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FARMER CITY, IL (April 9, 2010) - Shannon Babb and Jason Feger proved they're ready to keep the Illini 100 trophy in the Land of Lincoln. The two central Illinois hotshoes played starring roles during Friday night's qualifying program for the biggest and richest dirt Late Model event in the state of Illinois, winning heat races to position themselves well to chase the race's $20,000 top prize on Saturday night at Farmer City Raceway. "I'd really like to win this thing," said Moweaqua's Babb, who has finishes of second and fifth in the two previous runnings of the blockbuster World of Outlaws Late Model Series at the quarter-mile oval. "You couldn't ask for anything more exciting than winning a real big show at a track you grew up racing at." After turning the fastest lap of the 50-car time-trial session at 13.009 seconds, Babb, 36, held off 2008 Illini 100 winner Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., to win the first of four 15-lap heat races. Babb's victory margin of less than a half car-length almost exactly matched the narrow distance he lost the inaugural Illini 100 to Moyer. "I was a little free on exit (from the turns)," said Babb, who drove the Sheltra Construction Rocket No. 18. "Billy was a little bit better, but he was smart enough not to push the issue because he knew we would both be in the (A-Main) redraw." Feger, 31, of Bloomington ran his heart out to win the evening's third heat in his one-race-old Pierce Chassis machine. The defending DIRTcar UMP Late Model national champion overtook WoO LMS regular Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., for the lead on lap 10 and never looked back. "I got a good run, drove it in hard (entering turn one) and it stuck," said Feger, who finished eighth in last year's Illini 100. "I think we have a real good car, but you don't know what can happen in 100 laps. We'll give it our best shot tomorrow." Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., also won heat races. They will join Babb, Feger and the four runner-up finishers in the heats - Moyer, Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, defending WoO LMS champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis. - in a redraw for the top-eight starting positions in the Illini 100 on Saturday night. Richards moved forward from the fifth starting spot to transfer through the stacked third heat, which included four former WoO LMS titlists. Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., also qualified by finishing fourth, while Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., fell one spot short and Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., finished ninth after pitting on lap one to replace a right-rear shock that had come loose on his car. Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., suffered the night's biggest heartbreak when he spun between turns one and two while holding third place on lap 13 of the second heat. His involvement in an original-start tangle bent his car's left-rear sheet and ultimately ripped a line of tread off his left-rear, leaving him to battle an ill-handling mount. With a sparkling spring forecast calling for clear skies and a high temperature reaching 70, a huge crowd is expected to pack the fairgrounds track for Saturday night's Illini 100. The program, which kicks off at 6 p.m., includes two B-Mains, a 25-lap Non-Qualifiers' Race and the Illini 100 plus regular shows for the DIRTcar UMP Modifieds and Pro Late Models. More info on the Illini 100 is available by logging on to www.farmercityraceway.net or calling 309-634-5601. For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com. Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap): 1. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 13.009 2. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 13.095 3. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 13.287 4. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 13.314 5. 55-Jeep VanWormer/Pinconning, MI 13.340 6. s9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 13.353 7. 25-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 13.414 8. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 13.431 9. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 13.441 10. 25L-Steve Lance Jr./Cuba, IL 13.452 11. 48-Tim Lance/Brimfield, IL 13.457 12. 71-Don O'Neal/Martinsville, IN 13.495 13. 35-Derek Chandler/Pontiac, IL 13.514 14. b5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 13.565 15. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 13.577 16. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 13.586 17. 9-Eric Smith/Bloomington, IL 13.603 18. 32-Chris Simpson/Oxford, IA 13.619 19. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 13.658 20. 24U-Ryan Unzicker/El Paso, IL 13.660 21. 21L-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 13.664 22. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 13.690 23. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 13.697 24. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 13.701 25. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.712 26. 28e-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 13.724 27. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 13.760 28. 41-Brad Neat/Dunnville, KY 13.790 29. c9-Steve Casebolt/Richmond, IN 13.790 30. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 13.805 31. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 13.806 32. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 13.807 33. 1w-Donny Walden/Towanda, IL 13.859 34. b12-Kevin Weaver/Gibson City, IL 13.886 35. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 13.893 36. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 13.893 37. 50-Denny Eckrich/Tiffin, IA 13.908 38. 25H-Kerry Hansen/Spencer, WI 13.923 39. 5s-Steve Sheppard Jr./New Berlin, IL 13.933 40. 10-Scott Schmitt/Tonica, IL 13.999 41. Z-Joe Harlan/El Paso, IL 14.001 42. 74-Russ Adams/Princeville, IL 14.042 43. 5-Bret Sievert/Mukwonago, WI 14.056 44. 91-Jeremy Nichols/Decatur, IL 14.057 45. 99J-Jimmy Dehm/Lexington, IL 14.119 46. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 14.191 47. 30-Mike Glasscock/LeRoy, IL 14.334 48. 40-Charles Hess/Peoria, IL 14.347 49. 6K-Terry Casey/New London, IL 14.356 50. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 14.365 Heat No. 1 (15 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Babb, Moyer, Chandler, VanWormer, Lux, Eckert, E. Smith, Harlan, Dehm, Eckrich, Casebolt, Walden, Casey Heat No. 2 (15 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Schlieper, Birkhofer, Erb, Weaver, B. Sheppard, Robinson, Mars, Hansen, George, Adams, S. Lance, Reddick, Simpson Heat No. 3 (15 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Feger, Richards, C. Smith, Francis, McCreadie, Shirley, T. Lance, S. Sheppard, Lanigan, King, Glasscock, Sievert Heat No. 4 (15 laps - Top 4 Transfer): O'Neal, B. Smith, Frank, Neat, Fuller, Clanton, Hess, Hubbard, Unzicker, Schmitt, Bland, Nichols FOLLOW THE ACTION ON TWITTER: Fans can now keep up-to-date with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series online and through text messages on cell phones via Twitter, the internet's fast-growing social-networking and micro-blogging website. Updates are provided to Twitter 'followers' of the WoO LMS throughout each race night, and fans also receive breaking news and interesting notes from the tour. To sign-up as a WoO LMS 'follower' on Twitter to receive updates anywhere at anytime, visit http://twitter.com/WoOLateModels. LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can't get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation's premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network. To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo. Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.
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