Keith Rocco Closes Year Second In NASCAR Whelen All-American National Standings

Keith Rocco

Another year, another finish near the top of NASCAR short track national standings for Wallingford’s Keith Rocco.

NASCAR announced the final points for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I Thursday and it was Rocco finishing second in the nation.

Rocco, the 2010 Whelen All-American Series national champion, competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford Motor Speedway, the New London-Waterford Speedbowl and Thompson Speedway.

Matt Bowling of Ridgeway, Va. captured the national championship. Bowling competed at events across eight southeastern tracks in 2016.

Bowling finished the season with 678 points under the Whelen All-American Series points structure. Rocco ended up with 672 points. Wisconsin driver Ty Majewski ended up third with 669 points.

Under the point structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I standings, a race winner receives two points for every car in the event up to 18 cars. Second place receives two fewer points and so on through the field. Three bonus points will be awarded to a race winner with a single-digit starting position and five bonus points will be awarded to a race winner with a double-digit starting position. Whelen All-American Series points ran through Sept. 18.

Over 49 starts, Bowling had 14 victories, 35 top-five’s and 42 top-10’s. Rocco had 14 victories, 30 top-five’s and 39 top-10’s over 45 starts. Majewski made 26 starts with 14 victories, 21 top-five’s and 25 top-10’s.

Ted Christopher of Plainville ended up seventh in the country with 607 points on the strength of three victories, 21 top-five’s and 30 top-10’s over 36 starts. Christopher ran full-time in the SK Modified division at Stafford and Waterford.

Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., who has already clinched his second consecutive Stafford Speedway SK Modified championship, ended up eighth in the country with 606 points. Pennink, who also ran full-time at Thompson, had six victories, 19 top-five’s and 26 top-10’s over 29 starts.

Woody Pitkat of Stafford, who ran full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson, was 24th in the country with 539 points.