WOO: Mark Kinser Sweeps Channellock Fall Nationals
8 November 1998
By Richard DayLAS VEGAS, NV - While Mark Kinser completed his late-season hot streak and helped his father, Karl, announce their sponsorship agreement with Mopar, it was Steve Kinser who celebrated the most Wednesday when the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series' 20th Anniversary Season climaxed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The champagne was flowing as Steve's Quaker State team celebrated his 15th Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series drivers' championship. Steve is the first driver/owner to win both titles in the same year.
"It's been a tough year, but my guys did a really good job," Steve said as his crew members and wife Dana sprayed champagne on him. "We fought it hard. We stayed right in the top five (42 in 65 "A" Features) all year. We have a good race car and a good race team. We're hoping to keep it together and go back to work this winter. We want to be a touch quicker, but we're really happy right now.
"I want to thank Quaker State. I'm glad we got them a championship, especially in the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series. It's really special to win one as a driver and an owner."
Sweeping the Inaugural Channellock Fall Classic ran Mark's winning streak to three. It was also his fourth straight victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A #5 Mopar Maxim sat in the pits next to the #5M Wirtgen Maxim Mark drove to his 12th "A" Feature victory of the season.
Diamond P Sports taped the race for Friday's Motor Madness program on TNN: The Nashville Network.
Australian Peter Murphy came close to spoiling the all-Kinser celebration. Despite starting inside the fifth row, he led eight laps and appeared to control the race before Mark regained the advantage.
"Pete showed us the track and stretched us out pretty good," Mark admitted. "I got caught up in some lapped cars and he got out of our sight before I started finding some rubber in three and four. He got hung up, too, and we ran him down.
"I wasn't saving anything. I changed my line on the last restart and I feel fortunate to be here."
Mark earned the right to start the season finale on the pole by winning his 14th Channellock Dash of the year. He burst into the lead as the green flag fell in the feature. He opened a half-straightaway advantage within three laps, but was only a car-length ahead of his cousin when he entered lapped traffic seven laps into the race.
Tyler Walker's second-corner spin took the leaders out of lapped traffic and tightened the field three laps later. Jeff Swindell, who started inside the 11th row, was in ninth place within nine laps. He spun in the second corner after colliding with Brent Kaeding early in lap 12, however, and had to restart at the rear of the field.
Murphy, the Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner, started making his way toward the front as the race resumed, passing Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race winner Danny Lasoski in turn two then taking over second place with a low move past "The King of the Outlaws" in the fourth corner.
Murphy took the high line through turn four to pass Mark for the lead late in the 18th lap. He opened a half-straightaway advantage by the 22nd lap. He was in dense lapped traffic when Mark beat him across the finish line by inches four laps later.
Murphy's tires lost much of their traction while he tried to maintain the lead, so he was unable to keep pace with Mark after during the final four laps. He managed to hold off defending series champion Sammy Swindell, however, and finished 3.608 seconds behind Kinser. Murphy's runner-up run is the best by an Australian driver in Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series history.
Lasoski finished in fourth place, ahead of "The King of the Outlaws," Terry McCarl, Gary Wright, 19th-starting Stevie Smith, Dale Blaney and Donny Schatz.
Tim Shaffer took a provisional, started at the rear of the "A" Feature and drove the #11H Vivarin Eagle into 15th place.
Although he didn't race with the leaders in the main event, Travis Whitney put on quite a show for the standing-room-only crowd, racing through the "C," and "B" Features to qualify for the "A." He followed Craig Dollansky under the checkered flag in the "C" and was the runner-up behind Murphy in the "B" Feature. Whitney, who says he will race for the Rookie of the Year award during the 1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series season, finished 23rd in the main event.
1998 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Inaugural Channellock Fall Classic
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV
Wednesday, November 4, Feature Program #66
Qualifications: 1. Peter Murphy, Williams 0, 16.250; 2. Daryn Pittman, Blevins 21, 16.289; 3. Brent Kaeding, M&M Racing 2M, 16.362; 4. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 16.704; 5. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 16.761; 6. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 16.830; 7. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 16.848; 8. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 16.886; 9. Terry McCarl, McCarl 24, 16.933; 10. Kurt Winker, Winker 10W, 16.969; 11. Johnny Herrera, Sonner 47, 16.982; 12. Brian Coelho, Coelho 5C, 17.027; 13. Kasey Kahne, Kahne 23K, 17.047; 14. Gary Wright, Wright 9, 17.090; 15. Calvin Landis, Landis 70, 17.094; 16. Shane Scott, Danielson 7D, 17.102; 17. Dale Blaney, Hylton/Blaney 93, 17.124; 18. Jeff Shepard, Stewart 4J, 17.217; 19. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 17.281; 20. Blake Robertson, BR Motorsports 15R, 17.306; 21. Billy Wilburn, Wilburn 0W, 17.347; 22. Dean Jacobs, Holbrook 8, 17.385; 23. Jason Meyers, Carter 14M, 17.389; 24. John Bankston, Bankston 8B, 18.448; 25. Bill Robertson, Eckley 16, 17.455; 26. Dan Oswalt, Oswalt D1, 17.477; 27. Joe Gaerte, Holbrook 8H, 17.490; 28. Joey Saldana, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 17.513; 29. James Chesson, Chesson 22C, 17.534; 30. Paul McMahan, Stanton 75, 17.603; 31. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 17.616; 32. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 17.629; 33. Kevin Pylant, Pylant 14P, 17.784; 34. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 17.896; 35. Randy Hannagan, Hannagan 1x, 18.111; 36. Steve Coelho, Coelho 6C, 18.134; 37. Duane Bonini, Jr., Bonini 72, 18.146; 38. Travis Whitney, Whitney 7S, 18.166; 39. Raymond Shank, Shank 7x, 18.184; 40. Jim Carter, Rudeen 14, 18.220; 41. Sparky Howard, Papola 6, 18.366; 42. Tim Kaeding, Wright 35W, 18.404; 43. Willey Hernandez, Hernandez 1M, 18.323; 44. Craig Dollansky, Dollansky 7, 18.423; 45. Daniel Hood, Hood 33, 18.478; 46. Jason Solwold, Kennedy 15S, 18.585; 47. J.R. Patton, Patton 86, 18.860; 48. Donny Goeden, Goeden 27G, 18.966; 49. Nick Bellino, Bellino 41B, 18.990; 50. Shawn Sander, Sander 48, 19.370; 51. Dan Dittrich, Dittrich 4D, 19.435; 52. Greg Decaires, Blackwell 27B, 19.550; 53. Kaylene Verville, Verville 01, 19.691.
First Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Terry McCarl, 3. Dale Blaney, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Peter Murphy, 6. Paul McMahan, 7. Kasey Kahne, 8. Sparky Howard, 9. Billy Wilburn, 10. Dan Oswalt, 11. Daniel Hood, 12. Nick Bellino, 13. Kaylene Verville, 14. Travis Whitney. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jeff Shepard, 2. Dean Jacobs, 3. Gary Wright, 4. Joe Gaerte, 5. Daryn Pittman, 6. Tim Shaffer, 7. Randy Hannagan, 8. Brian Paulus, 9. Tim Kaeding, 10. Kurt Winker, 11. Raymond Shank, 12. Shawn Sander, 13. Jason Solwold. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Stevie Smith, 2. Johnny Herrera, 3. Brent Kaeding, 4. Joey Saldana, 5. Andy Hillenburg, 6. Calvin Landis, 7. Jason Meyers, 8. Steve Coelho, 9. Jim Carter, 10. P.J. Chesson, 11. Craig Dollansky, 12. Dan Dittrich, 13. J.R. Patton. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
Fourth Racing Champions Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Tyler Walker, 3. Blake Robertson, 4. Kevin Pylant, 5. James Chesson, 6. Donny Goeden, 7. Duane Bonini, Jr., 8. Shane Scott, 9. Brian Coelho, 10. John Bankston, 11. Bill Robertson, 12. Greg Decaires, 13. Willey Hernandez. (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
Finishing 1-4 in Friday's Preliminary Feature automatically qualified Mark Kinser, Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Donny Schatz for the first four starting positions in the Channellock Dash.
Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Mark Kinser, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Donny Schatz, 4. Sammy Swindell, 5. Danny Lasoski, 6. Tyler Walker, 7. Brent Kaeding, 8. Jac Haudenschild. (finish determined the first six starting positions in the "A" Feature)
C Feature (10 laps): 1. Craig Dollansky, 2. Travis Whitney, 3. Bud Kaeding ($100); 4. Duane Bonini, Jr. ($80); 5. Jim Carter ($60); 6. Steve Coelho ($50); 7. Jason Solwold ($40); 8. Greg Decaires ($30); 9. Raymond Shank ($25); 10. Donny Goeden ($25); 11. John Bankston ($25); 12. Dan Dittrich ($25); 13. Daniel Hood ($25); 14. Willey Hernandez ($25); 15. Nick Bellino ($25); 16. Kaylene Verville ($25); 17. Shawn Sander ($25); 18. J.R. Patton ($25); 19. Sparky Howard ($25). (first two qualified for the "B" Feature)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Peter Murphy, 2. Travis Whitney, 3. Andy Hillenburg, 4. Daryn Pittman, 5. Craig Dollansky ($220); 6. Randy Hannagan ($175); 7. Brian Paulus ($150); 8. Tim Shaffer, 9. Shane Scott ($100); 10. Jason Meyers ($90); 11. P.J. Chesson ($80); 12. Paul McMahan ($60); 13. Bill Robertson ($50); 14. James Chesson ($50); 15. Kasey Kahne ($50); 16. Billy Wilburn ($50); 17. Kurt Winker ($50); 18. Dan Oswalt ($50); 19. Brian Coelho ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Mark Kinser ($10,000); 2. Peter Murphy ($6,020); 3. Sammy Swindell ($3,500); 4. Danny Lasoski ($3,200); 5. Steve Kinser ($3,000); 6. Terry McCarl ($2,500); 7. Gary Wright ($2,300); 8. Stevie Smith ($2,200); 9. Dale Blaney ($2,100); 10. Donny Schatz ($2,000); 11. Daryn Pittman ($1,520); 12. Brent Kaeding ($1,400); 13. Jac Haudenschild ($1,300); 14. Johnny Herrera ($1,200); 15. Tim Shaffer ($1,020); 16. Andy Hillenburg ($1,020); 17. Dean Jacobs ($800); 18. Jeff Swindell ($600); 19. Joe Gaerte ($600); 20. Joey Saldana ($600); 21. Tyler Walker ($600); 22. Jeff Shepard ($600); 23. Travis Whitney ($640); 24. Blake Robertson ($600); 25. Kevin Pylant ($600). Provisional starter - Tim Shaffer.
Lap leaders: Mark Kinser 1-17, 26-30; Peter Murphy 18-25
Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Peter Murphy