WITH 2006 NASCAR DODGE WEEKLY SERIES DIVISION II CHAMPIONSHIP
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2006) – Joe Kosiski continued a remarkable short track racing career by winning his sixth major NASCAR title this season. The Omaha, Neb., driver won the 2006 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division II championship after a winning season in Dirt Late Models at Adams County Speedway and I-80 Speedway.
Kosiski came tantalizingly close to winning his second NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national championship, until Virginia’s Philip Morris pulled off a last-chance victory at Caraway Speedway, in Asheboro, N.C., to win the national championship by just two points.
Kosiski’s combined record between both tracks included 14 wins and 30 top-five finishes in 36 starts. He had the most success at I-80 Speedway, in Greenwood, Neb., with 11 wins and 15 top-five finishes there. His point total, based on his best 16 finishes of the year, was 1,112 and he beat Jonathan Bouvrette, from Autodrome St. Eustache in Quebec, for the NDWS Division II title by 44 points.
Winning the NDWS Division II title isn’t a bad consolation prize, however, as Kosiski is set to collect a $25,000 point fund award and be honored at the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series awards banquet, on Nov. 11 in Las Vegas. It will mark Kosiski’s 20th career appearance at this gala awards celebration, which honors NASCAR’s top short track racers from across North America.
Kosiski won four Regional championships (which were awarded prior to the “Divisional” format that was introduced in 2005) in 1986, ’92, ’99 and 2000. In addition, Kosiski was the 1986 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series national champion. He’s won 16 track championships and more than 200 feature races during his career. At the start of the 2006 season, Kosiski was named one of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series All-Time Top 25 drivers, in a poll of media members and track operators to commemorate the series’ 25th year.
Final NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Division II standings (best 16 finishes)
Pos Driver Name Home Track Starts Wins T-5 T-10 Points
1 JOE KOSISKI I-80 SPEEDWAY 16 12 16 16 1,112
2 JONATHAN BOUVRETTE AUTODROME ST. EUSTACHE 16 9 15 16 1,068
3 CHRIS SPIEKER ADAMS COUNTY SPEEDWAY 16 5 14 16 1,030
4 DAVE BYRD ALTAMONT MOTORSPORTS 16 7 15 16 994
5 JOHN BLEWETT, III WALL TOWNSHIP SPEEDWAY 16 6 14 16 980
6 RICK SMITH MYRTLE BEACH SPEEDWAY 16 11 16 16 918
7 PHILIP BARIL JR LEE USA SPEEDWAY 16 6 13 15 906
8 GUY GUIBOR STOCKTON 99 SPEEDWAY 16 3 11 16 902
9 CRAIG VON DOHREN GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY 16 3 9 11 858
10 SHANE RINER OGLETHORPE SPEEDWAY PARK 16 11 15 16 834
11 SHANE BRAFFORD CONCORD MOTORSPORT PARK 16 8 16 16 834
12 JOE ARAMENDIA SAN ANTONIO SPEEDWAY 16 11 15 16 782
13 TERRY DOWLER EDMONTON INTL RACEWAY 16 1 9 16 782
14 STEVEN GANNON SHASTA RACEWAY PARK 16 8 14 15 742
15 MIKE LEATY SPENCER SPEEDWAY 13 2 11 13 676
