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A few weeks have gone by the wayside since the last time I updated my power rankings. With racing season in full effect it’s time to come up with new list.
Many of the drivers already on the list remained in the top ten because of the success they had the past few weeks. A couple of drivers also were able to work there way back into the top ten after running well this past weekend and two new drivers had made their way into the new rankings.
Here is edition number four of my power rankings:
1. Brett Hearn (Best: 1, Worst: 3): Hearn has worked his way back to the top spot using a sweep at the Orange County Fair Speedway this past weekend and a second the previous week to Matt DeLorenzo in Fonda Speedway’s opener. He also finished seventh at Big Diamond in their season opener. If not for problems at Albany-Saratoga Speedway on opening night he may have had two second place finishes to Matty D. If Hearn continues at this pace it’s going to be difficult to knock him off the top spot from here on out.
2. Duane Howard (Best: 2, Worst: Out): Duane Howard hasn’t made an appearance yet in the power rankings until this week as he picked up the Big Diamond big-block Modified race worth a quick $4,000. Then he backed that up with a win at Grandview Speedway in their opener. Howard races some of the best in the business each week in Pennsylvania and he was able to win two very big races.
3. Matt DeLorenzo (Best: 3, Worst: Out): This is the first appearance in the power rankings for Matty D but it’s a well earned after two wins. He won Fonda Speedway’s opener by passing none other than Brett Hearn. He then went on to win Malta’s opener by passing none other than Brett Hearn. That is a pretty good way to start the 2008 racing season for the defending Fonda Speedway track champion.
4. Billy Decker (Best: 4, Worst: Out): Billy Decker has been out of the last couple of rankings because of his Late Model endeavors but with two straight Modified wins this past weekend he’s back in. Decker won at Brewerton Speedway Friday night and then backed that up with a win at the Land of Legends (Canandaigua Speedway). Not that this counts in the Modified power rankings but he did have a second place finish in the MACS series opener with the Late Model.
5. Rick Laubach (Best: 1, Worst: Out): ‘The Quaker Shaker’ falls from the top spot to fifth in the rankings. He won the NES/Bridgeport Challenge race worth $3,000 and he had a seventh at Bridgeport Speedway the following week. He qualified for both of the other big races he entered at New Egypt Speedway and Big Diamond but didn’t have spectacular results dropping him down in the rankings.
6. Steve Paine (Best: 6, Worst: Out): Steve Paine started the season on a good note. He won $3,000 at Black Rock Speedway in their opener for the Modifieds and then finished fifth in the Canandaigua opener and the next day he scored a second at Weedsport on opening night. Paine won’t be competing at Black Rock for the next three weeks due to his suspension but he’ll have Canandaigua on Saturday night’s and he’s been known to win a few races there.
7. Matt Sheppard ((Best: 6, Worst: Out): Matt Sheppard picked up his first win of the season on Sunday afternoon at the Cayuga County Fair Speedway. He also had a third at Brewerton and a second place finish at Canandaigua to get back into the rankings.
8. Billy Pauch (Best: 2, Worst: Out): Welcome back to New Egypt Speedway. Billy Pauch picked up the win in the season opener and a nice paycheck as it was a NES/Bport challenge race. He didn’t fair well in the other events he entered but it seems like 2008 has been hit or miss for Pauch.
9. Bobby Varin (Best: 9, Worst: Out): This week I’m giving Bobby Varin a top ten in the rankings. Varin finished fourth in the Fonda Speedway Ice Jam and then backed that up with a win last Saturday night. Varin’s weekend wasn’t great though as he did blow a motor in practice on Sunday at Utica-Rome Speedway. Hopefully the team has it repaired for this week’s action.
10. Stewart Friesen (Best: 10, Worst: Out): Stewart Friesen hasn’t won a race yet in the dual track region but you have to give him credit for his two top five runs. He’s scored a pair of third place finishes at Grandview in his three attempts. His other finish was 26th. A good start for a new comer to the rough and tumble ways of a weekly show at Grandview Speedway.
Drivers falling out of the rankings this week: Jimmy Phelps (Best: 3, Worst: Out), Pat Ward (Best: 5, Worst: Out), Ryan Godown (Best: 6, Worst: Out), Mike Colsten (Best: 7, Worst: Out), Jeff Rudalavage (Best: 8, Worst: Out), Bob Drayton (Best: 10, Worst: Out)
Drivers that have been in and out of the rankings this season: Tim Fuller (Best: 2, Worst: Out), Kenny Tremont (Best: 7, Worst: Out), Gary Tomkins (Best: 9, Worst: Out), Dale Planck (Best: 3, Worst: Out), Jimmy Horton (Best: 4, Worst: Out), Alan Johnson (Best 6, Worst: Out), Matt Sheppard (Best: 6, Worst: Out), Mario Clair (Best: 9, Worst: Out)
Hopefully these rankings start some discussion as I’ve included some controversial picks. As the season goes the rankings will get tougher with much more racing going on and the fact that each of these drivers faces some very different, yet equally difficult, competition week in and week out.
For comments you can email me at mikemallett@dirttrackdigest.com of start some discussion on the message boards.
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