Thomas Tilliso Jr. (Photo: Mayes County Pictures)
After nine weeks leading the country, Keith Rocco of Wallingford was forced to surrender the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series standings lead this week.
Dirt racer Thomas Tillison Jr. from Wellston, Oklahama moved past Rocco at the top of the standings this week.
Tillison races in Oklahoma at Salina Highbanks Speedway and Flint Creek Speedway in West Siloam. Both are .375-mile ovals. Flint Creek is a first-year NASCAR-sanctioned track.
Tillison has 12 victories and 20 top-five’s in 24 starts, which is good for 658 points.
Rocco had held a two-point lead over Tillison in last week’s standings. Rocco, the 2010 national champion, competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Waterford, Stafford Speedway and Thompson Speedway.
Rocco has 644 points with eight victories, 25 top-five’s and 31 top-10’s in 36 starts.
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.
Ryan Preece of Berlin remained in third in the standings this week.
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. Preece has 622 points. He has 10 wins, 27 top-five’s and 33 top-10’s in 35 starts this year.
Lee Pulliam, of Semora, N.C., is fourth in standings with 612 points on the strength of 18 victories, 31 top-fives and 33 top-10’s in 36 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 won national championships in 2012 and 2013.
Modified driver Jimmy Zacharias of Candor, N.Y., who competes at Chemung (N.Y) Speedrome and Holland (N.Y) Speedway is fifth nationally with 609 points on nine victories and 20 top-fives in 21 starts.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Waterford remained ninth nationally this week with 543 points with five victories in 21 starts.
Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., who competes full-time in the SK Modified division at Stafford, has six wins and remained 12th this week nationally with 524 points for 17 starts.
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