Kevin Ramsell/American Speed Association PR
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (Wednesday, August 3, 2011) – In the four years of the Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Championship, there has not been a female driver at the top of the standings. Chrissy Wallace is the first female driver to reach the top spot.
The daughter of Nationwide Series competitor Mike Wallace has been in a tight battle for the points lead with Ken Dickenson at Lebanon I-44 Speedway, an ASA Member Track in Lebanon, MO.
After a slow start to the season, she has come on strong over the last six weeks where she has four feature wins, a fourth place and a fifth place finish. So far, for the entire season, she has five wins with nine top-five and eleven top-ten finishes.
Not only have the wins helped her in the National Standings but so has her average starting position of 8.5833 and average finishing position of 3.9167. Lebanon I-44 Speedway has been a factor with a solid late model car count averaging 14.75. All of these are a factor in her National Championship chase, but she must win the track championship first in order to put herself next to the great Larry Phillips who won National Championships when he competed at the famed facility.
Speaking of a battle for the track championship, Ace Speedway has a tight battle brewing between Barry Beggarly and Jason York. With York winning the 100-lap feature last week and Beggarly finishing third, this has put them in a tie for the Late Model championship at the ASA Member Track located in Altamahaw, NC.
Per Brad Allen, Ace Speedway Promoter, if the season would end today, York would be declared the champion because he has one more feature win over Beggarly. Beggarly has an average of 3.9309 while York has an average of 3.8313 in the National Standings.
Shelby Stroebel is not that far behind with his average of 3.5323. The point leader in the ASA Modified division at Meridian Speedway in Meridian, ID has a comfortable lead at the quarter-mile asphalt facility. His average starting position of 10.7273 and average finish of 2.4545 is keeping him in the hunt for the tryout with Joe Gibbs Racing.
David Flynn, the point leader in the Late Model Sportsman division at Newport Motor Speedway in Newport, TN, will have twin 35-lap features this Saturday night. This could really shake up the point standings with the top three separated by 14 points. Flynn has an average of 3.4797.
Michael Hale will be back in action this Saturday night at Rocky Mountain Raceways in West Valley City, UT. He continues to lead the Maverik Modified standings by five points over Tyler Whetstone. Hale has a national average of 2.8240.
Mike Reichenberger struggled last Friday night in the Late Model feature at Norway Speedway in Norway, MI. After winning two weeks in a row, he finished tenth, but still maintains the point lead. He has a national average of 2.7432
Mark Mackesy finished fourth in the Larry Detjens Memorial last Saturday night at State Park Speedway in Wausau, WI. He holds a 25-point lead over Mark Eswein in the track standings. His national average is 1.9206.
Randall Wilhorn continues to lead at Marshfield Motor Speedway. The leader in the Late Model division has a national average of 1.8371.
Ryan Stiltner hopes to start a new winning streak in the Charger division at Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, VA this Saturday night. He has an average of 1.7576.
Mark Shackleford will be looking for two wins in a row this Saturday night in the Super Late Model division at Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, CA. He has an average of 1.4055.
The last five drivers have less events on record, and will be catching up over the next two months.
“This is a great battle for the 2011 Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil ASA Member Track National Championship,” Dennis Huth, ASA President said. “We still have less than two months to go! This means that more competitors at our different ASA Member Tracks still have a great chance to be a factor. It is great to see this now, but it could get better. If the battle is this tight for the National Championship, I can’t imagine how awesome the racing is at our ASA Member Tracks.”
Fans can look at their favorite driver statistics by visiting SpeedNetDirect.com’s Championship Insider at www.championshipinsider.com. It is a free membership site, sign up today!
Drivers from participating ASA Member Tracks across the United States have chosen one of their divisions as their premiere divisions. Those drivers in the premiere division, who are ASA members in good standing, will compete at their ASA Member Track to first win their track championship. Once they accomplish that goal, they will then be matched up against the other premiere division champions to determine the National Champion.
ASA has once again teamed up with speednetdirect.com to create a proprietary point system that is much like a batting average in baseball. Some of the factors used to create an average are wins, number of cars passed, finishes, car count, and number of events. No one knows what has more of a factor over another.
Race fans and competitors can follow the standings on www.speednetdirect.com. The opening page shows the current track point leaders that would be eligible for the National Championship if it ended today. The East and West Region standings give a complete listing of all of the drivers participating this season.
Past National Champions are Cary Stapp, Thunderhill Raceway (2008), Tommy Cloce, Adirondack Speedway (2009), and Bryan Wordelman, Rocky Mountain Raceways (2010).
Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil, sponsor of the American Speed Association National Short Track National Championship, is the same oil developed and used by Joe Gibbs Racing. The team sells the oil so racers across the country can have access to the latest technology in racing lubricants.
Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the premier organizations in NASCAR, currently fielding three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams, two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams and a driver development program. Based in Huntersville, N.C., and owned by Joe Gibbs – a three-time Super Bowl champion as head coach of the Washington Redskins and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – JGR has competed in NASCAR since 1992, winning three Cup Series championships and more than 80 NASCAR races, including three Brickyard 400s and the 1993 Daytona 500.
The ASA Member Track program sanctions dirt and asphalt short tracks along with road courses around the United States, as well as a variety of regional and national touring series. For more information call (386) 258-2221, or send an email to info@asa-racing.com. The latest news and information from all the racetracks and tours involved in the ASA can be found by visiting www.ASA-Racing.com.
JOE GIBBS DRIVEN RACING OIL
ASA MEMBER TRACK NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
(As of 8/3/11)
1. Chrissy Wallace (Lebanon I-44 Speedway) – 3.9518
2. Barry Beggarly (Ace Speedway) – 3.9309
3. Jason York (Ace Speedway) – 3.8313
4. Shelby Stroebel (Meridian Speedway) – 3.5323
5. David Flynn (Newport Motor Speedway) – 3.4797
6. Michael Hale (Rocky Mountain Raceways) – 2.8240
7. Mike Reichenberger (Norway Speedway) – 2.7432
8. Mark Mackesy (State Park Speedway) – 1.9206
9. Randall Wilhorn (Marshfield Motor Speedway) – 1.8371
10. Ryan Stiltner (Lonesome Pine Raceway) -1.7576
11. Mark Shackleford (Orange Show Speedway) – 1.4055