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9/10/2010 |
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VERSATILITY PUTS CHRISTOPHER BACK ON TOP IN HUNTER INDEX
Modified Veteran
Piling Up Wins In Weekly & Touring Series |
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It’s
hard to beat the perfection produced recently by Duane Howard in the NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series or Andrew Ranger in the NASCAR Canadian Tire
Series presented by Mobil 1. But then again, Ted Christopher has made it a
habit of prevailing against whatever competition he faces.
The September edition of the Hunter Index is no different, as Christopher’s
efforts over the last month put him atop the latest edition of the monthly
power poll designed to highlight the standout performances in the NASCAR
Developmental Series.
The Hunter Index is a new feature in 2010 on NASCARHomeTracks.com. Drivers
are ranked on their performance over the previous month. The rankings are
compiled by a panel of auto racing writers and NASCAR representatives.
Christopher, who also earned the honor in May, has been on a tear lately on
two levels:
He has climbed to sixth in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national
rankings and is within 13 points of third with two weeks remaining. Over the
past four weeks, he has rattled off four wins, six top fives and seven top
10s in eight starts in the Modified divisions at Thompson (Conn.)
International Speedway and Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
At the same time, Christopher has put together a similar season-changing
momentum swing to challenge Bobby Santos III for the NASCAR Whelen Modified
Tour title. Christopher briefly took the points lead with a dominating win
at Thompson. He also led the most laps at Bristol Motor Speedway before a
mechanical failure ended his day early. Christopher has two wins, a second
and a fifth in his last five tour races.
“He’s one of the best drivers in the business today,” said voter Spencer
Lewis, representing the Canadian publication Inside Track Motorsports News.
“His ability to perform at a consistently high level week in and week out,
against a variety of competition, puts him on a different level than
everybody else.”
Interestingly enough, Christopher only earned one of the six first-place
votes.
Ranger, who came in second, picked up two, while third-place Howard had the
other three.
Panelists rank their top 15, with first place receiving 15 points, second
14, third 13 and so on.
Ranger, who was also second in the July rankings, was 2-for-2 in his starts
over the last four weeks. He continued his mastery of road courses with wins
at Trois-Rivieres and Montreal. The latter came by way of a thrilling
last-turn, last-lap bump-and-run on Jason Bowles – just moments after Bowles
had used a similar move to take the lead from Ranger.
Howard was similarly unbeatable. The Oley, Penn., driver has five straight
wins in the 385 Modified Division on the dirt at Grandview Speedway in
Bechtesville, Penn. Overall, Howard has won six of the last seven features
there and has eight wins and six second-place finishes in 14 starts since
May 22. He is third in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national
standings.
"You can't help but be impressed with the run Duane Howard has put
together," said Brett Bodine, who is the chairman of the NASCAR Resumé
Committee and represents the NASCAR competition side on the panel. "With
Grandview's handicapping system, he's starting in the second half of the
field and every week is charging to the front. He's got that track figured
out this year and he's getting it done against some quality competition that
has more than their share of wins and championships at that place."
Eric Holmes, who extended his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West points lead with a
convincing win at Colorado National Speedway, is ranked fourth and Keith
Rocco is fifth. Rocco, from Wallingford, Conn., has already clinched the
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship and has three wins and seven
top fives in his last 10 starts racing in the Modified divisions at
Thompson, Stafford and Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl.
Justin Johnson of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) (NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series) is sixth, followed by Ty Dillon (NASCAR K&N Pro Series
East), Craig Preble (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series), Don Thomson Jr.
(NASCAR Canadian Tire Series) and James Civali (NASCAR Whelen Southern
Modified Tour).
Four drivers earned honorable mention, including Andy Seuss, who won the
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro,
N.C., and German Quiroga, who is coming off a NASCAR Mexico Series win at
San Luis Potosi.
The Hunter Index is named for Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s vice president of
corporate communications and a longtime supporter of the weekly and touring
series that make up the NASCAR Developmental Series.
The Index was designed in the off season as an opportunity to compare the
top drivers from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series all the way up to the
NASCAR K&N Pro Series. It will also encompass drivers from the NASCAR Mexico
Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR
Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
In addition to Christopher, Virginia asphalt Late Model driver Philip Morris
(March), Paulie Harraka of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (April),
Christopher (May), Bobby Santos of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (June),
Rocco (July) and Holmes (August) have also earned the No. 1 position in the
Index.
The panel also included media members Shawn Courchesne of the Hartford
(Conn.) Courant representing the Northeast, Adam Fenwick of National Speed
Sport News from the Southeast, Tim Haddock of
haddockinthepaddock.blogspot.com from the West Coast, and Lewis. They are
joined by Bodine and Jason Christley, a NASCAR public relations
representative.
AUGUST HUNTER INDEX
1. TED CHRISTOPHER
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series / Whelen Modified Tour
Why he’s here: The 52-year-old Plainville, Conn., driver continues to excel
week-in and week-out. Not only is he challenging Bobby Santos III for the
Whelen Modified Tour title, he’s found his groove on a weekly basis in the
Modified divisions at Connecticut’s short tracks.
2. ANDREW RANGER
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1
Why He’s Here: May not be getting any birthday cards from Jason Bowles in
the near future, but his move at Montreal kept the Roxton Pond, Quebec
driver perfect on road courses this year.
3. DUANE HOWARD
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Has shot into contention for a podium finish in the national
standings with an unbelievable stretch of top two finishes at Grandview.
4. ERIC HOLMES
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Why He’s Here: Notched another win at Colorado to move closer to his third
series championship in the last six years.
5. KEITH ROCCO
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Clinching his first national championship with more than a
month left in the season hasn’t slowed him down – he went out and won the
next week.
6. JUSTIN JOHNSON
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: The ‘other’ Justin Johnson – South Boston’s JJ is ranked
fifth in the national standings – he has won nine of the last 11 Super Late
Model races at Toyota Speedway.
7. TY DILLON
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Why He’s Here: Grandson of Richard Childress was in the right place at the
right time at Gresham Motorsports Park to record his first career NASCAR
win.
8. CRAIG PREBLE
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Wrapped up dirt Late Model championship at I-80 Speedway in
Nebraska and leads the nation in wins with 22.
9. DON THOMSON JR.
NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1
Why He’s Here: Put together an impressive victory on the oval at Mosport,
and then followed it up with a second-place at Montreal.
10. JAMES CIVALI
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
Why He’s Here: Followed up third-place run at Bristol behind Ryan Newman and
Mike Stefanik to take back the points lead with a runner-up finish
Virginia’s Langley Speedway.
HONORABLE MENTION: German Quiroga (NASCAR Mexico Series), Bobby
Santos III (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), Andy Seuss (NASCAR Whelen Southern
Modified Tour), and Cole Whitt (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) |
Source: Jason
Christley / NASCAR
Posted: September
10, 2010 |
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