Winston Speedway Releases Special Events Portion of 2012 Schedule
Rothbury, Michigan (Friday, January 20th, 2012):
Winter has set in throughout Western Michigan, however Winston Speedway located north of Muskegon in Rothbury, Michigan has something for everyone to talk about with the release of their tentative Special Events portion of the 2012 schedule. From The Player Hater 50, to the return of the World of Outlaws Late Models Series. The track located just off the shores of Lake Michigan will be sure to provide ground pounding excitement throughout the 2012 racing season.
The season begins with the 2012 Drivers Meeting on Thursday, March 1st where drivers and teams will have their chance to register with the speedway, fill out their UMP License forms, and reserve their pit spots for the 2012 racing season. Also on hand will be officials of the Michigan Dirt Cup Late Models and Modifieds Tours to answer any questions or concerns competitors may have.
Pre-Season Test-N-Tunes will commence on Saturday, March 31st, 2012, to allow drivers and teams to shake down their hot rods in preparation for the 2012 racing season. Pre-Season Test-N-Tunes continue on Tuesday, April 3rd; Saturday, April 7th; and Tuesday, April 10th leading up to the season opening “Prelude to the Player Hater” UMP Late Model event on Friday, April 13th.
As if the season did not already start with a bang, the following week on a special Saturday night, April 21st, the 6th annual Integra Shocks/Keyser Manufacturing Player Hater 50, returns to Rothbury, Michigan as the best UMP Late Model drivers and teams in the Midwest will flex their muscle as they try to capture the Player Hater Crown.
The next big special on the 2012 calendar will be the Kenny B. Memorial 55 on Friday, June 1st for the UMP Street Stocks while the following week will bring the first ever appearance of the Michigan Dirt Cup Allstar Performance UMP Late Models on Friday, June 29th. This event is sure to bring out the big guns in Dirt Late Model racing as the road to becoming the MDC Late Model Champion, goes through Western Michigan.
The most anticipated event on the entire 2012 campaign is set for Friday, August 17th as the cars and stars of the World of Outlaws Late Models Series will invade with the running of the Keyser Manufacturing 50! The greatest Dirt Late Model drivers and teams in the world will make their way to Western Michigan for a night of ground pounding action and excitement.
Names like defending race winner and former two-time series champion, Josh Richards as well as defending series champion, Rick Eckert. More superstars looking to make the haul north includes; Darrell Lanigan, Tim McCreadie, Chub Frank, Austin Hibbard, Shane Clanton, Clint Smith, 2011 Rookie of the Year Pat Doar and many more will all race for a $10,000 to win paycheck against the best stars representing the home state of Michigan.
Friday & Saturday, September 15-16th, the 2012 racing season comes to an end with the “Throw’N Dirt” Shootout as the MDC Allstar Performance UMP Modifieds Tour returns for a second appearance and will battle it for $2,000 to win. More divisions and more information will be available at a later date once the 2012 racing season starts.
The 2012 Winston Speedway Awards Banquet will close out the year on Saturday, November 3rd with locations, times, ticket prices and more all “To Be Announced.” The complete 2012 Schedule is being finalized and once all contracts and sponsors are signed for every show, the entire schedule will be released to the general public.
For more information, please call: 1 (231) 719-0326 or visit the website at: www.winstonspeedway.net. You can also follow all of the off-season happenings by becoming a fan on the tracks Facebook Fan Page. Just go to: www.facebook.com and search “Winston Speedway” and click on “Like" button today. You can also get up to the minute cancelations, the latest news and information on upcoming events by texting: WINSTON to: 1 (231) 206-9932. We look forward to seeing you on opening night, and throughout the entire 2012 racing season at Winston Speedway
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Engine Pro Returns to ASCS Sprints on Dirt
Engine Pro Returns to ASCS Sprints on Dirt
January 16, 2012
By Mike Strevel
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP series is excited to announce that again in 2012 Engine Pro has signed on as the series title sponsor with ARP again on board as presenting sponsor. ASCS SOD is proud to have these great supporters for its 33rd season.
Series Director Mike Strevel was quoted “it is wonderful to have such great supporters of the Sprints on Dirt such as Engine Pro and ARP.” “This great relationship started years ago and continues to grow, this shows that SOD remains attractive to sponsors, racetracks and race teams such as the many that are currently involved with one of the longest running series in the Great Lakes area.”
