Post by LMR on 07/19/14 at 10:19pm
DIRTcar Summer Nationals
Oakshade Raceway
July 19, 2014
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Miller Captures Oakshade Raceway Win, Babb Scores Fourth Career DIRTcar Summer Nationals Title
by Jordan Morris
WAUSEON, Ohio. (July 19) - On the night of champions, local star Matt Miller charged his way from the third position to capture the lead on lap 17 en route to claiming the $10,000 checkered flag at his hometown track of Oakshade Raceway for the second year in-a-row, and third time in his career.
Shannon Babb, who only needed a 19th place finish to secure his fourth DIRTcar Summer Nationals title, finished in the third position and easily scored the $25,000 series title for the first time since 2011.
Miller, of Whitehouse, Ohio, started the 40-lap feature from the third position as Mason Zeigler and Jeep Van Wormer started on the front row. Zeigler, after winning Thursday and Friday nights, looked as if he would accomplish the three-night sweep after jumping out to an early lead.
Saturday night had the look of the previous two nights as Zeigler managed to dominate the opening 16-laps of the feature. Unlike his previous two victories, the leader was reeled in by Miller who passed Van Wormer for second on lap five, and tracked down the leader by lap 16.
Miller, the 1991 Oakshade Raceway track champion, powered around Zeigler’s outside on lap 17, completing the pass and securing the lead. Miller stretched his lead by the halfway point as Zeigler came under fire from championship hopeful Ryan Unzicker for second.
Unzicker, who started the night 45-markers behind Shannon Babb for the title, worked his way around Zeigler for second just before Zeigler lost control of his car, causing the race’s only caution on lap 38. Unzicker pressured Miller for the top spot but fell short of claiming the victory yet again as he finished second for the seventh time of the 2014 season.
Miller led 24 laps and defeated Unzicker by .759 of a second en route to claiming the checkered flag for the second year in-a-row at his hometown track of Oakshade Raceway.
“This one is fun,” Miller said in victory lane. “There’s always going to be a race in September (the World 100 at nearby Eldora Speedway) that’s at the top of my list, but this is definitely a good one. We’re close to home and we’ve got tons of fans and people I know up there in the stands, so there’s no doubt I get pumped up for this race.”
Shannon Babb, of Moweaqua, Ill., started the feature in the seventh position, just behind championship rivals Ryan Unzicker and Brian Shirley. Babb chased Unzicker through the field, eventually finding their way to the front, as Shirley was a non-factor and finished in the sixth position.
Babb did what he needed to do in order to recapture the championship trophy. Babb glued himself to Unzicker’s back-bumper, and even challenged him for the second position in the final stages of the race.
Babb settled for a third place finish - which was his series leading 17th top-five finish to go with four victories – as he captured his fourth career DIRTcar Summer Nationals title by 38-points over Ryan Unzicker.
“It’s really hard to get these,” said Babb, who admitted to getting nervous before the race started. “Thirty nights of racing is a lot. You have a lot of ups and downs, but we got it done.
A-Main
1 3 3 Matt Miller Findlay, OH
2 5 24 Ryan Unzicker El Paso, IL
3 7 18 Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
4 4 B5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
5 2 55 Jeep Van Wormer Pinconning, MI
6 6 81 Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
7 9 32J Jason Jaggers Wyanet, IL
8 8 21D Dan Stone Thompson, PA
9 10 20C Duane Chamberlain Richmond, IN
10 16 23V Ryan Vanderveen Six Lakes, MI
11 1 25Z Mason Zeigler Uniontown, Pa
12 12 49 Brian Ruhlman Clarklake, MI
13 13 91 Rusty Schlenk Weston, OH
14 18 77K Steve Kester Holland, OH
15 22 9R Curtis Roberts Coleman, MI
16 17 1N Casey Noonan Toledo, OH
17 14 99M Devin Moran Dresden, OH
18 11 81JR Jason Riggs Harrisburg, IL
19 19 25L Steve Lance Jr Cuba, IL
20 21 0 Chris Keller Adrian, MI
21 20 6M Dona Marcoullier Houguton Lake, MI
22 15 20 Doug Drown Wooster, OH
B-Main
1 1N Casey Noonan
2 77K Steve Kester
3 6M Dona Marcoullier
4 1B Jeff Babcock
5 1C Wayne Chinn
6 9R Curtis Roberts
7 15H Jon Henry
8 0 Chris Keller
9 53H Hillard Miller
10 75 Dusty Moore
11 49L Matt Lindsey
12 102D Curtis Deisenroth
13 35 Ron Miller
14 50Y Ryan Missler
15 51S Devin Shiels
16 27H Ken Hahn
C-Main #1
1 102D Curtis Deisenroth
2 50Y Ryan Missler
3 21T Derek Thebo
4 42* Bob Mayer
5 69R Doug Baird
6 66 Bobby Hutchins
7 95 Steve Miller
8 101Z Chad Zuver
9 25L Steve Lance Jr
10 34 Herb Reich
11 31 Daniel Gehring
C-Main #2
1 75 Dusty Moore
2 35 Ron Miller
3 51 Jamie Oldfield
4 74D Craig Dippman
5 39 Amy Clair
6 8 Rob Anderzack
7 2C Mark Pifer
8 29 Rocky Owens
9 98 Steve Sabo
Heat #1
1 25Z Mason Zeigler
2 24 Ryan Unzicker
3 32J Jason Jaggers
4 91 Rusty Schlenk
5 6M Dona Marcoullier
6 15H Jon Henry
7 51S Devin Shiels
8 50Y Ryan Missler
9 25L Steve Lance Jr
10 21T Derek Thebo
11 66 Bobby Hutchins
12 95 Steve Miller
13 31 Daniel Gehring
Heat #2
1 3 Matt Miller
2 81 Brian Shirley
3 20C Duane Chamberlain
4 99M Devin Moran
5 77K Steve Kester
6 49L Matt Lindsey
7 0 Chris Keller
8 102D Curtis Deisenroth
9 34 Herb Reich
10 42* Bob Mayer
11 69R Doug Baird
12 101Z Chad Zuver
Heat #3
1 B5 Brandon Sheppard
2 18 Shannon Babb
3 81JR Jason Riggs
4 20 Doug Drown
5 1N Casey Noonan
6 9R Curtis Roberts
7 27H Ken Hahn
8 35 Ron Miller
9 51 Jamie Oldfield
10 29 Rocky Owens
11 39 Amy Clair
12 2C Mark Pifer
Heat #4
1 55 Jeep Van Wormer
2 21D Dan Stone
3 49 Brian Ruhlman
4 23V Ryan Vanderveen
5 1C Wayne Chinn
6 1B Jeff Babcock
7 53H Hillard Miller
8 75 Dusty Moore
9 98 Steve Sabo
10 8 Rob Anderzack
11 74D Craig Dippman
Event photos courtesy of Jim Denhamer