Keith Rocco One Point Out Of Lead In Whelen All-American Series National Standings

(Press Release from NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)

Keith Rocco

Keith Rocco

Three drivers, each of whom ran multiple races and added a win to their resume. As a result, the race for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship is arguably the tightest in the history of the series.

With just two weekends remaining, only three points separate the top three drivers. That’s the equivalent of two positions on the race track — or the difference between a win and a second-place finish — after the trio have combined to run 104 races at 14 different race tracks.

As he has done all season, Matt Bowling leads the field.

The Ridgeway, Virginia, driver’s 664 points is one better than Keith Rocco and three more than Wisconsin’s Ty Majeski.

The final day for points to count toward NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships is Sunday, Sept. 18.

Bowling was washed out last weekend at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway, where he is the Late Model Stock Car division leader. He went to Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, Virginia, where he finished fourth in the first feature and rebounded for his 12th win of the season in the second.

Bowling has 30 top fives and 36 top 10s in races at South Boston; Dominion; Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Virginia; Kingsport (Tennessee) Speedway, East Carolina Speedway in Robersonville, North Carolina; Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina; and Caraway Speedway in Sophia, North Carolina.

RACE-BY-RACE: Matt Bowling

Rocco, from Wallingford, Connecticut, briefly looked like he’d take the top spot with a win in the SK Modified Division at Stafford (Connecticut) Motor Speedway on Friday — his 13th win of the season and first at the historic half-mile. But Rocco came home seventh at New London-Waterford (Connecticut) Speedbowl on Saturday.

Rocco also has 26 wins and 35 top 10s in 41 starts at Stafford, New London-Waterford, and Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

2016 RACE-BY-RACE: Keith Rocco

Majeski, a NASCAR Next driver, made up the most ground with a win and three top fives in four races.

The 22-year-old from Seymour, Wisconsin, had jumped from 10th to third last week, but still remained 29 points out of first. He had a 13th and win at Madison (Wisconsin) International Speedway on Friday, and a second and fifth at Elko (Minnesota) Speedway on Saturday.

Majeski, who starting the season winning the Super Late Model crown at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna (Florida) Speedway in February, has raced most of the season at Wisconsin’s LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway.

He has 13 wins, 19 top fives and 21 top 10s in 23 starts.

2016 RACE-BY-RACE: Ty Majeski 

Trevor Huddleston is fourth in the national standings with 625 points racing a Late Model at California’s Irwindale Speedway and Arizona’s Tucson Speedway. And three-time national champion Lee Pulliam remains fifth with 14 wins in 32 starts at South Boston, Motor Mile, Southern National, Caraway and Myrtle Beach Speedway in South Carolina.

NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I drivers are ranked by their best 18 NASCAR points finishes in series-sanctioned events. Drivers receive two points for every car they finish ahead of – up to 18 cars – and three points for a win, with an additional two points available if the driver starts 10th or lower.

With LaCrosse’s season over until 47th Annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend in October and Madison’s season concluding last weekend, Majeski is looking elsewhere for races. Elko has twin Super Late Model races remaining next weekend. There is a possibility for him to either run the final race this Saturday at Rockford (Illinois) Speedway, or try to find a ride in the southeast.

Bowling is in the best shape. Dominion hosts a 150-lap feature tonight as part of the Kickoff To Virginia Race Week that culminates with the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Speedway on Saturday night. Southern National runs twin 40-lap Late Model features Saturday, and East Carolina has twin Late Model features Sunday as part of the Visit Martin County 300 card headlined by the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour that was postponed from last weekend by rain.

Rocco lost an opportunity to add to his total when lingering inclement weather washed out Wednesday night’s racing at Thompson. He will go for two in a row Friday at Stafford, and has an SK Modified feature scheduled for Saturday at New London-Waterford.

To gain points, the drivers will have to record a finish better than their 18th-best points performance. Bowling’s worst races were two 32-point finishes, meaning he’ll have to finish 2nd or better with a maximum field of 18 cars to increase his total. After that, Bowling has four 34s, which can only be bettered by wins.