“We are excited to once again be affiliated with the Sprints on Dirt Series. This series is full of action packed racing and all-around good people so it’s very easy to be a partner with them at the grass roots level of racing. The Sprints on Dirt Series has also become a valuable marketing partner by promoting the Engine Pro name along with the products that are now manufactured by Engine Pro and sold under the Engine Pro label. We look forward to a season of fun and exciting racing in 2012,” stated Scott Overlund, Sales & Marketing Manager of Engine Pro in Grand Rapids, MI.
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP series sanctions winged Sprint Car races at speedways throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and the Canadian province of Ontario.
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP is excited to announce two new additions to the level of support that Engine Pro of Grand Rapids already provides. The first is an exciting Engine Pro Lucky Dog program that will award a driver an additional cash award amount of at least $100 per feature race. A random finishing position will be drawn by the feature race winner and that driver will be awarded the $100 prize if he has decided to participate in the Lucky Dog program and has placed the large Engine Pro decal on their nose wing. If the position drawn does not have the decal the amount will roll over to the next race and increase to $200. This will continue over the course of the season for all SOD sanctioned events. If someone wins the prize it will start again at $100 and this will be an exciting promotion for the entire 2012 season.
The second promotion is the July 21, 2012 Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP event scheduled for Crystal Motor Speedway. Crystal is the only track to host the series for every year of the 33 year history of the group and to celebrate this occasion the track will host a 33 lap feature event paying $2,033 to win and $300 to start the feature. Also the National Racing Alliance (NRA) series from Ohio has agreed to co-sanction the event and will add to what is expected to be an incredible night of 360 winged sprint car racing. The SOD/NRA challenge race will mark the return of the NRA to the Wolverine state after several years’ absence.
In its 20th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
January 16, 2012
By Mike Strevel
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP series is excited to announce that again in 2012 Engine Pro has signed on as the series title sponsor with ARP again on board as presenting sponsor. ASCS SOD is proud to have these great supporters for its 33rd season.
Series Director Mike Strevel was quoted “it is wonderful to have such great supporters of the Sprints on Dirt such as Engine Pro and ARP.” “This great relationship started years ago and continues to grow, this shows that SOD remains attractive to sponsors, racetracks and race teams such as the many that are currently involved with one of the longest running series in the Great Lakes area.”
“We are excited to once again be affiliated with the Sprints on Dirt Series. This series is full of action packed racing and all-around good people so it’s very easy to be a partner with them at the grass roots level of racing. The Sprints on Dirt Series has also become a valuable marketing partner by promoting the Engine Pro name along with the products that are now manufactured by Engine Pro and sold under the Engine Pro label. We look forward to a season of fun and exciting racing in 2012,” stated Scott Overlund, Sales & Marketing Manager of Engine Pro in Grand Rapids, MI.
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP series sanctions winged Sprint Car races at speedways throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and the Canadian province of Ontario.
The Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP is excited to announce two new additions to the level of support that Engine Pro of Grand Rapids already provides. The first is an exciting Engine Pro Lucky Dog program that will award a driver an additional cash award amount of at least $100 per feature race. A random finishing position will be drawn by the feature race winner and that driver will be awarded the $100 prize if he has decided to participate in the Lucky Dog program and has placed the large Engine Pro decal on their nose wing. If the position drawn does not have the decal the amount will roll over to the next race and increase to $200. This will continue over the course of the season for all SOD sanctioned events. If someone wins the prize it will start again at $100 and this will be an exciting promotion for the entire 2012 season.
The second promotion is the July 21, 2012 Engine Pro ASCS Sprints on Dirt presented by ARP event scheduled for Crystal Motor Speedway. Crystal is the only track to host the series for every year of the 33 year history of the group and to celebrate this occasion the track will host a 33 lap feature event paying $2,033 to win and $300 to start the feature. Also the National Racing Alliance (NRA) series from Ohio has agreed to co-sanction the event and will add to what is expected to be an incredible night of 360 winged sprint car racing. The SOD/NRA challenge race will mark the return of the NRA to the Wolverine state after several years’ absence.
In its 20th year of sanctioning Sprint Car racing, the American Sprint Car Series brings the best of Sprint Car racing to approximately 100 different tracks throughout 30 states and Canada. Anchored by the Lucas Oil Sprint Car Series presented by K&N Filters, ASCS also consists of a dozen different Regions throughout the nation.
