Royse City, TX (Feb 20) - Last February Steve Kosiski of Oamha, Neb. was ready to win a lot of cash. After a good heat race, he won the first qualifying feature and was on the pole for the Fourth Annual Longhorn Roundup. Then Mother Nature took over. Rain and snow forced the race to be postponed.
This year, Kosiski has not had a good race week. He has yet to qualify for Sunday's $30,000 to win feature, but Saturday was his day for glory.
Almost 150 cars returned to compete in the final day of the race Saturday. Klint Pursley, Locust Grove, Okla. won the B main, leading a group of 12 cars that joined the 10 pre-qualified cars in the feature. The 1997 NTMS champion, Jeff White, Ector, Tex. and one other provisional joined the field. Randy Zimmerman, Fort Scott, Kan. started 25th due to having the fastest time trial lap last year.
When the green flag fell on the 50-lap feature, Kosiski jumped out front in his Clark Engineered Machine/ Kosiski Racing Products Nr. 422. He had to work the first few laps to keep the Charles Clark owned car ahead of former IMCA Supernational Champion John Logue of Boone, Iowa.
The leaders settled down for the early part of the race while the action was three and four cars wide in the back of the pack. Wayne Brooks, Bald Knob, Ark. battled side by side with Logue for several laps before taking second place. He cut Kosiski's eight car length lead in half before engine problems forced him out after 16 laps.
The caution flag gave the drivers a break before action resumed of the wide smooth quarter-mile clay oval. Zimmerman had moved up to 13th place, with 18th starting George White, Fort Worth, Tex. up to 11th. They were the two drivers to watch as they went high to move up on the field.
The middle of the race saw Kosiski drive perfect lap after perfect lap as he pulled away from the second through sixth place cars. Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn., started third, but fell back to fifth running the high line. As his tires warmed up and the track surface gathered more rubber, Owens high line pulled him back into the battle for third, then second place. Zimmerman's run to the front kept fans on their feet as he broke into the top ten, then gained more positions.
Kosiski was 15 car lengths ahead, with two lapped cars between himself and the battle between Logue and Owens for second when Zimmerman made a bid for fifth place. He got caught between the car of Klint Pursley and the front straight wall. The crash took Pursley out and send Zimmerman flipping off turn one. Both drivers were unhurt but had to watch the last 8 laps of the race from the pits.
When the green flew again, Kosiski pulled away to take the win. Owen took second just before the final caution, but was unable to close on Kosiski in the final laps. He had to settle for the $12,500 second place check. Logue was third, with Mike Sorenson, Rochester, Minn. fourth after starting tenth. White rounded out the top five after gaining 13 spots in the feature.
Sunday the Fifth Annual Longhorn Roundup resumes with Arlington, Texas driver Sean Jones on the pole and 1996 LHRU champion Tim Donlinger, Rochester, Minn. on the outside of the front row. Ten drivers are set to start in the front five rows, with ten drivers set to start in the first five rows of the B main. The other 170 drivers on hand this year will be trying to earn one of the final 10 spots in the B main, hoping for a chance to transfer to the second $30,000 to win feature of the weekend.
Sunday afternoon general admission will be $15.00 with races starting at 3 pm each day. Children ages 7 thru 11 are always $3.00, and kids 6 and under get in free. Pit Passes will be $35.00.