A second-place finish in an 18-car field is worth 34 points.

Rocco has one 33 and three 32s. Majeski has one 31 and five 34s.

As the racing season winds down across the United States and Canada, the crowning of 2016 track champions continues.

Eight more Division I track champions were finalized last weekend, with Justin Creech earning the inaugural NASCAR championship at Alaska Raceway Park. Bobby Wilberg won the title at Madison, while Kevin Timmerman (Spencer Speedway in Williamson, New York), Zach Myers (New York’s Holland Motorsports Complex), Curtis Gerry (Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarbrough, Maine), Craig Von Dohren (Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania), Ben Schaller (I-80 Speedway in Omaha, Nebraska) and TJ Zacharias (New York’s Chemung Speedrome) all won Division I track crowns.

This upcoming weekend, Lee (New Hampshire) USA Speedway, Rockford, Myrtle Beach, Motor Mile, Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa, and the asphalt division at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Vermont, will all conclude their points seasons.

In addition to track champions, U.S. state and Canadian province champions will also be determined over the next three weeks.

The 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I national champion, as well as track champions from 58 tracks, U.S. state and Canadian provincial champions, national champions from Div. II through V, top rookies and special award winners will be honored at the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards on Friday, Dec. 9 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame / NASCAR Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Established in 1982, the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is NASCAR’s national championship program for weekly short track auto racing. Connecticut-based Whelen Engineering is the series’ title sponsor. Whelen Engineering is a leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and emergency vehicle lighting. NASCAR tracks and pace cars are among the many showcases for Whelen products.

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Comments

  1. Steve Devine says

    It would be nice if Thompson motor sports park would try to help the kid out and make up that race that got rained out but like normal the race promoters in New England most not want the recognition of having a National Champion and that there is just plan sad!

  2. Help him out ? Waterford has that covered !

  3. Ditto Mod Man…………..the bowl will do what ever they can to make sure the national champ secures the title and races there.

  4. If u watch the news it seems the bowl has more to worry about then if Keith wins the national title

  5. Modfan.. Please explain?

  6. Colin Kaepernick is right (and I'm white) says

    You know what’s really sad? All these so-called local race fans who are so pathetic that they have to invent conspiracy theories to rationalize their beliefs that Rocco hasn’t earned and doesn’t deserve all the success and accomplishments he’s had. Not to mention slandering one of our local tracks in the process. Why do people do this? I really don’t get it and never will. Is it jealousy over the fact that Keith has accomplished more in his field of work than these people ever have in theirs at a much younger age? Is it just blind hate for this generation? Or is it bitterness over the fact that Keith is better than their favorite driver? Whatever reason there is, if there’s a reason at all, posting false, disparaging comments about one of our own over his success on a national level just makes you pathetic, disgusting human beings that I am embarrassed to share my favorite sport with.

  7. It’s has nothing to do with Keith and is much bigger then him. No conspiracy theory and hopefully it’s a miss understanding I won’t post the story but all u have to do is look on wfsb

  8. Colin your right. How can you not pull for a local guy to win yet another national title. He is a special talent that many envy. All three Ct tracks should do what they can with fairness to others to bring the title to Ct. Enjoy the racing it’s great. Who knows what the future holds now with all the stories and rumors flying around. Keith ran a good race last night. Hope he pulls off the National title.

  9. Frankie tree says

    Well there’s all ways someone try to start rumors. Wait till there’s something other than a investigation. No charges have been filed. Who knows people try to extort people with money. I’m going to wait and see before any rumors get started as should you ” Modfan ” We at the Speedbowl should not judge and be thankfull we have a great owner. Most people have things in there closet that they don’t want talked about. Let’s support Bruce thru what I’m sure is a tough time and see what happens. If we had a different owner I’m sure we wouldn’t see such great changes to the track. God Bless you all.

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