Additional information regarding the American Sprint Car Series is available at www.ascsracing.com.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Michigan Dirt Cup Announces 2012 Schedules for Modified and Late Model Tours; Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Tour to Have Booth at Detroit Autorama 2012
Michigan Dirt Cup Announces 2012 Schedules for Modified and Late Model Tours; Allstar Performance Michigan Dirt Cup Tour to Have Booth at Detroit Autorama 2012
January 14th, 2012
Novi,MI– The Michigan Dirt Cup has released its initial 2012 schedule for both the modified and newly formed late model tours. The tentative schedule currently includes seven race nights for the Allstar Performance Modified Tour and eight race nights for the Allstar Performance Late Model Tour.
Modified competitors will find the schedule very similar to last season’s seven race schedule. The season will begin May 5th at I-96 Speedway and end September 22nd with Championship Night at Hartford Motor Speedway. The tour will also make stops at Butler Speedway (June 16th), Merrit Raceway (July 21st), Cherry Raceway (July 27th), Mt. Pleasant Speedway (August 11th) and Winston Speedway (September 15th). Merrit Raceway will be the new kid on the block hosting a Michigan Dirt Cup modified event for the first time this season.
“We really have to thank all the tracks that are returning for our second season of racing and also welcome Merritt Raceway for the 2012 season, we are looking forward to testing out their new automated watering system,” commented Michigan Dirt Cup co-promoter Bill Long.
The inaugural season for the Allstar Performance Late Model Tour will have eight race nights at seven different tracks. The season will get the green for the first time on Saturday May 19th at I-96 Speedway and end September 22nd with Championship Night at Hartford Motor Speedway. I-96 Speedway (May 19th & June 30th), Mt. Pleasant Speedway (May 25th & August 3rd) and Hartford Motor Speedway will host two shows a piece while Winston Speedway (June 29th) and Merrit Raceway (August 4th) will host single events during the inaugural season.
2012 registration forms are now available by visiting the Michigan Dirt Cup Tour website (www.michigandirtcup.com). Michigan Dirt Cup 2012 driver registration is required of all participating drivers and must be completed before entering the track area. However, drivers who are not members of Michigan Dirt Cup will not receive points for the event and will not be eligible for bonus money or contingency awards presented at each race. Michigan Dirt Cup membership fee is only $40 for the season. Officials plan to hold two to three sign-up sessions at different locations, check the website for dates and times. For those drivers that sign up early there will be multiple media opportunities to promote your team and sponsors.
Michigan Dirt Cup Tour officials are also excited to announce that they will have a booth at this year’s Detroit Autorama 2012 to be held February 24 – 26, 2012 at theCoboCenterinDetroit,MI. Last year almost 150,000 car enthusiasts visited the show. The tour will have several cars on display and will be handing out schedules promoting both the modified and late model tours. This will be a tremendous opportunity to promoteMichigandirt racing and our competitors to thousands of potential fans.
For more information on the 2012 tour schedules visit: www.michigandirtcup.com.
The Michigan Dirt Cup would like to thank all its sponsors including: Allstar Performance, Lane Automotive, Safety Kleen, K&N Air Filters, Crane Cams and Ignition, Aeroquip Performance Products, Landrum Performance Springs, Renegade Racing Fuels and Lubricants, Automotive Racing Products, Dart, Wiles Racing Shafts, KRC Power Steering, RPM Wholesale Auto Parts, Jones Racing Products, Keyser Manufacturing, Port City Racing, ISC Race Tape, Hoosier, Outerwears, Homestead Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, Slick Offroad Wash, Ruhlman Race Cars, Mr. Gasket Co., QA1, Racer’s Speed Shop, Howe Racing and Integra Shocks.
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January 14th, 2012
Novi,MI– The Michigan Dirt Cup has released its initial 2012 schedule for both the modified and newly formed late model tours. The tentative schedule currently includes seven race nights for the Allstar Performance Modified Tour and eight race nights for the Allstar Performance Late Model Tour.
Modified competitors will find the schedule very similar to last season’s seven race schedule. The season will begin May 5th at I-96 Speedway and end September 22nd with Championship Night at Hartford Motor Speedway. The tour will also make stops at Butler Speedway (June 16th), Merrit Raceway (July 21st), Cherry Raceway (July 27th), Mt. Pleasant Speedway (August 11th) and Winston Speedway (September 15th). Merrit Raceway will be the new kid on the block hosting a Michigan Dirt Cup modified event for the first time this season.