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #118 | George White | Fort Worth, Tex. |
| 2. | #8 | Gene Boyter | Bossier City, La. |
| 3. | #36 | Tim Donlinger | Rochester, Minn. |
| 4. | #111 | Bobby Hoggie III | Salinas, Calif. |
| 5. | #2 | Todd Short | Denison, Tex. |
| 6. | #31 | Tim Taylor | Sunnyvale, Tex. |
| 7. | #63 | Hardy Henderson | Round Rock, Tex. |
| 8. | #216 | Vernon Bridewell | Houston, Tex. |
| 9. | #129 | Bobby Ruffin | Crandall, Tex. |
| 10. | #511 | Rusty Trevathan | Garland, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #816 | Eddie Martin | Stillwell, Okla. |
| 2. | #197 | Billy Carroll | McKinney, Tex. |
| 3. | #561 | Bobby Skinner | Longview, Tex. |
| 4. | #12 | Johnny Bone Jr | Pea Ridge, Ark. |
| 5. | #52 | Keith Green | Waco, Tex. |
| 6. | #08X | Tom Campbell | Jacksonville, Ark. |
| 7. | #501 | Mike Trigg | Odessa, Tex. |
| 8. | #278 | Gregg Buker | North Platte, Neb. |
| 9. | #34 | Bill Pittaway | Corpus Christi, Tex. |
| 10. | #861 | Ferris Collier | Kimberling City, Mo. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #815 | Thomas Blackwell | Crandall, Tex. |
| 2. | #105 | Brian Mullen | Seymour, Wisc. |
| 3. | #05 | Mike Mashl | DePara, Wisc. |
| 4. | #02 | Rick Lechner | Rochester, Minn. |
| 5. | #156 | Troy Taylor Jr | Grand Prairie, Tex. |
| 6. | #671 | Joren Boyce | Minot, N.D. |
| 7. | #400 | Bud Collett | Parsons, Tenn. |
| 8. | #14 | Bruce Bowers | Friendswood, Tex. |
| 9. | #40 | Brad Warren | Texarkana, Tex. |
| 10. | #84 | Tom Lorenz | Red Oak, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #150 | Billy Meazell | Frankston, Tex. |
| 2. | #721 | Marc Robe | Wichita, Kan. |
| 3. | #123 | Gary Chambless | Palestine, Tex. |
| 4. | #97 | Triston Dycus | Carrollton, Tex. |
| 5. | #727 | Jeff Maasch | Vesta, Minn. |
| 6. | #95 | Steve Holzkamper | Siloam Springs, Ark. |
| 7. | #113 | Raymond Berry | Hobbs, N.M. |
| 8. | #801 | Billy Robinson | Blanchard, La. |
| 9. | #000 | Shawn VanLaningham | Beatrice, Neb. |
| 10. | #03 | Ronnie Wallace | North Platte, Neb. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #128 | Randy Zimmerman | Fort Scott, Kan. |
| 2. | #171 | Brian Strand | Bemidji, Minn. |
| 3. | #00 | Marc Kurth | Gaylord, Mich. |
| 4. | #96 | Johnny Saathoff | Beatrice, Neb. |
| 5. | #89 | David Trauernicht | Beatrice, Neb. |
| 6. | #83 | Darryl Campbell | Everman, Tex. |
| 7. | #26 | Kevin Delashaw | Hendrix, Okla. |
| 8. | #701 | William Gould | Paris, Tex. |
| 9. | #711 | Dennis Zimmerman | Mabank, Tex. |
| 10. | #227 | Jimmy Littlejohn | Everman, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #030 | Tom Earl | Grand Prairie, Tex. |
| 2. | #100 | Paul White | Temple, Tex. |
| 3. | #65 | Tommy Myer | Blooming Prairie, Minn. |
| 4. | #136 | Ray Guss Jr. | Milan, Ill. |
| 5. | #470 | Joe Johnson | Gaylord, Mich. |
| 6. | #81 | John Henry Carroll | Melissa, Tex. |
| 7. | #715 | J.P. Dowell | Kileen, Tex. |
| 8. | #799 | James Holden | Robinson, Tex. |
| 9. | #153 | Buddy Duckett | Whitehouse, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #550 | Jeep Vanwormer | Pinconning, Mich. |
| 2. | #712 | Ronnie Sigman | Dallas, Tex. |
| 3. | #82 | Steve Majek | Corpus Christi, Tex. |
| 4. | #021 | Bruce Spears | Bells, Tex. |
| 5. | #200 | Kenny Gaddis | Hallsville, Tex. |
| 6. | #25 | Dave Siegert | Mesquite, Tex. |
| 7. | #86 | Victor Keelling | Princeton, Tex. |
| 8. | #182 | Max Eddie Thomas | Quinlan, Tex. |
| 9. | #39 | Paul Dutton | Wichita, Kan. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #117 | Mike Saulding | Bemidji, Minn. |
