Rip Michaels of Mission Hills, Calif., has taken the lead in the chase for the championship in the Sunbelt Region of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series.
Michaels, last year’s runner-up in the region, sits atop the rankings with a Competition Performance Index of .8125. He has won six of 12 races this season in the Super Late Model division at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.
Brian Richardson, of Bakersfield, Calif., slipped to second in the standings after leading the region for eight consecutive weeks. Richardson has five wins and 13 top-five finishes in 13 races this season at his hometown track of Mesa Marin Raceway.
The biggest jump in the top tier of the standings this week came from David Beat of Santee, Calif. He took over the lead in the track standings at Cajon Speedway near San Diego and, consequently, moved from 17th to ninth in the regional standings.
Eight weeks of competition in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series remain before the eight regional championships are decided after the weekend of Sept. 21.
THIS WEEK’S REGIONAL LEADERS …
Driver Home Track Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 CPI Change*
1. Rip Michaels Irwindale Speedway 12 6 9 11 .8125 +1
2. Brian Richardson Mesa Marin Raceway 13 5 13 13 .8004 -1
3. Chris Whorton Huntsville Speedway 10 8 9 10 .7911 - -
4. Chuck Wares Tucson Raceway Park 13 5 13 13 .7332 - -
5. Scott Winters Madera Speedway 11 4 10 11 .7249 - -
6. Mark Whitener Jr. Jax Raceways 14 6 11 14 .7096 +1
7. Larry Bendele San Antonio Speedway 14 5 11 14 .6925 +1
8. Chuck Trickle The Bullring at LVMS 12 3 7 10 .6920 -2
9. David Beat Cajon Speedway 12 2 7 10 .6272 +8
*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 Sunbelt Region: Scott Winters, Tracy, Calif., last year’s Sunbelt Region champion made headlines as the first Dodge driver to capture a regional title during Dodge’s first year as a series sponsor. Today, Winters is fifth in the regional standings with four wins and 10 top-five finishes at Madera (Calif.) Speedway.
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 7/29)
Marty Ward Jr. Greenville-Pickens Speedway (Atlantic) 16
Matt Carter Hickory Motor Speedway (Atlantic) 15
Phil Rozum Lorain County Speedway (Northeast) 14
Scot Danzeisen Viking Speedway (Midwest) 13
Justin Labonte Caraway Speedway (Atlantic) 13
Tim Lance Peoria Speedway (Heartland) 13
Shaun Magnum Concord Motorsport Park (Southeastern Coastal) 13
Mark McFarland Old Dominion Speedway (Atlantic) 13
Brian Richardson Mesa Marin Raceway (Sunbelt) 13
Chuck Wares Tucson Raceway Park (Sunbelt) 13