“We really have to thank all the tracks that are returning for our second season of racing and also welcome Merritt Raceway for the 2012 season, we are looking forward to testing out their new automated watering system,” commented Michigan Dirt Cup co-promoter Bill Long.
The inaugural season for the Allstar Performance Late Model Tour will have eight race nights at seven different tracks. The season will get the green for the first time on Saturday May 19th at I-96 Speedway and end September 22nd with Championship Night at Hartford Motor Speedway. I-96 Speedway (May 19th & June 30th), Mt. Pleasant Speedway (May 25th & August 3rd) and Hartford Motor Speedway will host two shows a piece while Winston Speedway (June 29th) and Merrit Raceway (August 4th) will host single events during the inaugural season.
2012 registration forms are now available by visiting the Michigan Dirt Cup Tour website (www.michigandirtcup.com). Michigan Dirt Cup 2012 driver registration is required of all participating drivers and must be completed before entering the track area. However, drivers who are not members of Michigan Dirt Cup will not receive points for the event and will not be eligible for bonus money or contingency awards presented at each race. Michigan Dirt Cup membership fee is only $40 for the season. Officials plan to hold two to three sign-up sessions at different locations, check the website for dates and times. For those drivers that sign up early there will be multiple media opportunities to promote your team and sponsors.
Michigan Dirt Cup Tour officials are also excited to announce that they will have a booth at this year’s Detroit Autorama 2012 to be held February 24 – 26, 2012 at theCoboCenterinDetroit,MI. Last year almost 150,000 car enthusiasts visited the show. The tour will have several cars on display and will be handing out schedules promoting both the modified and late model tours. This will be a tremendous opportunity to promoteMichigandirt racing and our competitors to thousands of potential fans.
For more information on the 2012 tour schedules visit: www.michigandirtcup.com.
The Michigan Dirt Cup would like to thank all its sponsors including: Allstar Performance, Lane Automotive, Safety Kleen, K&N Air Filters, Crane Cams and Ignition, Aeroquip Performance Products, Landrum Performance Springs, Renegade Racing Fuels and Lubricants, Automotive Racing Products, Dart, Wiles Racing Shafts, KRC Power Steering, RPM Wholesale Auto Parts, Jones Racing Products, Keyser Manufacturing, Port City Racing, ISC Race Tape, Hoosier, Outerwears, Homestead Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, Slick Offroad Wash, Ruhlman Race Cars, Mr. Gasket Co., QA1, Racer’s Speed Shop, Howe Racing and Integra Shocks.
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Wednesday, December 21, 2011
VanDoorn Brothers on the Move
2009/2010 CRA SLM Champion Johnny VanDoorn and his crew chief brother Butch will take the #61 Kaos Motorsports Team and partner with Jegs.com to run for a third ARCA/CRA Super Series Championship in four years. Ben “Butch” VanDoorn had also served as the crew chief for Erik Jones in the team’s JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Championship season in 2011, but will not serve in that capacity in 2012.
Instead, Butch VanDoorn has been hired away by one of their JEGS Tour rivals. Team JEGS and its 16-year-old driver Cody Coughlin will now have the crew chief that led Jones to the JEGS Tour title and a surprising win in the Governor’s Cup 200 at New Smyrna in November.
Dirk Redder will also return to the KAOS Motorsports Team after a one year hiatus.
Instead, Butch VanDoorn has been hired away by one of their JEGS Tour rivals. Team JEGS and its 16-year-old driver Cody Coughlin will now have the crew chief that led Jones to the JEGS Tour title and a surprising win in the Governor’s Cup 200 at New Smyrna in November.
Dirk Redder will also return to the KAOS Motorsports Team after a one year hiatus.
Michigan's Erik Jones Ranked 3rd in Power Poll
51's Short Track Power
Ranking the Best Out There - A 51 Original and Tradition
Rankings compiled from the voting of a panel of experts.
Story text by Matt Kentfield - Twitter @mattkentfield
Welcome to the fifth and final 2011 edition of the Speed51.com Short Track Power rankings. The season's big year-ending events have all seen their checkered flag. Some drivers went home with big paychecks. Others left the track with championship laurels. Everyone else just left the track hungrier for success in 2012.
But who has carried the most clout in the final weeks of 2011? Some drivers really turned the wick up when the big money was on the line late in the year. Others who won throughout the season went cold down the stretch. Others put together a final couple of months to stay in our list throughout the full year.
