Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 6, 2005) – Tracy Hines notched his second career O’Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals preliminary feature victory by topping Thursday night’s 25-lap Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores qualifying feature at Tulsa Expo Raceway.
Hines gunned into the lead from his pole starting position at the outset and led all the way, racing to the checkered flag in convincing fashion ahead of Bud Kaeding, Tony Stewart and Gary Wright. Those four locked themselves into Saturday night’s Chili Bowl finale along with Josh Ford, Chad DeSelle, Danny Lasoski and Casey Shuman, the top four finishers from Wednesday night’s Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Showdown.
Four more will be locked into Saturday’s main from Friday night’s qualifying event, which will feature approximately 90 entries.
Hines earned the pole position for Thursday’s feature by racing from fifth to win the fifth of the evening’s eleven heat races. Hines led the way to the green flag with California shoe Bud Kaeding alongside, as Texan Gary Wright and Late Model ace Bart Hartman made up the second row.
Hines jumped into the early lead and quickly set the tone for the race as he slipped away from Kaeding, who was busy fending off Wright and Stewart for the runner-up slot. Hines held nearly a straightaway advantage by the time lapped traffic came into play on the ninth round, only to once again see clear track when the caution flew for Ryan Hamilton’s disabled mount in turn two.
Hines took off again on the restart, reestablishing his sturdy lead in short order. Wright briefly overtook Kaeding for second on the tenth round, only to have Kaeding return the favor the next time around. Two circuits later, Stewart slipped past Wright to take over third.
After a lap 16 caution for Steve Knepper’s stalled racer, Kaeding and Stewart had one last chance to nab the victory from Hines when the race’s final caution flew on lap 22 for a three-car tangle in turn two that eliminated A.J. Fike. Hines was up to the task however, piloting the Mopar-powered Wilke-Pak Motorsports Guts Wear No. 11 Spike Chassis to the checkered flag unchallenged.
Kaeding fought off NASCAR star and 2002 Chili Bowl winner Stewart to secure the runner-up slot aboard Murray Erickson’s Pink-powered Budweiser Beast, while Stewart took the show position in Jerry Russell’s Mopar-powered Bass Pro Shops Eagle.
Ray Bull tried to snatch the final transfer to Saturday’s main from Wright in the final rounds, but Wright held firm to lock the Pink Chevy-powered Wright One Construction No. 35w Beast into the Chili Bowl championship feature.
Bull settled for fifth, with Rich Camfield, 13th-starter Eric Wilkins, 15th-starter Tim McCreadie, Kraig Kinser and 18th-starter Critter Malone completing the top ten.
Kinser kicked off the night by collecting a checkered flag in his first taste of Chili Bowl action by topping the first heat race, with other heat race winners for the 78-car field including Kaeding, Steve Knepper, Wally Pankratz, Hines, Hamilton, McCreadie, Gary Taylor, Fike, Wright and Malone.
Marc Dailey topped the “D” Main, with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Jesse Hockett splitting victory honors in the twin “C” Mains. Twin “B” Main victories were snared by Taylor and Malone.
The worst of the evening’s tumbles was LeRoy VanConett’s series of barrel rolls down the front stretch in hot laps. The 70-year-old VanConett suffered a broken arm, bringing an early end to his first Chili Bowl.
Other flip victims included Johnny Cofer, Thomas Meseraull, Kenny Brown, Joe Park and Michael Lewis. There were no other injuries.
Results for Heat races (8 laps) Thursday night
(Top 16 in passing points to A; next 28 to two B Mains; next 28 to two C Mains; rest to D Main)
Heat 1: 1. #67K Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN; 2. #14J Jimmy Voitel, Covina, CA; 3. #22M Ray Bull, Bloomsburg, PA; 4. #17X Rob Russell, Fremont, CA; 5. #78 Joey Moughan, Springfield, IL; 6. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 7. #45AZ J.T. Imperial, Phoenix, AZ; 8. #10W Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK.
Heat 2: 1. #8X Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 2. #75H Bart Hartman, Zanesville, OH; 3. #95X Jay Jordan, Lincoln, NE; 4. #5S Shon Deskins, Glendale, AZ; 5. #42C Mike Courtney, Surprise, AZ; 6. #5X Jimmy Light, West Springfield, PA; 7. #15 Todd Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 8. #7D Marc Dailey, Concord, NC.
