LOCUST GROVE -- Batesville Motor Speedway is not the type of track where followers of dirt late model racing would typically expect Shannon Babb to perform well.
Babb's driving is usually better suited for the tight and tacky bullrings across the Midwest where he began his career. Those tracks are polar opposites to Batesville and its blistering speed, slick surface and sweeping turns, where throttle finesse and tire conservation trump a hammer-down philosophy.
But on Saturday night, Babb showed he may be one of the nation's most adaptable dirt late model drivers, charging from his 13th starting position to win the 23rd annual Comp Cams Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway.
"It's been a long time since we've ran that good here, but the car was excellent," said Babb, of Moweaquah, Ill. "When we got down to the last 60 (laps) and the car was still good and was getting better, I knew we had a chance."
Babb was making his 12th Topless start. He won in 2003, but his only other top-five finishes were a fifth in 2006 and a fourth in 2001.
Babb said he considers Batesville one of his favorite tracks.
"We always do pretty well here. I love this place," said Babb, who earned $40,000 with the victory. 'This place, you have to finesse it, for sure, compared to the tracks back home. Those tracks are in our backyard and what we've grown up on. But since '98, we've been coming down here and running a lot of the bigger shows everywhere."
Babb spent the first half of the race working his way to the front of the field. Chris Brown, a former modified driver from Spring, Texas, took the lead from the outside pole and staved off threats from many of the nation's top drivers throughout the opening 70 laps.
First, it was polesitter Jared Landers of Batesville, the 2010 winner. Landers pulled alongside Brown on the 11th lap but could not make the pass stick.
Over the next 20 laps, Landers drifted back to fourth and eventually retired with a sour engine after 43 laps.
Next it was two-time winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., who hounded Brown for several laps in traffic before also fading and eventually spinning on the front straight on lap 60.
Four-time winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., started 10th and moved into second place on a lap-38 restart. Bloomquist loomed behind Brown for more than 20 laps and appeared to be biding his time, even after Babb passed him for second on a lap-60 restart. But Bloomquist also slowed with mechanical issues and dropped out on the 68th lap.
It was Babb's turn to stalk Brown, and by lap 82, he was on Brown's bumper and made the pass for the lead on the 85th lap.
"I tried all sorts of lines to see what the car would do," Babb said. "I'd gain a little bit then lose a little bit. I knew it was going to take traffic to get by him. Then when you do get by and you're leading it, they can set you up (off the lapped car). I got in trouble behind a couple cars, but I was able to hang on."
Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., also passed Brown in the same corner when Babb took the lead. With less than 10 laps to go, he looked to pass for the lead as Babb struggled in traffic. But Babb was able to get by a lapped car and pulled way, leading Marlar by more than a second at the checkered flag.
Brown's tires faded in the closing laps, and he was passed late by 2004 winner Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga. The fourth-place finish was easily the best in a crown jewel event for Brown, who is in his first season driving late models on a national tour, but he was left to ponder what might have been.
"I really would have liked to hang on up there," he said. "But for us to lead 84 laps here against these guys, it really shows that we're on the way up. You're going to see that 21 car upfront a lot more.
'Way back early in our modified days, we would come and run here for some big races when we probably didn't have any business being here. But we just love this place. You really have to work and feather the throttle."
Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., took fifth, and Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., was sixth. Batesville's Wendell Wallace, the 1998 winner, was the highest finishing Arkansan in seventh.
Rounding out the top 10 were 2012 winner Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who started 23rd and finished eighth, Owens in ninth and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., in 10th.
Sports on 08/17/2015