Nebraska’s Bill Leighton Jr. Finds Success in new-NASCAR-sanctioned class at I-80 Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 30, 2006) – Woody Pitkat, 27, of Stafford, Conn., returned to the top of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division IV standings after recording a win and a seventh-place finish at his two home tracks, Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway and Stafford Motor Speedway in Stafford Springs, Conn. last week.
While Pitkat was winning, his main local rival for the championship, Jeff Malave of Manchester, Conn., recorded his worst finish since Aug. 6, 2004 – with a 24th-place finish last Friday at Stafford Motor Speedway. Malave dropped off the NDWS Division IV leaderboard for now, but with five weeks before the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series season concludes Oct. 1, Pitkat and Malave have plenty of opportunities to settle the score.
Elsewhere, Bill Leighton Jr., of Omaha, Neb., finished second in last Saturday’s Crate Late Model race at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb. The finish boosted Leighton to second place in the NDWS Division IV standings. This is the first season that I-80’s Saturday-night Crate Late Model class has been NASCAR-sanctioned.
Pitkat and Leighton’s success drove defending NDWS Division IV champion Donny Reuvers down one position in the standings this week. Reuvers, of Dundas, Minn., competes full-time at both Elko (Minn.) Speedway and Raceway Park in Shakopee, Minn. Reuvers continues to lead the NASCAR point standings at both tracks. As such, he retains two positions in the standings and represents both tracks on the leaderboard.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR … Reuvers has up to six more races left at Elko Speedway and Raceway Park, which he can use to re-gain lost ground in the NDWS Division IV standings. Pitkat and Malave have up to 10 races remaining between Thompson and Stafford, along with potential points-earning opportunities at Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl, where NASCAR points leader Dennis Gada finished third last Saturday to advance into sixth place in the NDWS Division IV standings. Leighton has just one final race remaining at I-80, on Sept. 16, to make a final bid for the NDWS Division IV championship.
HOW IT WORKS … The NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division IV championship is awarded to the Division IV points leader after Oct. 1. Drivers at each track earn NASCAR points in each feature race, along with bonus points depending on the number of cars in each event (10 bonus points per driver in a field of 15-20 cars; 20 bonus points per driver in a field of 21 or more cars).
The NASCAR point leaders from each track are listed in the Division IV standings. Once a driver becomes the NASCAR point leader at a track and is ranked in the Division standings, their best 16 finishes – from any tracks in the same Division – are used to determine their point total. The Division champion can win a $25,000 bonus and is eligible for the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national championship which includes an additional $50,000 prize. The national championship is awarded to the Division champion with the highest point total overall, based on their best 16 finishes.
NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series
Division IV Leaders as of August 29 (best 16 points finishes)
Driver, Hometown, Home track, NDWS points
1. Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn., Thompson International Speedway, 1,050 points
2. Bill Leighton Jr., Omaha, Neb., I-80 Speedway at Nebraska Raceway Park, 1,006 3. Donny Reuvers, Dundas, Minn., Elko Speedway, 970 4. Donny Reuvers, Dundas, Minn., Raceway Park, 970 5. Guy Caron, Lempster, N.H., Twin State Speedway, 946 6. Dennis Gada, Salem, Conn., Waterford Speedbowl, 928 7. Frank Ruocco, Cheshire, Conn., Stafford Motor Speedway, 892 8. Willie Allen, Nashville, Music City Motorplex, 880 9. Andy Eckrich, Ina City, Iowa, Farley Speedway, 844 10. Todd Patnode, West Swanzey, N.H., Monadnock Speedway, 754 11. Van Knill, Tucson, Ariz., Irwindale Speedway, 750 12. Mitch Wendell, Derry, N.H., Star Speedway, 726 13. Richard Mitchell, Bruceton Mills, W.V., Motordrome Speedway, 626 14. Mark Smith, Meyersdale, Pa., Jennerstown Speedway, 584 15. Ron Norman, Tucson, Ariz., Tucson Raceway Park, 306
New to the top 15:
Woody Pitkat, Stafford, Conn.
Frank Ruocco, Cheshire, Conn.
Dropped out of the top 15:
Jeff Malave, Manchester, Conn.
Jeff Malave, Manchester, Conn.
2006 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series statistical leaders, through Aug. 29:
STARTS:
RODNEY COOK, Reidsville, N.C. 39
Donny Reuvers, Dundas, Minn. 33
Bill Leighton Jr., Omaha, Neb. 32
John Allen, Chanute, Kan. 32
Tim Karrick, Basehor, Kan. 32
Tom Charles, Bonner Springs, Kan. 32
Joe Kosiski, Omaha, Neb. 31
John Washburn, Kansas City, Kan. 31
Mike Wallace, Carter Lake, Iowa 31
Scott Koskovich, Omaha, Neb. 31
WINS:
DONNY REUVERS, Dundas, Minn. 15
John Allen, Chanute, Kan. 14
Tim Karrick, Basehor, Kan. 10
Joe Kosiski, Omaha, Neb. 10
Shane Riner, Guyton, Ga. 10
Rick Bilderback, Rockton, Ill. 10
Philip Morris, Ruckersville, Va. 9
Frank Deiny Jr., Mechanicsville, Va. 9
Andy Loden, Stanley, N.C. 9
Jonathan Bouvrette, St. Therese, Qc. 8
TOP-FIVE FINISHES:
DONNY REUVERS, Dundas, Minn. 29
Tim Karrick, Basehor, Kan. 27
John Allen, Chanute, Kan. 26
Joe Kosiski, Omaha, Neb. 26
Rodney Cook, Reidsville, N.C. 23
Shane Riner, Guyton, Ga. 21
Mark Bliss, Arcade, N.Y. 21
Bryant Goldsmith, Corning, Iowa 20
Brad Brinkley, Sanford, N.C. 19
Frank Deiny Jr., Mechanicsville, Va. 18
Rick Smith, Georgetown, S.C. 18
Randy Porter, Easley, S.C. 18
Andy Eckrich, Ina City, Iowa 18
TOP-10 FINISHES:
RODNEY COOK, Reidsville, N.C. 35
Tim Karrick, Basehor, Kan. 32
Donny Reuvers, Dundas, Minn. 31
Tom Charles, Bonner Springs, Kan. 28
Joe Kosiski, Omaha, Neb. 27
John Allen, Chanute, Kan. 26
Bryant Goldsmith, Corning, Iowa 25
Jamie Hunt, Ashville, Ohio 25
Bill Leighton Jr., Omaha, Neb. 25
Andy Eckrich, Ina City, Iowa 24
Ed Kosiski, Ralston, Neb. 24