Heat 3: 1. #55K Steve Knepper, Belleville, IL; 2. #1AU Adam Clarke, Black Hill, New South Wales, Australia; 3. #40M Michael Lewis, Noblesville, IN; 4. Mike Smith, Shelbyville, IN; 5. #5M Mike Neher, Monticello, IN; 6. D33 Jeff Davis, Pittsburg, IL; 7. #3A Bill Allen, Independence, MO.
Heat 4: 1. #8P Wally Pankratz, Orange, CA; 2. #4 Michele Miller, Reading, PA; 3. #8D Brian Baker, Concord, CA; 4. #51 Ryan Durst, Lincoln, NE; 5. #2X Danny Stratton, Fontana, CA; 6. #9T Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, CA; 7. #56 Ken Dull, Machesney Park, IL; 8. #57C Johnny Cofer, Macdoel, CA.
Heat 5: 1. #11 Tracy Hines, Greenfield, IN; 2. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 3. #21AZ Eric Wilkins, El Mirage, AZ; 4. #35X Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL; 5. #XX Darrin Bolton, El Dorado Hills, CA; 6. #00X Pete Davis, Pleasonton, CA; 7. #42P Chris Pearce, Broken Arrow, OK.
Heat 6: 1. #6 Ryan Hamilton, Morgantown, IN; 2. #31X Jason Howe, Jacksonville, IL; 3. #18 Donnie Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 4. #3M John Wolfe, Winchester, IN; 5. #6H Alex Coonan, Ransom, IL; 6. #61 Lonnie Oliver, Cortez, CO; 7. #28M Travis Miniea, Indianapolis, IN.
Heat 7: 1. #39 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 2. #26C Glenn Carson, Newark, CA; 3. #43 Buddy Luebke, Stoughton, WI; 4. #4W Edwin Wilson, Tuttle, OK. DNS - #27A LeRoy VanConett, Galt, CA.
Heat 8: 1. #5D Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 2. #20S Tony Stewart, Rushville, IN; 3. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, IN; 4. #04 Josh Lakatos, Arroyo Grande, CA; 5. #3P Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO; 6. #2B Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 7. #71C Cruz Pedregon, Camarillo, CA.
Heat 9: 1. #69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 2. #87C Rich Camfield, Decatur, IL; 3. #27K Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA; 4. #47X Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 5. #5R Rickey Stenhouse, Jr., Olive Branch, MS; 6. #57 Brian Gard, Kelseyville, CA; 7. Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA.
Heat 10: 1. #35W Gary Wright, Hooks, TX; 2. #48J Jordan Barbee, Tulsa, OK; 3. #55 Tony Everhart, El Cajon, CA; 4. #71X Kenny Love, Lincoln, NE; 5. #17A Alan Ballard, Bakersfield, CA; 6. #17B Kenny Brown, Millstadt, IL DNS - #24E Bill Eslick, Burleson, TX.
Heat 11: 1. #7M Critter Malone, Speedway, IN; 2. #7R Josh Wise, Riverside, CA; 3. #85 Shane Hollingsworth, Indianapolis, IN; 4. #75 Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO; 5. #74S Shane Paris, Muscatine, IA; 6. #19X Tadd Holliman, Warsaw, MO; 7. #13 Joe Park, Dallas, TX
D Main (10 Laps) - top 4 to Twin C Mains
D Main: 1. #7D Marc Dailey, Concord, NC; 2. #10W Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 3. #57C Johnny Cofer, Macdoel, CA. DNS - #13 Joe Park, Dallas, TX; #27A LeRoy VanConett, Santa Rosa, CA; #24e Bill Eslick, Burleson, TX.
C Mains (12 Laps) - top 2 to Twin B Mains
First C Main: 1. #5R Ricky Stenhouse, Olive Branch, MS; 2. #D33 Jeff Davis, Pittsburg, IL; 3. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, MO; 4. #2B Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK; 5. #XX Darrin Bolton, El Dorado Hills, CA; 6. #6H Alex Coonan, Ransom, IL; 7. #71C Cruz Pedregon, Camarillo, CA; 8. #17B Kenny Brown, Millstadt, IL; 9. #45AZ J.T. Imperial, Phoenix, AZ; 10. #00X Pete Davis, Pleasanton, CA; 11. #74S Shane Paris, Muscatine, IA; 12. #7D Marc Dailey, Concord, NC; 13. #3A Bill Allen, Independence, MO; 14. #42P Chris Pearce, Broken Arrow, OK; 15. #71X Kenny Love, Lincoln, NE.
