Poll Position presented by Keyser Manufacturing
Top 25: Pierce No. 1 with Hoffman up to fifth
By Kevin Kovac
DirtonDirt senior writer
Nick Hoffman (Tyler Carr photo)
Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., failed to reach victory lane during the three-race Upper Midwestern swing on the World of Outlaws Real American Beer Late Model Series, but contending each night kept him ahead of an idle Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., as the No. 1 driver in DirtonDirt’s power rankings.
The 28-year-old superstar claimed six of the 10 first-place votes in the Keyser Manufacturing Top 25 poll to remain in front for a 12th consecutive week. He finished sixth on Friday at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., seventh on Saturday at Norman County Raceway in Ada, Minn. (after pitting to change a flat tire) and second on Sunday at Nodak Speedway in Minot, N.D., despite running most of the race without brakes.
Davenport, 41, received the poll’s other four first-place votes, keeping him at No. 2 following a weekend that he took off from racing with no races scheduled for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Remaining at No. 3 was Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., who also opted to sit out competition over the last weekend of June, while Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, scored a $20,000 Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series-Northern Allstars Late Model Series victory Saturday at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky., but stayed at No. 4.
Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, N.C., meanwhile, moved up one spot to No. 5 after a superb WoO weekend with victories at River Cities and Norman County and a third-place finish at Nodak.
The poll’s biggest riser was Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., who vaulted seven spots to No. 17 after a two-victory week on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. The series points leader's triumphs came Friday at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway and Saturday at Highland (Ill.) Speedway.
Joining the Top 25 was Cory Hedgecock of Loudon, Tenn., tied at No. 21 after scoring a $10,000 checkered flag in Friday’s HTF-Northern Allstars feature at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky.; Joseph Joiner of Milton, Fla., who placed third at Lake Cumberland and Florence to land at No. 23; and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., who returned at No. 25 after starting the WoO’s northern swing with podium finishes at River Cities and Norman County.
Dropping out of the rankings was Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., and Carson Ferguson of Lincolnton, N.C.
Voting is done by a 10-member committee made up of staffers and contributors to determine the Top 25 power rankings: Richard Allen, Bryan Ault, Jeff Broeg, Kelley Carlton, Ryan Delph, Josh James, Kevin Kovac, Kyle McFadden, Mike Ruefer and Kyle Symons. Results are compiled and tabulated by Todd Turner, who serves as a voting alternate along with fellow staffer Aaron Clay.
Rankings appear Tuesdays through mid-November provided at least half of the drivers in the current rankings are in action in the previous week.
1. Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Comment: Fails to reach victory lane during WoO tour’s Upper Midwest tripleheader, but comes close in finale at North Dakota’s Nodak with runner-up finish despite losing his brakes. Eyeing third straight $50,000 NAPA Gopher 50 win this weekend at Deer Creek. Series points: 1st (WoO). 1st (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 1st (nc)
2. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Comment: Takes weekend off with holiday Lucas Oil trip to Atomic and Muskingum County ahead. Series points: 2nd (Lucas Oil); 2nd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 2nd (nc)
3. Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Comment: Rare weekend without racing for busy racer who heads to Atomic and Muskingum County exactly one year after his seismic release from SSI Motorsports led him to affiliation with Koehler Motorsports. Series points: 1st (Lucas Oil); 3rd (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 3rd (nc)
4. Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Comment: Earns $20,000 for capturing Hunt the Front-Northern Allstars co-sanctioned special at Florence. Eyeing two home-state Lucas Oil shows at Atomic and his family’s Muskingum County oval. Series points: 3rd (Lucas Oil); 7th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 4th (nc)
5. Nick Hoffman, Mooresville, N.C.
Comment: Records back-to-back WoO triumphs for first time with successes at River Cities and Norman County. Adds third-place run at Nodak in advance of three-day visit to Deer Creek for Gopher 50. Series points: 2nd (WoO); 6th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 6th (+1)
6. Hudson O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Comment: Back in K&L Rumley Enterprises No. 6 for first time in four months, loses shot at top-five at Florence to flat tire and retires for 22nd-place finish. Returns to Lucas Oil trail over holiday weekend at Atomic and Muskingum County. Series points: 4th (Lucas Oil); 9th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 5th (-1)
7. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Comment: Drives family-owned No. B5 to five straight podium finishes on Summer Nationals, ending stretch with $5,000 win at Clarksville and $10,000 weekly points title. Hoping to break Lucas Oil win drought at Atomic and Muskingum County. Series points: 7th (Lucas Oil); 5th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 8th (+1)
8. Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M.
