, Kinser can clinch the title by finishing ninth or better in the remaining races. Schatz, who ranks seventh in the point standings, joined Kinser, Lasoski and Sammy Swindell as the only drivers to sweep a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series double-feature event this season. "I thought I was going to run second," Schatz admitted. "Mark had a problem with that lapped car, but that's all part of racing. I was struggling a little bit there in the middle of the race, but the car got a little better there toward the end." Kinser earned the right to start the "A" Feature on the pole by beating Schatz across the finish line in the Channellock Dash. Swindell started inside the second row after passing Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner Joey Saldana, Steve Kinser and Johnny Herrera in the five-lap race. Kinser drove the #5M Mopar Maxim into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature, only to have Dean Jacobs spin in turn four. Mark burst into the lead on the second start, and was 2.1 seconds ahead of Schatz when he entered lapped traffic three laps later. Brad Furr's fourth-corner spin opened the track ahead of the leaders early in lap five. Steve Kinser, who passed Swindell late in the opening lap, took fourth place from Saldana with a high move into turn two as the green flag replaced the yellow. Mark was 1.9 seconds ahead of his closest pursuers when he caught the backmarkers again during the ninth lap. Schatz narrowed the gap to .7 seconds within two laps, only to have Kinser slice through traffic with ease and open a 2.3-second advantage midway through the race. Steve Kinser, winner of a record nine goracing.com Western World championships, lost fourth place with 10 laps remaining when the engine in his #11 Quaker State Maxim lost power. Tim Shaffer and Randy Hannagan pitted with brake problems during the caution period. Schatz kept pace with Mark as the race resumed and was only .4 seconds behind when they entered lapped traffic late in the 28th lap. Kinser was trying to lap Meyers when the right rear tire on the #14 blew. Schatz took the lead as Kinser slowed to avoid a collision and Meyers coasted into the infield. Donny was .53 seconds ahead of Mark when he took the checkered flag. Herrera finished in third place, ahead of Swindell, Lasoski, Stevie Smith, 19th-starting Jeff Swindell, Greg Hodnett, Andy Hillenburg and "B" Feature winner Jeff Shepard. Saldana received his ninth Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season after pacing the 37-car qualifying session with a 15.555-second lap. Shepard, Smith and P.J. Chesson had their crews replace their engines after the Vivarin qualifying session. Although none of them were able to start their NAPA Auto Parts Heat Races, they finished 1-3 in the "B" Feature. Ignition problems in the #21 PC Joey J&J caused Lance Blevins to miss his heat race. He wasn't as fortunate, however. His fifth-place finish in the "B" Feature kept him from starting the main event. WoO

1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series 32nd Annual goracing.com Western World Championships Manzanita Speedway, Phoenix, AZ Saturday, October 23, Feature Program #67 Vivarin qualifications: 1. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 15.555; 2. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 15.746; 3. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 15.795; 4. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 15.800; 5. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 15.808; 6. Greg Hodnett, Forbrook 5, 15.839; 7. Jeff Shepard, LL Motorsports 4J, 15.843; 8. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 15.881; 9. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 15.908; 10. Randy Hannagan, Holbrook 8H, 15.925; 11. James Chesson, Chesson 22C, 15.931; 12. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 15.962; 13. Paul McMahan, Johnson U2, 15.970; 14. Dean Jacobs, Holbrook 18, 16.005; 15. Calvin Landis, Landis 70, 16.014; 16. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 16.026; 17. Rob Chaney, Elden 22, 16.061; 18. Craig Dollansky, Dollansky 7, 16.168; 19. Brad Furr, Furr 2F, 16.205; 20. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 16.211; 21. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 16.268; 22. Jason Meyers, Carter 14, 16.269; 23. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 16.288; 24. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 16.412; 25. Scott Young, Young 1Y, 16.566; 26. Peter Murphy, Williams 0, 16.635; 27. Rick Ziehl, Ziehl 18Z, 16.659; 28. Marty Wilcox, Wilcox 3, 16.685; 29. Kaylene Verville, Verville 01, 16.737; 30. Jeff Slinkard, Stone 17AZ, 16.875; 31. Dan Williams, Senior 44, 17.080; 32. Jeff Branaman, Deal 16, 17.155; 33. J.R. Patton, Patton 86, 17.482; 34. Robert Hall, Hall 16AZ, 17.652; 35. Steve Dunn, Lane/Dunn 56, 17.994; 36. George Porter, Porter 99, 18.948; 37. Adam Young, Sussex 2A, no time. First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Daryn Pittman, 5. Rob Chaney, 6. Scott Young, 7. J.R. Patton, 8. Kaylene Verville, 9. Stevie Smith. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Calvin Landis, 2. Sammy Swindell, 3. Randy Hannagan, 4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Jason Meyers, 6. Peter Murphy, 7. Jeff Slinkard, 8. Robert Hall, 9. Jeff Shepard. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. James Chesson, 2. Dean Jacobs, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Brad Furr, 5. Dan Williams, 6. Rick Ziehl, 7. Steve Dunn, 8. P.J. Chesson, 9. Lance Blevins. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Paul McMahan, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Brooke Tatnell, 6. Terry McCarl, 7. Marty Wilcox, 8. Jeff Branaman, 9. George Porter. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) Finishing 1-4 in Friday's Preliminary Feature automatically qualified Donny Schatz, Mark Kinser, Johnny Herrera and Steve Kinser for the first four starting positions in the Channellock Dash. Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Donny Schatz, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Johnny Herrera, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Joey Saldana. (finish determined the first six starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Jeff Shepard, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. P.J. Chesson, 4. Jason Meyers, 5. Lance Blevins ($200); 6. Scott Young ($175); 7. Rick Ziehl ($150); 8. Marty Wilcox ($100); 9. Dan Williams ($90); 10. Peter Murphy ($80); 11. Rob Chaney ($60); 12. J.R. Patton ($50); 13. Kaylene Verville ($50); 14. Robert Hall ($50); 15. George Porter ($50); 16. Brooke Tatnell ($50); 17. Terry McCarl ($50); 18. Jeff Branaman ($50); 19. Steve Dunn ($50); 20. Jeff Slinkard ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Donny Schatz ($10,000); 2. Mark Kinser ($6,000); 3. Johnny Herrera ($3,500); 4. Sammy Swindell ($3,200); 5. Danny Lasoski ($3,000); 6. Stevie Smith ($2,520); 7. Jeff Swindell ($2,300); 8. Greg Hodnett ($2,200); 9. Andy Hillenburg ($2,100); 10. Jeff Shepard ($2,070); 11. Craig Dollansky ($2,000); 12. Brian Paulus ($1,600); 13. Joey Saldana ($1,500); 14. Dean Jacobs ($1,200); 15. Tim Shaffer ($1,100); 16. Daryn Pittman ($1,000); 17. Calvin Landis ($900); 18. Brad Furr ($700); 19. P.J. Chesson ($720); 20. James Chesson ($700); 21. Paul McMahan ($700); 22. Jason Meyers ($720); 23. Randy Hannagan ($700); 24. Steve Kinser ($700). Lap leaders: Mark Kinser 1-28, Donny Schatz 29-30 Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Joey Saldana WoO