FARMER CITY, IL - April 12, 2010 -
RINGING ENDORSEMENT: A victory in Saturday night's 'Illini 100' at Farmer City Raceway provided Billy Moyer another enjoyable trip to one of his favorite regions of the country.
"We like coming up here and running in this Midwest area, that's what we've always said," said Batesville, Ark.'s Moyer, who has won plenty of races throughout the Midwestern states during a sparkling career that has spanned more than decades. "I just like the dirt up here. It's fun to race on."
Moyer, 52, also commented that the success of the third annual Illini 100 – a talent-laden field, standing-room-only crowd and charged-up, big-race atmosphere – proves that Illinois, in particular, should be hosting more major events.
"I'm telling you, the Midwest area is strong for Late Models," said Moyer. "It's as strong as anywhere right through this belt where we're at. If there was enough promoters who had the 'nads to step it up, this (a $20,000-to-win weekend spectacular) would happen more than in one place here.
"It's like Eldora over there (in Ohio) – people come to that and see a great race, and they came here and saw a great race. There's a lot of good racetracks through this belt, and (promoters) just gotta step it up, pay the races and the fans will come and racers will come."
HARD RACIN': Tim McCreadie spent the final laps of his impressive march forward from the 17th starting spot in a knock-down, drag-out battle for second place with Shannon Babb, the central Illinois hero who desperately craved a win in his homestate's biggest and richest dirt Late Model event.
Watertown, N.Y.'s McCreadie, who turns 36 today (April 12), nosed underneath Moyer for the lead a few times late in the distance but ended up spending more time dealing with Babb. They traded paint several times before Babb finished second and McCreadie settled for third.
"I've said it before, him and I race each other like we're related, like we're brothers – and it's not always a good thing," said McCreadie. "We race good together, but we race hard, and we bend sheet metal up on each other a lot.
"But that's the way it goes. He's a man, he can take it – and I can take it. I just wish we would've been racing for a 'w' rather than for second, because then him and I could've laughed about it later."
Babb was deeply disappointed after running so hard only to fall short in the Illini 100 once again. He even declined a request to participate in a top-three-finishers photo opportunity in Victory Lane with Moyer and McCreadie, preferring to return to his hauler to cool his emotions after giving a terse post-race interview over the public address system.
McCreadie understood what Babb was feeling after failing to win at his hometrack. "I know how this place is for him here – when we go back to New York, I'm on the chip about winning too," said McCreadie, who took over the WoO LMS points lead for the first time since finishing his 2006 championship season.
STILL TRYING: After pacing three laps (laps 44-46) of the Illini 100, Brian Birkhofer stands as the only driver who has led at least one circuit in all three editions of the big show.
Unfortunately, Birkhofer has yet to unlock the door to Victory Lane. He finished fourth on Saturday night, unable to seriously contend for the win after watching Babb and Moyer blow by him on a lap-46 restart.
"It was part tires and part my setup decisions," Birkhofer said of his difficulties in the 100-lapper. "I over-cut (siped) my tires, and after looking back at what we ran last year (he led 93 laps of the 100) we made a few changes that I thought would make us better but they didn't work out."
NO REPEAT: Shane Clanton's hopes of winning the Illini 100 for a second straight year took a big hit when he failed to qualify through a Friday-night heat (he was shuffled back on a restart) and a Saturday-night B-Main, forcing him to use a WoO LMS 'emergency' provisional.
But the Locust Grove, Ga., driver made a nice recovery in the A-Main to at least head home with a smile – although he still was a bit disappointed with an eighth-place finish.
Clanton, who started last in the 25-car field, actually closely followed McCreadie forward through the pack. When the race's first caution flag flew on lap 46, Clanton sat in 11th place right behind McCreadie. But moments before that caution flag flew Clanton's RSD Enterprises No. 25 was struck by a broken 'dummy' shock – the second shock positioned in front of the rearend on the left-rear of the car – and spent the remainder of the distance hampered by a bouncing wheel.
"I think I could run with McCreadie," said Clanton, "so if that shock doesn't break I think we could've been right there at the end."
