Eldora Speedway Race Report

Smith Wins 'Night Before The Big One' Feature

By Richard Day

ROSSBURG, OH (August 6) - It was only a matter of time before Stevie Smith got back on track.

Smith, who led the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series with 13 "A" Feature victories a year ago, went 27 races before winning his first main event this season. He became the first driver to win three consecutive "A" Features Friday by holding off points leader Mark Kinser in "The Night Before The Big One" race at Eldora Speedway.

"My crew has worked so hard all year long - and we've struggled - but three in a row makes all the work worth it," Stevie said. "The momentum going into the big races is nice, but it still comes down to the driver and crew working together, and I think this Ingersoll-Rand team is working as well as any of them right now."

Smith, the second-fastest qualifier in the 39-car field, worked his way onto the front row of the "A" Feature by racing into second place from outside third row in the Channellock Dash.

Smith steered his #19 Ingersoll-Rand Black Bandit around polesitter Jac Haudenschild in the fourth corner to take the lead as the green flag fell in the 30-lap main event.

Andy Hillenburg bumped the outside retaining wall in turn two and Daryn Pittman slowed behind him early in the second lap. Johnny Herrera had nowhere to go, ran over Pittman's left rear tire and the #1BK Networks Eagle flipped. Hillenburg's and Herrera's crews repaired their sprinters during the red period, and they restarted at the back of the pack.

Kinser passed Haudenschild with an inside move in the fourth corner late in lap three. Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race winner Tyler Walker drove his family's #35 Air Sep Maxim into the high groove in turn three to pass Danny Lasoski for fourth the next time around.

Smith was 12 car-lengths ahead of Kinser when he entered lapped traffic seven laps into the race. Mark had the #5M Mopar Maxim within four car-lengths of the leader two laps later, only to have Smith return to his 12-car-length comfort zone by the 13th lap.

Haudenschild, who won the Inaugural Historical Big One in 1993, steered the #22 Big Daddy's Maxim deep into the third corner to pass Kinser for second place late in lap 18.

"B" Feature winner Brooke Tatnell stopped the #7K Kele & Associates J&J on the back straightaway with a flat left rear tire the next time around. A mechanical problem in the #21 PC Joey J&J forced Lance Blevins to stop on the back stretch three laps later.

Kinser regained the runner-up spot with an inside move in turn four past Haudenschild as the green flag replaced the yellow. Lasoski passed Walker for fourth place in the same spot the next time around.

Jeff Shepard's turn-two crash early in lap 27 set up a three-lap dash to the checkered flag. Kinser passed Smith deep in the second corner as the race resumed, only to have Stevie regain the lead in turn three. Smith steadily increased his advantage during the final two laps and took the checkered flag with seven car-lengths to spare.

"I really didn't expect Mark to get by me there," Stevie said. "I was working better on the top, but I went low going into three and Mark slid out. I slid out, too, but we got back by him. It was close, but we never bumped."

Haudenschild finished in third place, ahead of Lasoski, Walker, Greg Hodnett, Herrera, Donny Schatz, 26th-starting Tim Shaffer and Kevin Gobrecht.

Herrera, the 1996 Kings Royal champion, roared back through the field following his early crash to finish in seventh place. Donny Schatz drove the #15 Parker Stores Maxim past 11 cars to finish eighth.

Kenny Jacobs received his first Vivarin Fast-Time Award of the season for pacing the qualifying session with a 13.217-second, 136.188-m.p.h. lap around the legendary high-banked, 1/2-mile oval.

The Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series will sanction the 39th Annual Amoco Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway Wednesday through Saturday. The champion will receive $100,000 of the $605,000 total purse. WoO

1999 Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series

"Night Before The Big One"

