Lee Pulliam Tops NASCAR Whelen All-American National Standings; Keith Rocco Cracks Top Five

The song remains the same when it comes to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series points standings.

Last year the nation was left chasing eventual national champion Lee Pulliam of Semora, N.C. in the Whelen All-American Series national standings for most of the year.

And early this season it’s Pulliam everybody is chasing once again.

For the second consecutive week Pulliam topped the Whelen All-America Series national standings. Pulliam has 10 victories and 15 top-five finishes this seas over 17 starts at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C. and Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C.

With five victories and 13 top-10’s in 14 starts, Deac McCaskill of Raleigh, N.C. is a distant second in the standings. McCaskill competes at Southern National and South Boston. Pulliam has accumulated 568 points under the Whelen All-American Series national standings points structure and McCaskill has 487.

Tommy Lemons Jr. of Troy, N.C. is third in the standings three wins in 14 starts at Southern National, South Boston and Caraway. Lemons has 453 points. Anthony Anders of Easley, S.C., who competes at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway and Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway is fourth in the standings with 415 points.

Keith Rocco of Wallingford, the 2010 Whelen All-American Series champion is fifth in the standings. Rocco competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford Motor Speedway, Waterford Speedbowl and Thompson International Speedway, has 334 points. Over 10 starts, Rocco has three victories at Waterford and one at Thompson.

Under the point structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, a race winner receives two points for every car in the event up to 20 cars. Second place receives two fewer points and so on through the field. Race winners receive an additional five points. For example, if 20 cars are in the field, the winner receives 45 points, second place 38 and third 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 35 points, second 28 and third, 26.

A driver’s best 18 results through the Sept. 15 closing date count toward their state and national point totals. Champions are decided on overall point total. Once a driver reaches 18 starts, their point total increases incrementally as they replace poorer runs with better results.

Ryan Preece of Berlin, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson and in the Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, is 12th in the national standings with 262 points. Preece has two victories this year at Stafford.

Ted Christopher, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Waterford is 16th nationally with 248 points.