MISSED IT: Defending DIRTcar UMP Late Model national champion Jason Feger wanted to give his hometrack fans – including the group that displayed a huge 'Feger Nation' banner from their perch in the drive-in section outside turn two – something to cheer about in the Illini 100.
But after winning a heat race on Friday night in impressive fashion, Feger drew the eighth starting spot for the A-Main and never really got rolling during the 100-lap affair. He was solid but not spectacular, climbing as high as fifth before settling for a personal-best Illini 100 finish of sixth.
"It seemed like we didn't have any doors open up for us," said Feger. "But I think we were too tight. We couldn't rotate like we needed to."
GROOVIN': Chub Frank (20th place finish) and Clint Smith (23rd) were never factors in the Illini 100 after transferring through heats on Friday, but they enjoyed themselves – and entertained many others in the pit area – with new toys they showed off after the qualifying night action.
Both drivers had full-fledged CD jukeboxes at the back of their trailers, setting the atmosphere with music for all their post-race visitors. Smith has been checking eBay to obtain one of the music-players for his buddy Tim Fuller, who is preparing to open a bar-and-grill in Edwards, N.Y., and ended up purchasing four of the machines. Two of the machines he found were located in Iowa, so WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Jill George, who returned to action at Farmer City after suffering a cut arm in a flip on March 26 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas, picked them up and delivered them to Smith.
Frank bought one of the jukeboxes from Smith to put in the bar that's connected to his shop in Bear Lake, Pa., and Smith said he probably has a buyer for the one that he had rockin' in his trailer.
ETCETERA:
* The weather was absolutely perfect for a springtime race in central Illinois – easily the best conditions the Illini 100 has ever enjoyed. With crystal-clear skies prevailing both days, temperatures reached the low 60s on Friday before cooling off at night and topped 70 before settling into the low 50s/upper 40s on Saturday.
Not surprisingly, the weather helped draw the biggest grandstand crowd in the three-history of the event. There wasn't a seat to be found at the fairgrounds track on Saturday night.
* Defending WoO LMS champion Josh Richards left a racetrack without the tour's points lead for the just the second time in seven events this season, ceding it to McCreadie after finishing 10th. He trails T-Mac by 10 points after running in the top five for the first third of the event but then fading with a car that wasn't properly balanced.
* The Illini 100 was also a struggle for former series champions Darrell Lanigan and Steve Francis, who finished 17th and 19th, respectively. Lanigan used a provisional to start the A-Main after being set back by a right-rear shock that came loose on his car during Friday's heat action, while Francis qualified through a heat but got no higher than 10th (from the 15th starting spot) before some damage from a scrape left him struggling to circle the track for the remainder of the distance.
* Rick Eckert absorbed a rare DNF, retiring after 45 laps with terminal engine woes. He appeared on the verge of cracking the top 10 before his powerplant went south, leaving him with a last-place finish (25th) and dropping him from fifth to seventh in the WoO LMS points standings.
* Brady Smith, a former UMP Summer Nationals winner at Farmer City, appeared to be in position to challenge for Illini 100 glory when he ended up with the pole starting spot as the last driver to draw. But he was outgunned immediately at the green flag by green flag and never summoned enough speed to challenge for the lead, running third for the first third of the race before fading to seventh at the finish with a car that he termed "too free."
* It was a tough weekend for young WoO LMS travelers Austin Hubbard (finished 22nd after using a provisional for the second straight race), Russell King (failed to qualify and opted not to use an 'emergency' provisional to start the A-Main) and Brent Robinson (missed transferring through a heat by two spots and a B-Main by three).
NEXT UP: A huge two-week stretch for the WoO LMS continues this Friday and Saturday (April 16-17) with the inaugural running of the Commonwealth 100 at Bill Sawyer's Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Va. The two-day spectacular offers a $25,000 top prize from a total weekend payout of nearly $125,000.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel) and DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award); in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis and Wrisco Aluminum.
