Mike Looney officially took over the points lead for just the second time this season after a pair of wins at Motor Mile Speedway on Saturday night where the veteran driver started shotgun on the field and scored maximum points.
Looney was the only driver during the next to last weekend to score the maximum amount of points available to him. The 20 point swing for the Catawba, VA driver moved him into the lead by 10 points heading into the final weekend of competition for all drivers.
He leads Midwest drivers Nick Panitzke and Jacob Goede by ten points with five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National Champion Philip Morris 12 points behind in fourth. Panitzke and Goede had sat atop the points standings the last two weeks but now find themselves in need a big points weekend in twin feature at Elko Speedway to have any chance at winning the National championship. Panitzke would have been within eight points of Looney if not for a weight infraction disqualifying his third-place finish in the second of twin races at Elko Speedway on Saturday night.
Looney will head to Langley Speedway for twin races on Saturday night and Morris is expected to make the same trip. Peyton Sellers, who led the National standings for much of the year has been mathematically eliminated from winning the title after a last-lap penalty for rough driving sent him from a victory to a 10th place finish when Lee Pulliam spun in turn three after contact from Sellers.
Keith Rocco will continue his quest for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National title this weekend in twin races at Stafford Motor Speedway. He’ll have his hands full with Ronnie Williams who won both points-paying 20-lap features at Thompson Speedway on Sunday night. Williams is also within 26 points of the National championship but mathematically can’t gain enough points to win it.
The only drivers with a mathematical chance to catch or pass Looney on this final weekend are Panitzke, Goede, Morris, and Rocco. Looney could clinch the championship by gaining 12 points this weekend no matter what anyone else does. We will post all the National Championship winning scenarios for each driver later this week.
RACE22.com will be at Langley Speedway to follow Looney and Morris’ journey on Saturday night with RACEDAY LIVE updates.
Cover photo by Jaden Austin.
NWAAS National Top Ten: (points gained this week)
1 – Mike Looney 578 (+20)
2 – Nick Panitzke 568 (+0)
3 – Jacob Goede 568 (+8)
4 – Philip Morris 566 (+6)
5 – Keith Rocco 564 (+12)
6 – Peyton Sellers 560 (+2)
7 – Ronnie Williams 552 (+26)
8 – Duane Howard 516 (+12)
9 – Todd Owen 504 (+4)
10 – Rick Spencer-Walt 500 (n/a)
Click here to view the NWAAS National Standings.
Click here to view the State by State Standings.
