The Findlay, Ohio, native withstands Kraig Kinser in an epic, side-by-side battle
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. - May 28, 2012 - The hottest race day of the season produced arguably the best feature in a special Memorial Day event.
Fighting temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity most of the day on Monday, Chad Kemenah outlasted Kraig Kinser to claim the first World of Outlaws feature at Lawrenceburg Speedway since 2009.
"I seen Kraig get underneath me a couple of times and I figured we were going to win it or wear it," Kemenah said. "Kraig, he's an awesome race car driver. He could have probably pinched me off there a couple of times. He raced me like I race him I believe and that matters."
The duo traded the lead several times and battled side by side for nearly three consecutive laps. With Kemenah maintaining his momentum on the high lane, Kinser hit his marks on the bottom groove to stay within striking distance of first place.
Kemenah snuck by at the flag stand on lap 30 and barely edged Kinser on the ensuing lap, when a yellow flag was waved for a spin by Cody Darrah in turn four. Kemenah chose the inside lane on the double-file restart - which he had to do twice after the initial attempt was called back for Donny Schatz starting too early - and pulled away to his second Outlaws win of the season.
"It's hard to win these things," Kemenah said. "You're racing against Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, and Schatz and Joey (Saldana). They're the best and they're the best for a reason. Any time you win them, you cherish them because you just don't know when the next one is going to be."
The race was anything but a given for Kemenah, who caught a break when Danny Lasoski - who led the first 11 laps of the feature - pulled to the infield with a blown engine on lap 12. That gave Kemenah the top spot with polesitter Craig Dollansky in hot pursuit.
The first caution of the race happened on lap 14 when Darrah slowed dramatically in turn two. Kemenah rocketed to a sizeable advantage on the restart while Dollansky and Kinser traded slide jobs for the runner-up position for several laps.
Traffic began to play a role with approximately a dozen laps remaining as Dollansky closed to within a car length of Kemenah for the lead. However, Dollansky's right rear tire blew going into turn one on lap 27 - ending his bid for the win.
The restart featured a wild battle between Kemenah and Kinser, who first found the lead as he exited turn two on the bottom of lap 28. Kemenah stayed on the cushion and the momentum carried him into the lead entering each corner, but Kinser's bottom lane propelled him to the top spot exiting the turns.
"It was getting fun there," Kinser said. "He was a little bit better than me on the top, could carry his momentum a little bit better and he pulled it off tonight.
"I couldn't carry that much momentum around the bottom. I don't know if I was a little too free everywhere so I wasn't tight enough where I could carry momentum to keep up with him up top. I was just trying to run the bottom to make the track as short as I could and just try to keep the car straight and under control the whole time."
Kinser led laps 28 and 29 by a nose, and at one point almost had his car entirely in front of Kemenah. But the outside lane prevailed and Kemenah led the lap prior to the caution with five laps remaining, giving him the opportunity to choose where to start on the double-file restart.
The inside lane proved effective as he easily drove into a comfortable lead by turn one before moving to the cushion for the remainder of the race. Kinser and Kyle Larson then put on a show to close out the final laps.
The duo swapped the runner-up position a handful of times before Kinser slipped by exiting turn four on the final lap.
"We definitely set up for the end there," Larson said after a season-best third-place finish. "We were really good at the end. Maybe could have used another caution, but who knows I might have got hung out like Kraig did there on that last restart. I'll take a third.
"It's always satisfying just finishing in the top 10 with these guys."
World of Outlaws points leader Steve Kinser placed fourth and David Gravel was fifth. Sammy Swindell, who set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 11.924 seconds, ended sixth with Kerry Madsen seventh and NASCAR star Tony Stewart eighth. Daryn Pittman finished ninth and Jason Sides rounded out the top 10.
Lasoski, Dollansky, Larson and Gravel each picked up a heat race victory, and Danny Smith claimed the Last Chance Showdown.
Lucas Wolfe utilized a provisional and charged from last - 25th - to place 14th, earning the KSE Hard Charger Award for the first time this season.
Lawrenceburg Speedway Notebook
NOTES - Sammy Swindell set fast time for a series-best fourth time. … Kyle Larson claimed his first World of Outlaws heat race win of the season. … Craig Dollansky earned his second feature pole of the season. … Danny Smith was the 21st different Last Chance Showdown winner in 23 events this season. … Donny Schatz tested a late model throughout the night to prepare for next week's Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway.
CONTINGENCY WINNERS - Penske Shocks ($100 certificate): Bill Rose; MSD Ignitions ($50 cash): Chad Kemenah; Comp Cams ($50 certificate): Chad Kemenah; Armor All (case of product): David Gravel; STP ($50 cash): Kraig Kinser; UNOH ($50 cash): David Gravel; Gravely Tractors ($50 cash): Kerry Madsen; VP Racing Fuel ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; Comp Cams ($50 cash): Donny Schatz; JE Pistons (set of rings): Lucas Wolfe; Cometic Gasket ($50 cash): Joey Saldana; Wix Filters ($50 cash): Lucas Wolfe; Superflow ($50 cash): Lucas Wolfe; JE Pistons ($50 cash): Craig Dollansky; JE Pistons (set of rings): Bill Rose; MSD Ignitions ($25 cash): Bill Rose; Klotz Synthetic Lubricants ($50 cash): Dale Blaney.
WINNERS - Sammy Swindell - 4 (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 - 3 (Hagerstown Speedway on May 20, Tri-State Speedway on April 21 and Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 19); 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); Steve Kinser - 2 (Orange County Fair Speedway on May 19 and Williams Grove Speedway on May 12); 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).
TIME TRIALS - Sammy Swindell was the fastest qualifier around the 3/8-mile oval with a time of 11.924 seconds to earn five championship points. Also earning points were Kerry Madsen (4 points), Cap Henry (3), Chad Kemenah (2) and Tony Stewart (1).
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- Admin Account on May 29, 2012
- Article Date: 5/28/2012 by Shawn Miller - World of Outlaws