RINGING ENDORSEMENT: A victory in Saturday night's 'Illini 100' at Farmer City Raceway provided Billy Moyer another enjoyable trip to one of his favorite regions of the country.
"We like coming up here and running in this Midwest area, that's what we've always said," said Batesville, Ark.'s Moyer, who has won plenty of races throughout the Midwestern states during a sparkling career that has spanned more than decades. "I just like the dirt up here. It's fun to race on."
Moyer, 52, also commented that the success of the third annual Illini 100 – a talent-laden field, standing-room-only crowd and charged-up, big-race atmosphere – proves that Illinois, in particular, should be hosting more major events.
"I'm telling you, the Midwest area is strong for Late Models," said Moyer. "It's as strong as anywhere right through this belt where we're at. If there was enough promoters who had the 'nads to step it up, this (a $20,000-to-win weekend spectacular) would happen more than in one place here.
"It's like Eldora over there (in Ohio) – people come to that and see a great race, and they came here and saw a great race. There's a lot of good racetracks through this belt, and (promoters) just gotta step it up, pay the races and the fans will come and racers will come."
HARD RACIN': Tim McCreadie spent the final laps of his impressive march forward from the 17th starting spot in a knock-down, drag-out battle for second place with Shannon Babb, the central Illinois hero who desperately craved a win in his homestate's biggest and richest dirt Late Model event.
Watertown, N.Y.'s McCreadie, who turns 36 today (April 12), nosed underneath Moyer for the lead a few times late in the distance but ended up spending more time dealing with Babb. They traded paint several times before Babb finished second and McCreadie settled for third.
"I've said it before, him and I race each other like we're related, like we're brothers – and it's not always a good thing," said McCreadie. "We race good together, but we race hard, and we bend sheet metal up on each other a lot.
"But that's the way it goes. He's a man, he can take it – and I can take it. I just wish we would've been racing for a 'w' rather than for second, because then him and I could've laughed about it later."
Babb was deeply disappointed after running so hard only to fall short in the Illini 100 once again. He even declined a request to participate in a top-three-finishers photo opportunity in Victory Lane with Moyer and McCreadie, preferring to return to his hauler to cool his emotions after giving a terse post-race interview over the public address system.
McCreadie understood what Babb was feeling after failing to win at his hometrack. "I know how this place is for him here – when we go back to New York, I'm on the chip about winning too," said McCreadie, who took over the WoO LMS points lead for the first time since finishing his 2006 championship season.
STILL TRYING: After pacing three laps (laps 44-46) of the Illini 100, Brian Birkhofer stands as the only driver who has led at least one circuit in all three editions of the big show.
Unfortunately, Birkhofer has yet to unlock the door to Victory Lane. He finished fourth on Saturday night, unable to seriously contend for the win after watching Babb and Moyer blow by him on a lap-46 restart.
"It was part tires and part my setup decisions," Birkhofer said of his difficulties in the 100-lapper. "I over-cut (siped) my tires, and after looking back at what we ran last year (he led 93 laps of the 100) we made a few changes that I thought would make us better but they didn't work out."
NO REPEAT: Shane Clanton's hopes of winning the Illini 100 for a second straight year took a big hit when he failed to qualify through a Friday-night heat (he was shuffled back on a restart) and a Saturday-night B-Main, forcing him to use a WoO LMS 'emergency' provisional.
But the Locust Grove, Ga., driver made a nice recovery in the A-Main to at least head home with a smile – although he still was a bit disappointed with an eighth-place finish.
Clanton, who started last in the 25-car field, actually closely followed McCreadie forward through the pack. When the race's first caution flag flew on lap 46, Clanton sat in 11th place right behind McCreadie. But moments before that caution flag flew Clanton's RSD Enterprises No. 25 was struck by a broken 'dummy' shock – the second shock positioned in front of the rearend on the left-rear of the car – and spent the remainder of the distance hampered by a bouncing wheel.
"I think I could run with McCreadie," said Clanton, "so if that shock doesn't break I think we could've been right there at the end."
