rebelracewriter Posted March 22, 2009 Report Share Posted March 22, 2009 I doubt I'll get the stories done until I get back home Sunday night. Lone Star 100 18 Shannon Babb 29 Darrell Lanigan 15b Brian Birkhofer 1 Josh Richards 1* Chub Frank 19T Tim Fuller 44 Clint Smith 25 Shane Clanton 93 Ray Moore 2 Brady Smith 33 Al Purkey 12 Jordan Bland 56K Russell King 18H Dustin Hapka 71 Chris Wall 28 Jimmy Mars A1 Duke Whiseant 6R Robbie Stuart 24 Rick Eckert 23 Howard Willis 32c Vic Coffey 20 Kevin Sitton 19 Steve Francis w3 James Ward World Of Outlaws B-mains(top three transfer) B-main #1 56 Russell King 6R Robbie Stuart 12 Jordan Bland 25 Shane Clanton* 21 Chris Brown 68 Rob Litton 18H Dustin Hapka* 29K Bill Koons B-main #2 20 Kevin Sitton A1 Duke Whiseant W3 James Ward 3R Brent Robinson 11 Tyler Reddick 56s Chas Shellenberger 25H Chuck Hummer 5C Michael Coleman *-took provisionals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelracewriter Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Babb bags big bucks @ Battleground’s Lone Star 100 Shannon Babb used a different tire strategy and line to pocket the $20,000, Lone Star 100 win and a ride on Hondo, a 1,300 pound longhorn, and the race mascot. Babb picked off the lead from Darrell Lanigan near halfway after Lanigan cut a tire. Using the softer compound tire and riding the cushion, Babb fought of the challenges from Brian Birkhofer, who actually got nose ahead twice. In the latter stages Babb then ran off, slicing his way through traffic, to take the checkers with a ½ straightaway lead over Lanigan, who battled his way back after a pit stop. The near 3/4 capacity crowd rose to it’s feet as the four-wide, WoO Late Model, 24-car field rolled by, before the start of the Lone Star 100. As green waved and the field roared to life, Jimmy Mars got the best of Rick Eckert coming out of turn 2 for the lead. Eckert, Birkhofer, Babb and Lanigan quickly fell in line behind Mars. Eckert made a quick look inside Mars on lap 1, with Babb and Lanigan now side by side for fourth as drivers picked their early lines. Eckert could get along side Mars in the corners, but Mars had the momentum coming off to hold Eckert at bay. Babb and Lanigan continued to duke it out until Lanigan finally got the spot on lap 5. Vic Coffey then got by Babb as the top six began to check out. Eckert got along side Mars again on lap 8 as the duo ran up on traffic. With the lead group now in traffic, Lanigan got beside Birkhofer, while Coffey and Babb swapped fifth. The first yellow waved on lap 17 when Coffey tangled with the lapped car of James Ward sending Ward around on the back stretch. On the restart, Steve Francis spun in front half the field collecting several other cars in the melee. Damage to Francis’ car ended his night putting the points leader on the hauler. Once back to green Eckert made another run at Mars, with Babb getting fourth from Lanigan. Local hero, Howard Willis got by Coffey on lap 18 for sixth. As Babb and Birkhofer battled for fourth, Birkhofer pushed coming out of turn 2. Babb got the spot with Al Purkey getting by for fifth. As Birkhofer gathered it back up, Willis, Coffey and Josh Richards all got by. Just as Mars and Eckert were starting to pull away from Lanigan, Eckert slipped in turn 2, giving Lanigan a run to grab second. Coffey got back by Willis on lap 29 for fifth followed by Richards, who was charging from his 15th starting spot. Willis’ trouble got worse when he slowed on lap 32 with a flat to bring out the yellow. When the green waved again, Eckert and Lanigan began a scrap for second as they swapped the spot several times per lap. Mars found tricky turn 2 to be his downfall as he slipped, with Lanigan getting past for the lead on lap 36. Behind them Eckert slapped the back stretch wall and Coffey jumped the turn 3 cushion ending up on top of the wall to bring caution out. On the restart, Babb got around on the high side, while Richards got under Birkhofer for fourth. Babb caught Lanigan and was mounting a challenge when Lanigan cut down a tire and stopped to bring about a caution. With Babb now leading the way on lap 41, Chub Frank had a good run up top, but Willis found the turn 2 wall to bring yellow quickly back out. When the racing finally resumed, Mars lost second to Richards who gave Babb a peek inside. Mars fought back with Richards with the duo running side by side for several laps before Birkhofer got around Richards. At the crossed flags it was Babb, Mars, Birkhofer, Richards and Frank in the top five. Chris Wal had the first of a few spins on lap 51 to slow the action. Once back under