By Michael Despain
BARDSTOWN, KY-October 20- Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL would lead all 100 laps to take the biggest win of his career by scoring the $50,000 to win 22nd Annual Dirt Track World Championship feature race victory at Bluegrass Speedway in front of the largest crowd in the history of the eight year facility. It also marked the first time in the 22 year history of the DTWC that the feature event has been held at night under the lights and the race was also one of the richest one day events that has ever been contested on dirt.
Babb and Dale McDowell would bring the stellar 26 car starting field to chief starter Brian Axsom’s green flag and Babb would immediately jump to the lead with McDowell, Dan Schlieper, Billy Moyer, and Freddy Smith. Babb would motor away early on from the field as McDowell and Schlieper would wage war for second, while Moyer would watch this battle from fourth, with Smith hanging on to fifth. Schlieper would drive by McDowell around lap 15 for second, while Scott Bloomquist was charging from his 14th starting spot and was up to seventh by lap 20 as he, Smith, Steve Barnett, Darrell Lanigan, and Don O’Neal sported the best battle on the track for several laps, until Bloomquist would win the battle for the sixth spot by lap 35. Babb was entering heavy slower traffic at this point and Schlieper would close up on Babb, with Moyer now riding third right on the back bumper of Schlieper. Babb would see Schlieper look beneath on three occasion between laps 35 and 41 until the only caution of the race waved as the field worked the 42nd circuit when Kevin Weaver rolled off the racing surface on the backchute and fire erupted under the hood of his mount, with track officials and crew members quick to extinguish the flames. It would be around this point that the racing surface really started to rubber-up and it made for some interesting work in slower traffic for the race leaders. Babb looked very poised as he guided his entry cleanly and smoothly around the ½ mile high-banked clay oval, while Schlieper was attempting to hold off the charges of Moyer for the runner-up slot. As Babb held a steady pace out front, his “Petroff Posse” teammate Moyer would really turn the wick up on Schlieper around lap 80 and would drive around the outside of Schlieper with a powerful pass exiting turn four. Moyer would then set his sights on Babb and with 2 laps had the race leader right in check. Moyer would throw his entire bag of tricks at the youngster over the next 10 rounds, making the last 5 miles of the event very exciting. Moyer would look under Babb exiting turn four on laps 93, 94, and 95, with Moyer getting alongside of Babb on lap 95, with the pair side by side at the start-finish line. The lead duo would then close on Steve Smith and Babb would basically use Smith as a pick to put between himself and Moyer over the last four laps and would cruise into victory lane for his first DTWC victory and biggest win of his career in the Petroff Towing/Watters AutoLand/Car City Cars/B Auto Parts #18 C.J. Rayburn Race Car, Pro Power Race Engines/Hoosier Race Tires entry. Moyer would take runner-up honors in the event, with McDowell grabbing third after Schlieper broke on the final lap. Freddy Smith would take fourth, while Bloomquist would go home fifth after starting 14th. Don O’Neal would head up the second five at the finish with a sixth, Darrell Lanigan would score a solid seventh, while eighth place finisher Ray Cook would be the big mover after winning a B-main and starting 19th. Rick Corbin and 18th starter Wendell Wallace would complete the top ten.
A total of 124 Late Models representing 18 states were on hand for the event with Babb fast qualifier among the 121 drivers who took times. Nine heat race events were staged with Babb, McDowell, Schlieper, Steve Barnett, Moyer, Freddy Smith, Steve Landrum, Mike Jewell, and Lanigan all winning heats. Cook, Randle Chupp, and Kevin Weaver were B-main winners, with Brad Neat being the track provisional and Eddie Carrier, Jr. getting the STARS BoB provisional.
The Modified division would also be in action with 68 entries vying for the $2,000 to win top prize in their 30 laps portion of the DTWC weekend and when all was said and done, the driver better known as “The Rocketman”, Joey Kramer of Hanover, IN, had checked into victory lane once again this season as he was extremely impressive behind the wheel of the Dee Kramer owned Midwest Tube Mills Inc./KMI Competition Race Engines/AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants/G.B. Graphics #77 Lightning Chassis entry. Earl Plessinger and Bluegrass Speedway Modified track champion Benji Lee would battle much of the event for second, with Plessinger winning the battle and relegating Lee to third. Illinois visitor Don Kiker would wind up fourth after starting 22nd, with Robert Pyles completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Denny Schwartz, 14th starting Jay Mobley, 18th starting Josh Lucas, 16th starter David Spille, and Kelly Warren. The six heat race winners were Josh Ferguson, Pyles, Kramer, Joe Gray, Schwartz, and Warren, while Leonard Pierce and David Copley were B-main winners.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-October 20, 2002
Late Models (124 entries)
Top Qualifier- Shannon Babb
1st Heat- Shannon Babb, Don O’Neal, Ray Cook, Johnny Wheeler
2nd Heat- Dale McDowell, Rick Corbin, Shawn Negangard, David Powers
3rd Heat- Dan Schlieper, Mark Barber, Ed Behn, Timmy Yeager
4th Heat- Steve Barnett, Whitney McQueary, Jerry Rice, Billy Drake
5th Heat- Billy Moyer, Scott Bloomquist, Randle Chupp, Duane Chamberlain
6th Heat- Freddy Smith, Bob Pierce, Jim Curry, John Gill
7th Heat- Steve Landrum, Justin Fegers, John Whitney, Kevin Weaver
8th Heat- Mike Jewell, Steve Smith, Paul Benton, Clayton Christenberry
9th Heat- Darrell Lanigan, Wendell Wallace, Terry English, Jimmy Owens
1st B Main- Cook, Negangard, Wheeler, Behn, Yeager
2nd B Main- Chupp, Rice, Gill, Scott James, Jimmy Mars
3rd B Main- Weaver, English, Christenberry, Owens, C.J. Rayburn
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass Series Provisionals- Eddie Carrier, Jr.
