Could the battle for a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship be shaping up to take place on the short tracks of Connecticut this year?
It could be possible with Keith Rocco of Wallingford and Ryan Preece of Berlin battling near the top of the standings this season.
Rocco jumped from fifth to third in this week’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings, bumping Preece out of the spot.
Anthony Anders continued to lead the standings once again this week.
The 43-year old Anders has 17 wins, 24 top-five’s and 26 top-10’s in 27 starts this year between Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway, Anderson (S.C.) Motor Speedway, Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway and Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway. He has 684 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.
Two-time defending national champion Lee Pulliam of Semora, N.C. moved from third to second this week with 585 points. Pulliam has 11 victories and 15 top five’s in 18 starts this year between Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C., South Boston and Motor Mile.
Rocco is coming off his fifth SK Modified victory of the season last Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl. Rocco, the 2010 Whelen All-American Series National Champion, also competes full-time in the Whelen All-American Division I SK Modified ranks at Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson Speedway.
Rocco has six victories, 15 top-fives and 16 top-10’s in 16 starts this year for 550 points. His other victory came at Thompson Speedway.
Preece fell to fifth in the standings with 518 points on the strength of six victories, 14 top-five’s and 17 top-10’s in 17 starts. Preece competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson and part-time in the Tour Type Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway. He has won all three SK Modified events run this year at Stafford, and has two wins at Thompson and one at Riverhead.
He is also expected to compete part-time in the SK Modified division more regularly later this year at Waterford. He will compete in the SK Modified feature at Waterford this coming Saturday.
Peyton Sellers of Danville. Va., who competes at Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C., South Boston and Motor Mile, sits between Preece and Rocco in fourth with 543 points.
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