NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Points Battles End Early Locally And Nationally

The battle to make the podium in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings is over, a week before the final event that counts toward the points.

With one week remaining, Wallingford’s Keith Rocco holds a 12-point lead over Berlin’s Ryan Preece for third place in the Whelen All-American Series national standings.

Unfortunately for Preece, based on the Whelen All-American Series rules, he can only pick up 11 points this weekend before the series points close this weekend.

Rocco, the 2010 national champion who runs full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Waterford, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway has 14 victories, 29 top-fives and 38 top-10’s in 46 starts this year, good for 742 points.

Preece, who competes in an SK Modified at Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson and in a Tour Type Modified at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, has 730 points based on 12 victories, 30 top-five’s and 34 top-10’s over 42 starts.

Thompson Speedway closed out its Thursday night event schedule for 2013 on Aug. 29 and Riverhead doesn’t run a Tour Type Modified race Saturday, meaning Preece’s only chance to gain on Rocco is Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway.

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.

Reigning national champion Lee Pulliam of Semora, N.C. used a victory last week at Motor Mile in Radford, Va. to clinch his first perfect season under the Whelen All-American Series points structure. The victory marked Pulliam’s 18th full-field win of 2013 mean he has 810 points, the maximum possible under the ranking system. Rocco was the last driver to pull off the perfect season in 2010.

Overall Pulliam has 26 victories, 39 top-fives and 43 top-10’s over 46 starts this year between Motor Mile, South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C. and Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C.

Deac McCaskill, of Raleigh, N.C., has 766 points in second in the rankings. McCaskill, has 14 victories, 27 top-five’s and 34 top-10’s in 38 starts between South Boston Speedway, Southern National Motorsports Park and Motor Mile in Radford, Va.

Woody Pitkat, who competes regularly in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson is 13th nationally with 617 points. Ted Christopher, who competes in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson is 14th nationally with 628 points.