Winged Cars Set for Speed at Perris Oval

The World of Outlaws, with outlandish billboard-sized wings atop its sprint cars, will make its first Southern California appearance in seven years at Perris Auto Speedway on Friday and Saturday nights.

Although both race sprint cars, the Outlaws offer a distinct contrast between their winged vehicles and the wingless cars driven by the Sprint Car Racing Assn., whose drivers call Perris their home base.

Sammy Swindell, a two-time Outlaws champion and winner of 11 races this season, visited the Perris track this week and said he anticipated record speeds from the winged monsters.

Lee Brewer Jr. of Lomita set the track record of 15.457 seconds for the half-mile oval in a winged car June 30. The wingless-car record is 16.425 by SCRA regular Richard Griffin of Silver City, N.M., made in the Oval Nationals two weeks ago.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if we get down to the middle or high 14s,” Swindell said.

With the Outlaws season ending next Wednesday night at Las Vegas Raceway Park, Mark Kinser has virtually clinched his first championship. Kinser, whose cousin Steve has won 14 Outlaw titles, has won 25 of 65 races this season. The most he had ever won before in a year was 14.

Karl Kinser, Mark’s father and Steve’s uncle, owns the winning car and also was the owner and chief mechanic for all of Steve’s 14 championship years. When Steve quit the Outlaws to race Winston Cup stock cars in 1995, Karl began working with his son. After Steve quit NASCAR and returned to his roots, Karl elected to stay with Mark, whose earnings this year are $466,200.

Steve decided to operate his own sprint car team and, in his first season as owner-driver, has won 10 races, including last Saturday night’s at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix when he led wire to wire, holding off Swindell and 1995 champion Dave Blaney.

Blaney is second in the standings, followed by Swindell and Steve Kinser, who are tied.

J.J. Yeley, in fourth place in the SCRA standings with six wins, has also driven in two Outlaws races this year.

“The winged cars are generally easier to drive because the wings do a lot of work for the driver,” Yeley said. “The driver is less of a factor. The most important thing is to have a strong, really strong, engine.

“Because they get a lot more horsepower, the winged cars are quite a bit quicker. It’ll be interesting to see just how fast they can go at Perris. Of course, a lot depends on the condition of the track. It’s been getting smoother every time we run there.”

Yeley, who turned 20 last month, will drive the same chassis he runs with the SCRA, but with a huge wing and a new engine from Joe Gaerte, an Outlaw driver and engine builder.

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NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck series is headed for Las Vegas, and already it has hit a jackpot.

The winner in Sunday’s 175-lap, 262.5-mile on Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s new 1.5-mile oval will receive $80,000 from a total purse of $719,714, by far the largest prize for the truck drivers since the series began last year in Bakersfield.

It is the last of 24 races and will be televised live at 12:15 p.m. on Channel 2.

Ron Hornaday Jr., driving for former Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, has a 72-point margin over Mike Skinner, who drives for Earnhardt’s car owner, Richard Childress. All Hornaday needs to wrap up the title is to finish 18th or better even if Skinner wins. Both drive Chevrolet trucks.

“We will go there and race more cautiously--not three-wide like the fans are used to seeing Ron Hornaday Jr. do,” said the former Saugus Speedway champion. “I had hoped to get the title last week [at Phoenix], but now that I didn’t, I’ve got another week to be a basket case.”

The entry is full of Winston Cup veterans, such as Bill Elliott, making his first start in a truck; Ernie Irvan, Darrell and Michael Waltrip, Geoff Bodine, Ted Musgrave and Ken Schrader, who will replace Bill Sedgwick. Also entered is A.J. Foyt.

Motor Racing Notes

LAND SPEED--While Craig Breedlove’s hopes of breaking Raymond Noble’s record of 630 mph were dashed when his Spirit of America slid out of control last Monday at Black Rock Desert in Nevada at 675 mph, Andy Greene of Britain was en route to Faisal Ben Abdul air base near Jafr, Jordan, for his attempt. Noble owns the Thrust SSC rocket car that Greene will drive. Breedlove was not injured, but damage to the car will delay his attempt until next year.

STOCK CARS--The Winston West series will conclude Saturday night with a 300-kilometer race under the lights at Las Vegas. Rookie Lance Hooper of Palmdale, winner of five races including last week’s at Phoenix, is the series leader going into the final event of a 15-race season. The championship is determined by the best 13 finishes of the season.

DRAG RACING--Top fuel champion Kenny Bernstein presented his National Hot Rod Assn. championship trophy to the family of the late Blaine Johnson in a dramatic moment during the NHRA awards banquet Monday night. Johnson was leading Bernstein at the time he lost his life in a racing accident Aug. 31 at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

POWERBOATS--Dave Villwock, who won the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Assn. championship driving Fred Leland’s PICO American Dream last season, has been signed to drive Bernie Little’s Miss Budweiser next year.

MOTORCYCLES--The American Motorcyclist Assn.’s pro rider of the year will be presented Nov. 16 at an awards banquet in Las Vegas. Nominees include Jeremy McGrath of Menifee, Supercross champion; Billy Hamill of Monrovia, world speedway champion; Doug Chandler of Salinas, Superbike champion; and Scott Parker, of Swartz Creek, Mich., a seven-time Grand National dirt track champion.