Distributed by Lehman Motorsports Services
February 6,2004
News Release
RACE REPORT: FLORIDA WoO LATE MODEL TOUR 2004 - Day #3 (Fri. Feb. 6)
BARBERVILLE, FL.....Illinois standout Shannon Babb made it a baker's dozen after upsetting the World of Outlaws Late Model Series headline drivers on Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park in round three of the 2004 Florida Tour.
A capacity crowd was in attendance at Dick Murphy's popular Barberville oval to witness Babb's late-race rally that upset half of the Outlaws' 'Dirty Dozen' in convincing fashion. Coming on the heels of third and 22nd-place feature finishes, Babb's first win of Raceweek in the 40-lap A-Main was worth $10,000 and gained him instant notoriety in America's newest all-star attraction.
"I might have been in that elite group of drivers," said Babb, 30, after once again dialing in his no. 18 Car City-J&J Steel-Motter's Auto Land/Rocket machine. "I was invited when the Outlaw group met to form the new team but I missed the plane to Pittsburgh. Right now I'm looking to make a lot of the Late Model shows so maybe I'll be a member next year."
Along with current WoO contracted drivers Scott Bloomquist and Mike Balzano, 15 individual track owners/promoters and a half-dozen officials were in attendance on Jan. 23 as the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. played host to an informative meeting to lay the groundwork for the fledgling LM Series. While discussions focused on how the successful concept of 'Outlaws vs. Locals' could be used, the end results centered around the many advantages gained by those track owners/promoters, drivers, sponsors and fans associated with the series.
Babb found his advantage on Friday and the end result was a trip to victory lane.
The 40-lap Late Model A-Main began clean with Babb falling into seventh on the 24-car starting grid. Once underway pole-sitter R.J. Conley jumped out front with Pennsylvanian Chub Frank and DIRT Modified regular Tim McCreadie in tow.
Mike Balzano's Rocket mount slowed in turn one while Donnie Erb, Jr. spun in turn four at the same time to incur the first caution period. Conley retained the point on the lap five restart ahead of Frank, Rick Eckert, McCreadie and Babb, who was hugging the inside rail to make early advances.
Head flagman Kenny Golden dropped a second yellow flag immediately after when the field stacked up exiting turn four on the ensuing restart, ending Greg Johnson's night as his Rayburn entry was stuffed against the inside wall. Eckert pulled into second on another lap five restart and swept around Conley ---who suddenly turned pitside--- the next circuit to take command.
Eckert easily opened up a comfortable advantage while McCreadie hung in second as Babb improved to third with 10 laps complete. When the smoke cleared for Mike Marlar's blown engine just five laps later, Babb was breathing down Eckert's bumper with McCreadie chased by Outlaw mainstays Billy Moyer and opening night winner Steve Francis.
After making his way into fourth position, Francis suffered a flat right rear tire to force out the final yellow on lap 25. Back under green flag conditions, Babb continued to navigate low through the turns and shadow Eckert in their duel for the top spot. Moyer, McCreadie and Dan Schlieper settled in among the front-five.
Eckert and Babb continued to set a blistering pace over the remaining circuits, yet while the Raye Vest runner began to lose traction up high, the eventual winner turned consistent lap times down low. Babb finally ducked under Eckert on the back chute and wrestled away the point for good the 34th time around.
Babb outdistanced himself in traffic over the remaining circuits and when the checkered flag flew he had sprinted out to nearly a 15 car-length lead on the smooth half-mile clay oval. 'Dirty Dozen charter members Eckert, Moyer, Schlieper, night two winner Bart Hartman, Frank and Dale McDowell were next in line while McCreadie and fast time trialer Bloomquist completed the top-10.
"I didn't think I would get by Rick but I just moved in on him inch by inch," beamed Babb, after beating the best in the business in head-to-head competition. "I couldn't run the top so I just took it easy down low and saved the car until the end.
"This is the best I've ever seen the track with three lanes open. It's great to be able to use the top or bottom grooves and even the middle when you need to. Right now I could never ask for anything more, running in a series like this and coming out on top is about the best you can get," Babb remarked.
Full-fender action at Volusia concludes for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Sunday night with a 50-lap A-Main paying $12,000 to win headlining the 33rd Winter Nationals in Florida. The biggest field of LM entries seen anywhere throughout the week is expected to sign in as Volusia is the only track in operation on Feb. 8.
WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES
SUMMARY EVENT NO. 3
FEATURE(40‑LAPS): SHANNON BABB, Rick Eckert, Billy Moyer, Dan Schlieper, Bart Hartman, Chub Frank, Dale McDowell, Tim McCreadie, Scott Bloomquist, Jackie Boggs, Steve Francis, Wendell Wallace, Clint Smith, Mike Balzano, Rick Aukland, Tim Dohm, Rod Conley, R.J. Conley, Robbie Blair, Mike Marlar, Terry English, Anthony Rushing, Greg Johnson, Dennis Erb,Jr..
FAST TIME TRIAL: Scott Bloomquist (16.668 sec./107.991 mph).
HEAT 1: Bloomquist, Babb, Hartman.
HEAT 2: Eckert, Schlieper, Johnson.
HEAT 3: English, R.J. Conley, R.Conley.
HEAT 4: Rushing, Wallace, Dohm.
HEAT 5: McDowell, Frank, Moyer.
HEAT 6: McCreadie, Francis, Boggs.
LAST CHANCE 1: Erb, Balzano.
LAST CHANCE 2: Smith, Marlar.
DASH 1: R.J. Conley, Frank, Bloomquist, Babb, Schlieper, English.
DASH 2: McCreadie, Francis, Eckert, Wallace, Rushing, McDowell.
PROVISIONALS: Aukland, Blair.