Bluegrass Speedway Track Provisional (Track Champion)- Brad Neat
22nd Annual DTWC Feature- Babb, Moyer, McDowell, Freddy Smith, Bloomquist, O’Neal, Lanigan, Cook, Corbin, Wallace, Barnett, Pierce, McQueary, English, Steve Smith, Schlieper, Jewell, Rice, Neat, Fegers, Negangard, Carrier, Jr., Weaver, Barber, Landrum, Chupp
Modifieds (68 entries)
Top Qualifier- Randle Sweeney
1st Heat- Josh Ferguson, Earl Plessinger, Sweeney, David Adams
2nd Heat- Robert Pyles, Benji Lee, Jay Mobley, Leonard Pierce
3rd Heat- Joey Kramer, Eddie Carrier, Sr., Richard Harlow, Dan Hamstra
4th Heat- Joe Gray, Joe Mattingly, David Spille, Robbie Gullion
5th Heat- Denny Schwartz, Brandon Green, Danny Dean, Jason Underwood
6th Heat- Kelly Warren, Chuck Griffis, Josh Lucas, Don Kiker
1st B Main- Leonard Pierce, Dion Benningfield, David Adams, Clint Shutts, Jason Perry
2nd B Main- Copley, Kiker, Webb Howard, Steven Luracy, Terry Edwards
Feature- Kramer, Plessinger, Lee, Kiker, Pyles, Schwartz, Mobley, Lucas, Spille, Warren, Harlow, Ferguson, Griffis, Copley, Pierce, Green, Gray, Carrier, Sr., Adams, Mattingly, Benningfield, Sweeney, Dean, Howard
BARDSTOWN, KY-October 20- Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL would lead all 100 laps to take the biggest win of his career by scoring the $50,000 to win 22nd Annual Dirt Track World Championship feature race victory at Bluegrass Speedway in front of the largest crowd in the history of the eight year facility. It also marked the first time in the 22 year history of the DTWC that the feature event has been held at night under the lights and the race was also one of the richest one day events that has ever been contested on dirt.
Babb and Dale McDowell would bring the stellar 26 car starting field to chief starter Brian Axsom’s green flag and Babb would immediately jump to the lead with McDowell, Dan Schlieper, Billy Moyer, and Freddy Smith. Babb would motor away early on from the field as McDowell and Schlieper would wage war for second, while Moyer would watch this battle from fourth, with Smith hanging on to fifth. Schlieper would drive by McDowell around lap 15 for second, while Scott Bloomquist was charging from his 14th starting spot and was up to seventh by lap 20 as he, Smith, Steve Barnett, Darrell Lanigan, and Don O’Neal sported the best battle on the track for several laps, until Bloomquist would win the battle for the sixth spot by lap 35. Babb was entering heavy slower traffic at this point and Schlieper would close up on Babb, with Moyer now riding third right on the back bumper of Schlieper. Babb would see Schlieper look beneath on three occasion between laps 35 and 41 until the only caution of the race waved as the field worked the 42nd circuit when Kevin Weaver rolled off the racing surface on the backchute and fire erupted under the hood of his mount, with track officials and crew members quick to extinguish the flames. It would be around this point that the racing surface really started to rubber-up and it made for some interesting work in slower traffic for the race leaders. Babb looked very poised as he guided his entry cleanly and smoothly around the ½ mile high-banked clay oval, while Schlieper was attempting to hold off the charges of Moyer for the runner-up slot. As Babb held a steady pace out front, his “Petroff Posse” teammate Moyer would really turn the wick up on Schlieper around lap 80 and would drive around the outside of Schlieper with a powerful pass exiting turn four. Moyer would then set his sights on Babb and with 2 laps had the race leader right in check. Moyer would throw his entire bag of tricks at the youngster over the next 10 rounds, making the last 5 miles of the event very exciting. Moyer would look under Babb exiting turn four on laps 93, 94, and 95, with Moyer getting alongside of Babb on lap 95, with the pair side by side at the start-finish line. The lead duo would then close on Steve Smith and Babb would basically use Smith as a pick to put between himself and Moyer over the last four laps and would cruise into victory lane for his first DTWC victory and biggest win of his career in the Petroff Towing/Watters AutoLand/Car City Cars/B Auto Parts #18 C.J. Rayburn Race Car, Pro Power Race Engines/Hoosier Race Tires entry. Moyer would take runner-up honors in the event, with McDowell grabbing third after Schlieper broke on the final lap. Freddy Smith would take fourth, while Bloomquist would go home fifth after starting 14th. Don O’Neal would head up the second five at the finish with a sixth, Darrell Lanigan would score a solid seventh, while eighth place finisher Ray Cook would be the big mover after winning a B-main and starting 19th. Rick Corbin and 18th starter Wendell Wallace would complete the top ten.
