For Immediate Release
May 4, 2008
Brady Smith Scores First Career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Win at Kentucky Lake
CALVERT CITY, KY (May 3, 2008) - Brady Smith of Solon Springs, WI powered past Darren Miller on a lap 20 restart and never looked back as he scored his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win on Saturday Night at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway. Smith in his AMSOIL/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo earned $9,999 for his win in the Third Annual "99" extravaganza.
Smith's win allowed him to become the eighth different winner in the first 12 Lucas Oil Series events in 2008. Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL, who took a series provisional charged all the way from the tail to finish second followed by Darren Miller of Chadwick, IL, Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN and series point's leader Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL who finished fifth despite racing with a fractured right wrist.
Bart Hartman led the first lap until Miller, who was driving a Billy Moyer Victory Circle Chassis for just the second time this year, passed him for the lead on lap two. Miller then led until Smith, who started third, made a mad dash to the point passing Miller on a lap 20 restart.
Smith then withstood five caution flags over a ten lap period as he went on for the win. The reigning Knoxville (IA) Late Model Champion now heads to the Second Annual SuperClean Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO with a full head of steam seeking the $40,000 first place prize that will be up for grabs next weekend.
Rounding out the top ten finishers were Terry English, Matt Miller, Wes Steidinger, Justin Rattliff and Jimmy Owens.
In preliminary action Dan Schlieper set the PRC Fast Time for the 43 entrants on hand with a lap of 15.259 seconds. Bart Hartman, Darren Miller, Matt Miller and Brady Smith won the heat race races with Wes Steidinger and Terry English capturing the B-mains.
The first night of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Kentucky Lake was rained out on Friday due to severe weather conditions.
All eyes now turn to the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks" on Friday and Saturday, May 9th and 10th for the Second Annual SuperClean Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway. For more information on this marquee event you can visit www.LucasOilSpeedway.com.
You can find out more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series by logging on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Race Summary
Saturday Night, May 3, 2008
Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway-Calvert City, KY
PRC Fast Time: Dan Schlieper/15.259seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (9 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Bart Hartman, Dan Schlieper, Brad Neat, Steve Casebolt, Jeff Walston, Jason Feger, Shon Flanary, Dylan Thompson, Todd Hall, Fred Perry, Joe Mike - DNS
Hawk Brake Second Heat (9 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Darren Miller, Kevin Cole, Terry Casey, Don O'Neal, Wes Steidinger, John Mason, Billy Drake, Tait Davenport, Ricky Gilbert, Justin Rattliff, Credence Mott - DNS
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (9 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Matt Miller, Jimmy Owens, Scott James, Freddy Smith, Terry English, Kevin Claycomb, James Ward, Richie Hedrick, David Earl Gentry, Jason McBride, Don Edwards
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (9 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Brady Smith, Dennis Erb Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., Donnie Moran, Wayne Chinn, Frank Heckenast Jr., Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Matt Potter, William Simmons, John Tindal
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Wes Steidinger, Jeff Walston, John Mason, Jason Feger, Todd Hall, Shon Flanary, Tait Davenport, Dylan Thompson, Joe Mike, Fred Perry, Billy Drake - DNS, Justin Rattliff - DNS, Credence Mott - DNS
Quarter Master Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Terry English, Wayne Chinn, Kevin Claycomb, Frank Heckenast Jr., James Ward, Richie Hedrick, Jason McBride, John Tindal, Matt Potter, Ricky Gilbert, William Simmons, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth - DNS, David Earl Gentry - DNS, Don Edwards - DNS
3rd Annual "99" Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Feature Finish (50 Laps): Brady Smith, Billy Drake, Darren Miller, Steve Casebolt, Earl Pearson Jr., Terry English, Matt Miller, Wes Steidinger, Justin Rattliff, Jimmy Owens, Dennis Erb Jr., John Mason, Wayne Chinn, Jeff Walston, Brad Neat, Bart Hartman, Dan Schlieper, Don O'Neal, Kevin Claycomb, Scott James, Terry Casey, Donnie Moran, Freddy Smith, Kevin Cole
Entries: 43
Caution Flags: 11
Lap Leaders: Darren Miller 1-19, Brady Smith 20-50
Series Provisionals: Justin Rattliff, Billy Drake
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Billy Drake (Started 24th and finished 2nd-advanced 22 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Billy Drake
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Brady Smith
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Wayne Chinn
ASI Racewear Lucky 7 Award: Matt Miller
Integra Crew Chief of the Race: Eric Fulwood (Billy Drake)
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Racing Engines
Time of the Race: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings
1) Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) 1515
2) Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 1470
3) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 1430
4) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY) 1400
5) Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH) 1370
6) Donnie Moran (Dresden, OH) 1320
7) Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 1265
8) Billy Drake (Bloomington, IL) 1255
9) Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN) 1225
10) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 1130
1) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 1430
2) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 1130
3) John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 360
4) Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 75
Contact: World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929• kkovac@dirtcar.com
Babb Makes Car Owner Clint Bowyer’s Saturday Night Even Better With First World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Of ’08 At Lebanon I-44 Speedway
LEBANON, MO – May 3, 2008 – Shannon Babb gave his boss even more reason to smile on Saturday night.
