6/27/03-Kankakee Summernationals Results and Notes...

SHANNON BABB picked up his second win in as many nights outrunning a Dream winner, WW and the boss’s kid to a $10,000 payday at the Kankakee Motor Speedway.

OFFICIAL FINISH

1. Shannon Babb
2. Darrell Lanigan
3. Billy Moyer
4. Wendell Wallace
5. Kevin Weaver
6. Don O’Neal
7. Billy Drake
8. Rick Aukland
9. Darren Miller
10. Duke Wiseant
11. Pete Parker
12. Jeep Van Wormer
13. Joe Harlan
14. Randy Korte
15. Shawn Toczek
16. Bob Pierce
17. Richie Hedrick
18. Terry English
19. Greg Johnson
20. Garrett Slager
21. Dennis Erb, Jr.
22. Dave Eckrich
23. John Provenzano
24. Roger Long
25. Bret Severt
26. Bob Pholman, Jr.

WENDELL WALLACE grabbed the lead at the start of the main event from the pole as the Babbster slipped high off two. Fifth starting DENNIS ERB, JR. dove to the bottom early moving to second past DARRELL LANIGAN and KEVIN WEAVER. Further back, DON O’NEAL rolled up to seventh after starting 14th before the caution flew on lap two after Erb wrestled the lead away from Wallace. Babb was the big loser on the yellow as a pass of JEEP VAN WORMER and Lanigan that moved him to third put him 5th in line under the yellow.

On the restart Erb worked the hub with Wallace staying busy with Lanigan. Wendell’s momentum on the rim allowed him to pull away from Lanigan as Babb moved by Weaver. BILLY MOYER meanwhile joined Babb in working his way forward while Wallace tracked down Erb.

Once on the leader, the little man pulled alongside Erb down the back side then ahead to take the lead. O’Neal stepped to the bottom trying to work under Drake as Moyer scooted by Babb. Back up front, Wallace stretched his lead out to a half straightaway as Lanigan ran down Erb. With lighting flashing all off to the north, Lanigan circled Erb for second off two. Once clear of Erb, Lanigan began to close on Wallace as Van Wormer ran down Erb for 3rd. The duo ran together before contact between the two sent Erb spinning and to the rear a few laps shy of the crossed sticks.

When the field went green again, 4th running Babb went back to the hub taking Van Wormer off four. While Wallace kept Lanigan at bay pulling away off the corners, the Jeepster retook third down the backside bringing Moyer along. With a Lanigan look to the lead off four, Babb went back to the bottom around Moyer and Jeep in three. A lap later when Babb went to the bottom of three with a challenge from Jeep on the rim, Moyer poked a nose in the middle trying to split the pair of youngsters off four.

Back at the point, Lanigan began pressuring Wallace more for the lead racing door to door in one only to have WW’s momentum carry him ahead off two. All the while, Babb began to creep closer to the leaders as the laps wound down. When Lanigan went side by side with Wallace in one ant two, Wallace again inched ahead. This allowed Babb to pull to the rear of the Dream winner and challenge for the lead.

With 11 trips left to go, Babb made the fight for the lead a three way dance taking the leaders three wide into one as the leaders slugged it out off two and raced into three, Babb again dove to the bottom driving ahead off four to take the lead. Lanigan took a page from the Babbster’s line on the bottom dropping a little lower to get by Wallace for second. Once ahead of Wallace, Lanigan ran down Babb with six to go before young Shannon turned up the wick and pulled away by a half straightaway. Moyer meanwhile snuck around Wallace for third.

Over the final four laps the lead quartet ran alone and unchallenged. O’Neal worked the bottom trying to get by Weaver but not even a white flag attempt to get by the Flatland Flash would allow Donnie O to crack into the top five in his return after a visit to the hospital.


So after an initial visit to K3, what’s the PAL-U’s verdict? Indeed to the fans in the land of Lincoln have place to race. All the hype and hoopla about the action on the O’Conner’s black earthed cliffs lived up to what it was built as and then some.

Off to Fairbury Saturday night for night two of the PAL-U Summernationals Tour. Hopefully it’ll live up to half of Friday’s race and the other half of the race the PAL-U crew witnessed there two years ago. Until then, we’ll be wishing those in the Bluegrass State a fun filled weekend of racing as well and rollin em around!