A panel of industry experts from all four corners of the country and Canada have voted on their choices for the first half Short Track Power poll. Drivers in all forms of short track racing, including Late Models, NASCAR Touring Series, ARCA, Dirt Late Models and Modifieds, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series or ASA Member Track program and everything in between were eligible. Drivers who have competed in at least half of a NASCAR National Series schedule this season were not eligible.
The rankings shown below were decided after polling our panel of experts in the industry. Rankings were based on overall number of votes, with more weight given to each vote the higher the vote. Example, a #1 vote would be more valuable than a #2, #3, etc.
Here are our power rankings for the final two months of the 2011 short track racing season:
1) CHASE ELLIOTT - Super/Pro Late Models
Winning the most prestigious Super Late Model event in the country is a feat that is not easily achieved. To do it in a relatively clean manner in a side-by-side thriller with an up-and-coming standout in the Super Late Model world is even tougher. To do it just a week or so after your 16th birthday is almost unbelievable. But then again, Chase Elliott has defined near-unbelievable over the past few seasons in a Late Model. The youngster from Dawsonville, Georgia continued his record-breaking ways on December 4th by winning the 44th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway. For that feat, our panelists selected him as the most Powerful racer of the final two months of the season. And why not? It’s hard to say that anything is more powerful than the winner of the Snowball Derby. But it wasn’t just the fact that he won. He overcame an early tangle where he suffered some cosmetic damage and rallied, with the aid of a few pit stops by a speedy crew, back to the front to wage an epic battle with DJ VanderLey down the stretch. One panelist who voted for Elliott at the top of the list said it simply: “A great Derby Weekend to end the year!”
2) BUBBA POLLARD - Super/Pro Late Models
If it wasn’t for Elliott winning at such a young age in the manner he did it, Bubba Pollard may have very well been this Power Poll’s #1. While the finishes may not have shown it, Pollard was the man in qualifying. He set fast time with a new track record in time trials for the Snowball Derby. The next night, he went out and won the pole for the Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model, as well. But, as one voter noted, “The fact that he got torn up in both races may not make people remember Pollard’s Derby weekend, but those who were there knew how dominant he was in qualifying.” But it wasn’t just the Derby qualifying feats that put him at #2 on this poll. According to one voter, “An emotional win in the Beau Slocumb (Memorial race during World Crown weekend at Gresham (GA)) helped put a sense of closure on his remarkable season.
3) ERIK JONES - Pro/Super Late Models
It’s always hard for an outsider to come into New Smyrna Speedway and have a shot to win against the local Super Late Model regulars. Guys like David Rogers, Tim Russell and Stephen Nasse, who each call Central Florida home and have spent many a night in Smyrna’s victory lane over the years, are always tough to beat. But, they didn’t intimidate 15-year-old Erik Jones one bit. The Michigan native continued his blistering pace through the Late Model scene in 2011 with a dominating upset win in the Governor’s Cup event in late November. Jones’ victory cemented a phenomenal year for Jones, who also clinched the inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Championship. As one panelist noted on his ballot, “In the time frame for this edition of the Power Poll, Jones won the Governor's Cup, had a great showing on World Crown weekend, and a great presence on Derby weekend in the Pro's (before an accident took him out).”
4) CHRIS WIMMER - ASA Midwest Tour/Super Late Models
One voter said it best…”We all pick on drivers for not traveling to races outside their comfort zones. Chris Wimmer not only invaded the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park from the upper Midwest, he won it.” This year’s World Crown event featured several plot twists to keep the three-segment event thrilling. Well, maybe behind Wimmer they were thrilling, but the Wisconsin driver was the dominator. He won all three segments en route to the big payday. He may not have been a favorite going into the race, but Wimmer proved that he’s not only good in ASA Midwest. He’s a threat anywhere else he may take his racecar.
5) RYAN BLANEY - PASS South/K&N Pro Series
The final few weeks of the 2011 racing season were pretty good to Ryan Blaney. A slow start to the 2011 season on the PASS South Super Late Model tour led to a crew chief swap and a huge turnaround for the second half of the year. Victories and podium finishes, capped off by a runner-up finish at the Concord (NC) finale, led Blaney to his first-ever PASS South title. Those who were around the short track ranks knew Blaney had a bright future, but he introduced himself to the rest of the world by winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West finale at Phoenix (AZ) in November in his first start on that tour. “The live SPEED broadcast told everyone what we already knew – Ryan Blaney’s a wheelman,” said one voter.
