By Richard Day
TALLADEGA, AL (September 27) – Steve Kinser increased his lead in the standings to a season-high 74 points Saturday when he dominated the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series event at the Talladega Short Track.
The defending and 17-time series champion put together a near-perfect performance, setting fast time, winning the First Dash Race and leading all 40 laps in the “A” Feature. All that kept “The King of the Outlaws” from a clean sweep was a second-place finish in the First Heat Race.
Kinser held off Tim Shaffer in dense lapped traffic through the final 15 laps to claim his 23rd victory of the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ 25th Anniversary Season. “The King of the Outlaws” has won two of the six main events the series has run at the Talladega Short Track.
“When you get to traffic and everybody has heat in their tires, it gets to be where everyone’s almost the same speed, and I figured someone would be coming,” Kinser said following the 494th main event victory of his career. “You have to have experience, but you have to have a good car too, and we had a good car all night. (Crew chief) Scott (Gerkin) has done an outstanding job with this race team all year long. We proved at Calistoga that the points can go away pretty quickly, so we just have to keep plugging along to then end and hope it all comes out right.”
Danny Lasoski, who led the point standings for most of the season, swept the Harvest Classic at Calistoga Speedway in late August, but Kinser passed him two days later with a victory at Thunderbowl Raceway. “The Dude” drove NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart’s #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle past six cars to finish sixth at the Talladega Short Track Saturday.
“The King of the Outlaws” paced the qualifying session with a 12.315-second lap around the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval. He earned the privilege of starting the “A” Feature on the pole by winning his 25th Dash Race of the year.
Kinser drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the lead immediately after the green flag fell in the main event. First Heat Race winner Donny Schatz passed Steve’s son, Kraig, for sixth place with an inside move between turns three and four late in the second lap.
The leaders were approaching lapped traffic two laps later when Johnny Herrera spun over the bank in the third corner. Joey Saldana and Shaffer exchanged fourth place during the lap after the race resumed. Saldana steered his family’s #17 Eagle Raceway Maxim into the low groove in turn three to pass the 1999 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, but Shaffer came back with an inside move in the fourth corner to regain the position. Saldana and Shaffer took turns passing each other again during lap six.
Kinser was nine car-lengths ahead of Paul McMahan when he entered lapped traffic the next time around. Saldana lost fifth place early in the ninth lap when he collided with Scott Wimberly and stopped in turn two.
Kinser controlled the ensuing restart and opened a 10 car-length advantage within four laps. Shaffer and Schatz passed Daryn Pittman for third and fourth place during laps 17 and 24. Shaffer, who won the Third Heat Race, continued his run toward the front late in the 26th lap when he drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle around McMahan high in turn four.
Schatz raced wheel-to-wheel with McMahan through the third and fourth corners the next time around, but was unable to drive the #15 Parker Stores J&J into third place.
Kraig Kinser surrendered seventh place early in lap 29 when he spun in turn two. Steve Kinser raced away from Shaffer as the green flag replaced the yellow, and caught the back-markers with a five-car-length advantage five laps later. Shaffer caught “The King of the Outlaws,” however, and was racing nose-to-tail with him in dense traffic when Saldana collided with ninth-place Jeremy Scott in turn four late in the 35th lap.
McMahan challenged Shaffer for the runner-up spot three laps after the race resumed, but was unable to drive the #11H Vivarin Maxim into second place.
Kinser was 10 car-lengths ahead of Shaffer when he entered lapped traffic early in the final lap, and took the checkered flag with eight car-lengths to spare.
McMahan finished in third place, ahead of Schatz, Pittman, Lasoski, Jason Meyers, 14th-starting Jason Sides, Kraig Kinser and Jonathan Allard, who started outside the eighth row.
Rain, which fell during the hot-lap session, delayed the beginning of the event for almost 1½ hours.
