All Iowa Points Mid-Term

After a slow start due to weather and that virus thing the 2020 racing season has hit the mid-season mark, at least in regard to the calendar. Will there be more events in the second half of the season than the first? I sure hope so, but if there is one thing that the past few months have taught us, it is that things don't always go as planned.

Before we flip the calendar over to July I wanted to take a moment to look at the All Iowa Points in each division to see where things stand and, since the Webmistress has already uploaded the June 28th update to the Points page at Positively Racing, here we go!

In the Late Models two-time and defending champion Matt Ryan has raced out to a somewhat comfortable lead over three-time champion Justin Kay. And, since the two of them can usually be found at the same track each night, Kay is going to need to have Ryan fail to run in the top five a few times to make up ground. Even though Justin stole two away from Matt last Thursday night, that was only a net gain of two points under the All Iowa five-point scale. You can't count out Jeff Aikey who  is looking for his second All Iowa Points Late Model title. He also won the Sportsman championship in 1984 and how about young Logan Duffy making his mark through the first half of the season ranked in fourth?

Tom Berry Jr. - Barry Johnson photo

He first came to us from Oregon and while he has called Newburg, North Dakota, home the past two seasons it is my understanding that Tom Berry Jr. is now based in Des Moines. Wherever he is staying right now, Berry has had the best first half of the season lead the AIP Modified points by thirteen over three-time champion Chris Abelson. Jeff Larson and Michael Long are tied for the third position, the same spot that Larson finished the 2019 season in behind Joel Rust and Kelly Shryock. The 2009 Modified champion Jeremy Mills is off to a good start in fifth.



The closest battle at the top here at Mid-Term will be found in the Limited Modified division where only two points separate the top three drivers. Doug Smith would become the fourth different Smith brother from Lake City to be an All Iowa Points champion if he is able to remain at the top of the list come the end of the year, but 2018 champion Cody Thompson is one point back in second and just behind him is eastern Nebraska's Shawn Harker. Brayton Carter and Ty Griffith are also off to good starts and will likely be contenders to the end of 2020 as well.

Damon Murty (99D) and Mike Nichols (63) - Barry Johnson photo

If the Stock Car standings end up the way that they look right now Damon and Dallon Murty would be the first father/son duo to go first and second in any All Iowa Points division. For Damon it would be his fifth All Iowa Points championship and for Dallon it would be a first. Defending champion Mike Nichols is tied with Elijah Zevenbergen for the third spot and Buck Schafroth is fifth.

South Dakota's Dustin Gulbrandson is setting a quick early pace in the Hobby Stock division with defending champion Eric Stanton not far behind. Kaden Reynolds made a big move this past weekend up to third, the 2016 champion Cody Nielsen is fourth and Brandon Nielsen is fifth.

Talk about a wide open race, all you have to do is look at the Mid-Term Four Cylinder standings and it is hard to pick out a favorite. Keep in mind that this is the only All Iowa Points division where the car count sets the scale each race night (10+ cars = 5-point scale, 6 to 9 cars = 3-point scale and 3 to 5 cars = 1-point scale) and current leader Ryan Bryant is going to need to continue to compete against good car counts to maintain his lead. You have to go down to 21st on the current list to find a former champion, two-time winner Nate Coopman, so it is very likely that we will have a new name to add to the Wall of Fame in 2020. Perhaps Ashley Reuman or Kaytee DeVries could join Kimberly Abbott as the only female drivers to win an AIP title? Abbott did it in the Four Cylinders in 2016.

All three of the Sprint Car classes are wide open right now and the schedule for the second half of the season will go a long way in determining these point chases. World of Outlaw regulars are dominating the 410 class right now with Brad Sweet leading the way, but keep your eye on Austin McCarl who looks to join his dad Terry, a twelve-time champion, on the list. Jack Dover will be tough to catch in the 360 division in what would be his third straight and fifth overall AIP title in the class. In the 305's Dusty Ballanger leads the way at Mid-Terms and if he can hold off two-time and defending champion Tyler Drueke and the rest of the field it would be Ballanger's second AIP championships having won the 360 title in 2003.

Do your part to keep the spread of the virus down both at, and away from the racetrack and hopefully we will have a full second half of the season.

With my wife's birthday on Wednesday, I look to get back to the track on Thursday for the 21st Annual Ron Little Memorial at the Stuart Speedway and then on Friday it will be the 12th Annual Slocum 50 at 34 Raceway west of Burlington. I will then wrap up the holiday weekend on Sunday night with a return to the Randolph County Raceway in Moberly for the Sprint Invaders.

Be safe, take care, stay healthy and we hope to see you at a six foot distance on the Back Stretch!

Van Gogh to the races!