By James Essex NARA - PR
GLASGOW, KY--Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL became the first two-time winner of the new NARA DirtCar Series as he captured the 23rd Annual "Kentucky Klassic" on Friday Night at the Barren County Speedway. Before a standing room only crowd the 30 year old Babb earned $7000 on his first ever visit to the facility as he became the 18th different man to win the longest continuous dirt late model event held in the state of Kentucky. Babb drove the Arkansas Motors owned, Car City, J&J Steel, Watters Auto Land, Platinum Motors and RV, Hoosier Tires, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix to the 60 lap Lucas Oil A-main win over Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN driving the A-1 Auto Salvage/Jay Dickens Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. Finishing third was another former Kentucky Klassic champion, Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR in the J&J Steel/Jay Dickens Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. 20th starting, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN placed fourth in the PBM Performance Products/AMS Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix with fifth place at the finish belonging to Terry English of Benton, KY in the AAA Fence/Pro Power Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. A total of 46 cars were on hand for the event.
Babb drew the number two starting spot for the four heat race winners giving him the outside of the front row alongside veteran, Rick Aukland. Babb took the lead right at the beginning of the hotly contested start with several drivers changing positions two laps into the race, one of those was Don O'Neal, who had started in 10th place, but was up to fifth by lap two. Babb held the point early on with a battle for second between Aukland and four-time Klassic winner, Billy Moyer going door to door. Moyer would go to second on lap two and then had his sights set on the leader, Babb. Meanwhile the race for third was a dandy between R.J. Conley, Victor Lee and O'Neal. Three wide racing for third was commonplace in the early stages of the event with O'Neal slipping by Conley for third on lap seven. Up front Babb and Moyer were pulling away from the top drivers with traffic approaching by the 15th circuit. With 15 laps in the books Babb still showed the way followed by Moyer, O'Neal, Conley and Lee. The lapping process began on lap 19 with Babb in front he was trying to put some distance between himself and Moyer. Moyer had closed down on Babb's advantage with heavy traffic in sight. A yellow on lap 19 would bunch the field up with double file restarts taking place behind Babb.
With still a lot of racing left Babb would maintain the lead when the race resumed with O'Neal going by Moyer to take over the second position. Lee would then bypass Conley for fourth with Moyer in front of him. Conley, however would fight back taking fourth back away from Lee a lap later on the 22nd tour. Up front it was going to be a three car chase for the win with Babb leading followed now closely by O'Neal and Moyer. With an even better race for fourth on back between Conley, Lee and Terry English in the hunt which kept the fans on their feet. With 25 laps to go it was anybody's race as up front the trio of Babb, O'Neal and Moyer would start to re-enter traffic again. Lee would be running in fourth followed by English and Conley as those two would trade positions in the running order. The first three would have to deal with traffic the rest of the way as English would make his way into the top four passing Lee on lap 37. With 20 laps to go, Babb. O’Neal and Moyer were within just a few car lengths of each other with English gaining quickly. A car on the move through the field was 20th starting, Mike Marlar. Last year's O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass Series Champion used an NARA provision to start the Kentucky Klassic and he quickly made his presence know charging through he field to get to sixth place by lap 42 bringing 14th starting Brad Neat along with him.
With ten circuits remaining in the race the first three remained close with Babb hanging onto to the lead still followed closely by O'Neal and Moyer. O'Neal would then look to the inside and took a peek at the outside in the final closing laps, but could never pull alongside Babb in an attempt to take over the lead. Babb would go on to win by a car length over O'Neal with Moyer right behind him. Babb thus becomes the first two time winner on the new NARA Series. Marlar would pass English with four laps remaining to finish fourth to earn the PPM Racing Products Hard Charger of the Race. English would finish in fifth. A total of 18 of the 22 starters would finish the race with the first 14 cars still on the lead lap at the finish.
Completing the top ten were Neat, Conley, Greg Johnson, Lee and Darrell Lanigan.