On the same night that his famous car owner Clint Bowyer was triumphant in NASCAR Sprint Cup competition at Richmond International Raceway, Babb authored a flawless drive to victory in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘All-State Insurance 40’ at Lebanon I-44 Speedway.
Babb, 34, of Moweaqua, Ill., advanced from the fourth starting spot to pass Rick Eckert of York, Pa., for the lead on lap 12 and then never looked back. Driving a new Traiger Grills/Chevrolet Rocket car that had never before seen action, Babb repelled a late-race challenge from Eckert and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., to score his first WoO LMS win of the 2008 season.
Mere moments after hoisting an oversized novelty check commemorating his $10,000 victory in an event that was co-sanctioned by the O’Reilly MARS DIRTcar Series, Babb learned that his high-profile car owner had also scored a big Saturday-night short-track win.
“We got back here to the trailer just in time to watch Clint run the last lap and win at Richmond,” said Babb, who is in his first season as the hired-gun of Bowyer’s fledgling dirt Late Model team. “He’s gonna be tickled to death when he hears that we won him a Late Model race tonight too.”
Eckert, who started from the outside pole and led laps 1-11, settled for a $5,100 runner-up finish in Raye Vest’s GRT car, 1.423 seconds behind Babb.
Moyer finished third in his Victory Circle M1 chassis, followed by 11th-starter Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., in the GRT house car and Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., in the Cliburn Tank Lines GRT, who started eighth but had to gather himself after losing several spots in the race’s early laps.
With Babb’s Clements-powered car purring along to perfection once he gained command, the WoO LMS title contender correctly felt that the race was his to lose.
“Not very often do you get a car that feels that good,” said Babb, who registered his seventh career WoO LMS A-Main win. “Tommy (Grecco) and Jay (Hunt) did a great job putting it together and I had 100 percent confidence in it.”
Babb’s only anxious moment came following a lap-26 restart, when Eckert and Moyer stayed close for several circuits. Eckert came within inches of leading lap 28 before Babb gradually opened up some breathing room.
“During that (lap-26) caution those guys probably caught their breath a little and got up on the wheel to try to go for it one last time,” said Babb. “So I had to get back going again hard too.”
After Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, slowed on lap 36 with a flat tire while running fifth to bring out the race’s fifth and final caution flag, Babb wasn’t threatened when the green flag returned.
“That last restart, I wasn’t gonna let nobody by me,” smiled Babb, who registered his first career win at Lebanon I-44 Speedway after running well but experiencing bad luck in several previous appearances. “I just put it on the floor.”
Eckert, 42, was close enough to taste his first WoO LMS victory in nearly two years, but he fell short.
“I left my car just a little bit too free,” said Eckert, whose last WoO LMS win came 65 races ago, on July 8, 2006, at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. “I tightened up some for the feature, but I still left myself just a little bit too free on exit. If I got in the corner hard and got back in the gas, I got loose.
“After that long (lap-26) caution the racetrack came back, and I got four good laps and was even able to get door-to-door with (Babb) for two laps. But then his (harder) tire got going again and I was done.
