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STEVE KINSER
WINS WILD NST EVENT AT TRI-CITY SPEEDWAY; GERRY BRUCE TRIUMPHS IN PRO
STOCK BATTLE July 16, 2006 FRANKLIN, PA ... The National Sprint Tour invaded Tri-City Speedway on Sunday night, and Steve Kinser of Bloomington, Ind., captured the $10,000 feature win in the 30-lap main event. Driving his Quaker State Maxim No. 11, Kinser took the lead on the final lap from teammate Tim Kaeding and raced on to his fourth NST win of the season and his first career Super Sprint win at Tri-City. In a night dominated by hot and humid conditions, Gerry Bruce of Franklin, Pa., won the 20-lap William R. Karns Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Detroit Iron Series Pro Stock main. It was Bruce‘s first win of the season and the sixth victory of his career at the Venango County half-mile oval. Kinser and Kaeding offered the fans the best sprint car racing of the season in a wild NST event. Battling inside and outside for many laps, Kinser finally made a move that stuck. Entering the first turn on the final circuit, Kinser dove under Kaeding and pulled off an amazing slide job. The move carried both cars to the top of the track in turn two. Kinser powered off the corner while Kaeding did a full 360-degree spin out of the lead and an apparent victory. “I was out of gas over the last three laps,” said Kinser before the cheering throng of fans. “I don’t know, maybe Tim was too. Our team is still struggling a little. We needed this win. This was a fun track and a great facility. I’d like to thank the fans for coming out to support us.” The win was more satisfying for Kinser due to the fact that his engine faltered after the second heat race. As a result, his team, which drove overnight following the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway, changed the engine in the pit area. The move paid off in spades. Following an aborted start for a spin by Dean Jacobs in turn two, Shane Stewart and Paul McMahon led the field to the green flag, and McMahan jumped into the lead. On the fourth circuit, Kaeding, who started third, used the outside cushion to drive around McMahan for the lead. Once out front, Kaeding took off and appeared to be on his way to his 10th NST win of the season. Rod George, who started fourth, had the Tri-City faithful on the edge of their seats. He ran fifth behind Kaeding, McMahan, Stewart and Brian Paulus in the early going. Kinser, who started fifth, moved into the top five on the sixth lap moving by Paulus and George. One lap later, he was third after passing Stewart. Scott Bonnell stopped at the top of turn three on the eighth circuit causing the second caution. George suffered terminal mechanical problems at that time, which dropped him from contention to a 21st place finish. On the restart, Kaeding took off again. Kinser moved into second on the ninth circuit. With 10 laps in the books, Kaeding, Kinser, McMahan, Stewart and Danny Lasoski, who started 15th, were in the top five. Kinser made a number of moves on Kaeding to try to take command, but the Californian drove a stellar race and continued to fend off his team leader. The top five remained the same at the halfway mark. Jason Meyers started 14th and made his charge on the 16th circuit when he passed Lasoski for fifth. On the 17th circuit, Meyers pulled a slide job on Stewart to take fourth, but both drivers drifted wide in turn two, and Lasoski dove under both of them to exit the corner in fourth place instead. One lap later, Lasoski was under McMahan for third, and Meyers took fourth from McMahan on the 19th circuit before the third caution waved for a spinning Riki Likowski. On the restart, Kinser tried to make a move to the outside of Kaeding. Running side-by-side in the backstretch, Kinser allowed Kaeding to drift wide into turns three and four and tried to shoot the gap underneath him off turn four to no avail. Then, on the 23rd circuit, Kerry Madsen climbed the frontstretch wall after contact with Jacobs and was knocked from contention causing the fourth and final caution. Kinser tried to make a move into first again on the restart, but Kaeding escaped and it appeared the race was over. Gradually, Kinser reeled him back in. The two drivers crossed the line side-by-side on the white flag lap and nearly touched. Entering the first turn, Kinser made his move and took the lead and a thrilling win that left the crowd in awe. Kaeding made an amazing save to cross the line in fourth. Then, heartbreak ensued when he was light at the scales, which resulted in his disqualification. Kaeding’s spin vaulted Lasoski and Meyers into second and third. With Kaeding’s disqualification, McMahan finished fourth over Jason Solwold, who started 20th. As a result, three of the top five