In preliminary events John Gill was the Racing Optics/Russell Baker Racing Engines quick qualifier among the 46 entrants at a lap of 14.14 seconds. The Crown Spray Power Heat Race Winners were Billy Moyer, Shannon Babb, Victor Lee and Rick Aukland. The O'Reilly Auto Parts B-Mains were won by Steve Barnett and Brad Neat.
The next NARA DirtCar Series event will be the 36th Annual "Hillbilly 100" paying $25,000 to win on Monday Afternoon, September 6 at the Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV.
Race Summary
NARA DirtCar Series
Friday Night, August 27, 2004
Barren County Speedway
Glasgow, KY
Racing Optics/Russell Baker Racing Engines Fast Time: John Gill 14.14
Crown Spray Power Heat #1: Billy Moyer, Scott James, John Gill, Steve Barnett
Crown Spray Power Heat #2: Shannon Babb, Terry English, Don O'Neal, Johnny Wheeler
Crown Spray Power Heat #3: Victor Lee, Darrell Lanigan, Greg Johnson, Michael England
Crown Spray Power Heat #4: Rick Aukland, R.J. Conley, Bryan Barber, Freddy Smith
O'Reilly Auto Parts B-Main #1: Steve Barnett, Rick Eckert, Kevin Claycomb, Randle Chupp
O'Reilly Auto Parts B-Main #2: Brad Neat, Michael England, Jimmy Owens, Mike Jewell
Lucas Oil 23rd Annual "Kentucky Klassic" Feature (60 Laps): Shannon Babb, Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer, Mike Marlar, Terry English, Brad Neat, R.J. Conley, Greg Johnson, Victor Lee, Darrell Lanigan, Jimmy Owens, Scott James, Freddy Smith, Rick Eckert, Rick Aukland, Johnny Wheeler, Michael England, Tim Tungate, Steve Barnett, John Gill, Kevin Claycomb
PPM Racing Products Hard Charger – Mike Marlar
GLASGOW, KY--Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL became the first two-time winner of the new NARA DirtCar Series as he captured the 23rd Annual "Kentucky Klassic" on Friday Night at the Barren County Speedway. Before a standing room only crowd the 30 year old Babb earned $7000 on his first ever visit to the facility as he became the 18th different man to win the longest continuous dirt late model event held in the state of Kentucky. Babb drove the Arkansas Motors owned, Car City, J&J Steel, Watters Auto Land, Platinum Motors and RV, Hoosier Tires, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix to the 60 lap Lucas Oil A-main win over Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN driving the A-1 Auto Salvage/Jay Dickens Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. Finishing third was another former Kentucky Klassic champion, Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR in the J&J Steel/Jay Dickens Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. 20th starting, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN placed fourth in the PBM Performance Products/AMS Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix with fifth place at the finish belonging to Terry English of Benton, KY in the AAA Fence/Pro Power Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. A total of 46 cars were on hand for the event.
Babb drew the number two starting spot for the four heat race winners giving him the outside of the front row alongside veteran, Rick Aukland. Babb took the lead right at the beginning of the hotly contested start with several drivers changing positions two laps into the race, one of those was Don O'Neal, who had started in 10th place, but was up to fifth by lap two. Babb held the point early on with a battle for second between Aukland and four-time Klassic winner, Billy Moyer going door to door. Moyer would go to second on lap two and then had his sights set on the leader, Babb. Meanwhile the race for third was a dandy between R.J. Conley, Victor Lee and O'Neal. Three wide racing for third was commonplace in the early stages of the event with O'Neal slipping by Conley for third on lap seven. Up front Babb and Moyer were pulling away from the top drivers with traffic approaching by the 15th circuit. With 15 laps in the books Babb still showed the way followed by Moyer, O'Neal, Conley and Lee. The lapping process began on lap 19 with Babb in front he was trying to put some distance between himself and Moyer. Moyer had closed down on Babb's advantage with heavy traffic in sight. A yellow on lap 19 would bunch the field up with double file restarts taking place behind Babb.
