Weekend Wins Vault Keith Rocco To Third In Whelen All-American Series National Standings

A perfect weekend of SK Modified racing for Keith Rocco helped the Wallingford driver jump from fourth to third in this week’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings.

Rocco, the 2010 national champion, won the SK Modified features at Thompson International Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway last weekend. The Waterford Speedbowl did not have their usual Whelen All-American Series racing card last weekend. Rocco runs full-time at all three tracks.

National points leader Lee Pulliam and second place Deac McCaskill were both idle last week.

Pulliam, of Semora, N.C., leads Deac McCaskill by eight points in this week’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings.

Pulliam, the 2012 national champion, has 744 points. Pulliam has been at the top of standings all year long. He has 16 victories and 26 top-fives and 27 top-10’s in 29 starts this year at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C. and Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C.,

McCaskill, of Raliegh, N.C., has 734 points. McCaskill, has 10 victories, 20 top-five’s and 25 top-10’s in 26 starts between South Boston Speedway, Southern National Motorsports Park and Motor Mile in Radford, Va.

Rocco has 10 wins, 16 top-fives and 22 top-10’s over 27 starts and passed Tommy Lemons Jr. of Troy, N.C. this week to move into third with 674 points.

Lemons has four victories, 20 top-five’s and 24 top-10’s over 26 starts at South Boston, Caraway, Motor Mile and Southern National and has 657 points.

Ryan Preece of Berlin, who competes in an SK Modified at Stafford and Thompson and in a Tour Type Modified at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, fell from fifth to sixth this week. Preece has 652 points based on eight victories, 16 top-five’s and 19 top-10’s over 23 starts.

Under the point structure for the NASCAR 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.

Todd Ceravolo of Gales Ferry, who runs Thompson and Waterford, is 10th nationally with 528 points. Ted Christopher of Plainville, the 2001 national champion who runs at Stafford and Waterford, is 12th nationally with 493 points.