Story and Photos By Richard Cunningham

Compiling lists has been a staple of the last decade. Be it racing, music, politics or even lists of lists. With this list, career stats, awards and votes don't make a name appear or not appear, but its based more on determination, knowledge, and ability.

As the visibility increases for dirt late models, the professionalism with it increases and consideration of that influenced the decisions of the 10 listed as future household names. Scott Bloomquist has proven there is more than the first place check when a driver hits a track and that souvenir sales can be as much or more than a single victory lane celebration. And just as some winless NASCAR stars have learned, the key to a career can be a sponsor willing to be involved. These 10 combine all those strengths and many more to make sure bets for success.

One never knows what choices made at one particular instant will effect the outcome down the road, but as the 90's come to a close and the calendar pages start a zero-zero, here are the list of ten - any dirt racing fan will need to know for the new millennium:

Shannon Babb (Illinois)- While the other names on the list might not be universally known throughout the dirt ranks yet, the name Shannon Babb is already well down the road toward being one of the main superstar of dirt late model's for the new millennium.

Often compared in terms as the next Billy Moyer, Babb's steady and always there racing has him the leader of the next generation and the name most mentioned to replace the Moyers, Bloomquists, Smiths, and Morans as the consistent winner of the next couple of decades.

Many feel 2000 will see Babb score the career making victory they know is destine to be the first of many. A World trophy, a Dream trophy, a Dirt Track World Championship, A Show-Me 100 or a Masters will fulfill the prophecy, as he appears to be the one to win all at some point or another.

Matt Miller (Ohio) - After a handful of learning years, all the ingredients have gelled to make Miller's name as common as Smith. After seeing numerous victory lanes at Oakshade in the early 90's, Miller set off to college at University of North Carolina-Charlotte and mixed some college with asphalt racing at famed Concord Motorsports Park. Now back home in Ohio for the last 4-5 years and after experimenting with different chassis, Miller settles in with guidance and support from Donnie Moran and a career best $5,000 victory in the Fall Brawl in Kentucky to close 1999 has Miller Time ready to begin. With a dedicated owner, Lo-Temp Brazing's Denny Thornton, Miller has the knowledge, backing, and ability to become a steady force much like Moran of the 80's and 90's.

DJ Myers (Pennsylvania) – A STARS Rookie of the Year contender in 2000, DJ Myers has already stunned the fence watchers. A strong showing at Florence (KY) Speedway’s North-South weekend in a rare road trip, Myers turned all the heads qualifying for one of the Hav-A-Tampa features during East Bay Speedway’s Speedweeks. Against the 80-car field, Myers rolled to the grid as his hometown competitor, Gary Stuhler was loading his car in the hauler, and likewise HAT star driver Billy Moyer was putting it back in the box too.

Quiet, calm and collected at the big shows, has this home-builder by trade building a huge home in dirt late model racing for the future. Myers, who has racing in the bloodlines, has the ability to be quietly aggressive and the smarts to make it last. While winning the rookie crown will be the first jewel, look for more stones in this drivers crown to come fast and with out a lot of fanfare. A racer’s racer, Myers won’t stop and celebrate long before he’s charging hard after another win. And that’s the type of winner that just keeps on winning, year after year after year…decade after decade.

A few new additions to an already strong program and Hommel will win big this year as he starts on writing his own history. Focusing on the Southern All Stars mainly, Hommel may very well come away a champion early in the 2000’s. A change from the past few years #17 to an earlier number in his career #H2, has Duayne focused and confidant.

Josh Williams (Ohio)- This Cincinnati-area Open Wheel grad has the ability to give Bart Hartman a run for West Virginia Motor Speedway/Florence (KY) Speedway's dominator role. Driving for the legendary car owners Marion and Sue Martin, which took drivers like Pat Patrick in to racing's record books, Williams brought the team back to the forefront all be it in his rookie Late Model year in 1999. A track championship at Lawrenceburg, Indiana and some checkered flags along the way sealed a rookie performance of noteworthy status. The engineer by week and stock car racer by weekend, Williams will be in the mix for while to come.

As likeable as John "Cowboy" Gill, Williams same charming approach to racing will score a lot of applause when he stands in victory lane, after victory lane during the coming years.

