DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 24, 2005) - Mike Hansen is putting on the pressure in the battle for the championship in Division II of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, as the 2005 season heads toward its final weeks. Hansen - who scored his fourth win of the season on Saturday at Park Jefferson Speedway - moved within 48 points of the lead in the NDWS Division II point standings, with four weeks remaining before the NASCAR season concludes on Sept. 18.
Chris Spieker of Massena, Iowa, continues to lead the standings with 1,078 points. Joe Kosiski of Omaha, Neb., is just 44 markers back with 1,034 points. Hansen of Alton, Iowa, is third with 1,030 points. In addition to Hansen, three other leading drivers in the division tasted victory over the weekend. Travis Sharpe of North, S.C., nailed his sixth win of the year at Concord (N.C.) Motorsports Park; Robert Barker of Boerne, Texas, collected his ninth win of the season at San Antonio (Tex.) Speedway; and Alan Pyszora scored his second win of 2005 at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, Calif.
Trailing Spieker, Kosiski and Hansen in the Division II standings this week is Jeff Strunk of Bethel, Pa., with 964 points. He is followed by Pete Anderson Jr., of Stockton, Calif., with 838 points. Rounding out the top 10 in the standings are Eric Richardson of Bakersfield, Calif., with 822; Sharpe with 772; Scott Bonney of North Chelmsford, Maine, with 746; Stacey Gerken of LaGrange, Ohio, with 740; and Barker with 738. Under NASCAR's new points format for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, a driver's best 16 finishes are counted towards the divisional title. If a driver races more than 16 times, their poorer finishes are not counted in the NDWS point standings.
This Week's Division II Leaders ...
(Driver, Home Track, Points)
1. Chris Spieker, Adams County Speedway, 1,078
2. Joe Kosiski, I-80 Speedway, 1,034
3. Mike Hansen, Park Jefferson Speedway, 1,030
4. Jeff Strunk, Grandview Speedway, 964
5. Pete Anderson Jr., Stockton 99 Speedway, 838
6. Eric Richardson, Mesa Marin Raceway, 822
7. Travis Sharpe, Concord Motorsport Park, 772
8. Scott Bonney, Lee USA Speedway, 746
9. Stacey Gerken, Lorain Speedway, 740
10. Robert Barker, San Antonio Speedway, 738
11. Jeremy Lapainis, Edmonton International Raceway, 692
12. Scott Lindsay, Delaware Speedway, 688
13. Dennis Pelphrey, Watsonville Speedway, 662
14. Greg Hardee, Myrtle Beach Speedway, 658
15. Gerry Bergeron, Autodrome St. Eustache, 596
16. Alan Pyszora, Shasta Raceway Park, 584
17. Mark Bliss, Holland International Speedway, 550
18. Bill Hebing Jr., Spencer Speedway, 534
