DirtonDirt.com exclusive
10th anniversary: Top drivers of DirtonDirt.com era
By Andy Savary
DirtonDirt.com staff writer
In celebrating DirtonDirt.com's 10-year anniversary, we look back on the 10 best drivers from the website's first decade, along with some honorable mentions (drivers listed alphabetically; all stats span from the beginning of 2007 through August 2017; 10th anniversary coverage):
Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
Championships: 2 ('11 and '14 UMP DIRTcar Summernationals)
Crown jewel victories: 1 ('15 Topless 100)
National touring victories: 17 (6 Lucas Oil; 11 WoO)
Other notable victories: 3 Speedweeks wins; 42 Summernationals wins; '08 Diamond Nationals ($40,000); '13 Prairie Dirt Classic; '14 Illini 100; '16 Gateway Dirt Nationals opener
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: None
Comments: Few things are more rooted in DirtonDirt.com's DNA than the Hell Tour, where no driver has accomplished more than Babb since the website began. His list-topping 42 Summernationals victories since 2007 are nine more than next-best Billy Moyer and his 2011 championship effort stands out as not only the best over recent seasons but as one of the best the tour has ever seen.
Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine, Iowa
Championships: None
Crown jewel victories: 7 ('08 DTWC; '08 Firecracker 100; '14 Knoxville Nationals; '09 Show-Me 100; '12 Silver Dollar Nationals; '07 USA Nationals; '12 World 100)
National touring victories: 16 (12 Lucas Oil; 3 WoO; 1 NDRL)
Other notable victories: 7 Summernationals wins; '07 and '09 Diamond Nationals; '08 and '10 Whynot Fall Classic; '10 Cotton Pickin' 100
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: None
Comments: Though Birkhofer has (mostly) spent the past few years under retirement, it's impossible to look past his big-race chops when he was in competition. Since 2007, Birkhofer's seven crown jewel victories — all in different events — ranks fourth among all drivers. The fan favorite may be missed in DirtonDirt.com's blooper real but he remains omnipresent in our history books.
Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn.
Championships: 3 ('09, '10 and '16 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
Crown jewel victories: 17 ('14 and '15 DTWC; '08, '13 and '17 Dream; '07, '12 and '16 Firecracker 100; '09 Knoxville Nationals; '08 Show-Me 100; '14 and '15 Silver Dollar Nationals; '11 and '17 Topless 100; '08 and '10 USA Nationals; '14 World 100)
National touring victories: 93 (74 Lucas Oil; 17 WoO; 2 NDRL)
Other notable victories: 19 Speedweeks wins; 1 Summernationals win; 3 World Finals wins; '07 Colossal 100 ($50,000); '10, '11, '14 and '16 Jackson 100; '10, '15 and '16 Hillbilly 100; '11 Clash at the Mag; '12 Commonwealth 100; '13 and '15 Pittsburgher 100; '14 Cotton Pickin' 100; '16 Bad Boy 98; '16 Buckeye Nationals ($50,000); '16 Gateway Dirt Nationals
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 42
Comments: Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Bloomquist has been Dirt Late Model racing's most-decorated winner over DirtonDirt.com's first decade. When the lights have shined the brightest and the paychecks have been the richest, no driver has been a match for Bloomquist.
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga.
Championships: 1 ('15 World of Outlaws Late Model Series)
Crown jewel victories: 3 ('12 Dream; '10 Firecracker 100; '08 World 100)
National touring victories: 40 (2 Lucas Oil wins; 38 WoO wins)
Other notable victories: 1 Wild West Shootout win; 9 Speedweeks wins; '07 and '09 Magnolia State 100; '09 Illini 100; '13 Whynot Fall Classic
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 7
Comments: While some drivers have built resumes in bursts over the past decade, Clanton has largely been a model of steadiness (perhaps with the exception of his sublime 2015 DIRTcar Nationals). Aside from 2014, the former WoO champ has won a series race in every year of DoD's existence. Clanton is also one of five drivers to win both Eldora crown jewels during the website's era.
Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Championships: 3 ('15 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series; '10 and '13 Southern Nationals Series)
Crown jewel victories: 6 ('15 Dream; '15 North-South 100; '15 Show-Me 100; '16 Silver Dollar Nationals; '15 USA Nationals; '15 World 100)
National touring victories: 33 (26 Lucas Oil; 6 WoO; 1 NDRL)
Other notable victories: 3 Wild West Shootout wins; 8 Speedweeks wins; 3 World Finals wins; '09, '11 and '14 National 100; '11 Whynot Fall Classic; '11 Cotton Pickin' 100; '13 Carolina Crown; '15 Clash at the Mag; '15 Prairie Dirt Classic; '15 Jackson 100
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 20
Comments: Two years later, it's still hard to find words that do justice to Davenport's historic 2015 campaign with the K&L Rumley team, which stands as the best single season for any driver in the DirtonDirt.com era (and quite possibly of any era). Though that season alone may have carried enough weight for him to crack our list, Davenport had previously been laying the groundwork to join for several years.
Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky.