A total of 124 Late Models representing 18 states were on hand for the event with Babb fast qualifier among the 121 drivers who took times. Nine heat race events were staged with Babb, McDowell, Schlieper, Steve Barnett, Moyer, Freddy Smith, Steve Landrum, Mike Jewell, and Lanigan all winning heats. Cook, Randle Chupp, and Kevin Weaver were B-main winners, with Brad Neat being the track provisional and Eddie Carrier, Jr. getting the STARS BoB provisional.
The Modified division would also be in action with 68 entries vying for the $2,000 to win top prize in their 30 laps portion of the DTWC weekend and when all was said and done, the driver better known as “The Rocketman”, Joey Kramer of Hanover, IN, had checked into victory lane once again this season as he was extremely impressive behind the wheel of the Dee Kramer owned Midwest Tube Mills Inc./KMI Competition Race Engines/AMSOIL Synthetic Lubricants/G.B. Graphics #77 Lightning Chassis entry. Earl Plessinger and Bluegrass Speedway Modified track champion Benji Lee would battle much of the event for second, with Plessinger winning the battle and relegating Lee to third. Illinois visitor Don Kiker would wind up fourth after starting 22nd, with Robert Pyles completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Denny Schwartz, 14th starting Jay Mobley, 18th starting Josh Lucas, 16th starter David Spille, and Kelly Warren. The six heat race winners were Josh Ferguson, Pyles, Kramer, Joe Gray, Schwartz, and Warren, while Leonard Pierce and David Copley were B-main winners.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-October 20, 2002
Late Models (124 entries)
Top Qualifier- Shannon Babb
1st Heat- Shannon Babb, Don O’Neal, Ray Cook, Johnny Wheeler
2nd Heat- Dale McDowell, Rick Corbin, Shawn Negangard, David Powers
3rd Heat- Dan Schlieper, Mark Barber, Ed Behn, Timmy Yeager
4th Heat- Steve Barnett, Whitney McQueary, Jerry Rice, Billy Drake
5th Heat- Billy Moyer, Scott Bloomquist, Randle Chupp, Duane Chamberlain
6th Heat- Freddy Smith, Bob Pierce, Jim Curry, John Gill
7th Heat- Steve Landrum, Justin Fegers, John Whitney, Kevin Weaver
8th Heat- Mike Jewell, Steve Smith, Paul Benton, Clayton Christenberry
9th Heat- Darrell Lanigan, Wendell Wallace, Terry English, Jimmy Owens
1st B Main- Cook, Negangard, Wheeler, Behn, Yeager
2nd B Main- Chupp, Rice, Gill, Scott James, Jimmy Mars
3rd B Main- Weaver, English, Christenberry, Owens, C.J. Rayburn
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass Series Provisionals- Eddie Carrier, Jr.
Bluegrass Speedway Track Provisional (Track Champion)- Brad Neat
22nd Annual DTWC Feature- Babb, Moyer, McDowell, Freddy Smith, Bloomquist, O’Neal, Lanigan, Cook, Corbin, Wallace, Barnett, Pierce, McQueary, English, Steve Smith, Schlieper, Jewell, Rice, Neat, Fegers, Negangard, Carrier, Jr., Weaver, Barber, Landrum, Chupp
Modifieds (68 entries)
Top Qualifier- Randle Sweeney
1st Heat- Josh Ferguson, Earl Plessinger, Sweeney, David Adams
2nd Heat- Robert Pyles, Benji Lee, Jay Mobley, Leonard Pierce
3rd Heat- Joey Kramer, Eddie Carrier, Sr., Richard Harlow, Dan Hamstra
4th Heat- Joe Gray, Joe Mattingly, David Spille, Robbie Gullion
5th Heat- Denny Schwartz, Brandon Green, Danny Dean, Jason Underwood
6th Heat- Kelly Warren, Chuck Griffis, Josh Lucas, Don Kiker
1st B Main- Leonard Pierce, Dion Benningfield, David Adams, Clint Shutts, Jason Perry
2nd B Main- Copley, Kiker, Webb Howard, Steven Luracy, Terry Edwards
Feature- Kramer, Plessinger, Lee, Kiker, Pyles, Schwartz, Mobley, Lucas, Spille, Warren, Harlow, Ferguson, Griffis, Copley, Pierce, Green, Gray, Carrier, Sr., Adams, Mattingly, Benningfield, Sweeney, Dean, Howard
