Meyers Outduels Kinser

Clovis driver Jason Meyers outdueled 18-time champion Steve Kinser on Saturday night to win the only scheduled World of Outlaw race this season at the Perris Auto Speedway.

Meyers started on the pole for the 30-lap race finale, only to watch Kinser drive past his Elite No. 14 Maxim on the fifth lap.

Meyers briefly held the lead on Lap 17, only to have Kinser take it back before the lap was completed. Kinser appeared to be on his way to his 499th victory until his Quaker State No. 11 Maxim was clipped in the rear while he tried to lap Dean Jacobs only three laps from the finish. The contact sent Kinser hard into the back straight wall.

Kinser managed to maintain the lead until his right rear tire went flat coming down to accept the white flag.

“It was unfortunate for Steve, but very fortunate for us,� said Meyers, who earned his eighth victory of his career. “I was sad to see him get together with that lapped car, but it was great for us to get our first win of the year with a brand new team because we’re on a slim budget and winning races will help us make it through the [100-race] season.�

Outside front row starter Craig Dollansky finished second ahead of 2002 series champion Danny Lasoski. Shane Stewart finished fourth ahead of Tyler Walker of Los Angeles.

-- Robert Mayson

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Buddy Rice got off to a fast start with Team Rahal, turning a record lap to win the pole for the season-opening Indy Racing League event at Homestead, Fla.

Rice, filling in for injured Kenny Brack, took the top spot for today’s Toyota Indy 300 with a lap of 217.388 mph. He knocked Alex Barron, the driver who replaced him last season at Red Bull Cheever Racing with three races left, off the pole.

Rice, 28, spent the 2001 season as a test driver with Bobby Rahal’s team in the rival CART series before teaming with Cheever in the IRL midway through the next season.

After being fired by Cheever, Rice got the call from Rahal again over the winter after Brack, a former Indianapolis 500 winner and IRL champion, was badly injured in a crash in the season-ending race at Texas Motor Speedway.

It is the first IRL pole for both Rice, in his 19th race, and Team Rahal, in its 20th start.

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Milka Duno became the first woman to win a major North American sports car race when she co-drove a Pontiac-Crawford to victory in the Grand Am event at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Venezuelan teamed with Englishman Andy Wallace.

After Duno drove the opening 43 laps, Wallace took the wheel for the remainder of the 109-lap race.

From Associated Press