JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — July 3, 2013 — Shannon Babb scored his second victory in as many nights when he rolled to victory Wednesday night in the 17 ^th round of the 2013 DIRTcar Summer Nationals “Hell Tour” at Jacksonville Speedway.

With the six-week-long “Hell Tour” officially hitting its halfway point, Babb might be just hitting his stride. Babb started from the outside of row two, behind McKay Wenger and former DIRTcar national champion Rusty Schlenk, who was leading the majority of the 40-lap feature when his car failed him with nine laps to go. That gave Babb his golden opportunity to lead the remaining few laps and capture the $5,000 checkered flag. Points-leader Brandon Sheppard finished second.

“I finally feel like I got my act together,” said Babb, a three-time Summer Nationals champion from Moweaqua, Ill. “We’ve got a program that’s really working. The car’s really good. I’m really happy with it.” (more…)

QUINCY, Ill. — Three-time Summer Nationals champion Shannon Babb out-dueled defending Summer Nationals champion Brian Shirley on Tuesday night at Quincy Raceways to capture his second win of the 2013 DIRTcar Summer Nationals “Hell Tour”.

Babb, of Moweaqua, Ill., used the top grove to pick up spots early as he rallied from his fourth starting position to second in seven laps. Shirley, the early race leader, built a half-straightaway lead, but within three laps Babb was knocking on his door. The two series champions battled door-to-door lap after lap before finally on lap 15, Babb moved in front. Shirley maneuvered his way back to the lead on lap 21, but contact with a lapped car while trying to hold off Babb ended Shirley’s chances of winning. Babb recaptured the lead and pulled away from the field, securing the $5,000 checkered flag. (more…)

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Hall Photography

LINCOLN, Ill. — June 30, 2013 — Bobby Pierce is only 16 years old but he accomplished a feat on Sundaynight at Lincoln Speedway that many in Dirt Late Model racing only dream about — winning a DIRTcar Summer Nationals event.

Pierce, of Oakwood, Ill., captured the $10,000 victory in dominating fashion at quarter-mile Lincoln Speedway on the 12th night of the six-week DIRTcar Summer Nationals Hell Tour, becoming the youngest winner in the 26-year history of the grueling summer series.

Pierce lined up on the outside of points leader Brandon Sheppard on the front row for the 60-lap feature, but it was three-time series champion Shannon Babb who charged from sixth to lead the 22-car field in the early going. Pierce caught and passed Babb on lap 9 then held off 2004 series champion Don O’Neal to the checkered flag.

“We’ve been trying so hard to do this, getting top-fives and coming close,” said Pierce, whose father, Bob, is a two-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion (1992, 1995). “It’s so hard to win these things. You’ve got the best of the best. I’m so glad to finally get one. It’s amazing.” (more…)

West Virginia Star Becomes First Driver To Sweep Pennsylvania Track’s Three-Race World of Outlaws Late Model Series Weekend

SARVER, PA – June 29, 2013 – Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., put the finishing touch on a perfect weekend with a victory in Saturday night’s seventh annual Firecracker 100 Presented by GottaRace.com at Lernerville Speedway.

By adding a $30,650 triumph in the marquee World of Outlaws Late Model Series event to his 30-lap preliminary A-Main wins on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon, the 25-year-old superstar became the first driver to sweep the Firecracker 100 weekend since it was expanded to three full nights of racing in 2012.

“It means a lot to me to win a race of this much prestige – as well as (the fact that) this is the place I ran my first Outlaw race (in 2004),” said Richards, who added a Firecracker 100 victory to his previous WoO LMS century-grind scores at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis. (2011 USA Nationals) and Mohawk International Raceway in Akwesasne, N.Y. (2010 Battle At Eastern Door). “This track means a lot to me and to get a crown-jewel (event win) here is huge. There are a lot of great cars here and just to be able to win one of the (weekend) races means a lot – and to win all three is unreal.” (more…)

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Points Leader Rolls To Victory In Saturday Afternoon’s Postponed 30-Lapper

SARVER, PA – June 29, 2013 – Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., completed an unprecedented sweep of the Firecracker 100 Presented by GottaRace.com preliminary events with a victory inSaturday afternoon’s postponed 30-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main at Lernerville Speedway.

