Thomas Tilliso Jr. (Photo: Mayes County Pictures)
The top-five of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series standings saw a major shakeup this week with the end of the season nearing.
After wrestling the national points lead from Keith Rocco two weeks ago, dirt racer Thomas Tillison Jr. remained at the top of the standings again this week.
Tillison, from Wellston, Oklahoma, races at Salina (OK) Highbanks Speedway and Flint Creek Speedway in West Siloam, Ok. Both are .375-mile ovals. Flint Creek is a first-year NASCAR-sanctioned track.
Tillison has 14 victories and 22 top-five’s in 26 starts, which is good for 676 points.
Rocco, the 2010 national champion, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Stafford Speedway and Thompson Speedway, fell from second to fourth in the country, despite sweeping twin SK Modified features last week at Thompson Speedway.
Rocco has 651 points with 10 victories, 29 top-five’s and 36 top-10’s in 41 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 dropped from fifth to sixth in the standings this week.
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. Preece has 622 points. He has 10 wins, 30 top-five’s and 37 top-10’s in 39 starts this year.
Taylor Holdaway of Orillia, Ontario, who competes in a Late Model at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario, jumped from sixth to second in the standings this week.
Holdaway has 11 victories and 18 top-fives in 19 starts, good for 659 points.
Lee Pulliam, of Semora, N.C., remained in third in standings with 656 points on the strength of 22 victories, 35 top-fives and 37 top-10’s in 40 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 feel from fourth to fifth nationally with 650 points on 13 victories and 24 top-fives in 25 starts.
Ted Christopher of Plainville, who competes full-time in the SK Modified divisions at Stafford and Waterford, remained ninth. Christopher has 576 points with six victories in 35 starts.
Rowan Pennink of Huntingdon Valley, Pa., who competes full-time in the SK Modified division at Stafford, has six wins and moved from 13th to 12th this week nationally with 552 points over 18 starts.
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