Second C Main: 1. #75 Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO; 2. #2X Danny Stratton, Fontana, CA; 3. #9T Thomas Meseraull, San Jose, CA; 4. #28M Travis Miniea, Indianapolis, IN; 5. #5X Jimmy Light, West Springfield, PA; 6. #15 Todd Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 7. #3P Chris Parkinson, Gladstone, MO; 8. #78 Joey Moughan, Springfield, IL; 9. #57C Johnny Cofer, Macdoel, CA; 10. #70 Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, CA; 11. #56 Ken Dull, Machesney Park, IL; 12. #10W Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK; 13. #57 Brian Gard, Kelseyville, CA; 14. #61 Lonnie Oliver, Cortez, CO. DNS - #17A Alan Ballard, Bakersfield, CA; #19X Tadd Holliman, Beaver Lake, NE.
B Mains (15 Laps) - top 4 to A Main
First B Main: 1. #5D Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 2. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 3. #5S Shon Deskins, Glendale, AZ; 4. #27K Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA; 5. #4W Edwin Wilson, Tuttle, OK; 6. #18 Donnie Trent, Honey Brook, PA; 7. #D33 Jeff Davis, Pittsburg, IL; 8. #43X Mike Smith, Shelbyville, IN; 9. 35X Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL; 10. #14J Jimmy Voitel, Covina, CA; 11. #42C Mike Courtney, Surprise, AZ; 12. #40M Michael Lewis, Noblesville, IN; 13. #55 Tony Everhart, El Cajon, CA; 14. #17X Rob Russell, Fremont, CA; 15. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, IN; 16. #5R Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Olive Branch, MS.
Second B Main: 1. #7M Critter Malone, Speedway, IN; 2. #1AU Adam Clarke, Black Hill, New South Wales, Australia; 3. #85 Shane Hollingsworth, Indianapolis, IN; 4. #47X Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL; 5. #2X Danny Stratton, Fontana, CA; 6. #04 Josh Lakatos, Arroyo Grande, CA; 7. #31X Jason Howe, Jacksonville, IL; 8. #51 Ryan Durst, Lincoln, NE; 9. #3M John Wolfe, Winchester, IN; 10. #75 Jesse Hockett, Warsaw, MO; 11. #8D Brian Baker, Concord, CA; 12. #95X Jay Jordan, Lincoln, NE; 13. #7R Josh Wise, Riverside, CA; 14. #43 Buddy Luebke, Stoughton, WI; 15. #5M Mike Neher, Monticello, IN; 16. #48J Jordan Barbee, Tulsa, OK.
A Main (25 Laps) - top 4 transfer to Saturday A feature; others to Saturday B & C features
A Main: 1. #11 Tracy Hines, Greenfield, IN; 2. #8X Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 3. #20S Tony Stewart, Rushville, IN; 4. #35W Gary Wright, Hooks, TX; 5. #22M Ray Bull, Bloomsburg, PA; 6. #87C Rich Camfield, Decatur, IL; 7. #21AZ Eric Wilkins, El Mirage, AZ; 8. #39 Tim McCreadie, Watertown, NY; 9. #67K Kraig Kinser, Bloomington, IN; 10. #7M Critter Malone, Speedway, IN; 11. #8P Wally Pankratz, Orange, CA; 12. #5D Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 13. #1AU Adam Clarke, Black Hill, New South Wales, Australia; 14. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, OH; 15. #85 Shane Hollingsworth, Indianapolis, IN; 16. #26C Glenn Carson, Newark, CA; 17. #27K Ryan Kaplan, Chico, CA; 18. #75H Bart Hartman, Zanesville, OH; 19. #5S Shon Deskins, Glendale, AZ; 20. #4 Michele Miller, Reading, PA; 21. #69 A.J. Fike, Galesburg, IL; 22. #55K Steve Knepper, Belleville, IL; 23. #6 Ryan Hamilton, Morgantown, IN; 24. #47X Scott Hatton, Roscoe, IL.
- Admin Account on Nov 07, 2011
- Article Date: 1/6/2005