Compiled by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected]

Copper Hill, VA(April 20, 2012) — OK, it’s time for another multi-week edition of the FDJ Motorsports Power Rankings featuring the most ‘powerful’ drivers over the last couple of weekends of racing.

This week we have some new faces in new places and a couple of honorable mentions, which is where we’ll start this one off.

Honorable Mentions …

Coleman Pressley
While no stranger to the UARA-STARS Series and Kingsport Speedway, Coleman Pressley made a triumphant return to the track that his father manages on a weekly basis. He dominated practice, then barely missed the pole and crossed the finish line in second, but after the winner was tossed out in inspection, he was awarded the victory.

Jesse LeFevers
Winning at Hickory Motor Speedway this season seems divided among a handful of drivers, Jesse LeFevers has still been getting his fair share and has two wins on the season with his most recent on April 28th.

Sammy Jasper
There’s a handful of young drivers just waiting to break out and one of them is West Virginia native, Sammy Jasper. Under the guidance of Jamie Yelton, Ed Berrier and Alex Yontz this young man is set to make a break through soon and with his most recent finish of second at Kingsport in the UARA-STARS Series race, he might just be breaking out in the next race!

Brandon Butler
There’s no denying that Brandon Butler is one of the best all-time Late Model Stock Car racers ever and what he’s able to do in his veteran years maybe even more impressive than what he did in ‘his day’. Today, he rarely enters a race, but when he does he has a shot to win them and he did that at Richmond Int. Raceway in Denny Hamlin race.

10 – Zeke Shell
While Nate Monteith and Lee Tissot racked up most of the headlines at Kingsport Speedway since it’s reopening last season, this season there’s two other drivers starting to flex their muscle. One of them is Zeke Shell, who most recently picked up his second win of the season and is a staunch contender for the championship.

9 – Austin McDaniel
With five different winners this season at Hickory Motor Speedway, it’s hard to pick a favorite out, but one driver that’s looking to put his name on the championship trophy at the end of this season is Austin McDaniel. He’s the most recent winner there and now has two wins on the season.

8 – Kenny Brooks
Sometimes some tracks and drivers kinda get overlooked in the grand scheme of things, but if you keep winning, you can’t be overlooked, but so long. Kenny Brooks is one of those drivers who has forced us to pay attention to him and the Concord Speedway he calls home. He now has three wins on the season, only allowing two other drivers to visit ‘his’ victory lane once each.

7 – Deac McCaskill
With wins on multiple tracks already this season, there’s no easy way to count Deac McCaskill out and we’re not going to overlook this veteran driver. He has five wins already this season, four at Southern National Motorsports Park and one at South Boston Speedway.

6 – Trey Gibson
Yeah, he might be in the Drive for Diversity Program, but he’s one of the few drivers at the Late Model level that has been in that program over the years that you can’t just overlook. In the last few weeks he’s picked up two wins, one at Anderson Motor Speedway in his family owned car and one at Hickory Motor Speedway in the D4D car.

5 – Ronnie Bassett, Jr.
If not for his disqualification following his most recent win at Kingsport Speedway, in the UARA-STARS Series, which would have been his third, this young driver might well top the list. And, despite the DQ, you can’t overlook the wheelman, he’s came from the back of the field twice, once to win and once to finish second.

4 – Lee Pulliam
Yeah …. he’s back. And, nothing has changed. His dominate return at South Boston Speedway this past weekend was an all to familiar reminder that without Philip Morris on the track, Lee has no competition. He is way behind his competitors in the race for the NASCAR National Title, but with the way his car is running, he won’t be for long.

3 – Marty Ward
Yeah, ole’ Marty Ward is back too … he got his butt kicked for the first four races of the season by Toby Porter, but once the veteran figured out how to get back in victory lane, he hasn’t relinquished his spot. Three wins in a row and looking for more.

2 – Greg Edwards
His impressive performance in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown at Richmond Int. Raceway was enough to vault, Greg Edwards toward the top of this list. The veteran knows his way around the areas short tracks and this season he’s entangled in a bitter rivalry with this week’s number one driver ….

1 – CE Falk III
With two wins at Motor Mile Speedway, two wins at Langley Speedway and a single win in the season opening $10k race at South Boston, CE Falk has been “the Man” this season. He’s on a roll with Sammy Houston on board as his crew chief he seems almost unstoppable.