Darrell Lanigan led all 50 caution-free laps to win Thursday night’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series race at Delaware Int’l Speedway.
The Kentucky driver faced two challenges, the first from pole-sitter and local- favorite Ricky Elliott on the first lap, and the other from Shannon Babb in the closing circuits. He proved equal to both in scoring his first WoO victory of the season and moved into a tie for the point lead with third-place finisher Steve Francis.
Elliott faded to fourth with Tim McCreadie closing strong to take fifth. Rick Eckert, Josh Richards, Shane Clanton, Vic Coffey and Chub Frank completed the top 10.
After racing side by side with Elliott throughout the first lap, Lanigan established his dominance and encountered traffic by the 12th circuit. His margin expanded and contracted as he worked the lapped cars, with Babb taking second from Elliott on the 33rd circuit and Francis moving into third two laps later.
While a caution flag would have opened the track in front of him, the winner was just as happy to see the green stay out.
“I just got into a rhythm out there. As a driver, you don’t like to break that rhythm,” Lanigan said. “The lapped traffic got a little hairy at the end, but we got through it, so it worked out,” he added, admitting that when Babb thrust to the bottom in turn one with four laps to go, he didn’t know who was there.
He quickly lapped Jason Covert and gained vital breathing space for the run to the checkered flag, where he defeated Babb by .377 second.
It took Lanigan just 17 minutes and 40 seconds to add more than $10,000 to his bank account.
The finish:
Darrell Lanigan, Shannon Babb, Steve Francis, Ricky Elliott, Tim McCreadie, Rick Eckert, Josh Richards, Shane Clanton, Vic Coffey, Chub Frank, Tim Fuller, Clint Smith, Jason Covert, Jeremy Miller, Jamie Lathroum, John Blankenship, Donald Lingo, Jr., Darryl Hills, Scott Cross, Mark Pettyjohn, Danny Johnson, Joe Isabell, David Pettyjohn, David Hill, Dave Blaney.