With still a lot of racing left Babb would maintain the lead when the race resumed with O'Neal going by Moyer to take over the second position. Lee would then bypass Conley for fourth with Moyer in front of him. Conley, however would fight back taking fourth back away from Lee a lap later on the 22nd tour. Up front it was going to be a three car chase for the win with Babb leading followed now closely by O'Neal and Moyer. With an even better race for fourth on back between Conley, Lee and Terry English in the hunt which kept the fans on their feet. With 25 laps to go it was anybody's race as up front the trio of Babb, O'Neal and Moyer would start to re-enter traffic again. Lee would be running in fourth followed by English and Conley as those two would trade positions in the running order. The first three would have to deal with traffic the rest of the way as English would make his way into the top four passing Lee on lap 37. With 20 laps to go, Babb. O’Neal and Moyer were within just a few car lengths of each other with English gaining quickly. A car on the move through the field was 20th starting, Mike Marlar. Last year's O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass Series Champion used an NARA provision to start the Kentucky Klassic and he quickly made his presence know charging through he field to get to sixth place by lap 42 bringing 14th starting Brad Neat along with him.
With ten circuits remaining in the race the first three remained close with Babb hanging onto to the lead still followed closely by O'Neal and Moyer. O'Neal would then look to the inside and took a peek at the outside in the final closing laps, but could never pull alongside Babb in an attempt to take over the lead. Babb would go on to win by a car length over O'Neal with Moyer right behind him. Babb thus becomes the first two time winner on the new NARA Series. Marlar would pass English with four laps remaining to finish fourth to earn the PPM Racing Products Hard Charger of the Race. English would finish in fifth. A total of 18 of the 22 starters would finish the race with the first 14 cars still on the lead lap at the finish.
Completing the top ten were Neat, Conley, Greg Johnson, Lee and Darrell Lanigan.
In preliminary events John Gill was the Racing Optics/Russell Baker Racing Engines quick qualifier among the 46 entrants at a lap of 14.14 seconds. The Crown Spray Power Heat Race Winners were Billy Moyer, Shannon Babb, Victor Lee and Rick Aukland. The O'Reilly Auto Parts B-Mains were won by Steve Barnett and Brad Neat.
The next NARA DirtCar Series event will be the 36th Annual "Hillbilly 100" paying $25,000 to win on Monday Afternoon, September 6 at the Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV.
Race Summary
NARA DirtCar Series
Friday Night, August 27, 2004
Barren County Speedway
Glasgow, KY
Racing Optics/Russell Baker Racing Engines Fast Time: John Gill 14.14
Crown Spray Power Heat #1: Billy Moyer, Scott James, John Gill, Steve Barnett
Crown Spray Power Heat #2: Shannon Babb, Terry English, Don O'Neal, Johnny Wheeler
Crown Spray Power Heat #3: Victor Lee, Darrell Lanigan, Greg Johnson, Michael England
Crown Spray Power Heat #4: Rick Aukland, R.J. Conley, Bryan Barber, Freddy Smith
O'Reilly Auto Parts B-Main #1: Steve Barnett, Rick Eckert, Kevin Claycomb, Randle Chupp
O'Reilly Auto Parts B-Main #2: Brad Neat, Michael England, Jimmy Owens, Mike Jewell
Lucas Oil 23rd Annual "Kentucky Klassic" Feature (60 Laps): Shannon Babb, Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer, Mike Marlar, Terry English, Brad Neat, R.J. Conley, Greg Johnson, Victor Lee, Darrell Lanigan, Jimmy Owens, Scott James, Freddy Smith, Rick Eckert, Rick Aukland, Johnny Wheeler, Michael England, Tim Tungate, Steve Barnett, John Gill, Kevin Claycomb
PPM Racing Products Hard Charger – Mike Marlar