The two-time WoO LMS champion started from the pole position and led the entire distance to become the first driver to win both Firecracker 100 preliminary features since the weekend was expanded to three full nights of racing in 2010. He earned $6,150 for his fifth triumph of the season on the national tour with his father Mark’s Valvoline-sponsored Rocket Chassis house car.

Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., shared the front row with Richards for the start and chased the WoO LMS points leader from flag-to-flag. He closed within a couple car lengths of Richards in the final laps but settled for a second-place finish, 0.397 of a second behind the victor. (more…)

PADUCAH, Ky. — June 28, 2013 — Billy Moyer led the final 22 laps of the 40-lap Chris Smith Memorial on Friday night at Paducah International Raceway for his first DIRTcar Summer Nationals victory of the year.

Moyer, of Batesville, Ark., started the A-main in third behind polesitter Tyler Reddick, who dominated the first half of the feature. Moyer caught Reddick and eventually passed him on lap 19. He then stretched his advantage over the remaining laps, and held off a late challenge from Ryan Unzicker, to end a winless streak that dated back to March and capture the $10,000 payday at Paducah International Raceway.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said a relieved Moyer in victory lane. “We’ve had a horrible year, but we haven’t given up. We just keep working hard. My guys work their tails off. We keep trying things and sometimes you go backward before you go forward.” (more…)

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Star Captures First Preliminary A-Main For Third Time In Last Four Years

SARVER, PA – June 27, 2011 – Josh Richards was a man on a mission Thursday night at Lernerville Speedway.

Rebounding from a frustrating subpar performance two nights earlier, the 25-year-old superstar from Shinnston, W.Va., grabbed the lead from Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., on lap 18 and marched on to win the first 30-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series preliminary A-Main of the Firecracker 100 Presented by GottaRace.com weekend.

The $6,150 victory was Richards’s fourth of the 2013 WoO LMS season and marked the third time in the last four years that he has captured the opening-night feature of the Firecracker 100 extravaganza. It also got him back on track after a winless four-race swing through New York and Canada that he ended with an uncharacteristic 13^th-place finish on June 25 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. (more…)

Mississippi Driver Vaults From Third To First On Lap-29 Restart Of Sweeteners Plus 40

CANANDAIGUA, NY – June 25, 2013 – Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., charged from third to first on a lap-29 restart and held off Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., down the stretch to capture Tuesdaynight’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series Sweeteners Plus 40 at Canandaigua Motorsports Park.

Racing just five days after celebrating his 36^th birthday, the 2012 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year broke through for his first victory of the season and the second of his career on the national tour. The $8,550 triumph culminated a successful swing through New York and Canada for McCool, who finished no worse than eighth in four starts behind the wheel of his family-owned Victory Circle car. (more…)

Defending Tour Champion Inherits Lead From McCreadie, Beats Resurgent Clint Smith To Finish Line

CORNWALL, ONT – June 23, 2013 – Stick a maple leaf on Darrell Lanigan’s car and call him the King of Canada.

The defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion from Union, Ky., completed an undefeated trip north of the border with the national tour on Sunday night, outrunning the resurgent Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., down the stretch to capture the 50-lap A-Main at Cornwall Motor Speedway.

“I kind of like coming up here to Canada,” said Lanigan, whose $10,650 triumph backed up his WoO LMS score three days earlier at Brighton (Ont.) Speedway. “We always seem to run well at these tracks up here.”

Lanigan, 43, benefitted from a dose of good fortune to win his series-leading sixth race of 2013. After race-long leader Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., had his full straightaway edge over Lanigan wiped out by a lap-28 caution flag, the restart saw McCreadie slow on the homestretch due to a broken driveshaft and spin into the infield – a dramatic turn of events that handed the top spot to Lanigan for good. (more…)