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| eKartingNews.com Driver Rankings – July 7, 2011 |
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Just before the storm of big events for July erupts, eKartingNews.com is happy to release the latest edition of the Driver Rankings for the TaG and Stock Moto categories. The past few weeks added a number of regional events with a couple 9-based rank event giving the order minor changes at the top order of the standings - basically like drivers sorting themselves out in a ‘peloton’ before the big events hit later this month. This weekend starts off the three week stretch with the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series event in BeaveRun Motorsports Complex, followed by the Superkarts! USA Mothers® SummerNationals in Grand Junction, Colorado and the United States Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.
Thanks to his efforts at the Rotax Pan American Challenge event in South Bend back in May, Sam Beasley (Arrow) was able to gain a few extra points as he replaced last year’s results from New Castle. The lead increased by four as second place remained unchanged with Aussie David Sera (Arrow) back in his homeland until November for the SKUSA SuperNationals. Also using the Pan Am event to move up the order was 2010’s #1 driver and EKN Driver of the Year Daniel Formal (Birel). He and Beasley swapped wins at the challenging Michiana Raceway Park to help improve his score and tie Robert Bujdoso (PCR) for the third spot. Bujdoso will look to add to his win streak in 2011 at his home track for the fourth round of the WKA national series. Jumping up one spot as well was last year’s US Rotax Grand National champion Stepanova Nekeel (Tony Kart), who will defend his crown in the coming weeks in Utah. Aside from Jesus Rios Jr. (Birel) falling to sixth, the rest of the top-10 remained unchanged with Tommy Andersen - now piloting a Kosmic chassis, Louie Pagano (Birel), Michael Politis (Merlin) and Brazilian Felipe Fraga (CRG).
The top-10 lost two drivers from the group while Fritz Leesmann (CRG) remains the target. SuperNationals S1 winner Alex Speed and former PKC champion Jason Toft fell down the order (35th and 42nd) thanks to their absence on the Pro Tour. That move current S1 Pro Tour point leader Daniel Bray move up into second as the Kiwi heads to Grand Junction, looking to add to his point lead and possible remove Leesmann off the top spot in the Driver Rankings. SoCal driver Brad Dunford (CRG) moved up to third in the order, as he is enjoying a three-win season thus far in ProKart Challenge competition. Last year’s S2 Pro Tour champion Derek Crockett (GP) moves to fourth as he will look to improve on his 2011 S1 debut in Arizona where he was plagued with bad luck. Rounding out the top-five is last year’s PKC South champion Clinton Schoombee (DR Kart), still looking for more consistency as he challenged Dunford for this year’s title.
Ryon Beachner (Tony Kart) moves up two positions to sixth, as he continues to challenge both Dunford and Schoombee for PKC wins. The top ranking S2 driver this month is Texan Jake French (Birel). An impressive SpringNationals weekend coupled with his strong regional results have him up five spots, into seventh. Behind him is fellow S2 competitor Nicky Freytag (Intrepid). A winner in Tucson and leading the championship in ProKart Challenge South, Freytag could move up further in the rankings. Lukas Johnson (GP) - event runner-up in S1 at the SpringNationals - remains in the ninth position with no regional results added to his total. Completing the top-10 is Colorado driver Jack Bradley (Birel), who’s top-five finishes at last year’s SummerNationals and top-10’s at this year’s SpringNationals have him in the tenth position.
TaG
TaG Driver Rankings Top-10
| Pos. | May. 13 | Plus/Minus | Driver | Races | Score| 1. | 1 | NC | Sam Beasley | 16 | 7276 | | 2. | 2 | NC | David Sera | 9 | 7185 | | 3. | 4 | 1 | Daniel Formal | 13 | 7110 | | 3. | 3 | -1 | Robert Bujdoso | 18 | 7110 | | 5. | 6 | 1 | Stepanova Nekeel | 9 | 7054 | | 6. | 5 | -1 | Jesus Rios Jr. | 17 | 7018 | | 7. | 7 | NC | Tommy Andersen | 18 | 6967 | | 8. | 8 | NC | Louie Pagano | 22 | 6966 | | 9. | 9 | NC | Michael Politis | 17 | 6926 | | 10. | 10 | NC | Felipe Fraga | 10 | 6923 | |
For the full TaG Driver Rankings, Click Here
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 | Sam Beasley
(Photo: Cody Schindel - Autosports Media Group) |
TaG #1 - Sam Beasley
Leroy, Ohio
Since April, Beasley Motorsports/KartSport North America driver Sam Beasley has been the driver everyone is trying to beat. Starting out the year with victories in Daytona, Kershaw, and South Bend - not just in TaG but other categories - Beasley has found the right rhythm heading into the month of July. Beasley will look to add to his win total with a trip to his nearby BeaveRun circuit in Pennsylvania for the WKA event before heading to Utah to make his bid at returning to Team USA and a possible US Rotax Grand National crown.
