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by
Richard Day
HANFORD, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2002) - Danny Lasoski opened the 2002 season the same
way he ended last year -- atop the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series point
standings.
"The Dude," who finished sixth in his first International Race of
Champions competition a week earlier, won the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
2002 season opener Friday at Kings Speedway, leading all 30 laps in the
"A" Feature.
"My car was pretty good on the bottom, and that's where I tried to
stay," Lasoski said following the 38th main event victory of his career.
"I was having a tough time getting by some of the lapped cars, and I
figured somebody would be showing me a nose (front of a car) pretty soon.
"I couldn't do any of this without J.D. Byrider, HAMM America, Verne
Massey, American Compressed Steel, Eagle Chassis, Hoosier tires and Kistler
engines. My crew -- Jimmy Carr, Todd Splain and Bobby Mack -- is the best."
When asked about his IROC experience, Lasoski said, "I'm really proud to
represent the Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series and dirt track racing in IROC.
Everything I've learned in a sprint car goes out the window when I'm racing with
those guys. I think they probably wondered if I had any talent at all, but then
toward the end they started running with me, so maybe we can get a little better
at the next one."
Lasoski couldn't have performed much better Friday when the Pennzoil World of
Outlaws Series opened its 25th season. He was only .001 seconds off
fast-qualifier Joey Saldana's pace in time trials, finished third in the Second
Heat Race and earned the right to start the "A" Feature on the pole by
winning the First O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash before dominating the main event.
"The Dude" drove NASCAR Winston Cup star Tony Stewart's #20 sprinter
into the lead as the green flag fell in the "A" Feature. He was
opening a comfortable advantage over Jac Haudenschild when Brad Furr stopped on
the back straightaway with a flat left rear tire midway through the second lap.
Tim Shaffer, the new driver of the #83 Beef Packers Eagle Lasoski drove before
last season, used an inside move in turn two to pass Haudenschild for second
place as the green flag replaced the yellow.
Defending World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion Daryn Pittman exchanged sixth
place with Mark Kinser during the third lap, then spun the #21 Hop-n-Sac Avenger
in turn one the next time around.
Brian Paulus, who raced past four cars in the first four laps, took the inside
line through turn four to pass Kinser for sixth place late in lap six. Pittman
brought out the caution flag again two laps later when a mechanical malfunction
caused him to stop in the third corner.
Stevie Smith, who left his own team to drive David Helm's #11H Vivarin Maxim,
took the high line around "The Wild Child" between turns one and two
for third place early in the eighth lap. Kinser used a similar move to pass
Paulus for sixth several seconds later.
Kinser, who finished only 30 points behind Lasoski last year in the closest
points race in Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series history, continued his run
toward the front two laps later. "Mopar Mark" passed cousin Steve
Kinser high in the fourth corner, then restarted in fifth place one lap later
after Kyle Schild stopped in turn three with a broken torsion stop.
Lasoski raced away from the field when the race resumed, and was 10 car-lengths
ahead of his closest pursuers when he entered lapped traffic midway through the
race.
The Kinser cousins passed Haudenschild during the next five laps, Mark for
fourth place late in lap 16 and "The King of the Outlaws" for fifth
early in the 21st lap. Mark steered the #5M Mopar Maxim around Smith high in the
fourth corner to take over third place late in lap 25, only to have cousin Steve
and Smith pass him in dense lapped traffic the next time around. Mark claimed
fourth place early in the 29th lap, riding the rim around Smith between turns
one and two.
Shaffer cut Lasoski's advantage in half by the 20th lap, but was five
car-lengths behind at the checkered flag. Steve Kinser finished in third place,
ahead of cousin Mark, Smith, Haudenschild, Sammy Swindell, Jason Meyers,
15th-starting Donny Schatz and Saldana.
Engine problems in the #83jr Beef Packers Eagle caused Swindell to miss his turn
in the qualifying order. He received credit for the 17th-quick after recording
the 10th-fastest lap.
Craig Dollansky crashed with Mark Kinser and Lawrence Edlund early in the Second
Heat Race, then used a backup car after mechanical problems in the #7 Polydome
Maxim cost him third place in the race. Dollansky raced past eight cars in the
"B" Feature to qualify for the main event, then finished 17th in the
"A" Feature.
RESULTS
Pennzoil World of Outlaws Series
Kings Speedway, Hanford, Calif.
Friday, Feb. 22, 2002 - Feature Program #1
Qualifications: 1. Joey Saldana, Saldana 17, 12.779; 2. Danny Lasoski,
Stewart 20, 12.780; 3. Craig Dollansky, Karavan Racing 7, 12.840; 4. Jac
Haudenschild, Forbrook 5, 12.85; 5. Tim Shaffer, Roth 83, 12.945; 6. Daryn
Pittman, Sherdon Motorsports 21, 12.987; 7. Stevie Smith, Helm 11H, 13.033; 8.
