If the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series has a halfway point, this week is it. Although many race tracks began their seasons earlier in the year, NASCAR's Competition Performance Index (CPI) standings are tracked for the final 18 weeks of the season. Nine weeks of competition remain before the eight regional championships are decided after the weekend of Sept. 21, making this week the symbolic halfway point of the season.
And during the figurative first half, few drivers have dominated the regional standings as much as Jerry Robertson. This Arvada, Colo. resident has led the Northwest Region standings since week one and shows no signs of letting up over the next nine. In the other seven regions of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, only one other driver - Mark McFarland, of Winchester, Va. - has led the standings for the duration of the season.
Robertson's performance has been sensational. He's won two-thirds of the races he's run at Colorado National Speedway near Denver. To put that accomplishment in perspective, if NASCAR Winston Cup Series points leader Matt Kenseth were winning this much, he'd have 12 wins by now - one short of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series' Modern Era record for wins in a single season.
It will take an equally sensational performance to knock Robertson off the top spot in the regional standings, which gives challengers Andy Stibal, of Orondo, Wash. and Gary Madsen, of Salt Lake City, a lot to do in nine short weeks. Stibal and Madsen have each won seven races and recorded 10 top-five finishes at their respective home tracks - fantastic records by any standards - but neither has been able to muster a big enough winning streak to unseat Robertson.
Going unnoticed among Robertson's regional championship challengers is one of the toughest - the one from his home track. Bruce Yackey, a 1997 NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series regional champion from Greeley, Colo., trails Robertson in the track point standings by only 28 markers. NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series rules stipulate that a driver must be his or her track points leader in order to win a regional championship or finish in the top "tier" of the regional standings. If Yackey overtakes Robertson in the track point standings, the Northwest Region championship picture could take on a whole new look over the remaining nine weeks of the season.
THIS WEEK'S REGIONAL LEADERS ...
Driver Home Track Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 CPI Change*
1. Jerry Robertson Colorado National Speedway 12 8 11 11 .8958 - -
2. Andy Stibal Wenatchee Valley Super Oval 11 7 10 10 .8840 - -
3. Gary Madsen Rocky Mountain Raceways 12 7 10 11 .8238 - -
4. John Zaretske Evergreen Speedway 11 6 10 11 .8179 - -
5. Scott Walker Yakima Speedway 10 6 8 10 .8021 - -
6. Steve ThompsonTri-City Raceway 12 3 10 11 .7311 - -
7. Eric Schmidt Stockton 99 Speedway 13 3 11 12 .7123 - -
8. Bobby Hogge IV Watsonville Speedway 12 4 10 12 .6944 - -
9. Steve Jones Magic Valley Speedway 11 2 10 11 .6300 - -
*Editor's Note: The +/- numbers in the "change" column indicate a driver's movement in the regional standings, versus their position during the previous week. The dash marks indicate that a driver has maintained their position in the standings.
Dodge drivers on track ... As a part of its NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series sponsorship, Dodge posts more than $80,000 in prize money for drivers who use Dodge vehicles. The highest finishing Dodge driver in the feature division at each track can receive a $500 bonus, while the highest finishing Dodge driver in each region can collect an additional $2,500. If the national champion drives a Dodge, they could receive a $25,000 national championship bonus. In order to be eligible for these special awards, drivers must use a Dodge body and motor in their race car for the entire season. Here's a look at the top Dodge drivers in the Northwest Region: Steve Jones, Kuna, Idaho, currently ninth in the Northwest Region standings with two wins and 10 top-five finishes at Magic Valley Speedway in Twin Falls, Idaho. ... Harold Wartluft, Gooding, Idaho, ranked 19th in this week's Northwest Region standings, has two wins and seven top-five finishes and is second behind Jones in the track point standings at Magic Valley. ... Ed Vecchiarelli, Brighton, Colo., currently 21st in the Late Model point standings at Colorado National Speedway, has two top-10 finishes. ... Bear Lynch, Denver, Colo., 22nd in the Late Model standings at Colorado National Speedway, has one top-five and two top-10 finishes. ... Dennis Wurtz II, Nampa, Idaho, currently 15th in the track point standings at Tri-City Raceway in West Richland, Wash., has three top-five and five top-10 finishes.
Top top-five finishers ... Consistency is a key factor for any championship contender. In the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, consistent top-five finishes are a measure of success in this category. Here's a look at some of the steadiest finishers in the nation:
Driver Home track (region) Top-fives (thru 7/22)
Matt Carter Hickory Motor Speedway (Atlantic) 15
Marty Ward Jr. Greenville-Pickens Speedway (Atlantic) 15
Brian Richardson Mesa Marin Raceway (Sunbelt) 13
Phil Rozum Lorain County Speedway (Northeast) 13
Scot Danzeisen Viking Speedway (Midwest) 12
Tim Karrick Lakeside Speedway (Midwest) 12
Justin Labonte Caraway Speedway (Atlantic) 12
Tim Lance Peoria Speedway (Heartland) 12
Shaun Magnum Concord Motorsport Park (Southeastern Coastal) 12
Chuck Wares Tucson Raceway Park (Sunbelt) 12
