Anthony Anders topped the charts in the first edition this season of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series nation points.
It marks the first time the Easley, S.C. has led the national points in his career.
Lee Pulliam of Semora, N.C, who has won the last two national championships, had led each week they’ve been released since taking over the top spot from C.E. Falk III on July 17, 2012.
Anders has six wins at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway and also two wins at Anderson (S.C.) Motor Speedway in his Late Model this season. Overall he has eight wins, 14 top-five’s and 15 top-10’s in 16 events this year between Greenville Pickens, Anderson and Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway.
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 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.
The 43-year old Anders has 518 points.
Dillon Bassett, a 16-year old from Winston-Salem, N.C. in his first full-time year competing in NASCAR sanctioned events, is a distant second in points with 370.
He has four victories and 12 top-five’s in 12 starts at Greenville Pickens, Hickory, Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C. and East Carolina Motor Speedway in Robersonville, N.C.
Tommy Lemons Jr. of Troy, N.C., is third in standings with one win and 323 points over 14 starts at Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C., Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., South Boston (Va.) Speedway and Caraway.
Pulliam is fourth in the national standings.
Keith Rocco the 2010 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series champion, who has finished in the top-four of the national standings for the last seven years, opened the season 13th in the nation. The Wallingford driver who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford Motor Speedway, the Waterford Speedbowl and Thompson Speedway, has three victories, six top-five’s and seven top-10’s over seven starts this year for 235 points.
Ryan Preece of Berlin, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson, part-time at Waterford and part-time in the Tour Type Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway, is 18th nationally with 196 points for two victories and six top-five’s in six starts.
Rocco and Preece are the only Connecticut based drivers ranked in the top-40 nationally.
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