February 6,2004
News Release
RACE REPORT: FLORIDA WoO LATE MODEL TOUR 2004 - Day #3 (Fri. Feb. 6)
BARBERVILLE, FL.....Illinois standout Shannon Babb made it a baker's dozen after upsetting the World of Outlaws Late Model Series headline drivers on Friday night at Volusia Speedway Park in round three of the 2004 Florida Tour.
A capacity crowd was in attendance at Dick Murphy's popular Barberville oval to witness Babb's late-race rally that upset half of the Outlaws' 'Dirty Dozen' in convincing fashion. Coming on the heels of third and 22nd-place feature finishes, Babb's first win of Raceweek in the 40-lap A-Main was worth $10,000 and gained him instant notoriety in America's newest all-star attraction.
"I might have been in that elite group of drivers," said Babb, 30, after once again dialing in his no. 18 Car City-J&J Steel-Motter's Auto Land/Rocket machine. "I was invited when the Outlaw group met to form the new team but I missed the plane to Pittsburgh. Right now I'm looking to make a lot of the Late Model shows so maybe I'll be a member next year."
Along with current WoO contracted drivers Scott Bloomquist and Mike Balzano, 15 individual track owners/promoters and a half-dozen officials were in attendance on Jan. 23 as the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa. played host to an informative meeting to lay the groundwork for the fledgling LM Series. While discussions focused on how the successful concept of 'Outlaws vs. Locals' could be used, the end results centered around the many advantages gained by those track owners/promoters, drivers, sponsors and fans associated with the series.
Babb found his advantage on Friday and the end result was a trip to victory lane.
The 40-lap Late Model A-Main began clean with Babb falling into seventh on the 24-car starting grid. Once underway pole-sitter R.J. Conley jumped out front with Pennsylvanian Chub Frank and DIRT Modified regular Tim McCreadie in tow.
Mike Balzano's Rocket mount slowed in turn one while Donnie Erb, Jr. spun in turn four at the same time to incur the first caution period. Conley retained the point on the lap five restart ahead of Frank, Rick Eckert, McCreadie and Babb, who was hugging the inside rail to make early advances.
Head flagman Kenny Golden dropped a second yellow flag immediately after when the field stacked up exiting turn four on the ensuing restart, ending Greg Johnson's night as his Rayburn entry was stuffed against the inside wall. Eckert pulled into second on another lap five restart and swept around Conley ---who suddenly turned pitside--- the next circuit to take command.
Eckert easily opened up a comfortable advantage while McCreadie hung in second as Babb improved to third with 10 laps complete. When the smoke cleared for Mike Marlar's blown engine just five laps later, Babb was breathing down Eckert's bumper with McCreadie chased by Outlaw mainstays Billy Moyer and opening night winner Steve Francis.
After making his way into fourth position, Francis suffered a flat right rear tire to force out the final yellow on lap 25. Back under green flag conditions, Babb continued to navigate low through the turns and shadow Eckert in their duel for the top spot. Moyer, McCreadie and Dan Schlieper settled in among the front-five.
Eckert and Babb continued to set a blistering pace over the remaining circuits, yet while the Raye Vest runner began to lose traction up high, the eventual winner turned consistent lap times down low. Babb finally ducked under Eckert on the back chute and wrestled away the point for good the 34th time around.
Babb outdistanced himself in traffic over the remaining circuits and when the checkered flag flew he had sprinted out to nearly a 15 car-length lead on the smooth half-mile clay oval. 'Dirty Dozen charter members Eckert, Moyer, Schlieper, night two winner Bart Hartman, Frank and Dale McDowell were next in line while McCreadie and fast time trialer Bloomquist completed the top-10.
"I didn't think I would get by Rick but I just moved in on him inch by inch," beamed Babb, after beating the best in the business in head-to-head competition. "I couldn't run the top so I just took it easy down low and saved the car until the end.
"This is the best I've ever seen the track with three lanes open. It's great to be able to use the top or bottom grooves and even the middle when you need to. Right now I could never ask for anything more, running in a series like this and coming out on top is about the best you can get," Babb remarked.
Full-fender action at Volusia concludes for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Sunday night with a 50-lap A-Main paying $12,000 to win headlining the 33rd Winter Nationals in Florida. The biggest field of LM entries seen anywhere throughout the week is expected to sign in as Volusia is the only track in operation on Feb. 8.
WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES
SUMMARY EVENT NO. 3
FEATURE(40‑LAPS): SHANNON BABB, Rick Eckert, Billy Moyer, Dan Schlieper, Bart Hartman, Chub Frank, Dale McDowell, Tim McCreadie, Scott Bloomquist, Jackie Boggs, Steve Francis, Wendell Wallace, Clint Smith, Mike Balzano, Rick Aukland, Tim Dohm, Rod Conley, R.J. Conley, Robbie Blair, Mike Marlar, Terry English, Anthony Rushing, Greg Johnson, Dennis Erb,Jr..
FAST TIME TRIAL: Scott Bloomquist (16.668 sec./107.991 mph).
HEAT 1: Bloomquist, Babb, Hartman.
HEAT 2: Eckert, Schlieper, Johnson.
HEAT 3: English, R.J. Conley, R.Conley.
HEAT 4: Rushing, Wallace, Dohm.
HEAT 5: McDowell, Frank, Moyer.
HEAT 6: McCreadie, Francis, Boggs.
LAST CHANCE 1: Erb, Balzano.
LAST CHANCE 2: Smith, Marlar.
DASH 1: R.J. Conley, Frank, Bloomquist, Babb, Schlieper, English.
DASH 2: McCreadie, Francis, Eckert, Wallace, Rushing, McDowell.
PROVISIONALS: Aukland, Blair.