finishers started 14th or higher. The top local driver was Ed Lynch Jr., who finished eighth. That capped a fun weekend for Lynch, who set fast time at the Kings Royal event at Eldora on Saturday night, which earned Lynch a new four-wheeler courtesy of track owner, Tony Stewart. In qualifying for the NST Sprints, Jason Sides set fast time at 16.507 seconds, which translated into 109.045 mph. Lasoski, Kinser and Meyers won the heats for the 29-car field. The dashes were won by McMahan and Stewart, who elected to start on the inside lane of the front row of the main event. Madsen captured the B Main. During the B Main, a fuse blew in the main electric box causing several track lights to go dark. A 20-minute delay ensued following repairs. Gerry Bruce of Franklin, Pa., led every lap of the 20-lap Detroit Iron Series Pro Stock race, and held off the strong challenge of Bobby Whitling to capture his first win of the season at Tri-City in Ken Humamic’s Eagle Hoist & Winch/Senesco Marine Chevrolet No. 17. As the two drivers raced side-by-side to the line, some contact was made, and Bruce edged Whitling by a nose. The exact difference was 0.048 seconds. “That was a bittersweet ending,” said the USAR Hooters Pro Cup driver and defending track champion. “I kind of took that one away from Bobby at the end. This team really needed this one and sometimes you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. Bobby’s my friend and neighbor. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get past this.” Starting on the outside of the front row, Bruce jumped into an immediate lead over polesitter Ronnie Davis, who ran well in the first half of the race. By the sixth circuit, point leader Doug Iorio II was running second over Dave Ferringer, Whitling and Butch Lambert. With the race clicking off quickly, Whitling started his move to the front after the halfway mark. He drove outside of Ferringer for third on the 12th circuit. Then, he made a move around Iorio off turn four with five laps to go. Two cautions near the end of the race closed the gap between Bruce and Whitling. On the final circuit, Whitling took to the outside groove again. They came off turn four and it appeared Whitling may have won the race, but Bruce drifted up into Whitling. They rubbed fenders off the turn, and Bruce squeezed past Whitling across the finish line. Iorio finished third over Lambert and Ferringer. Whitling, John Winters and Iorio won the Pro Stock heats. For Winters, it was his first career heat race win. Tri-City Speedway returns to action next Sunday July 23rd with a five division show featuring the 4 Your Car Connection Super Sprints, Schwab’s Ford DIRT Modifieds, RPM Auto Sales/Shawgo Real Estate E Mods, E.F. Rogers Plumbing & Heating Pro Stocks, and Klapec Auto Body Thundercars. The DIRT Modifieds will compete in the 25-lap, $1,500-to-win Kodiak Memorial, which is the sixth race in the Schwab’s Ford Big Block Modified Challenge Series run in conjunction with Lernerville Speedway. In addition, a Lowry Auto Wrecking Mid-Size Car Demo Derby will round out the action on Joy Employee Fund Night at Tri-City. Gates open at 4 p.m. and racing starts at 6 p.m. Adult grandstand admission is a family friendly $11. NST SPRINTS (30 Laps): 1. STEVE KINSER, 2. Danny Lasoski, 3. Jason Meyers, 4. Paul McMahan, 5. Jason Solwold, 6. Jason Sides, 7. Brian Paulus, 8. Ed Lynch Jr., 9. Dean Jacobs, 10. Arnie Kent, 11. Bob Felmlee, 12. Todd Bauer, 13. Daryl Stimeling, 14. Brent Covell, 15. Brent Matus, 16. Shane Stewart, 17. Kerry Madsen, 18. Andy McKisson, 19. Rob Eyler, 20. Riki Likowski, 21. Rod George, 22. Scott Bonnell, 23. Lucas Wolfe. DISQ: Tim Kaeding. DNQ: Jody Keegan, Scott Rodgers, Andy Priest, Joe Butera, Gale Ruth. DETROIT IRON PRO STOCKS (20 Laps): 1. GERRY BRUCE, 2. Bobby Whitling, 3. Doug Iorio II, 4. Butch Lambert, 5. Dave Ferringer, 6. Mike Pegher Jr., 7. Joe Lockhart, 8. Ronnie Davis, 9. Terry Wheeler, 10. Scott Myers, 11. Jeff Lockhart, 12. Denny Crawford, 13. Jason Engles, 14. Chad Myers, 15. Matt Thomas, 16. Matt Keith, 17. Robby Switzer, 18. Randy Wyant, 19. John Winters, 20. Tim Engles, 21. Gary Proper, 22. Rusty Kellogg, 23. Rod Laskey, 24. Mike Miller. DNS: Rick Lanigan, Russ Coyne.
UPCOMING
EVENTS July 30 – Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks, Thundercars and Spectator Races (Goss Gas and Lincoln Electric Presents Armed Forces Night) Aug. 6 – Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds (Schwab’s Ford Big Block Modified Challenge), E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars (Coors Brewing Bonus Bucks Night) Aug. 13 – Super Sprints, DIRT Modifieds, E Mods, Pro Stocks and Thundercars (McDonald’s Kids Night Bike Races & Racers for Tots)
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