The O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series will run a $51,600 event at Port Royal Speedway Thursday, then sanction the 41st Annual Williams Grove National Open at Williams Grove Speedway Friday and Saturday. WoO
2003 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series
Talladega Short Track, Talladega, AL
Saturday, September 27, Feature Program #59
Qualifying: 1. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 12.315; 2. Paul McMahan, Helm 11H, 12.335; 3. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 12.413; 4. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 12.493; 5. Jason Meyers, Karavan Motorsports 7, 12.504; 6. Kraig Kinser, Kinser 11K, 12.548; 7. Craig Keel, Pottorff 9, 12.705; 8. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 12.745; 9. Brian Paulus, P and P Motorsports 28, 12.746; 10. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 12.754; 11. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 12.800; 12. Jonathan Allard, Wright 35W, 12.841; 13. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.005; 14. Jason Sides, Sides Motorsports 7S, 13.153; 15. Mike Hudson, Hudson 1H, 13.347; 16. Jeremy Scott, Scott 76, 13.396; 17. Kyle Thomas, Thomas 19, 13.476; 18. Johnny Herrera, Wilburn 2W, 13.516; 19. Randy Helton, Helton 27, 13.600; 20. Chris Hill, Hill 4, 14.047; 21. Rick Barregarye, Barregarye K12, 14.474; 22. Doug Fitzwater, Fitzwater 14, 14.547; 23. Kyle Cummins, Cummins 3C, 14.590; 24. Scott Wimberly, Wimberly 88, 15.135; 25. Skip Andrews, Andrews 5P, no time.
First Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Craig Keel, 4. Jonathan Allard, 5. Kraig Kinser, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Randy Helton, 8. Doug Fitzwater. (all eight qualified for the “A” Feature)
Second Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Jason Sides, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Jason Meyers, 5. Paul McMahan, 6. Kyle Cummins, 7. Kyle Thomas, 8. Chris Hill. (all eight qualified for the “A” Feature)
Third Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Brian Carlson, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Jeremy Scott, 6. Mike Hudson, 7. Rick Barregarye, 8. Scott Wimberly. (all eight qualified for the “A” Feature)
First Dash Race (seven laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Jason Meyers, 6. Craig Keel, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. Mike Hudson. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows of the “A” Feature lineup)
Second Dash Race (seven laps): 1. Paul McMahan, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Kraig Kinser, 4. Brian Carlson, 5. Jeremy Scott, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Jason Sides, 8. Jonathan Allard. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows of the “A” Feature lineup)
A Feature (40 laps): 1. Steve Kinser [1] ($10,000); 2. Tim Shaffer [3] ($5,500); 3. Paul McMahan [2] ($3,200); 4. Donny Schatz [7] ($2,800); 5. Daryn Pittman [4] ($2,500); 6. Danny Lasoski [12] ($2,300); 7. Jason Meyers [9] ($2,200); 8. Jason Sides [14] ($2,100); 9. Kraig Kinser [6] ($2,050); 10. Jonathan Allard [16] ($2,000); 11. Joey Saldana [6] ($1,500); 12. Brian Carlson [8] ($1,200); 13. Brian Paulus [13] ($1,100); 14. Craig Keel [11] ($1,050); 15. Johnny Herrera [18] ($1,000); 16. Mike Hudson [15] ($900); 17. Kyle Thomas [17] ($800); 18. Kyle Cummins [23] ($800); 19. Chris Hill [20] ($800); 20. Doug Fitzwater [22] ($800); 21. Rick Barregarye [21] ($800); 22. Jeremy Scott [10] ($800); 23. Randy Helton [19] ($800); 24. Scott Wimberly [24] ($800).
Lap leader: Steve Kinser 1-40
TALLADEGA, AL (September 27) – Steve Kinser increased his lead in the standings to a season-high 74 points Saturday when he dominated the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series event at the Talladega Short Track.
The defending and 17-time series champion put together a near-perfect performance, setting fast time, winning the First Dash Race and leading all 40 laps in the “A” Feature. All that kept “The King of the Outlaws” from a clean sweep was a second-place finish in the First Heat Race.
