NASCAR Roots Notebook: Consistency Key In Modified Tour Title Fight
NASCAR Roots Notebook: Consistency Key In Modified Tour Title Fight
The top four in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points are showing that consistency is the key to this year's championship battle
The crossed flags are out on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour as it has reached the halfway point of the 2022 season with last Saturday’s Jersey Shore 150 at Wall Stadium Speedway. With eight races down and eight races to go, it has become clear that the championship is going to be won with consistency.
Yes, being consistent is one of the most important determining factors for a champion every year. However, this year it’s proving to be more important than ever.
Let’s take a look at the top five in points following the race at Wall Stadium. Currently, Ron Silk leads the points by 26 over Jon McKennedy. Eric Goodale is in third, trailing Silk by 29 points. Tommy Catalano is fourth in points, 30 back of Silk, and Justin Bonsignore has climbed his way back to fifth, 35 markers behind Silk.
Those top four drivers all have something in common, and that’s a big goose-egg in the win column. That’s right, none of them have scored a victory yet. Catalano, Goodale and McKennedy have all come close as they’ve all had a runner-up finish this year, while Silk has yet to finish higher than third where he’s finished three times so far.
In fact, the only driver in the entire top 10 in points with a victory is fifth-place Bonsignore with two wins (Richmond and Monadnock).
But even still, Silk, the 2011 champion, has been pulling away from the rest of the field because he’s even more consistent than they are. Silk has the most top-five finishes (five) and top-10 finishes (eight), both of which are two more than the next closest driver.
Over these last eight races it’s going to be interesting to see who stumbles and who stays steady because only two of these five drivers have won a championship before in Silk and Bonsignore. McKennedy, Goodale and Catalano are all searching for their first championship, and Catalano is still searching for that first victory as well.
Will Silk be able to continue his smooth and steady ways and ride that to a second championship? Will Bonsignore continue to rally and win a fourth title? Or will one of McKennedy, Goodale or Catalano lift the championship trophy for the first time? And, will any of those drivers score a win before the year is done? Those are the storylines we’re all going to have a ton of fun watching as the season continues to wind down to the season finale at Martinsville Speedway on October 27.
Dylan Zampa’s All American Dominance
Napa, California’s Dylan Zampa has been the dominator of Roseville’s All American Speedway so far in 2022. Entering this past Saturday’s twin Late Model features, Zampa had been undefeated to start off the season at the 1/3-mile oval with seven wins in a row.
Zampa scored an eighth win on Saturday, but that night will best be remembered for the race he didn’t win.
VIDEO: Leaders Tangle Coming To Checkered At All American Speedway
Zampa started in the fourth position and found his way in second by just the eighth lap of the 35-lap race. He and Jason Romero traded the lead back and forth for a number of laps before Zampa fell in line behind Romero with just a few laps to go.
With the checkered flag waving, Zampa gave Romero a hard shot to the back bumper in the center of turns three and four, which sent Romero spinning. Zampa and Romero collided again, heavily damaging Romero’s car and causing Zampa to miss out on the victory. Kenna Mitchell was in the right spot at the right time to inherit her first Pro Late Model victory.
National Championship Update
| Pos | Driver Name | Track | Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Points |
| 1 | Layne Riggs | Dominion, Hickory, S Boston, Wake | 21 | 10 | 15 | 17 | 522 |
| 2 | Peyton Sellers | Dominion, S Boston | 18 | 6 | 16 | 17 | 500 |
| 3 | Jacob Goede | Elko, LaCrosse, Madison Intl | 15 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 372 |
| 4 | Brandon Ward | Bowman | 15 | 0 | 9 | 13 | 362 |
| 5 | Tim Brown | Bowman | 15 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 356 |
| 6 | Mason Bailey | Dominion, S Boston | 19 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 344 |
| 7 | Brett Kressley | Grandview | 12 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 338 |
| 8 | Landon Pembelton | Dominion, Hickory, S Boston | 17 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 338 |
| 9 | Craig Von Dohren | Grandview | 12 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 332 |
| 10 | Jason Myers | Bowman | 15 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 332 |
NASCAR Roots On FloRacing This Week
Friday
4:30 p.m. ET – NASCAR Pinty’s Series at Exhibition Place (Toronto Street Course)
6:30 p.m. ET – ISMA/MSS Supermodifieds and more at Berlin Raceway
6:30 p.m. ET – Dirt Modifieds at Autodrome Granby
Saturday
5:30 p.m. ET – Crate Modifieds at Riverhead Raceway
6 p.m. ET – NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
6 p.m. ET – Late Models and more at Jennerstown Speedway
6:30 p.m. ET – ISMA/MSS Supermodifieds and Super Late Models at Berlin Raceway
7 p.m. ET – Twin Late Model Stock Car features at South Boston Speedway
7 p.m. ET – Modifieds at Langley Speedway
7:50 p.m. ET – Modifieds at Bowman Gray Stadium
8 p.m. ET – Late Models at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway
8:30 p.m. ET – Pro Late Models at Meridian Speedway
9 p.m. ET – Figure 8 racing at Evergreen Speedway