6) MATT HIRSCHMAN - Tour-Type Modifieds
Mr. November did it again. One voter noted, “He won another North-South Shootout. How many is this? We’ve lost count.” Well, it’s actually four. Four out of the nine North-South trophies have made their way home to Northampton, PA with Hirschman. “Hirschman wins all the time in Pennsylvania and New York, but it’s like he doesn’t really make the big headlines until the money’s up for grabs at the end of the year,” another voter said.
7) AUGIE GRILL - Pro/Super Late Models
Augie Grill started a special club that likely will be the only one in for quite some time. The two-time Snowball Derby winner became a two-time Snowflake 100 winner earlier this month in the Pro Late Model prelim event. “With two wins in both of those premier events, Grill is something special,” said a panelist. Plus, as one voter pointed out, “He won the Snowflake and cars that he built in his GARC shop won the Derby and Snowflake poles (Pollard) and both races (with Elliott in the Snowball).”
8) ROSS KENSETH - Super Late Models
In his three attempts at the Snowball Derby, Ross Kenseth has been a major factor each time. He qualified second in his rookie attempt. Last year, he was in prime position to battle for the win before a crash inside of 100 laps to go. This year, he finished third. He was second at the World Crown 300 just a few weeks before this year’s Derby, too. But Ross Kenseth is tired of being oh-so-close. He wants to win one of these big races. “It won’t be long before he cracks into victory lane in a big show like that,” said a voter. Another panelist mentioned, “Whenever his car is on the track, everyone’s got a stopwatch on him. That’s power.”
9) BRIAN NESTER - Modifieds
Brian Nester is the second non-full-fendered driver to crack into the top-10 in this edition of the Tower of Power. While our panel had him ninth, if it was up to the open-wheeled Modified fans around the Midwest, it’d be an easy #1 pick. Nester won all the big shows that there were to win late in the season. “He won Modified races at the Winchester 400, North-South Shootout and Snowball Derby. Dominant,” said a voter. Nester didn’t just back into those wins, either. He put on a show at the front of the field en route to the victory. “Nester doesn’t get much credit because he’s not young and flashy, but he is a king right now,” said another voter.
10) COLT JAMES - Super Late Models
Texan Colt James doesn’t race every week. He’s not a regular in any particular series or racetrack. That doesn’t matter. When he does show up, he’s mixing it up for the win and usually comes out on top. James broke out his #15 Super Late Model and went to victory lane in a star-studded Mason-Dixon Meltdown/Thanksgiving Classic at Concord. “James gets it done, especially at Concord, where he won this race and the North-South Shootout a few years ago,” said a voter.
POSITIONS 11-20
11) Jimmy Blewett (Mods) - Turkey Derby sweep between Tour-Type & SK Mods.
12) DJ VanderLey (SLM/PLM) – Second in the Snowball Derby. Led laps 296 to 299.
13) Ben Rowe (PASS) – Won at Hickory to become PASS South win leader and took PASS National title.
14) Jeff Fultz (SLM) – Won North South Shootout Late Model portion.
15) Derek Thorn (SLM/KNPSW) – Won Las Vegas Open Show and trucked East to run Snowball Derby.
16) Corey LaJoie (UARA) – Dominated season ending show at Rockingham Speedway (NC).
17) George Brunnhoelzl III (Mods) – Won NASCAR Southern Modified title and was third at North-South.
18) Bryan Clauson (Midgets) – Won Battle at the Center. Clinched second-straight National Midget title.
19) Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (LM) – Swept Oktoberfest Late Model events he entered at Lee (NH).
20) Lee Pulliam (LMSC) - Won Martinsville and was in the mix at SoBo before tangle with Philip Morris.
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES
Andy Seuss
Barry Beggarly
Derrick Griffin
Chrissy Wallace
Kenzie Ruston
Travis Braden
Zack Franks
Keith Rocco
Brian Campbell
Eddie Hoffman
Blake Brown
Caleb Armstrong
Ty Dillon
Casey Smith
Boris Jurkovic
Becca Kasten
Geoff Morris
Tyler Miles
Steve Rubeck
Ranking the Best Out There - A 51 Original and Tradition
Rankings compiled from the voting of a panel of experts.
Story text by Matt Kentfield - Twitter @mattkentfield
Welcome to the fifth and final 2011 edition of the Speed51.com Short Track Power rankings. The season's big year-ending events have all seen their checkered flag. Some drivers went home with big paychecks. Others left the track with championship laurels. Everyone else just left the track hungrier for success in 2012.
