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Kinser Peerless In WoO Opener In Florida

Barberville, Fla. – World of Outlaws superhero Steve Kinser had no peer in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park, winning for the sixth time on the lightning fast 1/2-mile dirt track. Starting from the pole, the 20-time WoO champion led all 30 laps en route to the victory and the $10,000 payoff.

The victor drove the Bass Pro Shops/JD Byrider/Chevrolet Maxim winged sprinter fielded by Tony Stewart Racing with the famed owner on hand to cheer for his driver.

“I had a good race car tonight,” he said. “I started on the top and I started on the bottom (on restarts). You don’t like to have restarts but when you get the opportunity to pick up the gas, it helps you a lot, which is the way it should be.”

Kinser started lapping cars on the sixth circuit but two caution periods and one red flag bunched the field and gave runner-up Sammy Swindell opportunities to overhaul the leader. But it didn’t happen. Traffic was a factor for everyone but Kinser said he wasn’t affected.

Swindell took second place after winning twice in All-Star competition earlier this week.

Joey Saldana, who ran second until the final restart on lap 27, had to settle for third.

Paul McMahon came in fourth and Tim Shaffer took fifth.

Stevie Smith, Jason Meyers, Dale Blaney, Brad Sweet and Daryn Pittman completed the top-10 finishers.

Craig Dollansky flipped while trying to get by Meyers, stopping the race and setting a three-lap battle to the checkered flag.

Thirty-five cars completed time trials with Saldana coming out on top with a lap of 13.224 seconds.

In UMP modified action, Iowa’s Ryan Gustin dogged NASCAR’s Kenny Schrader in the closing laps and made the all-important pass on the final lap to score his first-ever DIRTcar Nationals win.

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