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Tulsa report

KINSER SPOILS HILLENBURG'S HOMECOMING AT TULSA By Richard Day TULSA, OK (July 27) - A year ago, Andy Hillenburg won the most memorable race of his career at Tulsa Speedway. He fondly refers to ...

KINSER SPOILS HILLENBURG'S HOMECOMING AT TULSA By Richard Day TULSA, OK (July 27) - A year ago, Andy Hillenburg won the most memorable race of his career at Tulsa Speedway. He fondly refers to that night as his "Knoxville Nationals." Hillenburg, a native of nearby Broken Arrow, OK, appeared to be on his way to another unforgettable victory in front of his home fans Wednesday night when Steve Kinser spoiled his homecoming with eight laps remaining. Kinser, a nine-time Knoxville Nationals champion and a four-time Copenhagen-Skoal Shootout "A" Feature winner at Tulsa, took the high road between the third and fourth corners to pass Andy for the lead and cruised to his 22nd victory of the year. Hillenburg, the Ecowater Fast-Time Award winner, passed Tulsa's Aaron Berryhill for the lead from the outside pole immediately after the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event. But the start was called back when fellow Oklahoman Tommie Estes, Jr., brought out the caution flag with a first-corner spin. The red flag replaced the green within a lap after the race resumed, however, as Mike Peters allowed the #66 Trop-Artic Schnee to spin into the paths of Fourth Snap-on Tools Heat Race winner Johnny Herrera and Alan Walker. The front and rear bumpers on the sprinters driven by Jeff Swindell and Steve Beitler became entangled, and Stevie Smith suffered a flat right rear tire in the melee. The third start was the charm, with Hillenburg steering his #2 STP J&J to the rim to pass Berryhill for the lead. Kinser followed Andy to pass Gary Wright, and steered the #11 Valvoline Maxim deep into turn two to pass Berryhill for the runner-up spot. Wright and the 1992 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year traded third place during the second lap as the leaders started pulling away from the field. Hillenburg entered lapped traffic with a 10-car-length advantage seven laps into the race. Kinser was closing in on the leader two laps later when 1994 Rookie of the Year candidate Sid Blandford hit the second-corner wall and turned over, bringing out the red flag. Berryhill's #97 Custom Stainless Maxim suffered a mechanical malfunction as he was being pushed off to restart the race. After his crew made the necessary adjustments on the #97, Berryhill restarted the main event at the back of the pack. The #1 Bull & Hannah's Jenkins suffered damage to its front end and nose wing when Sammy Swindell hit Jac Haudenschild's rear bumper during the ensuing restart. Sammy relinquished 10th place as the #1 was pushed into the pits. As Wright and 1993 National Sprint Car Racing Poll Rookie of the Year Lance Blevins battled for third place, Kinser pressured Andy as the leaders caught the backmarkers midway through the race. The turning point in the "A" Feature came three laps later when the #2 suffered a broken lower shock mount on the right front. The unfortunate break hampered Hillenburg's ability to control the car, especially in the third and fourth corners. Ten laps remained when "The King of the Outlaws" noticed that the high groove was the fast lane through turns three and four. He and Andy had just lapped Shane Carson on the back straightaway when Carson almost passed them back between turns three and four. Two laps later, Kinser raced around Hillenburg as the leaders headed into the fourth corner. "The King of the Outlaws" ran away from the field as Wright challenged Andy for the runner-up spot during the final eight laps. He was 14 car-lengths ahead of Hillenburg when he took the checkered flag. "When Shane almost passed us back on the outside in three and four, I knew I'd have to try it," Kinser told the near-capacity crowd from victory lane. Andy was having trouble keeping his front end on the ground, too. "The track actually got heavier as the night went on. It got cooler, and the moisture came back up to the surface." Wright finished the main event in third place, while Blevins and Dave Blaney passed each other for fourth place five times during the final five laps. Rounding out the top 10 were Greg Hodnett, Mark Kinser, Shane Stewart, Jeff Swindell and "The Wild Child." Hodnett, the next-to-last driver to qualify for the "A" Feature, drove the #8TW Kele & Associates Maxim past 17 sprinters en route to the sixth-place finish. WoO 1994 WORLD OF OUTLAWS/COPENHAGEN-SKOAL SHOOTOUT Tulsa Speedway, Tulsa, OK; Wednesday, July 27, Feature Program #43 Qualifications: 1. