Compiled by: Langley Austin ~ [email protected]
Copper Hill, VA(June 8, 2012) — OK, here we are with two more weeks of Late Model Stock Car racing in the books and two more weeks of incredible racing around the region.
As we’re now here in the first week of June, we’re getting about to that point, where the back few drivers may fluctuate a little, but for the most part the drivers up toward the top are staying there … well, they move a little week to week, but they’re still in the top half of this list.
We’ve had a few more controversies to speak of and few more drivers make noise, so lets get to it and bring you this weeks FDJ Motorsports Power Rankings!
Honorable Mentions ….
Derrick Lancaster
We knew that he had it in him, we knew from his Limited Late Model days that Derrick Lancaster could drive, but in Late Model Stock Cars, he hadn’t proved himself. Lancaster has had a top five or two here and there and at times he appeared on the verge of breaking through for a win, but this past weekend, he may have broke out of his shell, thanks in part to feeling as if he had been dumped by Frank Deiny and a black flag for retaliation. After starting shotgun on the field, he drove hard and climbed to finish third at Motor Mile Speedway in a 100-lap race, pretty impressive for the veteran.
Anthony Anders
Last season taught us that Anthony Anders can easily be one of the best Late Model Stock Car drivers in the business, certainly with 15 wins on the season. But this season, though he’s the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National points leader, he had yet to score a victory until last weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway. Out of 24 starts, he now has one win, which won’t get him the National title, but if he can get on a roll, he could very well win enough to be in contention. Last week was enough to show that he can still win.
10 – Toby Porter
Greenville Pickens Speedway has proven to be a tough place this season, but Toby Porter has five wins on the season, scoring his fifth just a week ago. He also battled to the wire with Anthony Anders for the win this past weekend and has proven he’s the top driver in the UpState South Carolina region so far this season.
9 – Robert Tyler
Yeah, he might be accused of having a “big” crate engine, but he has managed to pass tech this season and on Saturday night he got his first win(s) of the season. He won both ends of the night, sweeping twin Late Model Stock Car races and putting himself back on the map.
8 – Justin Milliken
With two wins on the season at Myrtle Beach Speedway, a track that under new management is revived and has one of the best car counts, Justin Milliken easily put himself in the top 10 of LMSC drivers everywhere. He claimed his second win a week ago Thursday and looks to be on his way to becoming the driver to beat at “the beach”.
7 – Peyton Sellers
Once he was a prominent Late Model Stock Car star eyeing his future and climbing the ladder, today Peyton Sellers is falling back into the role of prominent Late Model Stock Car driver and he’s ok with that. He scored his first two wins of the season at South Boston Speedway two weeks ago and pulled out a second place effort to Lee Pulliam at Motor Mile last weekend. He’s starting to flex his muscle and could quickly climb this list.
6 – Greg Edwards
He certainly doesn’t enjoy playing second fiddle to CE Falk at Langley Speedway, but Greg Edwards has proven this season that he’s one of the best in the business. He’s finished runner up to CE too many times, but after CE was disqualified out of twin races a few weeks back, Edwards now has two victories to his credit, but he still wants to get his photo taken after the race.
5 – Ronnie Bassett, Jr.
We typically try to overlook the occasional disqualification in LMSC racing … heck we all know that for the most part technical inspection is a joke, but at the end of the day we just can’t keep overlooking someone who’s getting caught every week. Ronnie Bassett, Jr. has now been disqualified from two straight UARA races(without that he’d be competing for #1 on this list) and while no one doubts that he’s one of the best talents in the business eventually something has to give. Is the UARA just picking on him as he claims? The answer will come next weekend … if he rolls into Newport Speedway to compete in the UARA race, that’s as good as admitting that he knows he’s been cheating and that the UARA is simply doing their job.
4 – CE Falk III
CE Falk’s disqualifications a couple weeks back haven’t hindered his status here, because it’s not a regular thing and the young driver rebounded from that with a win at Langley Speedway, which wasn’t thrown out. Falk is one of the top drivers in Late Model Stock Car racing right now and he’s not liking to slip off his perch anytime soon.
3 – Lee Pulliam
After a four-race skid, Lee Pulliam rolled to two wins at Motor Mile Speedway last weekend, putting himself back among the elite in Late Model Stock Car racing right now. Now with four wins on the season, his lone blemish is Kingsport Speedway and if he can go back there and conquer that place he’ll rise back to his elite status, but that remains to be seen.
2 – Nate Monteith
“Nate the Great” as he’s affectionately known around the garage area, has been dominant the last two seasons at Kingsport Speedway and right now he seems nearly unstoppable. Nate Monteith has been to victory lane in the last three races, though he’s only credited with two due to a protest and subsequent disqualification two races back. If he wins Friday night in both twin races, he’ll be at five in a row and we’ll almost certainly see a bounty offered for the veteran driver to be beat.
1 – Deac McCaskill
Speaking of bounties, Deac McCaskill has got it going on at Southern National Motorsports Park this season with now eight wins on the season(nine including one at South Boston) and the last five in a row. A bounty was offered last weekend and while challengers like Matt McCall and Michael Hardin tried, they ultimately fell short to the dominant driver. The bounty continues, so we’ll see if he can be beat this weekend with another group of drivers coming to challenge him including Frank Deiny, Jr.