Eldora Speedway, Rossburg, OH

Friday, August 6, Feature Program #50

Vivarin qualifications: 1. Kenny Jacobs, Jacobs 6, 13.217; 2. Stevie Smith, Smith 19, 13.401; 3. Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.422; 4. Frankie Kerr, Shoff 23S, 13.447; 5. Greg Hodnett, Apple Motorsports 12, 13.456; 6. Sammy Swindell, Swindell 1, 13.558; 7. Jeff Swindell, Two Winners 104+, 13.606; 8. Daryn Pittman, Sonner 47, 13.607; 9. Kasey Kahne, Kahne 23K, 13.620; 10. Butch Schroeder, Gottschalk 17S, 13.644; 11. Andy Hillenburg, Hillenburg 2, 13.645; 12. Tyler Walker, Walker 35, 13.646; 13. Joey Saldana, Mox 17, 13.655; 14. Jac Haudenschild, Elden 22, 13.658; 15. P.J. Chesson, Chesson 76, 13.704; 16. Danny Lasoski, Roth 83, 13.736; 17. Brooke Tatnell, Tatnell 7K, 13.805; 18. Paul McMahan, Johnson U2, 13.816; 19. Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.854; 20. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.894; 21. Dale Blaney, Holbrook 8H, 13.926; 22. Danny Smith, Ashworth 92, 13.955; 23. Randy Hannagan, TH Racing 1x, 13.956; 24. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 13.984; 25. Kevin Gobrecht, Hylton/Blaney 93, 13.990; 26. Jeff Shepard, Zematis 1Z, 14.027; 27. Johnny Herrera, DOCC Motorsports 1BK, 14.039; 28. Lance Blevins, Blevins 21, 14.045; 29. Tim Shaffer, Helm 11H, 14.065; 30. Dean Jacobs, Holbrook 8, 14.203; 31. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 14.236; 32. Jim Nier, Nier 00, 14.370; 33. James Chesson, Chesson 22C, 14.388; 34. Steve Suever, Suever 36S, 14.410; 35. Kent Wolters, Wolters 12W, 14.487; 36. Garry Brazier, Dyer 461, 14.513; 37. Lance DeWease, Harz 88H, 14.515; 38. Brian Carlson, Carlson 18, 14.580; 39. Brian Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 14.667.

First NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Daryn Pittman, 3. Kasey Kahne, 4. Kenny Jacobs, 5. Kevin Gobrecht, 6. Dale Blaney, 7. James Chesson, 8. Brooke Tatnell, 9. Tim Shaffer, 10. Lance DeWease. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Second NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Butch Schroeder, 2. P.J. Chesson, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Jeff Swindell, 5. Jeff Shepard, 6. Paul McMahan, 7. Brian Carlson, 8. Steve Suever, 9. Danny Smith. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Third NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Mark Kinser, 3. Sammy Swindell, 4. Johnny Herrera, 5. Andy Hillenburg, 6. Donny Schatz, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. Randy Hannagan, 9. Kent Wolters, 10. Larry Neighbors. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Fourth NAPA Auto Parts Heat Race (eight laps): 1. Tyler Walker, 2. Greg Hodnett, 3. Joey Saldana, 4. Steve Kinser, 5. Frankie Kerr, 6. Lance Blevins, 7. Ed Lynch, Jr., 8. Garry Brazier, 9. Jim Nier. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)

Channellock Dash (five laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Stevie Smith, 3. Danny Lasoski, 4. Mark Kinser, 5. Tyler Walker, 6. Frankie Kerr, 7. Kenny Jacobs, 8. Butch Schroeder. (finish determined the first eight starting positions in the "A" Feature)

B Feature (12 laps): 1. Brooke Tatnell, 2. Paul McMahan, 3. Dale Blaney, 4. Donny Schatz, 5. Lance Blevins, 6. Jim Nier ($200); 7. Tim Shaffer, 8. Brian Paulus ($180); 9. Ed Lynch, Jr. ($150); 10. Randy Hannagan ($110); 11. James Chesson ($90); 12. Kent Wolters ($80); 13. Brian Carlson ($60); 14. Garry Brazier ($50); 15. Steve Suever ($50); 16. Danny Smith ($50); 17. Larry Neighbors ($50); 18. Lance DeWease ($50). (first four qualified for the "A" Feature)

A Feature (30 laps): 1. Stevie Smith ($8,000); 2. Mark Kinser ($4,000); 3. Jac Haudenschild ($3,000); 4. Danny Lasoski ($2,500); 5. Tyler Walker ($2,300); 6. Greg Hodnett ($2,200); 7. Johnny Herrera ($2,100); 8. Donny Schatz ($2,020); 9. Tim Shaffer ($1,820); 10. Kevin Gobrecht ($1,700); 11. Sammy Swindell ($1,400); 12. Brooke Tatnell ($1,220); 13. Dale Blaney ($1,120); 14. Frankie Kerr ($1,050); 15. P.J. Chesson ($1,000); 16. Butch Schroeder ($900); 17. Paul McMahan ($720); 18. Kasey Kahne ($550); 19. Joey Saldana ($550); 20. Jeff Shepard ($550); 21. Steve Kinser ($550); 22. Lance Blevins ($570); 23. Kenny Jacobs ($550); 24. Jeff Swindell ($550); 25. Andy Hillenburg ($550); 26. Daryn Pittman ($550). Provisional starters - Tim Shaffer, Lance Blevins

Lap leader: Stevie Smith 1-30

Vivarin Fast-Time Award winner: Kenny Jacobs