Randy Hannagan, K&C Drywall 1X, 13.058; 9. Brad Furr, Furr 2, 13.065; 10.
Mark Kinser, Kinser 5M, 13.140; 11. Steve Kinser, Kinser 11, 13.193; 12. Peter
Murphy. Williams 0, 13.231; 13. Jason Meyers, Carter 14, 13.252; 14. Brian
Paulus, P&P Motorsports 28, 13.305; 15. Mike Faria, Faria 4, 13.319; 16.
Brian Coelho, Coelho 5C, 13.363; 17. Sammy Swindell, Roth 83JR, 13.098*; 18.
Donny Schatz, Schatz 15, 13.370; 19. Danny Wood, Parsons 6, 13.372; 20. Terry
McCarl, McCarl 24, 13.374; 21. Tommy Tarlton, Tarlton 21T, 13.430; 22. Lawrence
Edlund, Edlund 1, 13.584; 23. Toni Lutar, Lutar 4X, 13595; 24. Steven Allard,
Allard 1M, 13.696; 25. Jayme Barnes, DIRT 9, 13.845; 26. Jim Carter, Rudeen 14C,
13.875; 27. Kyle Schild, Schild 16, 14.188; 28. Andy Forsberg, Forsberg 92,
14.237; 29. Mark Barroso, Barroso 78, 14.334; 30. Randy Waitman, Waitman 69,
14.413; 31. Bob Duncan, Duncan 3B, 14.479; 32. Ernest McAffee, McAffee 22,
17.587. * - (missed his position in the qualifying order)
First Heat Race (8 laps): 1. Sammy Swindell, 2. Tommy Tarlton, 3. Brad
Furr, 4. Jason Meyers, 5. Tim Shaffer, 6. Joey Saldana, 7. Mark Barroso, 8.
Jayme Barnes. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Second Heat Race (8 laps): 1. Daryn Pittman, 2. Danny Wood, 3. Danny
Lasoski, 4. Brian Paulus, 5. Mark Kinser, 6. Randy Waitman, 7. Jim Carter, 8.
Lawrence Edlund. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Third Heat Race (8 laps): 1. Steve Kinser, 2. Mike Faria, 3. Stevie
Smith, 4. Toni Lutar, 5. Kyle Schild, 6. Terry McCarl, 7. Craig Dollansky, 8.
Bob Duncan. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
Fourth Heat Race (8 laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Stephen Allard, 3.
Donny Schatz, 4. Randy Hannagan, 5. Andy Forsberg, 6. Brian Coelho, 7. Peter
Murphy, 8. Ernest McAffee. (first five qualified for the "A" Feature)
First O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (5 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski, 2. Tim
Shaffer, 3. Stevie Smith, 4. Brad Furr, 5. Steve Kinser, 6. Brian Paulus, 7.
Sammy Swindell, 8. Donny Schatz. (finish determined starting positions for first
inside eight rows)
Second O'Reilly Auto Parts Dash (5 laps): 1. Jac Haudenschild, 2. Daryn
Pittman, 3. Mark Kinser, 4. Jason Meyers, 5. Randy Hannagan, 6. Danny Wood, 7.
Tommy Tarlton, 8. Mike Faria. (finish determined starting positions for first
inside eight rows)
B Feature (12 laps): 1. Joey Saldana, 2. Brian Coelho, 3. Terry McCarl,
4. Craig Dollansky, 5. Jim Carter ($200); 6. Mark Barroso ($180); 7. Jayme
Barnes ($150); 8. Bob Duncan ($120); 9. Randy Waitman ($100); 10. Peter Murphy
($90); 11. Lawrence Edlund ($70); 12. Ernest McAffee ($60). (first four
qualified for the "A" Feature)
A Feature (30 laps): 1. Danny Lasoski [1] ($10,000); 2. Tim Shaffer [3]
($5,500); 3. Steve Kinser [9] ($3,200); 4. Mark Kinser [6] ($2,800); 5. Stevie
Smith [5] ($2,500); 6. Jac Haudenschild [2] ($2,300); 7. Sammy Swindell [13]
($2,200); 8. Jason Meyers [8] ($2,100); 9. Donny Schatz [15] ($2,050); 10. Joey
Saldana [17] ($2,020); 11. Randy Hannagan [10] ($1,500); 12. Brian Paulus [11]
($1,200); 13. Danny Wood [12] ($1,100); 14. Terry McCarl [19] ($1,070); 15.
Stephen Allard [21] ($1,000); 16. Brad Furr [7] ($900); 17. Craig Dollansky [24]
($820); 18. Tommy Tarlton [14] ($800); 19. Brian Coelho [18] ($820); 20. Andy
Forsberg [23] ($800); 21. Toni Lutar [20] ($800); 22. Daryn Pittman [4] ($800);
23. Mike Faria [16] ($800); 24. Kyle Schild [22] ($800).
Lap leader: Lasoski 1-30.