green, Mars gave Babb a challenge low, but ended up giving second to Birkhofer. Birkhofer, on the bottom, turned up the heat on Babb with two dicing it out for the lead. Birkhofer would get the nose ahead on lap 55, but Babb would get the point back on lap 56. Behind the leaders, Mars, Richards and Frank had their own personal war raging for third. Babb had just started to ease ahead of Birkhofer when Wall spun again to bring out the yellow on lap 65. Back under green, Birkhofer showed Babb the nose again in turn 3. Frank tried to get by Richards low for third, but ended up giving fourth to Lanigan. Lanigan then got third from Richards on lap 68. After a short slip, Birkhofer was back on Babb for the lead. Birkhofer inched the nose out front once again on lap 70, before Babb got his momentum on the high side taking the lead back on lap 71. As the top five began to sort out, Clint Smith moved into sixth. Birkhofer lost some ground to Babb when lapped traffic slowed him up enough for Lanigan to close the gap. Lanigan suffered the same fate on lap 82 when he got hung behind slower cars. Babb had his biggest scare on lap 83 when Brady Smith spun in front of him in turn 4 with the caution coming out for Smith. Again under green Birkhofer was able to stick the nose in on the bottom, but Babb would get the run off the corners high, holding him off. Richards got back around Frank for fourth. With Babb now starting to run off, Birkhofer decided to give the high side a try. Probably a bad move as he gave up second to Lanigan on lap 87. Babb was stretching out his lead, when lightning almost struck again as Purkey squeezed Babb on the back straight. Once clear Babb continued to build his margin over Lanigan. As the white flag waved, Babb had nearly a half straightaway advantage over Lanigan. From there Babb, the Moweaqua(Ill.) Missle, in the Sheltra and Sons Construction, Petroff Towing, Donley Trucking, All-Stars, Integra Shocks, Hoosier , VP Fuels, Rocket Chassis, cruised on to the victory. “We we’re perfect by any means,” said the elated Babb. “The race track just fell into our hands. We were able to twist it up there and had the tires on it. It was a heck of a race. Sometimes you’ve just got to stab and steer. There’s lots of good competitors out there.” “ I gambled, I really gambled with a softer tire and it helped me run the cushion. You never can tell you’re either going to be a hero or zero. The rest of these ran pretty good too. If anyone had swapped spots with me, they probably would have won it.” “We had the tire get slashed and had to go to the tail,” said runner-up Lanigan. “We came back up to second, but we had a good car. It’s kind of disappointing. You have to change your thinking some at the back. Try to go where everyone else isn’t.” “I did some set up stuff I wish I hadn’t,” stated Birkhofer. “I wish we had the car we had Friday night, but that’s racing. It was all about tire management. I could got inside, but Shannon(Babb) would fire off the top. It’s hard to beat that guy on the cushion. The fans got see one heck of a show, that’s what’s important.” Lone Star 100 18 Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.(3) 29 Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky(6) 15b Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa(4) 1 Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.V.(15) 1* Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa.(10) 19T Tim Fuller, Watertown, N.Y.(14) 44 Clint Smith, Senoia, Ga.(12) 25 Shane Clanton, Locust Grove, Ga.(23)* 93 Ray Moore, Shreveport, La.(16) 2 Brady Smith, Solon Springs, Wisc.(11) 33 Al Purkey, Coffeyville, Ks.(13) 12 Jordan Bland, Campbellsville, Ky.(21) 56K Russell King, Bristolville, Ohio(17) 18H Dustin Hapka, Grand Forks, N.D.(24)* 71 Chris Wall, Holden, La.(5) 28 Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wisc.(2) A1 Duke Whiseant, Texarkana, Ark.(20) 6R Robbie Stuart, DeRidder, La.(19) 24 Rick Eckert, York, Pa.(1) 23 Howard Willis, Dayton, Tx.(9) 32c Vic Coffey, Caledonia, N.Y.(8) 20 Kevin Sitton, Baytown, Tx.(18) 19 Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky.(7) w3 James Ward, Leftworth, La.(22) *=provisional World Of Outlaws B-mains(top three transfer) B-main #1 56 Russell King 6R Robbie Stuart 12 Jordan Bland 25 Shane Clanton 21 Chris Brown 68 Rob Litton 18H Dustin Hapka 29K Bill Koons B-main #2 20 Kevin Sitton A1 Duke Whiseant W3 James Ward 3R Brent Robinson 11 Tyler Reddick 56s Chas Shellenberger 25H Chuck Hummer 5C Michael Coleman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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