Point Breakdown
| Race | Rank | Finish | Points| US Rotax Grand Nationals ’10 | 10 | 2 | 1118 | | Rock Island GP ’10 - TaG Sr. | 10 | 1 | 1107 | | WKA Man. Cup Series ’11 - Daytona -TaG 1 | 9 | 1 | 1018 | | WKA Man. Cup Series ’11 - Kershaw - TaG 2 | 9 | 2 | 1020 | | WKA Man. Cup Series’ 11 - South Bend - TaG 1 | 9 | 2 | 1029 | | Rotax Pan Am Chall. ’11 - South Bend #1 | 9 | 2 | 987 | | Rotax Pan Am Chall. ’11 - South Bend #2 | 9 | 1 | 997 | |
Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 1.57
Average Points: 1039.4
Total Points: 7276
**************
 | Devin Lindsey
(Photo: Superkarts! USA) |
TaG ‘ON THE MOVE’ - Devin Lindsey - #23
Highland, California
This month’s ‘On the Move’ driver is Tony Kart West’s Devin Lindsey. The SoCal driver is battling for the ProKart Challenge South TaG Senior title, picking up his first win of the season last month at the Streets of Willow event. Lindsey was among the contenders at the SKUSA SpringNationals in Tucson and now sits seventh in the Pro Tour standings. Recently, Lindsey competed at the IKF 4-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals, earning a Duffy, two Screaming Eagles and two runner-up finishes.
Point Breakdown
| Race | Rank | Finish | Points| ProKart Challenge South ’11 #1 | 9 | 2 | 942 | | ProKart Challenge South ’11 #2 | 9 | 10 | 894 | | ProKart Challenge South ’11 #3 | 9 | 6 | 923 | | SKUSA SpringNationals ’11 #1 | 9 | 6 | 977 | | SKUSA SpringNationals ’11 #2 | 9 | 8 | 955 | | ProKart Challenge South ’11 #4 | 9 | 1 | 973 | | ProKart Challenge South ’11 #5 | 9 | 3 | 955 | |
Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 5.14
Average Points: 945.6
Total Points: 6619
Upcoming TaG Driver Rankings Events
| Date | Series | Class | Track | Location | Rank| 7/9 | WKA Man. Cup Series #4 | Parilla Leopard | BeaveRun Motorsports Complex | Wampum, PA | 8 | | 7/9 | WKA Man. Cup Series #4 | TaG 1 | BeaveRun Motorsports Complex | Wampum, PA | 9 | | 7/10 | Northwest Gold Cup Sprint Series #5 | IAME Cup | Mountain High Raceway | Spanaway, WA | 8 | | 7/10 | WKA Man. Cup Series #4 | TaG 2 | BeaveRun Motorsports Complex | Wampum, PA | 9 | | 7/16 | IKF Region 11 Sprint Series #5 | TBA | Desert Park Raceway | Reno, NV | 8 | | 7/16 | New Jersey Sprint Series #3 | TaG 1 | Oakland Valley Race Park | Cuddlebackville, NY | 8 | | 7/16 | Route 66 Sprint Series #4 | TaG 1 | Concept Haulers Motor Speedway | Norway, IL | 8 | | 7/16 | SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals #1 | TaG Senior | Grand Junction Motor Speedway | Grand Junction, CO | 9 | | 7/17 | IKF Region 11 Sprint Series #6 | TBA | Desert Park Raceway | Reno, NV | 8 | | 7/17 | New Jersey Sprint Series #3 | TaG 2 | Oakland Valley Race Park | Cuddlebackville, NY | 8 | | 7/17 | Route 66 Sprint Series #4 | TaG 2 | Concept Haulers Motor Speedway | Norway, IL | 8 | | 7/17 | SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals #2 | TaG Senior | Grand Junction Motor Speedway | Grand Junction, CO | 9 | | 7/23 | Great Lakes Pro Series #5 | TaG Senior | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/23 | SKUSA Central States Challenge #3 | TaG Senior | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/23 | US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals | Rotax Senior | Miller Motorsports Park | Tooele, UT | 10 | | 7/24 | Great Lakes Pro Series #6 | TaG Senior | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/24 | NorCal Gold Rush Series #1 | TaG Senior | All Star Karting | Prairie City, CA | 8 | | 7/24 | SKUSA Central States Challenge #4 | TaG Senior | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 8/6 | Florida Karting Championship Series #6 | TaG | RaceComplex | Ft. Myers, FL | 8 | | 8/7 | Cal State Karting Series #5 | Spec PRD Senior | CalSpeed Karting | Fontana, CA | 8 | | 8/7 | Northwest Gold Cup Sprint Series #6 | IAME Cup | Sumas International Motorsports Academy | Sumas, WA | 8 | |
