Contact: Shawn Miller
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series PR
704-467-7803 | smiller@dirtcar.com
Swindell Strikes Before Lightning at Lakeside Speedway
He regains the World of Outlaws championship lead after series-best sixth win
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – June 30, 2012 – There was thunder and lightning Saturday evening at Lakeside Speedway after another scorching afternoon.
With high humidity and temperatures soaring into triple digits for the fourth consecutive race, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series was in hurry-up mode as a storm approached prior to the 30-lap feature at the half mile.
Sammy Swindell and Kraig Kinser set the tone from the drop of the green flag as lightning descended around the area midway through the main event. The duo battled neck and neck – even side by side at times – with Swindell crossing the finish line first by a car length.
“I seen him drive in there real hard a few times,” he said. “I was hoping that maybe he would see the carrot out there real close and try to run a little hard. I was just running my line and trying to keep up with the race track as it was changing. It’s a lot easier to control the race sometimes when you’re in front.”
It was his series-best sixth victory of the season and it moved him back into the World of Outlaws championship standings lead for the first time since he and Steve Kinser left Orange County Fair Speedway tied for the points lead on May 19.
Kinser, who won the previous two years at Lakeside Speedway, was involved in the first caution of the race. Brian Brown jumped to the early lead only to smack the wall in turn three on the opening lap. Kinser had nowhere to go and collided with Brown’s stalled car, which was compounded when Patrick Stasa slid into the crash.
Brown and Stasa went to the trailer, while Kinser’s team was unable to make the necessary repairs before the race restarted.
His son, Kraig, who entered the event with three World of Outlaws victories in the past eight events, capitalized on the complete restart by pulling into a comfortable lead. In fact, he held nearly a straightaway advantage before the second-and-final caution on lap seven for Donny Schatz, whose car caught on fire.
After parking it in the infield near turn one and hoping out of the car, which was met with fire extinguishers, Schatz climbed back into his race car and his team fixed the problem. Kinser also rejoined the field – six laps down. He finished 14th and is nine points behind Swindell in the championship standings.
Swindell, who won a pair of Outlaws races on pavement at Lakeside Speedway in 1991 and 1992, rocketed by Kraig Kinser for the lead on the restart as bolts of lightning began to appear in the distance off turn four. Kinser maintained a close second – and even pulled side by side with him on lap 12 – but was unable to regain the lead.
“I got on the gas and spun (the tires) a little bit, just enough for Sammy to get an edge and pull back in front of me,” Kinser said. “That was it. I hounded him so hard at the end of the race. He just never really slipped up at all. He’s hard to pass when he gets out front.”
Cody Darrah also took advantage of the restart and worked his way from sixth to third, where he also finished last year at Lakeside Speedway.
“The first stages of that race I screwed up on those starts,” he said. “Then we had a restart where I kind of got everything back together and ended up pulling from sixth to third. I wish we got through lapped traffic a little bit better, but that’s part of it.”
Lucas Wolfe drove from 10th to fourth and Kerry Madsen was fifth. Chad Kemenah earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 19 th to sixth. Danny Lasoski finished seventh, Craig Dollansky eighth, Tim Kaeding ninth and Schatz rounded out the top 10.
Brown, Swindell and Lasoski each claimed a heat race, and Joey Saldana was the quickest in qualifying with a lap of 14.162 seconds.
Lakeside Speedway Notebook
NOTES – Joey Saldana established quick time in qualifying for a series-best sixth time this season. … Brian Brown claimed his second heat race, Sammy Swindell his series-best 10th and Danny Lasoski his sixth of the season. … Kraig Kinser won his third dash of the year.
WINNERS – Sammy Swindell – 6 (Lakeside Speedway on June 30, Red River Valley Speedway on June 16, Eldora Speedway on May 5, Knoxville Raceway on April 28, Missouri State Fair Speedway on April 20 and Merced Speedway on March 30); Craig Dollansky – 4 (I-96 Speedway on June 2, Hagerstown Speedway on May 20, Tri-State Speedway on April 21 and Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19); Kraig Kinser – 3 (Dodge City Raceway Park on June 23, River Cities Speedway on June 15 and Kokomo Speedway on June 5); Steve Kinser – 3 (Dodge City Raceway Park on June 22, Orange County Fair Speedway on May 19 and Williams Grove Speedway on May 12); Joey Saldana – 3 (The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 25, Paducah International Raceway on April 13 and Perris Auto Speedway on March 10); Donny Schatz – 3 (Farmer City Raceway on April 25, Silver Dollar Speedway on March 23 and Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19); Tim Kaeding – 2 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 16 and The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 8); Chad Kemenah – 2 (Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 28 and Eldora Speedway on May 4); Kerry Madsen – 2 (Belleville High Banks on June 29 and Knoxville Raceway on June 9); Danny Dietrich – 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 10); Danny Lasoski – 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 18); Paul McMahan – 1 (Rolling Wheels Raceway Park on May 16); Fred Rahmer – 1 (Williams Grove Speedway on May 11); Brad Sweet – 1 (Clay County Fairgrounds on June 8).