But who has carried the most clout in the final weeks of 2011? Some drivers really turned the wick up when the big money was on the line late in the year. Others who won throughout the season went cold down the stretch. Others put together a final couple of months to stay in our list throughout the full year.
A panel of industry experts from all four corners of the country and Canada have voted on their choices for the first half Short Track Power poll. Drivers in all forms of short track racing, including Late Models, NASCAR Touring Series, ARCA, Dirt Late Models and Modifieds, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series or ASA Member Track program and everything in between were eligible. Drivers who have competed in at least half of a NASCAR National Series schedule this season were not eligible.
The rankings shown below were decided after polling our panel of experts in the industry. Rankings were based on overall number of votes, with more weight given to each vote the higher the vote. Example, a #1 vote would be more valuable than a #2, #3, etc.
Here are our power rankings for the final two months of the 2011 short track racing season:
1) CHASE ELLIOTT - Super/Pro Late Models
Winning the most prestigious Super Late Model event in the country is a feat that is not easily achieved. To do it in a relatively clean manner in a side-by-side thriller with an up-and-coming standout in the Super Late Model world is even tougher. To do it just a week or so after your 16th birthday is almost unbelievable. But then again, Chase Elliott has defined near-unbelievable over the past few seasons in a Late Model. The youngster from Dawsonville, Georgia continued his record-breaking ways on December 4th by winning the 44th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway. For that feat, our panelists selected him as the most Powerful racer of the final two months of the season. And why not? It’s hard to say that anything is more powerful than the winner of the Snowball Derby. But it wasn’t just the fact that he won. He overcame an early tangle where he suffered some cosmetic damage and rallied, with the aid of a few pit stops by a speedy crew, back to the front to wage an epic battle with DJ VanderLey down the stretch. One panelist who voted for Elliott at the top of the list said it simply: “A great Derby Weekend to end the year!”
2) BUBBA POLLARD - Super/Pro Late Models
If it wasn’t for Elliott winning at such a young age in the manner he did it, Bubba Pollard may have very well been this Power Poll’s #1. While the finishes may not have shown it, Pollard was the man in qualifying. He set fast time with a new track record in time trials for the Snowball Derby. The next night, he went out and won the pole for the Snowflake 100 Pro Late Model, as well. But, as one voter noted, “The fact that he got torn up in both races may not make people remember Pollard’s Derby weekend, but those who were there knew how dominant he was in qualifying.” But it wasn’t just the Derby qualifying feats that put him at #2 on this poll. According to one voter, “An emotional win in the Beau Slocumb (Memorial race during World Crown weekend at Gresham (GA)) helped put a sense of closure on his remarkable season.
3) ERIK JONES - Pro/Super Late Models
It’s always hard for an outsider to come into New Smyrna Speedway and have a shot to win against the local Super Late Model regulars. Guys like David Rogers, Tim Russell and Stephen Nasse, who each call Central Florida home and have spent many a night in Smyrna’s victory lane over the years, are always tough to beat. But, they didn’t intimidate 15-year-old Erik Jones one bit. The Michigan native continued his blistering pace through the Late Model scene in 2011 with a dominating upset win in the Governor’s Cup event in late November. Jones’ victory cemented a phenomenal year for Jones, who also clinched the inaugural JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Championship. As one panelist noted on his ballot, “In the time frame for this edition of the Power Poll, Jones won the Governor's Cup, had a great showing on World Crown weekend, and a great presence on Derby weekend in the Pro's (before an accident took him out).”
4) CHRIS WIMMER - ASA Midwest Tour/Super Late Models
One voter said it best…”We all pick on drivers for not traveling to races outside their comfort zones. Chris Wimmer not only invaded the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park from the upper Midwest, he won it.” This year’s World Crown event featured several plot twists to keep the three-segment event thrilling. Well, maybe behind Wimmer they were thrilling, but the Wisconsin driver was the dominator. He won all three segments en route to the big payday. He may not have been a favorite going into the race, but Wimmer proved that he’s not only good in ASA Midwest. He’s a threat anywhere else he may take his racecar.
5) RYAN BLANEY - PASS South/K&N Pro Series
The final few weeks of the 2011 racing season were pretty good to Ryan Blaney. A slow start to the 2011 season on the PASS South Super Late Model tour led to a crew chief swap and a huge turnaround for the second half of the year. Victories and podium finishes, capped off by a runner-up finish at the Concord (NC) finale, led Blaney to his first-ever PASS South title. Those who were around the short track ranks knew Blaney had a bright future, but he introduced himself to the rest of the world by winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West finale at Phoenix (AZ) in November in his first start on that tour. “The live SPEED broadcast told everyone what we already knew – Ryan Blaney’s a wheelman,” said one voter.