Comment: Spends Lucas Oil off-weekend piloting a Brian Thompson Roofing Longhorn Chassis to fourth-place Summer Nationals finishes at Farmer City and Highland. Back in Roberts Motorsports machine for Lucas Oil doubleheader at Atomic and Muskingum County. Series points: 5th (Lucas Oil); 10th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 7th (-1)
9. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Comment: Takes his WoO Upper Midwest swing from middling (finishes of 13th at River Cities and 10th at Norman County) to superb with stirring $15,000 victory in weekend finale at Nodak. Next up is Deer Creek’s Gopher 50, a race he won in 2010 just two days after the birth of his son Gavin, who celebrates his 15th birthday the same day as this year’s $50,000-to-win event. Series points: 5th (WoO). Previous ranking: 10th (+1)
10. Tyler Erb, New Waverly, Texas
Comment: Up-and-down Summer Nationals week highlighted by win at Springfield, Mo., and runner-up finish at Farmer City. Continuing down Hell Tour road around the Fourth of July holiday. Series points: 2nd (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 11th (+1)
11. Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga.
Comment: Doesn’t make any noise in Hunt the Front-Northern Allstars combo shows, finishing eighth at Lake Cumberland and 10th at Florence. Needs to start picking up steam at Atomic and Muskingum County if he’s going to grab a Lucas Oil Big Four playoff spot in September. Series points: 6th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 9th (-2)
12. Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Comment: Improves each night of WoO tripleheader, going from seventh to sixth to fourth. Ranks as a favorite for Gopher 50 glory at Deer Creek, where he claimed a preliminary feature last year. Series points: 3rd (WoO); 8th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 12th (nc)
13. Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Comment: Still winless for the season on WoO circuit after three-race Upper Midwest excursion sees him top out with a fifth at River Cities. Can he finally break through at Deer Creek? Series points: 8th (WoO); 4th (FloRacing). Previous ranking: 13th (nc)
14. Josh Rice, Crittenden, Ky.
Comment: Falls just short of $20,000 victory on his home turf at Florence, finishing second after a fifth the previous night at Lake Cumberland. He’ll look to celebrate Independence Day with a Lucas Oil victory at Atomic. Series points: 1st (Northern Allstars). Previous ranking: 14th (nc)
15. Drake Troutman, Hyndman, Pa.
Comment: Sandwiches a 12th-place run at Norman County with finishes of fourth at River Cities and fifth at Nodak during WoO weekend. Tackling Gopher 50 next. Series points: 4th (WoO). Previous ranking: 15th (nc)
16. Max Blair, Centerville, Pa.
Comment: Iffy weather keeps him close to home and leads to a checkered at New York’s Stateline. He’ll pursue some good money in his backyard over holiday weekend with stops at McKean County ($10,010), Stateline ($10,000 and Eriez ($6,041). Series points: None. Previous ranking: 16th (nc)
17. Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
Comment: Closes week on Summer Nationals with consecutive wins at Farmer City and Highland plus a runner-up finish at Clarksville. More Hell Tour action ahead. Series points: 1st (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: 24th (+7)
18. Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
Comment: Notches fourth-place finishes in Hunt the Front-Northern Allstars twinbill at Lake Cumberland and Florence. Another HTF show on tap Saturday at Senoia, Ga. Series points: 1st (Hunt the Front); 4th (Spring Nationals). Previous ranking: 18th (nc)
19. Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, Ga.
Comment: He’s an early retiree at Lake Cumberland but contends at Florence before settling for sixth. Next race listed on schedule is July 12’s second night of Schaeffer’s Southern Nationals at Virginia’s Wythe Raceway. Series points: 8th (Hunt the Front). Previous ranking: 17th (-2)
20. Ethan Dotson, Bakersfield, Calif.
Comment: Shakes off recent doldrums with solid WoO Upper Midwest trip that includes three top-10s highlighted by runner-up finish at Norman County. Deer Creek comes next. Series points: 7th (WoO). Previous ranking: 19th (-1)
T21. Daulton Wilson, Fayetteville, N.C.
Comment: Three Summer Nationals starts yield little success (14th, DNQ, seventh) and a flat tire at Florence leaves him 16th in final rundown. Hopes Lucas Oil events at Atomic and Muskingum County provide something to smile about. Series points: 8th (Lucas Oil). Previous ranking: 20th (-1)
T21. Cory Hedgecock, Loudon, Tenn.
Comment: Secures first Hunt the Front triumph of season in Northern Allstars co-sanctioned show at Lake Cumberland, then finishes seventh at Florence. More HTF action this Saturday at Senoia. Series points: 2nd (Hunt the Front). Previous ranking: Unranked
23. Joseph Joiner, Milton, Fla.
Comment: Third-place finishes at Lake Cumberland and Florence puts him in a great mood. He’ll try to add another podium run at Senoia. Series points: 5th (Hunt the Front). Previous ranking: Unranked
24. Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Comment: Lake Cumberland-Florence doubleheader yields pedestrian finishes of 19th and eighth, but he was in contention at opener until catching the wall late. Holiday racing to be determined. Series points: None. Previous ranking: 21st (-3)
25. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
Comment: Picks up second- and third-place finishes in WoO features at River Cities and Norman County. Looks to carry momentum to Deer Creek. Series points: 6th (WoO); 8th (Summer Nationals). Previous ranking: Unranked
Dropped out: Mason Zeigler, Gregg Satterlee, Carson Ferguson.
Others receiving votes: Gregg Satterlee, Mason Zeigler, Carson Ferguson, Kyle Bronson, Ashton Winger, Trey Mills.