TIME TRIALS – Joey Saldana was the fastest qualifier around the half-mile oval with a time of 14.162 seconds to earn five championship points. Also earning points were Sammy Swindell (4 points), Craig Dollansky (3), Tim Kaeding (2) and Kerry Madsen (1).
WE’RE ONLINE – Make sure to check out WorldofOutlaws.com for the latest news and results, plus exclusive driver interviews, video and pictures. Also listen to every event live at DIRTVision.com .
Lakeside Speedway Statistical Report; Kansas City, Kan.; June 30, 2012
A-Main – (30 Laps) – 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [5] [$10,000]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1] [$5,500]; 3. 4-Cody Darrah [3] [$3,200]; 4. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [10] [$2,800]; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen [4] [$2,500]; 6. 63-Chad Kemenah [19] [$2,300]; 7. 33-Danny Lasoski [9] [$2,200]; 8. 7-Craig Dollansky [7] [$2,100]; 9. 83-Tim Kaeding [6] [$2,050]; 10. 15-Donny Schatz [13] [$2,000]; 11. 9-Joey Saldana [8] [$1,500]; 12. 6-Bill Rose [11] [$1,200]; 13. 74X-Josh Hodges [14] [$1,100]; 14. 11-Steve Kinser [12] [$1,050]; 15. 91-Jeff Stasa [20] [$1,000]; 16. 8-Jordon Whitehead [18] [$900]; 17. 81-Jon Freeman [17] [$800]; 18. 10C-Jeremy Campbell [15] [$800]; 19. 21-Brian Brown [2] [$800]; 20. 11S-Patrick Stasa [16] [$800]; 21. 5-Jason Schroeder [21] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Kraig Kinser 1-6, Sammy Swindell 7-30. KSE Hard Charger Award: 63-Chad Kemenah [+13].
Qualifying – 1. 9-Joey Saldana, 14.162; 2. 1-Sammy Swindell, 14.196; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky, 14.212; 4. 83-Tim Kaeding, 14.269; 5. 29-Kerry Madsen, 14.298; 6. 4-Cody Darrah, 14.312; 7. 21-Brian Brown, 14.318; 8. 6-Bill Rose, 14.354; 9. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 14.421; 10. 11-Steve Kinser, 14.421; 11. 63-Chad Kemenah, 14.422; 12. 33-Danny Lasoski, 14.430; 13. 15-Donny Schatz, 14.460; 14. 5W-Lucas Wolfe, 14.549; 15. 74X-Josh Hodges, 15.059; 16. 10C-Jeremy Campbell, 15.496; 17. 11S-Patrick Stasa, 15.761; 18. 81-Jon Freeman, 16.080; 19. 91-Jeff Stasa, 16.329; 20. 8-Jordon Whitehead, 16.355; 21. 5-Jason Schroeder, 16.819.
Heat 1 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 2. 9-Joey Saldana [4]; 3. 11-Steve Kinser [1]; 4. 83-Tim Kaeding [3]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [5]; 6. 10C-Jeremy Campbell [6]; 7. 91-Jeff Stasa [7].
Heat 2 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [4]; 2. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [5]; 3. 29-Kerry Madsen [3]; 4. 6-Bill Rose [2]; 5. 11S-Patrick Stasa [6]; 6. 8-Jordon Whitehead [7]; 7. 63-Chad Kemenah [1].
Heat 3 – (8 Laps – Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature) – 1. 33-Danny Lasoski [1]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2]; 3. 7-Craig Dollansky [4]; 4. 4-Cody Darrah [3]; 5. 74X-Josh Hodges [5]; 6. 81-Jon Freeman [6]; 7. 5-Jason Schroeder [7].
Dash – (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature) – 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 2. 21-Brian Brown [2]; 3. 4-Cody Darrah [3]; 4. 29-Kerry Madsen [4]; 5. 1-Sammy Swindell [7]; 6. 83-Tim Kaeding [5]; 7. 7-Craig Dollansky [6]; 8. 9-Joey Saldana [8]; 9. 33-Danny Lasoski [9]; 10. 5W-Lucas Wolfe [10].