Williams Grove preliminary report

           Kinser Wins 'Fun' Williams Grove National Opener

                            By Richard Day

MECHANICSBURG, PA (September 29) -- Ask any driver, car owner or crew member who has ever participated in a Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series event and he or she will describe sprint car racing's premier series as almost anything but "fun." Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Steve Kinser and Fred Rahmer admitted they enjoyed battling for the lead throughout Friday's Preliminary Feature at the 38th Annual Williams Grove National Open, however. Kinser edged Rahmer, who leads the Williams Grove standings, to win his fifth Preliminary Feature of the year. "That was a fun race," Kinser told the capacity crowd. "Any time you have a close race like that with a track that has a top and a bottom, it's a lot of fun. Actually, you could run around the middle of this place too, so it was really three lanes. "There's just something about Williams Grove. With the caliber of competition here, it's a tough place to come and win. It's so important now with the amount of good cars we have to get locked in (in the CHANNELLOCK Dash) and get as good a starting spot as you can." Rahmer, who won the rain-shortened "A" Feature at Williams Grove May 19th, had mixed emotions about Friday's race. "I don't think it's ever fun racing with the World of Outlaws," Rahmer said. "It's just so intense all the time. "I just got out-drove tonight. I had the fastest car here, but when you're racing Steve Kinser, it's a pleasure just to be on the same straightaway. My crew did a great job and gave me the perfect car. I just got out-drove. I guess we can be happy with second. Thank God we don't have to run time trials tomorrow night. Actually, racing side-by-side with Steve Kinser was kind of fun, I guess. All these Outlaw guys really get me pumped and get my elbows up." Kinser and Rahmer qualified 10th and ninth-quick and won the Second and First NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Races, respectively. Rahmer earned the privilege of starting the Preliminary Feature on the pole by winning the CHANNELLOCK Dash from inside the second row. Rahmer burst into the lead as the green flag fell in the 20-lap Preliminary Feature. Kinser took the high line around Vivarin Fast- Time Award winner Don Kreitz, Jr., for second place early in lap two. Kinser was gaining on Rahmer one lap later when Dale Blaney hit a spinning Dean Jacobs and flipped in the fourth corner. Neither driver was able to restart the race. Kinser, who has won 22 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series main events at "The Grove," challenged Rahmer and Danny Lasoski battled Kreitz for third place for eight laps after the red period. "The Dude" steered the #83 Beef Packers Eagle deep in the second corner to pass Kreitz, while Rahmer entered lapped traffic with a two-car-length advantage early in the 13th lap. Third NAPA AUTO PARTS Heat Race winner Sammy Swindell took the low line through turns one and two to pass Cris Eash for fifth place the next time around. Eash regained the position after Andy Hillenburg stopped on the front stretch with a flat left rear tire. Kinser kept pace with Rahmer following the caution period and steered his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the low groove between the third and fourth corners to take the lead late in the 16th lap. Todd Shaffer opened the track ahead of the leaders two laps later when he stopped in turn two with a flat left rear tire. Rahmer ducked under Kinser in the first corner and passed him, only to have the move nullified when Tim Shaffer stopped the #11H Vivarin Eagle in turn one with a flat left front tire several seconds later. Kreitz, Eash and Lasoski raced three-abreast through the first two corners and down the back straightaway on the ensuing restart. Kreitz maintained third place, while Lasoski took over the fourth position. Rahmer threatened to steal the victory with a low move through turns three and four as the leaders headed for the checkered flag, but "The King of the Outlaws" won with 2 1/2 car-lengths to spare. "I went up to the cushion on that (18th-lap) restart and I saw Fred go by me on the bottom," Kinser said. "Then the caution came out and I went back to the bottom on the restart. He wasn't going to do that again." Kreitz and "The Dude" earned the second-row starting positions in Saturday's CHANNELLOCK Dash by finishing in third and fourth place. Eash finished fifth, ahead of defending National Open champion Mark Kinser, Swindell, Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz and Sean Michael. Kreitz received the Vivarin Fast-Time Award for pacing the 53-car qualifying session. His 108.408-m.p.h. lap around the legendary semi- banked, 1/2-mile oval was .123 seconds faster than the previous record, set by Jeff Shepard July 27th. Jac Haudenschild drove the #22 fetchOmatic Maxim past 10 cars to finish in 12th place. WoO