Kinser held off Tim Shaffer in dense lapped traffic through the final 15 laps to claim his 23rd victory of the O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series’ 25th Anniversary Season. “The King of the Outlaws” has won two of the six main events the series has run at the Talladega Short Track.
“When you get to traffic and everybody has heat in their tires, it gets to be where everyone’s almost the same speed, and I figured someone would be coming,” Kinser said following the 494th main event victory of his career. “You have to have experience, but you have to have a good car too, and we had a good car all night. (Crew chief) Scott (Gerkin) has done an outstanding job with this race team all year long. We proved at Calistoga that the points can go away pretty quickly, so we just have to keep plugging along to then end and hope it all comes out right.”
Danny Lasoski, who led the point standings for most of the season, swept the Harvest Classic at Calistoga Speedway in late August, but Kinser passed him two days later with a victory at Thunderbowl Raceway. “The Dude” drove NASCAR Winston Cup champion Tony Stewart’s #20 J.D. Byrider Eagle past six cars to finish sixth at the Talladega Short Track Saturday.
“The King of the Outlaws” paced the qualifying session with a 12.315-second lap around the high-banked, 1/3-mile oval. He earned the privilege of starting the “A” Feature on the pole by winning his 25th Dash Race of the year.
Kinser drove his #11 Quaker State Maxim into the lead immediately after the green flag fell in the main event. First Heat Race winner Donny Schatz passed Steve’s son, Kraig, for sixth place with an inside move between turns three and four late in the second lap.
The leaders were approaching lapped traffic two laps later when Johnny Herrera spun over the bank in the third corner. Joey Saldana and Shaffer exchanged fourth place during the lap after the race resumed. Saldana steered his family’s #17 Eagle Raceway Maxim into the low groove in turn three to pass the 1999 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year, but Shaffer came back with an inside move in the fourth corner to regain the position. Saldana and Shaffer took turns passing each other again during lap six.
Kinser was nine car-lengths ahead of Paul McMahan when he entered lapped traffic the next time around. Saldana lost fifth place early in the ninth lap when he collided with Scott Wimberly and stopped in turn two.
Kinser controlled the ensuing restart and opened a 10 car-length advantage within four laps. Shaffer and Schatz passed Daryn Pittman for third and fourth place during laps 17 and 24. Shaffer, who won the Third Heat Race, continued his run toward the front late in the 26th lap when he drove the #83 Beef Packers Eagle around McMahan high in turn four.
Schatz raced wheel-to-wheel with McMahan through the third and fourth corners the next time around, but was unable to drive the #15 Parker Stores J&J into third place.
Kraig Kinser surrendered seventh place early in lap 29 when he spun in turn two. Steve Kinser raced away from Shaffer as the green flag replaced the yellow, and caught the back-markers with a five-car-length advantage five laps later. Shaffer caught “The King of the Outlaws,” however, and was racing nose-to-tail with him in dense traffic when Saldana collided with ninth-place Jeremy Scott in turn four late in the 35th lap.
McMahan challenged Shaffer for the runner-up spot three laps after the race resumed, but was unable to drive the #11H Vivarin Maxim into second place.
Kinser was 10 car-lengths ahead of Shaffer when he entered lapped traffic early in the final lap, and took the checkered flag with eight car-lengths to spare.
McMahan finished in third place, ahead of Schatz, Pittman, Lasoski, Jason Meyers, 14th-starting Jason Sides, Kraig Kinser and Jonathan Allard, who started outside the eighth row.
Rain, which fell during the hot-lap session, delayed the beginning of the event for almost 1½ hours.
