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Kinser Overcomes Kings Royal Showdown
Monday, 14 July 2008 - Rossburg, OH
Steve Kinser made a thrilling comeback from 18th to 5th during the turbulent 25th running of Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal. Kinser was cheered on by the support of nearly the entire crowd after World of Outlaw officials made a questionable call during time-trials. It was far from the first of disputable calls made by Outlaw officials this season. Outlaw officials allowed Donny Schatz an additional lap of qualifying, after he had taken two laps and timed in 20th, citing interference during Schatz’s first lap. Tempers flared in the pits, as nearly everyone demanded an explanation. Kinser had even more reason to question the call, as he was knocked from the inversion.
Schatz had taken his two laps of qualifying. On his first lap, he was 24th quick and on his second he was 20th. He ran on the bottom for both laps, his own mistake. After completing his second lap, Schatz drove to the scales. It was after this that he was sent out for his additional lap, where he ran the top and qualified 6th. If there was a soul that believed Schatz’s first laps had been hindered by “interference,” it was a silent one. Answers were wanted. If there was a car in his way, why did Schatz not lift? If it was the first lap, why had officials not thrown the yellow or kept the green flag out instead of the white for his second lap, as they have always done in the past? Typically the only time a car a pulls in and goes back out on the track for an additional lap is when a car interferes during their second lap.
“It’s a shame that we all had to deal with that tonight,” said Kinser. “I’m taking some blame, I should have qualified better and I wouldn’t have been in the situation I was. Then again, even if I hadn’t been that guy, someone else would have been. It shouldn’t have mattered who it was, the whole thing was wrong.”
Kinser was infuriated with Outlaws Series Director, Carlton Reimers, and Outlaw officials who were unable to produce anything but a flimsy defense for themselves. Kinser gave his crew the order to load his car up.
“We got shafted by the Outlaw officials here tonight,” said Kinser. “It’s sad things like this have to happen. Everyone here got cheated. The Outlaws have people out here that don’t know anything about racing. I don’t understand how they come up with some of the calls they do. It makes me think that they just might be that stupid. It’s scary.”
It looked as if Kinser was done for the night. With the car loaded, Kinser signed autographs for fans who applauded his stand but expressed disappointment that he wouldn’t be racing. Kinser and his crew chief, Scott Gerkin, took it all to heart. Their fans wanted to see them race, and truth be told, they both wanted to race. Both Kinser and Gerkin have racing in their blood, there are few in the world of sprint car racing that have the desire and passion that the pair have for what they do. The two decided that they weren’t going to let the Outlaw officials get the better of them and unloaded the car just in time for the start of Kinser’s heat. The drama didn’t cease there, Kinser went out and blew a motor in his heat race.
“I didn’t have my head on in that heat race,” said Kinser. “I forgot to hit the secondary bypass and burnt the motor up. I let those guys [Outlaw officials] get to me. I shouldn’t have let it happen and I probably would have been good in the heat.”
While track officials worked on the racing surface, Kinser collected himself and got focused. He won the 12 lap B-Main, which started him outside the ninth row of the 40-lap A-Feature. The Eldora Speedway officials did a commendable job preparing the race track. After being rained out on Saturday night, they started Sunday’s show early, still in the daytime. It was expected that the track would lay rubber early, but track officials worked the track throughout the show and it began to lay rubber only near the end of the race. It was fortunate for Kinser who was a man on mission, making his way to fifth by the time the checkered flag waved. Kinser wanted the win, but for nearly heading home after qualifying, fifth was alright, and Kinser credited the fans.
“We were able to salvage a fifth out this night,” said Kinser. “I really want to thank the fans out there. There was that point that all I wanted to do was pack it up. I think we had a lot of support here tonight. Listening to the people who came and got autographs and the cheers from the crowd was the reminder I needed that we were here to race for them and for ourselves. I wish I could have finished a little farther up, but I guess we’re going to have to give it a try next time.”
Try again he will when the Outlaws head out East, making their second stop to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, PA on Tuesday night. They wrap up the week-end with a two-day visit to Williams Grove Speedway on Friday and Saturday and then Sunday at Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, NY. With nothing left to say about the drama that took place at Eldora, the Steve Kinser Racing team will focus their efforts on visiting victory lane here in the four races of this upcoming week.
Keep updated with all the latest SKR news and results by visiting them online at www.stevekinser.com.
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