The
unpredictable Spring weather often plays a role in the early stages of the All
Iowa points chase as it often seems that while some tracks struggle to even get
in one race during April and May, others are somehow able to get in five, six
or even more events giving their drivers the opportunity to score points and
set the early pace. That has definitely been the case this year as several
tracks finally got their first race night in the books last weekend while
Boone, Vinton and Burlington have raced several times. So as we head into a
Memorial Day weekend that again looks like it will struggle with weather, let’s
take a look at who the early leaders are in this, the forty-seventh season of
the All Iowa Points.
Ray Guss
Jr. is looking to win his fifth straight and ninth overall All Iowa Points Late
Model title and even though he failed to qualify for the feature on his first
night out in Burlington during the Slocum 50 he has rebounded nicely and is
currently tied for the lead with Tyler Bruening. Coincidentally Bruening also
could not get qualified for the Slocum and Guss had a triumphant return to 34
Raceway last Saturday when he won the UMP Late Model main event. His fifth win
of the early season.
Jesse
Sobbing has dominated the Limited Modified division the past three years and
now he is going to try to do the same with the Modifieds as the western Iowa
driver took over the All Points lead this past weekend. The Gustin brothers,
Jimmy and Richie are tied for second while Cayden Carter, J.D. Auringer and
Jeremy Mills are locked in a three-way tie for fourth. Mills may be the driver
to watch as most of his regular race nights have been cancelled so far, but his
early success including five wins still has him in a position to challenge once
the weather cooperates. Todd Shute is the only former division champion
currently ranked in the top ten.
With
Sobbing no longer in the division the All Iowa Points Limited Modified chase will
be wide open and as of right now the top four drivers are within five points of
each other. Danny Dvorak is a first time leader this week taking over from
Carter VanDenBerg with Tony Dunker and Joel Rust next in line. After his
performance in 2012 when he won three track championships, Dunker would have to
be considered the favorite to win his first All Iowa Points title. One thing is
for certain, the 2013 Champion will be a first-timer as none of the previous
champs are competing in the division this year.
No
driver has been as hot as Damon Murty so far in 2013 as the driver from Chelsea
has already posted ten wins and holds a 17-point edge in the All Iowa Points
Stock Cars. It is not the first time that Murty has jumped out to an early lead
though and, since farming comes first, he usually parks the race car following
the last weekly show in September. If Murty can go wire-to-wire this year it
would be his first all Iowa Points title. A new name near the top of the
standings is Waterloo driver John Emerson who has six wins and three runner-up
finishes in the early going and ranks second. Recent championship contenders
Jason Cook, Abe Huls and Nathan Wood fill out the top five.
Devin
Smith and Shannon Anderson have won the past five All Iowa Points Hobby Stock
titles, but it is Chris Luloff who moved ahead of those two this past week. Dustin
Griffths and Benji Irvine have also established themselves as early contenders.
Merv
Chandler appears to be headed to second straight championship in the Four
Cylinder division as two of the four tracks that he races at weekly
consistently draw five or fewer cars thus guaranteeing him points. Bill Whalen
Jr. will do his best to keep pace while Megan Lappegard could sneak in to
become the first female AIP champion.
The
Sprint Car divisions don’t have many races recorded as of yet, but eleven time
champion Terry McCarl is already on top of the 410 standings. Clint Garner
leads the 360’s, Donnie Steward paces the 305’s and both drivers are former
champions in their division.
And
finally this is the first year that the Mod Lites are being tracked in the All
Iowa Points and it is Andy Hennigar who is out front and looking for that
inaugural championship.
For a
full rundown in all divisions visit the Points page at www.positivelyracing.com
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