6) MATT HIRSCHMAN - Tour-Type Modifieds
Mr. November did it again. One voter noted, “He won another North-South Shootout. How many is this? We’ve lost count.” Well, it’s actually four. Four out of the nine North-South trophies have made their way home to Northampton, PA with Hirschman. “Hirschman wins all the time in Pennsylvania and New York, but it’s like he doesn’t really make the big headlines until the money’s up for grabs at the end of the year,” another voter said.
7) AUGIE GRILL - Pro/Super Late Models
Augie Grill started a special club that likely will be the only one in for quite some time. The two-time Snowball Derby winner became a two-time Snowflake 100 winner earlier this month in the Pro Late Model prelim event. “With two wins in both of those premier events, Grill is something special,” said a panelist. Plus, as one voter pointed out, “He won the Snowflake and cars that he built in his GARC shop won the Derby and Snowflake poles (Pollard) and both races (with Elliott in the Snowball).”
8) ROSS KENSETH - Super Late Models
In his three attempts at the Snowball Derby, Ross Kenseth has been a major factor each time. He qualified second in his rookie attempt. Last year, he was in prime position to battle for the win before a crash inside of 100 laps to go. This year, he finished third. He was second at the World Crown 300 just a few weeks before this year’s Derby, too. But Ross Kenseth is tired of being oh-so-close. He wants to win one of these big races. “It won’t be long before he cracks into victory lane in a big show like that,” said a voter. Another panelist mentioned, “Whenever his car is on the track, everyone’s got a stopwatch on him. That’s power.”
9) BRIAN NESTER - Modifieds
Brian Nester is the second non-full-fendered driver to crack into the top-10 in this edition of the Tower of Power. While our panel had him ninth, if it was up to the open-wheeled Modified fans around the Midwest, it’d be an easy #1 pick. Nester won all the big shows that there were to win late in the season. “He won Modified races at the Winchester 400, North-South Shootout and Snowball Derby. Dominant,” said a voter. Nester didn’t just back into those wins, either. He put on a show at the front of the field en route to the victory. “Nester doesn’t get much credit because he’s not young and flashy, but he is a king right now,” said another voter.
10) COLT JAMES - Super Late Models
Texan Colt James doesn’t race every week. He’s not a regular in any particular series or racetrack. That doesn’t matter. When he does show up, he’s mixing it up for the win and usually comes out on top. James broke out his #15 Super Late Model and went to victory lane in a star-studded Mason-Dixon Meltdown/Thanksgiving Classic at Concord. “James gets it done, especially at Concord, where he won this race and the North-South Shootout a few years ago,” said a voter.
POSITIONS 11-20
11) Jimmy Blewett (Mods) - Turkey Derby sweep between Tour-Type & SK Mods.
12) DJ VanderLey (SLM/PLM) – Second in the Snowball Derby. Led laps 296 to 299.
13) Ben Rowe (PASS) – Won at Hickory to become PASS South win leader and took PASS National title.
14) Jeff Fultz (SLM) – Won North South Shootout Late Model portion.
15) Derek Thorn (SLM/KNPSW) – Won Las Vegas Open Show and trucked East to run Snowball Derby.
16) Corey LaJoie (UARA) – Dominated season ending show at Rockingham Speedway (NC).
17) George Brunnhoelzl III (Mods) – Won NASCAR Southern Modified title and was third at North-South.
18) Bryan Clauson (Midgets) – Won Battle at the Center. Clinched second-straight National Midget title.
19) Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (LM) – Swept Oktoberfest Late Model events he entered at Lee (NH).
20) Lee Pulliam (LMSC) - Won Martinsville and was in the mix at SoBo before tangle with Philip Morris.
ALSO RECEIVING VOTES
Andy Seuss
Barry Beggarly
Derrick Griffin
Chrissy Wallace
Kenzie Ruston
Travis Braden
Zack Franks
Keith Rocco
Brian Campbell
Eddie Hoffman
Blake Brown
Caleb Armstrong
Ty Dillon
Casey Smith
Boris Jurkovic
Becca Kasten
Geoff Morris
Tyler Miles
Steve Rubeck
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