| 2. | #121 | John Anderson | Omaha, Neb. |
| 3. | #151 | Randy Frailey | Chouteau, Okla |
| 4. | #212 | Stanley Morris | Pochantas, Ark. |
| 5. | #122 | Corky Ramm | Pryor, Okla. |
| 6. | #411 | Scotty Rawlings | Mesquite, Tex. |
| 7. | #15 | John Schwab | Liberal, Kan. |
| 8. | #125 | Mark Massongill | Broken Arrow, Okla. |
| DNS | #173 | Jimmy Sonntag | Little Elm, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #24 | David McKay | Van Alstyne, Tex. |
| 2. | #41 | Randy Woodside | Wichita, Kan. |
| 3. | #012 | Jason Ingalls | Longview, Tex. |
| 4. | #241 | Jesse James Freelen | Paris, Tex. |
| 5. | #164 | Greg Vines | Midland, Tex. |
| 6. | #471 | Roger Hulen | Amarillo, Tex. |
| 7. | #58 | Steve Hillard | Champagne, Ill. |
| 8. | #59 | Bob Pierce | Oakwood, Ill. |
| 9. | #87 | Bo Rawdon | Kennedale, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #88 | Bret Carpenter | Hutchinson, Kan. |
| 2. | #56 | Kevin Simpson | Flint, Tex. |
| 3. | #147 | Doug Ingalls | Longview, Tex. |
| 4. | #187 | Marcus Sanders | Happy, Tex. |
| 5. | #42 | Jay Anderson | Princeton, Minn. |
| 6. | #10 | John VanDenBerg | Oskaloosa, Iowa |
| 7. | #747 | George Hagman | Tulsa, Okla. |
| 8. | #011 | Danny Riggins | Crosby, Tex. |
| 9. | #292 | John McNeil | Denton, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #193 | Tommy Roberts | Greenville, Tex. |
| 2. | #60 | Mike Bowers | North Little Rock, Ark. |
| 3. | #33 | Scott Hogan | Vinton, Iowa |
| 4. | #44 | Scotty Brown | Seagoville, Tex. |
| 5. | #120 | James Lopez | Fort Worth, Tex. |
| 6. | #116 | Don Veal | Princeton, Tex. |
| 7. | #85 | Neal Flowers | Hobbs, N.M. |
| 8. | #11 | Donnie Barnhart | North Little Rock, Ark. |
| 9. | #010 | Shawn Blees | Mountain Pine, Ark. |
| 10. | #77 | Terry Buzbee | Waco, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #01 | Bob Timm | Winona, Minn. |
| 2. | #4 | Jerry Hoffman | Orongo, Mo. |
| 3. | #851 | Mark Dotson | Cameron, Mo. |
| 4. | #103 | Larry Killian | Greenville, Tex. |
| 5. | #71 | Robert Broxton | McKinney, Tex. |
| 6. | #191 | Kevin Simpson | Bonham, Tex. |
| 7. | #04 | Brad Waits | West Concord, Minn. |
| 8. | #27 | John Skaggs | Bixby, Okla. |
| 9. | #110 | Richie Tosh | Batesville, Ark. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #474 | Marty Thompson | Mineral, Ill. |
| 2. | #22 | Darrick Klima | Belleville, Kan. |
| 3. | #19 | B.J. Baze | Sherman, Tex. |
| 4. | #177 | Randy Kirkland | Mesquite, Tex. |
| 5. | #181 | Jon Schwartz | Omaha, Neb. |
| 6. | #192 | Carey Felkins | Arlington, Tex. |
| 7. | #175 | Patrik Daniel | Wills Point, Tex. |
| 8. | #6 | Terry McCommas | Crandall, Tex. |
| 9. | #8 | Gene Boyter | Bossier City, La. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #311 | Corey Dripps | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| 2. | #137 | Neal DeBord | Amarillo, Tex. |
| 3. | #196 | Lonnie Coats | Wills Point, Tex. |
| 4. | #440 | Brook Phillips | Wichita, Kan. |
| 5. | #76 | Don Pierson | Seagoville, Tex. |
| 6. | #30 | Sean Doughty | Sunnyvale, Tex. |
| 7. | #218 | Curt Gelling | Aberdeen, S.D. |
| 8. | #07 | Roy Don Mason | Hobbs, N.M. |
| 9. | #17 | Greg Moran | Sherman, Tex. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #105 | Brian Mullen | Seymour, Wisc. |
| 2. | #8-Ball | Leo Burkhardsmier | Bismark, N.D. |
| 3. | #82 | Steve Majek | Corpus Christi, Tex. |
| 4. | #60 | Mike Bowers | North Little Rock, Ark. |
| 5. | #36 | Tim Donlinger | Rochester, Minn. |
