DIRTcar Summer Nationals
Macon Speedway
July 11, 2013
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Babb Masters Macon Speedway for Fifth Summer Nationals Victory of 2013

MACON, Ill. (July 11) - Shannon Babb continued his mid-season dominance Thursday night at Macon Speedway as he rallied from the ninth starting position to lead the second half of the 33rd Annual Herald & Review 100, capturing his fifth checkered flag of the 2013 DIRTcar Summer Nationals "Hell Tour" season.

Babb, of Moweaqua, Ill., has proven why the three time champion should never be counted out. After starting the season relatively slow by his standards, Babb has scored four wins in seven races since the start of July and was just 50 points behind Brandon Sheppard entering the night.

Babb's most recent victory would not be handed to him as he started from the inside of row five. Sheppard secured the pole-position but handed the lead over to Brian Shirley early in the feature. Babb reached Shirley and second-place running Kevin Weaver by the race's halfway point. Shirley was glued to the top and Weaver glued to the bottom, so the faster Babb made the middle lane work for him as he split the two leaders in a daring three-wide pass for the lead. Babb secured the top spot and led the rest of the way to score the $5,000 checkered flag. Sheppard worked his way back to second as he continues to hold onto the points lead.

"I found (the middle groove) right away," said Babb, who is now just 45 points behind Sheppard in the current standings. "I didn't know how long it was gonna last. It kind of went away there at the end, but once we were in the lead we were alright."

Ryan Unzicker, Dustin Griffin and Steve Sheppard, Jr. rounded out the top five.

A-Main
1 9 18 Shannon Babb
2 1 B5 Brandon Sheppard
3 4 24 Ryan Unzicker
4 7 20 Dustin Griffin
5 11 5S Steve Sheppard Jr
6 3 12B Kevin Weaver
7 6 32P Bobby Pierce
8 10 48 Tim Lance
9 5 21K Kyle Logue
10 20 25M Frankie Martin
11 14 38L Ryan Little
12 8 27K Greg Kimmons
13 16 77K Steve Kester
14 12 7H Joseph Hughs
15 13 21B Rich Bell
16 18 77M Jason McBride
17 17 11D Brian Divley
18 2 48X Brian Shirley
19 22 91P Jason Papich
20 15 24T Matt Taylor
21 21 10R Rick Standridge
22 19 21 Todd Frank

Heat #1
1 B5 Brandon Sheppard
2 21K Kyle Logue
3 18 Shannon Babb
4 21B Rich Bell
5 77M Jason McBride
6 8 Craig Vosbergen
7 91P Jason Papich
8 10R Rick Standridge

Heat #2
1 48X Brian Shirley
2 32P Bobby Pierce
3 48 Tim Lance
4 38L Ryan Little
5 82B Roger Brickler
6 94 Wes Steidinger
7 25M Frankie Martin
8 7M Adam Mefford

Heat #3
1 12B Kevin Weaver
2 20 Dustin Griffin
3 5S Steve Sheppard Jr
4 24T Matt Taylor
5 11D Brian Divley
6 28 Rodney Standerfer
7 4T Dick Taylor
8 91 Jeremy Nichols

Heat #4
1 24 Ryan Unzicker
2 27K Greg Kimmons
3 7H Joseph Hughs
4 77K Steve Kester
5 12 Randy Myers
6 97B Marvin Burton
7 21 Todd Frank
8 36 Andrew Barnes