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 15.772; 2. Aaron Berryhill, Berryhill 97, 15.778; 3. Gary Wright, White 9, 15.848; 4. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 15.924; 5. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 16.015; 6. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21L, 16.055; 7. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.105; 8. Dave Blaney, Luna 10, 16.114; 9. Tommie Estes, Jr., Gray 51, 16.130; 10. Terry McCarl, McCarl 27, 16.149; 11. Steve Beitler, Beitler 21, 16.159; 12. Shane Stewart, Stewart 9S, 16.190; 13. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 7TW, 16.203; 14. Kenny Jacobs, Motter 71M, 16.208; 15. Mike Miller, Miller 4, 16.209; 16. Stevie Smith, Veilhauer 12x, 16.236; 17. Sid Blandford, Blandford 31, 16.261; 18. Mike Peters, Grandstaff 66, 16.272; 19. Sammy Swindell, Gilliam 1, 16.303; 20. Johnny Herrera, Pack 4A, 16.373; 21. Aaron Lemmons, Lemmons 12, 16.521; 22. Alan Walker, Walker 21A, 16.523; 23. Donnie Crawford, Telford 55, 16.558; 24. Jim Carr, Carr 65, 16.574; 25. Charlie Frazier, Murphy 81, 16.582; 26. Joe Gaerte, Two Winners 9TW, 16.594; 27. Greg Hodnett, Two Winners 8TW, 16.632; 28. Shane Carson, Helms 12$, 16.636; 29. Gary Flatt, Bishop 9F, 16.878; 30. Tim Baker, Baker 2TZ, 16.926; 31. Glen Passmore, Passmore 11A, 16.962; 32. Earnest Jennings, Jennings 61, 17.371. First Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Sid Blandford, 3. Jeff Swindell, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Tommie Estes, Jr., 6. Charlie Frazier, 7. Aaron Lemmons, 8. Gary Flatt. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Second Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Mike Peters, 2. Terry McCarl, 3. Lance Blevins, 4. Kenny Jacobs, 5. Aaron Berryhill, 6. Alan Walker, 7. Joe Gaerte, 8. Tim Baker. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Third Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Donnie Crawford, 3. Jac Haudenschild, 4. Gary Wright, 5. Steve Beitler, 6. Greg Hodnett, 7. Mike Miller, 8. Glen Passmore. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Fourth Snap-on Tools Heat Race (eight lap): 1. Johnny Herrera, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Steve Kinser, 4. Dave Blaney, 5. Shane Carson, 6. Shane Stewart, 7. Earnest Jennings, 8. Jim Carr. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature) Vivarin Dash (five laps): 1. Aaron Berryhill, 2. Andy Hillenburg, 3. Gary Wright, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Lance Blevins, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Mark Kinser, 8. Dave Blaney. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature) B Feature (12 laps): 1. Aaron Lemmons, 2. Shane Stewart, 3. Greg Hodnett, 4. Alan Walker, 5. Jim Carr ($260); 6. Joe Gaerte ($235); 7. Charlie Frazier ($185); 8. Gary Flatt ($135); 9. Tim Baker ($130); 10. Glen Passmore ($90); 11. Earnest Jennings ($70); 12. Mike Miller ($60). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature) A Feature (30 laps): 1. Steve Kinser ($5,210); 2. Andy Hillenburg ($3,510); 3. Gary Wright ($2,510); 4. Lance Blevins ($2,210); 5. Dave Blaney ($2,110); 6. Greg Hodnett ($2,030); 7. Mark Kinser ($1,610); 8. Shane Stewart ($1,530); 9. Jeff Swindell ($1,410); 10. Jac Haudenschild ($1,310); 11. Kenny Jacobs ($1,110); 12. Stevie Smith ($1,010); 13. Tommie Estes, Jr. ($810); 14. Johnny Herrera ($610); 15. Terry McCarl ($490); 16. Aaron Berryhill ($410); 17. Shane Carson ($360); 18. Steve Beitler ($360); 19. Sid Blandford ($360); 20. Alan Walker ($380); 21. Aaron Lemmons ($380); 22. Sammy Swindell ($360); 23. Donnie Crawford ($360); 24. Mike Peters ($360). Lap leaders: Andy Hillenburg 1-22, Steve Kinser 23-30 Ecowater Fast-Time Award winner: Andy Hillenburg WoO*eot

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