| 6. | #65 | Tommy Myer | Blooming Prairie, Minn. |
| 7. | #41 | Randy Woodside | Wichita, Kan. |
| 8. | #851 | Mark Dotson | Cameron, Mo. |
| 9. | #151 | Randy Frailey | Chouteau, Okla |
| 10. | #147 | Doug Ingalls | Longview, Tex. |
| 11. | #121 | John Anderson | Omaha, Neb. |
| 12. | #19 | B.J. Baze | Sherman, Tex. |
| 13. | #721 | Marc Robe | Wichita, Kan. |
| 14. | #05 | Mike Mashl | DePara, Wisc. |
| 15. | #712 | Ronnie Sigman | Dallas, Tex. |
| 16. | #00 | Marc Kurth | Gaylord, Mich. |
| 17. | #197 | Billy Carroll | McKinney, Tex. |
| 18. | #561 | Bobby Skinner | Longview, Tex. |
| 19. | #4 | Jerry Hoffman | Orongo, Mo. |
| 20. | #196 | Lonnie Coats | Wills Point, Tex. |
| 21. | #33 | Scott Hogan | Vinton, Iowa |
| 22. | #123 | Gary Chambless | Palestine, Tex. |
| 23. | #22 | Darrick Klima | Belleville, Kan. |
| 24. | #137 | Neal DeBord | Amarillo, Tex. |
| 25. | #56 | Kevin Simpson | Flint, Tex. |
| 26. | #012 | Jason Ingalls | Longview, Tex. |
| 27. | #100 | Paul White | Temple, Tex. |
| 28. | #171 | Brian Strand | Bemidji, Minn. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #9 | Klint Pursley | Locust Grove, Okla. |
| 2. | #412 | Jason Hughes | Colcord, Okla. |
| 3. | #09 | David Smith | Princeton, Tex. |
| 4. | #816 | Eddie Martin | Stillwell, Okla. |
| 5. | #08 | Jim Burford | Keachi, La. |
| 6. | #771 | Gary Andrews | Muskogee, Okla. |
| 7. | #74 | Mark Noble | Blooming Prairie, Minn. |
| 8. | #118 | George White | Fort Worth, Tex. |
| 9. | #030 | Tom Earl | Grand Prairie, Tex. |
| 10. | #18 | Tim Clonch | Quinlan, Tex. |
| 11. | #91 | Brad Demeree | Sperry, Okla. |
| 12. | #24 | David McKay | Van Alstyne, Tex. |
| 13. | #117 | Mike Saulding | Bemidji, Minn. |
| 14. | #01 | Bob Timm | Winona, Minn. |
| 15. | #311 | Corey Dripps | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| 16. | #193 | Tommy Roberts | Greenville, Tex. |
| 17. | #150 | Billy Meazell | Frankston, Tex. |
| 18. | #474 | Marty Thompson | Mineral, Ill. |
| 19. | #88 | Bret Carpenter | Hutchinson, Kan. |
| 20. | #815 | Thomas Blackwell | Crandall, Tex. |
| 21. | #133 | Stephen Muilenburg | Sparta, Mo. |
| 22. | #128 | Randy Zimmerman | Fort Scott, Kan. |
| 23. | #550 | Jeep Vanwormer | Pinconning, Mich. |
| Pos | Car | Driver | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | #422 | Steve Kosiski | Omaha, Neb. |
| 2. | #20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, Tenn. |
| 3. | #69 | John Logue | Boone, Iowa |
| 4. | #119 | Mike Sorenson | Rochester, Minn. |
| 5. | #118 | George White | Fort Worth, Tex. |
| 6. | #3 | Kelly Shryock | Story City, Iowa |
| 7. | #816 | Eddie Martin | Stillwell, Okla. |
| 8. | #09 | David Smith | Princeton, Tex. |
| 9. | #74 | Mark Noble | Blooming Prairie, Minn. |
| 10. | #412 | Jason Hughes | Colcord, Okla. |
| 11. | #771 | Gary Andrews | Muskogee, Okla. |
| 12. | #91 | Brad Demeree | Sperry, Okla. |
| 13. | #18 | Tim Clonch | Quinlan, Tex. |
| 14. | #212 | Stanley Morris | Pochantas, Ark. |
| 15. | #030 | Tom Earl | Grand Prairie, Tex. |
| 16. | #78 | Jeff Aikey | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| 17. | #24 | David McKay | Van Alstyne, Tex. |
| 18. | #7 | Ron Jones | Zimmerman, Minn. |
| 19. | #08 | Jim Burford | Keachi, La. |
| 20. | #79 | Jeff White | Ector, Tex. |
| 21. | #9 | Klint Pursley | Locust Grove, Okla. |
| 22. | #128 | Randy Zimmerman | Fort Scott, Kan. |
| 23. | #0 | Wayne Brooks | Bald Knob, Ark. |
| 24. | #821 | Ronnie Gould | Paris, Tex. |
| 25. | #28 | Jerry Little | Greenville, Tex. |