Smith And Johnson Win Sunday Night At Orange County Fair Speedway

Middletown, NY-6/1/97... The annual stop for the World of Outlaws sprint cars at the Orange County Fair Speedway Sunday night found Stevie Smith, Jr. from New Oxford, P a . taking the 25lap Pennzoil main event. The companion 25 lap CARQUEST Auto Parts Stores 358 Modified Syracuse Qualifier was claimed by current division point leader Danny Johnson of Rochester, NY.

Smith, starting on the pole, was never seriously challenged in an event that saw two red flag periods for rookie drivers who got into the wall on the backstretch. Neither was injured. Sammy Swindell was a distant second followed by Steve Kinser, Jac Haudenschild, and Mark Kinser. Mark Kinser was the only top five driver able to advance his position as he came from outside the top five to show fifth. The track record of 17.176 set by Johnny Herrera in 1993 was shattered by the top 12 qualifiers with Mark Kinser now holding the tracks best time at 17.088 seconds. The three heats were taken by Billy Pauch, Herrera, and Lance Blevins. The Vivarin Dash was claimed by Sammy Swindell.

The 25 lap Syracuse Qualifier for the small block modifieds saw Johnson notch his 3rd straight in the class as he moved out front on lap 20 when he and leader DonnieWilson touched in turn one. Johnson recovered first and went on for the win over Jeff Heotzler. Brett Hearn, right behind Wilson and Johnson at the time the pair touched, suffered a flat tire and was sidelined for the balance of the event. Wilson got caught behind Hearn and this Heotzler and Bachetti to get by. Heotzler, the only driver to run every Super Dirt Week small block event at Syracuse, will continue his streak in 1997 as he picked up the guaranteed spot since Johnson had secured a spot earlier in the season. Andy Bachetti trailed Heotzler followed by Wilson and Tim Hindley.

World of Outlaws:

1st Heat- Billy Pauch, Dave Blaney, Jeff Swindell, Mark Kinser, Joe Gaerte, Andy

Hillenburg

2nd Heat- Johnny Herrera, Greg Hodnett, Jac Haudenschild, Steve Smith, Jr . Todd

Schaffer. Paul McMahon

3rd Heat- Lance Blevins, Don Kreitz, Jr, Danny I asoski, Sammy Swindell, Steve

Kinser, Randy Hannigan

B Main- Donny Schatz. Dave I Iy, Denny Soltis, Bobby Bennett, George Suprick

Dion Hindi

Vivarin Dash-S. Swindell, Smith, S Kinser, Hillenburg, M. Kinser, Haudenschild,

Blaney Hodnett

Feature: Smith S. Swindell, S. Kinser. Haudenschild. M. Kinser Hodnett

Hillenburg, Blaney, Lasoski, Gaerte, J. Swindell, Herr_ra, Blevins. Hannigan. Fav~ch,

Kreitz,, Ely, Suprick, Hindi, Soltis, Schatz,, Schaffer, McMahon, Bennett

358 Modified Results:

1st Heat: Buc Christmann, Danny Johnson, Tommy Meier. Gary I dwards, Jr, Henry

Sharp, Jeff Scaccio

2nd Heat- Donnie Wilson. Jeff Heotzler, Andy Bachetti, Henry Sherman. I ee Niznik,

Tim Hindley

3rd Heat- Rick Mill, Joe Morel, Gerry Higbie, Paul Martin, Brett Hearn, Mike Altamose

Con=B Craig, Jackson, Scott Flammer, Billy Eggers. Jr. Cris Grispin. Donnie Elliott, Jr.

G reg Kobesky

Add: Mike Petruska - top five in track points

Feature: JOHNSON Heotzler Bachetti Wilson Hindley Altamose Meier Martin,

Scaccio, Higbie, Morel, Jackson Edwards, Flammer, Eggers, Petruska, Sherman, Mill,

Hearn, Niznik. Kobesky. Grispin. Christmann. Elliott. Sharp