|
5/6/2010 |
SIZZLER WIN PUTS 'TC' AT TOP OF HUNTER INDEX
Christopher Edges
Rocco, Premble & Santos For Monthly Honors |
|
Ted
Christopher has been so successful at Stafford (Conn.) Motor
Speedway that they already have a section of the grandstands named
after him. His win there last weekend in the Spring Sizzler, the
second race of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, was a record
sixth in the event that the late Jack Arute Sr. billed his track’s
signiture event ‘Greatest Race In The History Of Spring.’
It earned Christopher the traditional swig of milk in Victory Lane,
and helped him secure the top spot in the May edition of the Hunter
Index.
The Hunter Index is a new feature in 2010 on NASCARHomeTracks.com
that will spotlight the top 10 drivers in the NASCAR Developmental
Series in a monthly power poll. Drivers are ranked on their
performance over the previous month. The rankings are compiled by a
panel of auto racing writers and NASCAR representatives.
Despite Christopher’s impressive recent run – which included a
fourth-place finish in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour opener at
Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway, and a first and second in
three starts in the asphalt Modified divisions at Stafford and
Thompson in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series – his top spot was
by no means unanimous.
Thirty-five different drivers received votes and five drivers
received first-place votes.
In fact, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points leader Bobby Santos
received the most first-place votes, with three. Connecticut’s Keith
Rocco and Nebraska’s Craig Preble earned two each with their nearly
flawless performances in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. But
their overall point totals based on the panel’s voting ranked Rocco,
Santos and Preble second through fourth, respectively, behind
Christopher.
In the end, it was Christopher’s ability to find success on both the
weekly and touring level as well as the depth of competition on the
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour that earned the Plainville, Conn.,
driver a consistent set of high marks that yielded him the No. 1
overall spot.
“ ‘TC’ seems to just be heating up and hitting his stride,” said
Spencer Lewis, representing the Canadian publication Inside Track
Motorsports News on the panel.
Rocco, from Wallingford, Conn., and Preble, from Yutan, Neb., were
almost perfect running multiple tracks. Each won four of their last
five starts.
Rocco competes in the asphalt Modified divisions at Stafford,
Thompson and Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl, and his only finish
outside of Victory Lane was a runner-up – to Christopher – in a
Sunoco Modified race at Thompson on April 11.
Running his dirt Late Model at I-80 Speedway in Omaha, Neb., and
Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., Preble was a
fourth at Junction in his only non-win.
“Four wins in five starts, and it was done between three different
tracks. It’s hard to see anything comparable over the last month,”
said Shawn Courchesne of the Hartford (Conn.) Courant of Rocco.
Santos nearly came close. The Franklin, Mass., driver won the Coors
Light Pole Award and the race in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
opener at Thompson. He won the pole and finished second to
Christopher at Stafford.
Eric Holmes, who won at Phoenix in the only NASCAR K&N Pro Series
race in the past month, rounded out the top five.
Justin Johnson, who has wins at both Motor Mile Speedway in Radford,
Va., and South Boston (Va.) Speedway in the NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series, was sixth, followed by Eric Schmidt (NASCAR
Whelen All-American Series), Philip Morris (NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series), Mike Stefanik (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour)
and CE Falk III (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series).
Tim Haddock of
HaddockInThePaddock.blogspot.com, who covers racing on the
West Coast, weighed in with a first-place vote for David Mayhew,
after Mayhew’s fifth-place run at Phoenix meant he was the only one
in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West with top-five finishes in the
season’s first two races. Mayhew was among five drivers to earn
honorable mention.
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.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour
and NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in the time period did not hold
events since the previous Index was released.
The panel also included media members Courchesne representing the
Northeast, Adam Fenwick of National Speed Sport News from the
Southeast, Haddock from the West Coast, and Lewis representing
Canada. They are joined by Brett Bodine, who is the chairman of the
NASCAR resumé committee and represented the NASCAR competition side
on the panel, and NASCAR public relations representative Jason
Christley.
The panel will conference on the first Wednesday of each month, and
the Hunter Index will be released the following day.
NASCAR fans are encouraged to weigh in with their own opinions
through the NASCAR Home Tracks Community page on
NASCAR.com.
MAY 2010 - HUNTER INDEX
1. TED CHRISTOPHER
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series / NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Why he’s here: Known simply as TC, he added another Spring Sizzler
win on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to his lengthy resumé. He
also has a win and a second in three starts in NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series asphalt Modified competition, where he’s a
former national champion as well.
2. KEITH ROCCO
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Four wins in five asphalt Modified starts last month
in Connecticut. Did we mention he’s 2-for-3 head-to-head with
Christopher this year?
3. BOBBY SANTOS
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Why He’s Here: Since taking over the No. 4, all he’s done is win two
Coors Light Pole Awards, and finish first and second in the season’s
first two races.
4. CRAIG PREBLE
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Is there a new dirt Late Model king in Nebraska? Over
the last four weeks, he’s rolled off four wins in five starts at
I-80 and Junction Motor Speedway.
5. ERIC HOLMES
NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Why He’s Here: Rebounded from a disastrous season opener to finally
claim a win at Phoenix International Raceway – site of the series
finale in November.
6. JUSTIN JOHNSON
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Defending Late Model champ at South Boston (Va.)
Speedway, he’s found the winning combination up the road at Motor
Mile in Radford, too.
7. ERIC SCHMIDT
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Has gone 3-for-3 in Western Late Models on the All
American Speedway’s 1/3-mile, high-banked asphalt bullring.
8. PHILIP MORRIS
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: Two-time defending national champion has a pair of
wins at his home track of Motor Mile as he pursues his fourth title
overall.
9. MIKE STEFANIK
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
Why He’s Here: Consistency has netted him a NASCAR record-tying nine
titles. Don’t look now, but back-to-back third-place runs to open
2010 has the veteran in the hunt for No. 10.
10. CE FALK III
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Why He’s Here: 2009 NASCAR Virginia runner-up put himself on
national radar when he knocked Denny Hamlin out of the way to claim
Hamlin’s charity Late Model race. Oh yeah, and he out-raced a
star-studded field in the process.
HONORABLE MENTION: Tim Brown, Bowman Gray Stadium,
Winston-Salem, N.C. (NASCAR Whelen All-American Series); Jorge
Goeters (NASCAR Mexico Series); Rafael Martinez (NASCAR Mexico
Series); David Mayhew (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West); and Marty Ward,
Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway (NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series). |
|
Source: Jason Christley / NASCAR
Posted: May
6, 2010 |
|
|