Walt Butler (Arkansas)- When the record book is written for the Ozarks area and below, it will read like Moyer, Frye, Wallace, etc, etc. Butler. In his first full year of Late Model competition the talented driver broke through at two of the countries toughest weekly tracks in 1999, Batesville and West Plains to be competitive week in and week out and pick up feature wins at both. A top ten run in the Topless 100 and a second place finish at the MLRA Fall Nationals put exclamation points on a great first year.

Already knowledgeable of over the road racing with his running of a companion open wheel to late model driver Edwin Wells for a couple of years, Butler's talent outshines a competitive area of names like Tosh, Romains, Vaughn, etc. as the one most likely to carry on the national image of Arkansas hot shoes. With an all new team in 2000, Butler’s name becomes national this year due in part to what will be a winning season on the new MARS series. Racing out of Larry Shaw’s shops completes this strong package.

Jeep Van Wormer (Michigan)- Another of the open wheel grads, the unique-named mid-20-something racer, brings a former Scott Bloomquist car to the table as he begins his late model career in earnest in 2000. Knowing how to gain attention is evident by the college student, but keeping it will be the challenge.

With guidance from the Scott and the No Weak Links crew, Jeep quickly established himself above the rest, making feature after feature during Speedweek 2000 action in Florida. Opting to run a mix of ALMS, Northern All Stars, STARS, HAT and the like, will have Jeep and his crew chief Bear (Jim) on their toes, but in the long run it will be the competition that has to stay one step ahead of this new duo.

Borrowing not only a little car knowledge from Bloomquist, but a little flash on the car, has 55 souvenirs a sought after commodity right out of the box. While maybe not Boomer reincarnated, Jeep’s future looks just as promising as when the California-native moved to Tennessee and started tackling the big dogs, now we’ll see what a Wolverine can do in the next 10 years.

Jimmy Owens (Tennessee)- Possibly the most anticipated Late Model driver ever, Owens began teasing the masses with a run at Atomic early in '99. The guy feared the most by open wheel drivers in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Missouri, Texas, Ohio, is there anyplace he hasn’t been and brought the trophy back from...already has the road miles to challenge any hat competitor and more trophies on the shelf than even the series best winners across the nation. Owens, who is use to winning the big money open wheel shows might be considering the pay cut from the ultra competitive dirt late model ranks as to the delay in moving up the ladder, but its only a matter of time before a top ranking late model team waves the right incentive before this hard charging Tennessee driver. One prominent group has already said that when their current driver retires, that’s the one they want. That’s only the beginning of the line for the fans that can't wait to see what has become their open wheel hero will do on the Eldora high banks with his already gifted mastery of such steep encounters.

Dustin Mooneyham (Missouri)- The youngest of the Late Model drivers to make the list, might be the one to last the longest. Also a son of a racer, this Mooneyham has stars in his eyes instead of cows jumping over the moon. The most sponsor aware and marketable of the list, Mooneyham has a state high-school football championship this past year to prepare him for his role as a racing champion. The 19-year-old enters his first full year of racing with headstrong determination and uncharacteristic understanding of what it takes to be a racer in the 2000’s. With a winning tradition already established by his dad, Darrell, this racer will take the name to the next level after already establishing himself as a threat in his limited starts in 1999.

Establishing his own program for youth, Supermoon’s MPH Mission, Mooneyham promises to please the kids, and their parents as well, as he promotes strong values that will make him look like a chip off the reincarnation block of Fred Flintstone’s good friend Mike Duvall as he takes community service to an all new level in dirt racing and an understanding of what winning is all about.

Strong willed and determined some how fail to describe this South Carolina teenager. Growing up in the shadows of her dad’s trademark black hats, this Pebles can turn Bedrock upside down in a heartbeat. Putting a couple of Open Wheel starts behind her in 1999, a Late Model can’t be to far off in the future and with rumors that dad might be ready to step aside soon, Cherokee (SC) Speedway may never been the same. Already on the map for the legendary drivers it’s produced, conquering the half-mile won’t be anything but just another checkered flag for this Duvall. It’s the fact that long after the first million to win race is a long memory that Duvall will rewrite Eldora history being the first daughter of a former winner to win the World. And with that she’ll rule the world, as well.

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