Championships: 3 ('08, '12 and '14 World of Outlaws Late Model Series)
Crown jewel victories: 3 ('14 Firecracker 100; '13 Knoxville Nationals; '12 USA Nationals)
National touring victories: 69 (3 Lucas Oil; 66 WoO)
Other notable victories: 3 Wild West Shootout wins; 11 Speedweeks wins; 2 World Finals wins; '12 Jackpot 100; '16 Clash at the Mag
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 42
Comments: While Lanigan may be quiet in nature, he was anything but it on the track during DirtonDirt.com's first decade. Since 2007, Lanigan is one of just four drivers to rack up at least three national touring championships and three crown jewel victories. Along the way, he set several WoO records, some of which still stand today.
Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
Championships: 1 ('13 National Dirt Racing League)
Crown jewel victories: 3 ('10 Dream; '10 Knoxville Nationals; '10 World 100)
National touring victories: 35 (21 Lucas Oil; 12 WoO wins; 2 NDRL)
Other notable victories: 12 Wild West Shootout wins; 19 Speedweeks wins; 33 Summernationals wins; '08, '10 and '13 Illini 100; '08 and '09 Cotton Pickin' 100; '11 Magnolia State 100
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 1
Comments: The resume above speaks for itself, but consider the following additional context: Moyer turned 50 years of age less than two months after DirtonDirt.com's launch. While racing through his 50s, the Hall of Famer still managed to pile up accomplishments with the best of them. Moyer is the lone member of the 30-30 club, racking up as many victories on the national tours and the Hell Tour. Coming at the age of 52, his 2010 sweeps of the Eldora crown jewels and entire Knoxville Nationals weekend still rank among the most impressive our website has seen.
Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
Championships: 3 ('11, '12 and '13 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
Crown jewel victories: 15 ('12 DTWC; '09 Dream; '07, '10 and '11 North-South 100; '11, '12, '13 and '16 Show-Me 100; '13 Silver Dollar Nationals; '09 and '14 Topless 100; '14 USA Nationals; '07 and '11 World 100)
National touring victories: 66 (56 Lucas Oil; 10 WoO)
Other notable victories: 2 Wild West Shootout wins; 5 Speedweeks wins; 6 World Finals wins; '08 and '13 Hillbilly 100; '12 Jackson 100; '12 and '13 Cotton Pickin' 100; '12 and '15 National 100
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 37
Comments: Still emerging in the Late Model world at the time, Owens won the first official event that DirtonDirt.com covered at the 2007 World 100. As it turned out, he was a fitting winner. Little did we know that Owens would blossom over the coming years and eventually rise to become one of the sport's most-accomplished winners ever.
Don O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Championships: 1 ('14 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series)
Crown jewel victories: 8 ('11 DTWC; '11 Dream; '11 Knoxville Nationals; '12 and '13 North-South 100; '14 Show-Me 100; '11 Silver Dollar Nationals; '17 USA Nationals)
National touring victories: 37 (34 Lucas Oil; 2 WoO; 1 NDRL)
Other notable victories: 3 Wild West Shootout wins; 8 Speedweeks wins; 7 Summernationals wins; '12 and '14 Clash at the Mag; '12 Whynot Fall Classic; '13 Jackson 100; '14 Hillbilly 100
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 7
Comments: Perhaps no driver answered more lingering questions during DirtonDirt.com's first decade than O'Neal. Could he rein in his aggressive driving style? Would he ever win a crown jewel? Was he consistent enough to secure a national points championship? O'Neal cemented his place with a trio of affirmative answers, turning in a career 2011 season along the way.
Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va.
Championships: 5 ( '09, '10, '13 and '16 World of Outlaws Late Model Series; '09 Appalachian Mountain Speedweek)
Crown jewel victories: 3 ('13 Firecracker 100; '11 and '16 USA Nationals)
National touring victories: 95 (20 Lucas Oil; 74 WoO; 1 NDRL)
Other notable victories: 26 Speedweeks wins; 1 Summernationals win; 3 World Finals wins; '16 Illini 100; '16 Prairie Dirt Classic; '16 Pittsburgher 100
Weeks No. 1 in Top 25 poll: 55
Comments: Richards certainly best fits the case of the driver that we watched grow up before our eyes over the first decade at DirtonDirt.com. Still a teenager at the time of DoD's launch, Richards would emerge into one of Dirt Late Model racing's most prolific winners. Since 2007, his four national touring titles lead all drivers, and he's contending to add a fifth on the Lucas Oil circuit this season.
Honorable mentions
Other drivers receiving consideration: Rick Eckert, York, Pa. (one WoO title, one crown jewel victory and 23 national touring wins); Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill. (three Summernationals titles, one crown jewel victory, 12 national touring wins and 19 Summernationals wins); Steve Francis, Bowling Green, Ky. (one WoO title; two crown jewel victories and 30 national touring wins); Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C. (five Southern Nationals titles and 23 national touring wins); Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis. (six crown jewel victories and 12 national touring wins); Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y. (two Appalachian Mountain Speedweek titles, five crown jewel victories and 30 national touring wins); Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (two Lucas Oil titles, one crown jewel victory and 30 national touring wins); and Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (current WoO points leader, one Summernationals title, two crown jewel victories, 26 national touring wins and 16 Summernationals wins).