“I tried everything I could try to win,” he added, “but I just couldn’t get ‘er done.”
The 50-year-old Moyer, meanwhile, remained atop the WoO LMS points standings with a steady, solid run to third place. He sniffed the lead in the battle after the lap-26 restart, but he wasn’t quite good enough to win for the fifth time in eight events this season.
“Shannon was commited to the top and Eckert to the bottom more or less,” said Moyer, who started seventh. “I could run through the center of one and two real quick, but Eckert was swinging way out wide there so I had to let him in a couple times or we would’ve crashed.
“If I could’ve just got a little bit farther up, I might have been able to get by him. But really, we were just a little bit off.”
The race’s five caution flags were all for minor problems, including a turn-two spin by Jeremy Payne of Springfield, Mo., on lap seven; right-rear flat tires on the cars of Chatham, Ill.’s Brian Shirley (as he ran fifth on lap 12) and Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga. (lap 25); Rookie of the Year contender Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y. (left-front suspension woes on lap 26); and Birkhofer.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who slipped backward after starting from the pole position; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who recorded his sixth top-10 finish of the season; MARS standout Will Vaught of Crane, Mo.; Lebanon I-44 dominator Brad Looney of Republic, Mo.; and Payne, who recovered from his early spin.
Thirty-nine cars entered the event, which was run on a cool spring evening.
Clint Smith established a new track record during time trials, rounding the three-eighths-mile oval in 13.626 seconds for his first WoO LMS fast-time of the season.
Heat winners were Smith, Babb, Francis and Eckert. Five-time MARS champion Bill Frye of Greenbrier, Ark., and Clanton captured the B-Mains.
Clanton scrambled to get on the track for the A-Main, however, after his car’s engine developed a broken rocker arm on the final lap of the B-Main. His crew hastily pulled out the team’s backup car and got it fired up for competition as the feature field was taking its pace laps.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who entered the event ranked second in the WoO LMS points standings, had to use his first provisional since 2006 to start the A-Main after slapping the homestretch wall during the first heat. His crew worked up until the start of the A-Main pace laps to repair the car.
The WoO LMS weekend in Missouri continues on Sunday night (May 4) at Monett Speedway, which hosts the tour for the first time ever.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘All-State Insurance 40’ (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Shannon Babb/40 $10,150
2. (2) Rick Eckert/40 $5,100
3. (7) Billy Moyer/40 $3,000
4. (11) Wendell Wallace/40 $3,000
5. (8) Clint Smith/40 $2,000
6. (1) Steve Francis/40 $1,700
7. (10) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,400
8. (16) Will Vaught/40 $1,300
9. (19) Brad Looney/40 $1,200
10. (13) Jeremy Payne/40 $1,100
11. (3) Chub Frank/40 $1,050
12. (18) Shane Clanton/40 $1,000
13. (23) Josh Richards/40 $950
14. (6) Brian Shirley/40 $900
15. (20) Tim Fuller/40 $850
16. (9) John Blankenship/40 $800
17. (14) Jack Sullivan/38 $770
18. (5) Brian Birkhofer/36 $750
19. (22) Terry Phillips/30 $730
20. (15) Vic Coffey/26 $950
21. (21) Denny Woodworth/25 $700
22. (24) Brandon McCormick/21 $700
23. (26) Steve Rushin/19 $700
24. (17) Bill Frye/18 $700
25. (12) Al Purkey/12 $700
26. (25) Jimmy Mars/2 $700
Time of Race: 24 Mins., 17.456 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.423 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 5 (Laps 7, 12, 25, 26, 36)
Lap Leaders: Eckert (1-11); Babb (12-40)
Provisional Starters: Richards, Mars (WoO); McCormick, Rushin (MARS)
Rookie of the Race: Vic Coffey ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Wendell Wallace ($500)
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Jay Hunt (Shannon Babb)
Chick Hawk Racing Hot Lap Award: Eckert (half-off tire warmers)
Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 13.626 (NTR)
2. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 13.686
3. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 13.692
4. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.769
5. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 13.812
6. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 13.832
7. 88-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 13.907
8. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 13.967
9. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 14.007
10. 18s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 14.025
11. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 14.073
12. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 14.092
13. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 14.109
14. 2-John Anderson/Omaha, NE 14.112
15. 32c-Vic Coffey/Leicester, NY 14.136
16. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.147
17. 74-Jeremy Payne/Springfield, MO 14.175
18. 66F-Bill Frye/Greenbrier, AR 14.180
19. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 14.234
20. 66W-Justin Wells/Aurora, MO 14.234
21. 42-Brandon McCormick/Lebanon, MO 14.241
22. 14L-Brad Looney/Republic, MO 14.246
23. 8k-Rusty Dukes/Fairgrove, MO 14.260
24. 33-Al Purkey/Coffeyville, KS 14.317
25. 01-Chris Jones/Neelyville, MO 14.318
26. 45DW-Denny Woodworth/Mendon, IL 14.350
27. 28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 14.368
28. 15T-David Turner/Adrian, MO 14.383
29. 00s-Chris Smyser/Lancaster, MO 14.394
30. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.396
31. 14M-Reid Millard/Jefferson City, MO 14.412
32. 75-Terry Phillips/Springfield, MO 14.426
33. 14Jr.-Steve Rushin/Poplar Bluff, MO 14.730
34. 21H-Brian Harris/Davenport, IA 14.745
35. 7W-Trace Westling/Fulton, MO 15.090
36. 56-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 15.123
37. 16-Dusty Johnston/Flippan, AR 15.592
38. 99-Larry Jones/Eldorado Springs, MO 15.729
39. 3c-Michael Collins/Carter Lake, IA 45.519
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): C. Smith, Frank, Blankenship, Payne, Smyser, McCormick, Rushin, C. Jones, Johnston, Richards
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Babb, Birkhofer, Lanigan, Sullivan, Frye, Anderson, Looney, Woodworth, Harris, L. Jones
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Francis, Moyer, Wallace, Coffey, Clanton, Dukes, Millard, Westling, Mars, Collins
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Shirley, Purkey, Vaught, Fuller, Phillips, Turner, George, Wells
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Frye, Looney, Woodworth, Smyser, McCormick, Anderson, Johnston, L. Jones, C. Jones, Rushin (DNS) Harris, Richards
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Clanton, Fuller, Phillips, Turner, Collins, Millard, Wells, George, Westling, Dukes (DNS) Mars
2008 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 3 - 8 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Billy Moyer 4-6-6-$69,820-1079 (-0)
2. Steve Francis 1-5-7-$70,700-1043 (-36)
3. Rick Eckert 0-3-6-$23,150-1041 (-38)
4. Josh Richards 1-4-6 -$33,150-1033 (-46)
5. Darrell Lanigan 0-0-6-$15,250-1015 (-64)
6. (tie) Shannon Babb 1-4-5-$35,800-1007 (-72)
6. (tie) Chub Frank 0-2-4-$17,680-1007 (-72)
8. Clint Smith 0-3-3-$13,660-983 (-96)
9. Shane Clanton 0-3-3-$15,750-965 (-114)
10. John Blankenship 0-0-2-$11,560-911 (-168)
11. Tim Fuller 0-0-1-$8,190-909 (-170)
12. Brian Shirley 0-0-2-$8,370-899 (-180)
13. Vic Coffey 0-0-1-$7,470-709 (-370)
14. (tie) Joe Isabell 0-0-0-$2,260-589 (-490)
14. (tie) Danny Johnson 0-0-0-$2,650-589 (-490)
16. Jeep VanWormer 0-0-1-$6,270-479 (-600)
17. (tie) Eddie Carrier Jr. 0-0-3-$8,500-471 (-608)
17. (tie) Tim McCreadie 0-1-2-$11,550-471 (-608)
17. (tie) Billy Decker 0-0-0-$3,020-438 (-641)
20. Darren Miller 0-0-3-$5,700-404 (-675)
LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.
To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.
Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including Advance Auto Parts – the official auto parts store of the WoO LMS – and contingency sponsors Wrisco Industries, Chicken Hawk Racing, Crane Cams, Ohlins Shocks, Quarter-Master, Eibach Springs, Integra Shocks, Jake’s Custom Golf Carts and Qwikliner.