The O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series will run a $51,600 event at Port Royal Speedway Thursday, then sanction the 41st Annual Williams Grove National Open at Williams Grove Speedway Friday and Saturday. WoO
2003 O’Reilly World of Outlaws Series
Talladega Short Track, Talladega, AL
Saturday, September 27, Feature Program #59
Qualifying: 1. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 12.315; 2. Paul McMahan, Helm 11H, 12.335; 3. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 12.413; 4. Daryn Pittman, Sher-Don Motorsports 21, 12.493; 5. Jason Meyers, Karavan Motorsports 7, 12.504; 6. Kraig Kinser, Kinser 11K, 12.548; 7. Craig Keel, Pottorff 9, 12.705; 8. Danny Lasoski, Stewart 20, 12.745; 9. Brian Paulus, P and P Motorsports 28, 12.746; 10. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 12.754; 11. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 12.800; 12. Jonathan Allard, Wright 35W, 12.841; 13. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.005; 14. Jason Sides, Sides Motorsports 7S, 13.153; 15. Mike Hudson, Hudson 1H, 13.347; 16. Jeremy Scott, Scott 76, 13.396; 17. Kyle Thomas, Thomas 19, 13.476; 18. Johnny Herrera, Wilburn 2W, 13.516; 19. Randy Helton, Helton 27, 13.600; 20. Chris Hill, Hill 4, 14.047; 21. Rick Barregarye, Barregarye K12, 14.474; 22. Doug Fitzwater, Fitzwater 14, 14.547; 23. Kyle Cummins, Cummins 3C, 14.590; 24. Scott Wimberly, Wimberly 88, 15.135; 25. Skip Andrews, Andrews 5P, no time.
First Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Donny Schatz, 2. Steve Kinser, 3. Craig Keel, 4. Jonathan Allard, 5. Kraig Kinser, 6. Johnny Herrera, 7. Randy Helton, 8. Doug Fitzwater. (all eight qualified for the “A” Feature)
Second Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Jason Sides, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Jason Meyers, 5. Paul McMahan, 6. Kyle Cummins, 7. Kyle Thomas, 8. Chris Hill. (all eight qualified for the “A” Feature)
Third Heat Race (10 laps): 1. Tim Shaffer, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Brian Carlson, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Jeremy Scott, 6. Mike Hudson, 7. Rick Barregarye, 8. Scott Wimberly. (all eight qualified for the “A” Feature)
First Dash Race (seven laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Tim Shaffer, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Jason Meyers, 6. Craig Keel, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. Mike Hudson. (finish determined the inside starting positions in the first eight rows of the “A” Feature lineup)
Second Dash Race (seven laps): 1. Paul McMahan, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Kraig Kinser, 4. Brian Carlson, 5. Jeremy Scott, 6. Danny Lasoski, 7. Jason Sides, 8. Jonathan Allard. (finish determined the outside starting positions in the first eight rows of the “A” Feature lineup)
A Feature (40 laps): 1. Steve Kinser [1] ($10,000); 2. Tim Shaffer [3] ($5,500); 3. Paul McMahan [2] ($3,200); 4. Donny Schatz [7] ($2,800); 5. Daryn Pittman [4] ($2,500); 6. Danny Lasoski [12] ($2,300); 7. Jason Meyers [9] ($2,200); 8. Jason Sides [14] ($2,100); 9. Kraig Kinser [6] ($2,050); 10. Jonathan Allard [16] ($2,000); 11. Joey Saldana [6] ($1,500); 12. Brian Carlson [8] ($1,200); 13. Brian Paulus [13] ($1,100); 14. Craig Keel [11] ($1,050); 15. Johnny Herrera [18] ($1,000); 16. Mike Hudson [15] ($900); 17. Kyle Thomas [17] ($800); 18. Kyle Cummins [23] ($800); 19. Chris Hill [20] ($800); 20. Doug Fitzwater [22] ($800); 21. Rick Barregarye [21] ($800); 22. Jeremy Scott [10] ($800); 23. Randy Helton [19] ($800); 24. Scott Wimberly [24] ($800).
Lap leader: Steve Kinser 1-40
