Keith Rocco Closes To Second In NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Standings

Keith Rocco (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Lee Pulliam and Keith Rocco have had some barn-burner showdowns for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national title.

Could the 2015 season prove to be another year for that?

Rocco, of Wallingford, jumped from third to second in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national standings this week and sits just 21 points behind Pulliam, the two-time national champ.

Rocco, the 2010 national champion, competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford, New London-Waterford Speedbowl and Thompson Speedway. A victory last week at Waterford gave him five wins this year, along with 12 top-five’s and 14 top-10’s in 14 starts.

Pulliam, of Semora, N.C., has eight victories, 17 top-fives and 19 top-10’s in 20 starts this season at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va. and Caraway Speedway in Sophia, N.C. Pulliam, the 2012 and 2013 national champion, has 492 points under the Whelen All-American Series points structure.

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. Whelen All-American Series points season will run through Sunday, Sept. 20.

With 10 victories in 20 starts between Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway, Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Va. and Caraway Speedway, Kres VanDyke sits third in the standings.

Ryan Preece of Berlin jumped from fifth to fourth in the standings with 425 points. Preece competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Thompson Speedway and part-time in the Tour Type Modified division at Riverhead (N.Y.) Raceway. He won Saturday at Riverhead and has three wins, 11 top-five’s and 15 top-10’s in 15 starts this year.

With 270 points, Ted Christopher of Plainville is the only other local driver in the top-25 nationally. Christopher, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford, Waterford and Thompson, is 14th in the country with two victories in 14 starts.