MISSED IT: Defending DIRTcar UMP Late Model national champion Jason Feger wanted to give his hometrack fans – including the group that displayed a huge 'Feger Nation' banner from their perch in the drive-in section outside turn two – something to cheer about in the Illini 100.
But after winning a heat race on Friday night in impressive fashion, Feger drew the eighth starting spot for the A-Main and never really got rolling during the 100-lap affair. He was solid but not spectacular, climbing as high as fifth before settling for a personal-best Illini 100 finish of sixth.
"It seemed like we didn't have any doors open up for us," said Feger. "But I think we were too tight. We couldn't rotate like we needed to."
GROOVIN': Chub Frank (20th place finish) and Clint Smith (23rd) were never factors in the Illini 100 after transferring through heats on Friday, but they enjoyed themselves – and entertained many others in the pit area – with new toys they showed off after the qualifying night action.
Both drivers had full-fledged CD jukeboxes at the back of their trailers, setting the atmosphere with music for all their post-race visitors. Smith has been checking eBay to obtain one of the music-players for his buddy Tim Fuller, who is preparing to open a bar-and-grill in Edwards, N.Y., and ended up purchasing four of the machines. Two of the machines he found were located in Iowa, so WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Jill George, who returned to action at Farmer City after suffering a cut arm in a flip on March 26 at Battleground Speedway in Highlands, Texas, picked them up and delivered them to Smith.
Frank bought one of the jukeboxes from Smith to put in the bar that's connected to his shop in Bear Lake, Pa., and Smith said he probably has a buyer for the one that he had rockin' in his trailer.
ETCETERA:
* The weather was absolutely perfect for a springtime race in central Illinois – easily the best conditions the Illini 100 has ever enjoyed. With crystal-clear skies prevailing both days, temperatures reached the low 60s on Friday before cooling off at night and topped 70 before settling into the low 50s/upper 40s on Saturday.
Not surprisingly, the weather helped draw the biggest grandstand crowd in the three-history of the event. There wasn't a seat to be found at the fairgrounds track on Saturday night.
* Defending WoO LMS champion Josh Richards left a racetrack without the tour's points lead for the just the second time in seven events this season, ceding it to McCreadie after finishing 10th. He trails T-Mac by 10 points after running in the top five for the first third of the event but then fading with a car that wasn't properly balanced.
* The Illini 100 was also a struggle for former series champions Darrell Lanigan and Steve Francis, who finished 17th and 19th, respectively. Lanigan used a provisional to start the A-Main after being set back by a right-rear shock that came loose on his car during Friday's heat action, while Francis qualified through a heat but got no higher than 10th (from the 15th starting spot) before some damage from a scrape left him struggling to circle the track for the remainder of the distance.
* Rick Eckert absorbed a rare DNF, retiring after 45 laps with terminal engine woes. He appeared on the verge of cracking the top 10 before his powerplant went south, leaving him with a last-place finish (25th) and dropping him from fifth to seventh in the WoO LMS points standings.
* Brady Smith, a former UMP Summer Nationals winner at Farmer City, appeared to be in position to challenge for Illini 100 glory when he ended up with the pole starting spot as the last driver to draw. But he was outgunned immediately at the green flag by green flag and never summoned enough speed to challenge for the lead, running third for the first third of the race before fading to seventh at the finish with a car that he termed "too free."
* It was a tough weekend for young WoO LMS travelers Austin Hubbard (finished 22nd after using a provisional for the second straight race), Russell King (failed to qualify and opted not to use an 'emergency' provisional to start the A-Main) and Brent Robinson (missed transferring through a heat by two spots and a B-Main by three).
NEXT UP: A huge two-week stretch for the WoO LMS continues this Friday and Saturday (April 16-17) with the inaugural running of the Commonwealth 100 at Bill Sawyer's Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Va. The two-day spectacular offers a $25,000 top prize from a total weekend payout of nearly $125,000.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), SuperClean (Official Cleaner-Degreaser), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel) and DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award); in addition to contingency sponsors Eibach Springs, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pink Carburetors, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis and Wrisco Aluminum.
