ANTIOCH, California — In their last California appearance of the 2011 Season, the World of Outlaw Sprint Series took on the Antioch Speedway, in their very first race at this facility and it was Steve Kinser of Bloomington, IN, racing the Tony Stewart Racing #11 Sprint, that earned the inaugural victory on this three-eighths mile dirt oval in Antioch, CA.
"I had to work the bottom (groove) where no one else was going. Everybody was passing cars, it was a good race. "— Steve Kinser
For S. Kinser, it's his eighth of this season, "A" Feature event victory tying him with Craig Dollansky (MN) who also has eight feature wins this season.
S. Kinser turned a 11.570 second lap for second fast time in qualifying, then a third place finish in his heat race and a fourth in the Dash.
"It was a pretty good run. I just was trying to get to Craig (Dollansky, who was in the lead by the thirteenth lap). I had to work the bottom (groove) where no one else was going. Everybody was passing cars, it was a good race. We kept trying to catch up with Meyers (Jason Meyers, who is leading in the points race) If we can keep our good finishes, you never know, it could turn around for him." said S. Kinser.
On victory lane, S. Kinser had his new (three and a half month old Hailee) granddaughter with him and he said, "It was a good feeling having her here. I hope that I can do this again when she is a little bit older so she can remember it."
Kyle Larson of Elk Grove, CA, racing the Brent Kaeding Racing #99 sprint, ran another spectacular race, racing from a fourteenth place start in this thirty lap feature to take the checkered flag in second and was the hard charger in this race.
"This is the best it's ever been here (Larson, who is not a WoO Sprint Series regular has competed here in Antioch with other series). The track was awesome. I started in fourteenth and I ran the top most of the race, then in the third and fourth turns, I ran the bottom at the end, trying not to make any mistakes. I was nervous when the red flag flew out for Dollansky, who was in the lead.(Dollansky had a strong hold of the lead position racing into the second turn with about five laps to go, when he flipped his sprint just before entering the second turn.) I knew what I would have to do to get around Steve (Kinser). I want to thank Stadlehoffer Construction, Peppermill Casino in Reno, Kaeding Performance, BK Racing and all of our sponsors." said Larson. Next week Larson will behind the wheel of a POWRI Midget, racing in the Spoon River race in Illinois. When asked how it was to jump into various open wheel race cars, Larson said, "I enjoy it. I run everything I can. In the beginning it was a bit getting use to, but now that I know how to adjust for each different vehicle I race, it' fun."
Third place was captured by Tim Kaeding, racing the Dennis Roth, HR Cattle/Roth Motorsports #83jr. T. Kaeding had a good run tonight, having turned in a much better lap in qualifying than he has had lately, turning a 11.740 second lap for eighth fast, won his heat race and finished fifth in the ten car Dash, in spite of flipping his sprint on the back stretch. T. Kaeding followed Larson across the start finish line, for his podium finish in third.
"We were good all night. We fell into something running the Dash and just went on with that. I spun and went over. I can't thank every one who helped us get our car back out there. Guys from the #9 sprint car crew (the Kahne, Red Bull car currently being driven by Brad Sweet (CA) and the #91 crew (Kahne, Great Clips car,driven by Cody Darrah (PA) currently) and my Roth Team. I won the King of the West Series here in June. This track is like this almost every night but it's always good. I just went for a good finish." said T. Kaeding.
As good as this race was for some, for a couple of others, it was a tough way to leave a race. Lucas Wolfe (PA), driving the Allebach Racing #5w sprint, won his heat race, took second in the Dash and then took the lead on the opening lead of the "A" Feature. Wolfe had a good lead and led the first twelve laps, then racing into the fourth turn, Andy Gregg (CA) got out of shape, tapped Wolfe enough to spin him as well. Wolfe ended up finishing in eighteenth. Dollansky took over the lead and as mentioned before flipped his sprint as the race neared the finish and was scored in last. In all actuality, the only flags thrown were the two for these drivers. It was a caution for the Wolfe/Gregg incident and a red for Dollansky.
The rest of the race, was fast and very competitive, though the track was throwing a lot of dust, it didn't seem to hinder the race but tough on the fans.
Racing into a fourth place finish was Sweet, followed by Jason Sides (TN), current WoO points leader, Jason Meyers (CA), Paul McMahan (TN), Jonathan Allard (CA), Jac Haudenschild (OH), Kraig Kinser (IN), Rico Abreu (CA), Kerry Madsen (AUS), Donny Schatz (ND), Bud Kaeding (CA), Jason Statler (CA), Evan Suggs (CA), Chad Kemenah (OH), Sammy Swindell (TN), Wolfe, Bill Rose (IN), Gregg, Sean McMahan (CA), Matthew Davis (CA), Dollansky.
Eight lap Heat races, top two make the Dash, top six qualify and transfer into the "A" Feature, the Last Chance Showdown, twelve laps, top six finishers transfer into the "A" with the top four getting their times back and the other two, tagging the rear, the six lap Dash finish, will line up the front ten in the "A", ( all finishes, are unofficial) these finishes were as follows:
Heat #1: Wolfe, Allard, Suggs, Madsen, Swindell, B. Kaeding, Abreu, Clayton Snow (CA), Eli Deshaies (CA).
Heat #2: T. Kaeding, Meyers, S. Kinser, Dollansky, Schatz, Larson, Kemenah, Tyler Wolfe (CA), Austen Wheatley (WA), Dusty Green (CA).
Heat #3: Sides, K. Kinser, P. McMahan, Sweet, Haudenschild, Statler, Rose, Art McCarthy (CA), Davis.
Last Chance Showdown: Kemenah, Abreu, Rose, Gregg, Davis, S. McMahan, Green, Wheatley T. Wolf, Snow, Deshaies, McCarthy.
Dash: Dollansky, L. Wolfe, Sweet, S. Kinser, T. Kaeding, Swindell, Sides, Allard, K. Kinser, Meyers
