Article from www.dirtondirt.com
Written by: Todd Turner, Chief Writer, dirtondirt.
Shannon Babb got hot a bit too late to join the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals title chase, but he's grabbing all the purse money he can before the month-long series wraps up.
The 35-year-old driver from Moweaqua, Ill., nabbed his fourth victory in seven races Friday at Waynesfield Motorsports Park, collecting $7,500 in the 22nd and second-to-last event on the series. The sixth-starting Babb wrestled the lead from outside front row starter Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., on the 21st lap, then held off a last-ditch, low-groove charge by third-starting Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., for the 40-lap victory.
"When I saw him down there," Babb said of Feger's final charge, "I just figured I better get going a little harder and pick up the pace a little bit, so I did."
Feger flashed across the finish line just behind Babb in second while eighth-starting Duane Chamberlain of Richmond, Ind., rejoining the Summernationals for the first time since July 1, was third for his best series performance. Shirley was fourth and 1997-'98 Summernationals champion Rick Aukland of Zanesville, Ohio, rounded out the top five in his only series appearance of '09.
The series title contenders didn't finish up front, but leader Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., rallied from his provisional starting spot to unofficially increase his leading margin to 20 points over two-time and reigning champ Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill. Korte advanced 10 positions to finish ninth while the 13th-starting Erb finished where he started. Erb entered the race 14 points behind Korte. Just one series race remains Saturday at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio.
At the outset of the feature, polesitter Scott James of Lawrenceburg, Ind. — back on the series where flat tires, spins and flips proved his undoing — pulled away from Shirley early in the race before his Summernational jinx appeared again.
The lapped car of Rick DeLong got into the rear of James entering turn one on the 13th lap, sending his No. 83 spinning. Officials sent No. 3 DeLong and James to the tail, but James elected to head to the pits. Before he left the track, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, James retaliated against the No. 3 of the second-running Shirley on the backstretch, crinkling the quarterpanel of the wrong No. 3.
Shirley inherited the lead for the restart with Babb, Chamberlain, Doug Drown and Feger in pursuit, and once Feger disposed of Drown, the top four duked it out through the race's middle stages. Babb beat Shirley into turn three just past the halfway point, and he stretched his lead to a half-straightaway by lap 25. But with Feger sliding under Chamberlain to take second on that lap, he slowly reeled Babb in the rest of the way.
With Babb sticking with the high groove, Feger worked the low side in turns three and four, pulling alongside the leader a few times in the closing laps. But Babb's momentum off turn four on the final lap carried him to the checkers just ahead of Feger, who misunderstood the flagger's signals and at first mistook the white flag for the checkers.
It was good side-by-side the last couple of laps," said Feger, who fought a tight-handling car. "It just ended up being a good finish."
Race notes ... Waynesfield hosted its first series race and drew 29 cars, the second-lowest total on the series. ... A quick program saw the feature end at dusk. Feature: 1) Shannon Babb, (2) Jason Feger, (3) Duane Chamberlain, (4) Brian Shirley, (5) Rick Aukland, (6) Doug Drown, (7) Tim McCreadie, (8) Ryan Unzicker, (9) Randy Korte, (10) Matt Miller, (11) Frank Heckenast Jr., (12) Wayne Chinn, (13) Dennis Erb Jr., (14) Rodney Melvin, (15) Kevin Weaver, (16) Brian Ruhlman, (17) Donny Walden, (18) Rick DeLong, (19) Rusty Schlenk, (20) Scott James, (21) Jerry Bowersock. Fast qualifier (among 29 cars): Drown, 12.20 seconds. Heat race winners: Feger, James, Shirley. Consolation winner: McCreadie.
