MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — It’s not very often that Steve Kinser doesn’t win his first World of Outlaws feature until mid-May, but with a season full of rain outs, the 20-time series champion finally picked up his first triumph of the year Thursday night at Williams Grove Speedway.
Kinser earned $8,000 for winning the first night of a scheduled two-night stand at the legendary half-mile oval.
“It is always special to win here, especially with how this season has started,” said Kinser after his 38th victory at the Grove. “I always enjoy winning here. The competition is as tough here, as it is anywhere.”
Kinser took the lead on the 12th lap, but there was a red-flag period before the full lap was completed. By way of Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws series rules, the running order reverts to the last completed lap, which kept Craig Keel, who started on the pole and led from the outset, in the lead.
Then, after Kinser took the white flag while leading, there was another stopp, and by way of series rules, two-consecutive green flag laps have to be completed to end a race, thus adding one more obstacle for him, as he had to fend off the field on one final restart.
“It was a little frustrating, especially trying to win your first race of the year,” said Kinser. “The track was pretty much the same all around, whether you were running the middle, bottom or top if you car was running right. I choked the car low and may have been better off running up top, but we got to the checkered flag first and that’s the main thing.”
The race took three starts to get going, and Craig Keel charged to the lead on all three of them. Kinser took second from Lucas Wolfe on lap 11 and began tracking Keel.
“I was sort of taking my time,” Kinser said. “I was feeling pretty good and ran him down pretty hard. I felt like I was getting faster as the race went on. I was pretty sure I could handle the guys in front of me, I just didn’t know what the guys behind me were doing.”
After starting 17th, Donny Schatz methodically worked his way to the front aboard the Armor All J&J for Tony Stewart Racing.
“That’s what we had to do,” said the two-time defending series champion. “We started back there and just kept plugging away. The race track was really good. I wish we would have had a 30-lapper. It is what it is, and it’s over. We probably didn’t go far enough with the race car, and we can go and get better. We’re happy to be in the position that we are in.”
After replacing an engine following hot laps, Joey Saldana worked his way to a third-place finish. Doug Esh and Wolfe rounded out the top five.