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SANTA MARIA, CA (September 13) - It isn't often anybody has what it takes to beat the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' fire- breathing, mud-slinging sprint car racers.

Before Saturday, 5 1/2 years had passed since a California driver stood in victory lane following a World of Outlaws race. Brent Kaeding, the "King of California" and perennial Northern Auto Racing Club champion, was the winner both times - in the 1991 Mini Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway and at Santa Maria Speedway Saturday.

"I'm just glad we could win one for the California guys," Kaeding said. "These Outlaws get tougher and more professional every year, and it's hard for a local guy to keep up.

"This win is a big boost for our entire team, but we still have to go to Chico (for the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway) next week (Thursday through Saturday). It's going to be even tougher there, so right now we're just worried about making the field."

Kaeding and the #2M M&M Racing Gambler were the class of the 35-car field for most of the World of Outlaws' 60th event of the season. He paced the qualifying session with a 102.076-m.p.h. lap around Santa Maria's high-banked, 1/3-mile oval and received the Channellock Fast-Time Award. He followed Mark Kinser across the finish line in the Vivarin Dash for the right to start the 40-lap "A" Feature outside the front row.

"BK" burst into the lead with a high move in turn four as the green flag fell in the main event. Kinser challenged Kaeding for first place and chased him into lapped traffic late in lap five. Kinser continued to battle Kaeding for the lead until Andy Hillenburg caught him late in the seventh lap. No more than 10 car-lengths separated the top seven four laps later.

Hillenburg steered his #2 STP J&J deep into the third corner to pass Kinser for second late in lap 12. Brian Coelho flipped in turn four, bringing out the red flag the next time around.

Jac Haudenschild and Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series points leader Sammy Swindell raced past Dave Blaney in turns three and four to take over fourth and fifth place as the race resumed.

Hillenburg, the 1994 and 1995 Gold Cup champion, took the lead with a low move into the second corner early in the 17th lap, only to have "BK" beat him down the back straightaway. Andy was going for the lead again in turn four when he flipped. Kinser crashed into Hillenburg and severely damaged the #5M Wirtgen Maxim. Andy's car didn't sustain as much damage and he restarted.

Haudenschild and Swindell were right behind Kaeding as the green flag replaced the red. They followed him into lapped traffic midway through the race. "The Wild Child" steered the #22 Pennzoil Maxim into the low groove in the third corner to pass Kaeding for the lead late in lap 24.

"BK" was battling Haudenschild for first place with 10 laps remaining when Hillenburg spun between turns three and four. The #83 Beef Packers Stealth stopped during the caution, causing Danny Lasoski to restart the race at the rear of the field.

Although two lapped cars restarted between the leaders, "BK" caught Haudenschild soon after the race resumed. They were battling for the lead on the back straightaway with 3 1/2 laps remaining when "The Wild Child" took the high line around Todd Bammer and bumped the outside retaining wall.

The damage Haudenschild's right rear tire suffered when he hit the wall kept him from maintaining the lead for more than another full lap. Kaeding passed him with a low move in turn four late in lap 38. Haudenschild spun in the first corner seconds later, and his collision with Brad Furr sent the #2F flipping.

Kaeding raced away from the field as the green flag replaced the red, only to have Johnny Herrera collide with Jeff Swindell and hit the back-stretch wall. The caution flag was thrown, setting up a two-lap dash to the checkered flag.

Stevie Smith, who won a 1993 World of Outlaws "A" Feature at Santa Maria, passed Swindell for second place as the race resumed, only to have Coelho and Paul McMahan collide in the second corner. McMahan, in position to take the lead in the World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year standings before the crash, lost his ninth-place running position and had to settle for 20th.

Kaeding controlled the ensuing restart and beat Swindell under the checkered flag by six car-lengths.

"Those last couple of laps, I started to hear things in the car and I just kept wondering how many times I had to win this race," Kaeding said. "I knew I had a faster car than Haudenschild, but it was going to be tough to get back by him with all the traffic. He got into the wall and cut a tire, but I bumped the wall a few times myself."

Smith finished in third place, ahead of Steve Kinser, Blaney, Greg Hodnett, Randy Hannagan, 20th-starting Craig Dollansky, Hillenburg and Brent's son, Bud Kaeding.

First Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Brent Kaeding, 5. Dave Blaney, 6. Brad Furr, 7. Tom Tarlton, 8. Carl Vucinich, 9. Graydon Cross. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Second Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Andy Hillenburg, 2. Todd Bammer, 3. Jason Meyers, 4. Peter Murphy ($200); 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Jac Haudenschild, 7. Donny Schatz, 8. Jeff Fiscus, 9. Jonathan Allard. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Third Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Steve Coelho, 3. Brian Coelho, 4. Johnny Herrera, 5. Greg Hodnett, 6. Joe Gaerte, 7. Jason Statler, 8. Stephen Allard. DNS - Randy Tiner. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Fourth Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Steve Kent, 2. Jeff Swindell, 3. Bud Kaeding, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Randy Hannagan, 6. Paul McMahan, 7. Dion Hindi, 8. Erik Folger. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Vivarin Dash (seven laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Brent Kaeding, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Dave Blaney, 5. Sammy Swindell, 6. Greg Hodnett, 7. Peter Murphy, 8. Stevie Smith. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)

B Feature (12 laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Paul McMahan, 3. Joe Gaerte, 4. Brad Furr, 5. Donny Schatz, 6. Jason Statler ($180); 7. Tom Tarlton ($150); 8. Dion Hindi ($110); 9. Graydon Cross ($90); 10. Jeff Fiscus ($80); 11. Erik Folger ($60); 12. Carl Vucinich ($60); 13. Stephen Allard ($50); 14. Jonathan Allard ($50). DNS - Randy Tiner. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)

A Feature (40 laps): 1. Brent Kaeding ($7,000); 2. Sammy Swindell ($4,000); 3. Stevie Smith ($3,000); 4. Steve Kinser ($2,500); 5. Dave Blaney ($2,300); 6. Greg Hodnett ($2,200); 7. Randy Hannagan ($2,100); 8. Craig Dollansky ($2,000); 9. Andy Hillenburg ($1,700); 10. Bud Kaeding ($1,600); 11. Jeff Swindell ($1,200); 12. Johnny Herrera ($1,150); 13. Jac Haudenschild ($1,120); 14. Jason Meyers ($1,050); 15. Steve Coelho ($1,000); 16. Joe Gaerte ($720); 17. Donny Schatz ($620); 18. Todd Bammer ($500); 19. Brian Coelho ($500); 20. Paul McMahan ($520); 21. Brad Furr ($520); 22. Danny Lasoski ($500); 23. Mark Kinser ($500); 24. Steve Kent ($500). DNS - Peter Murphy; replaced by Donny Schatz

Lap leaders: Brent Kaeding 1-23, 39-40; Jac Haudenschild 24-38 Channellock Fast-Time Award winner: Brent Kaeding

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