Stock Moto
Stock Moto Driver Rankings Top-10
| Pos | May. 13 | Plus/Minus | Driver | Races | Score| 1. | 1 | NC | Fritz Leesmann | 7 | 6123 | | 2. | 3 | 1 | Daniel Bray | 6 | 5988 | | 3. | 5 | 2 | Brad Dunford | 10 | 5897 | | 4. | 7 | 3 | Derek Crockett | 7 | 5854 | | 5. | 6 | 1 | Clinton Schoombee | 10 | 5825 | | 6. | 8 | 2 | Ryon Beachner | 7 | 5764 | | 7. | 12 | 5 | Jake French | 10 | 5741 | | 8. | 10 | 2 | Nicky Freytag | 9 | 5720 | | 9. | 9 | NC | Lukas Johnson | 12 | 5708 | | 10. | 11 | 1 | Jack Bradley | 10 | 5642 | |
For the full Stock Moto Driver Rankings, Click Here
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 | Fritz Leesmann
(Photo: dromophotos.com) |
Stock Moto #1 - Fritz Leesmann
Elk Grove, California
Remaining the target for the Stock Moto contingent, Aluminos/PSL Karting driver Fritz Leesmann holds the number one position in Stock Moto. The NorCal driver is riding on his Pro Tour results from last year, as well as this year’s with a little to no regional events left to support his position in the rankings. A strong showing is a must for Leesmann at the SummerNationals if he hopes to retain the number one position.
Point Breakdown
| Race | Rank | Finish | Points| SKUSA SummerNationals #1 - S1 | 9.5 | 7 | 993 | | SKUSA SummerNationals #2 - S1 | 9.5 | 1 | 1057 | | ProKart Chall. North #5 - S1 | 8.5 | 2 | 944 | | SKUSA SuperNationals 2010 - S1 | 10 | 2 | 1130 | | SKUSA SpringNationals ’11 #1 - S1 | 9.5 | 4 | 1010 | | SKUSA SpringNationals ’11 #2 - S1 | 9.5 | 6 | 989 | |
Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 3.67
Average Points: 1020.5
Total Points: 6123
**************
 | Kyle Hathcox
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Stock Moto ‘ON THE MOVE’ - Kyle Hathcox - #20
Phoenix, Arizona
The driver with the hot momentum and ‘On the Move’ for the Driver Rankings is Arizona’s Kyle Hathcox. Rejoining the Aluminos operation, Hathcox stood on the podium twice at the SpringNationals to earn the number one spot in the Pro Tour championship chase. Preparing for the upcoming SummerNationals, Hathcox nearly swept the two-day ‘warm-up’ event during the SKUSA Mountain Region opening weekend in Grand Junction. All eyes will be on Hathcox once the track opens in Colorado in a week.
Point Breakdown
| Race | Rank | Finish | Points| Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix ‘10 | 8 | 7 | 812 | | SKUSA SuperNationals 2010 - S2 | 9.5 | 32 | 751 | | SKUSA SpringNationals ’11 #1 - S2 | 9 | 2 | 1023 | | SKUSA SpringNationals ’11 #2 - S2 | 9 | 1 | 1032 | | SKUSA Mountain ’11 #1 - S2 | 8 | 1 | 877 | | SKUSA Mountain ’11 #2 - S2 | 8 | 1 | 880 | |
Inside the Stats
Average Finish: 7.33
Average Points: 895.8
Total Points: 5375
Upcoming Stock Moto Driver Rankings Events
| Date | Series | Class | Track | Location | Rank| 7/9 | Utah Kart Championships #7 | Spec Light | Miller Motorsports Park | Tooele, UT | 8 | | 7/16 | SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals #1 | S1 | Grand Junction Motor Speedway | Grand Junction, CO | 9.5 | | 7/16 | SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals #1 | S2 | Grand Junction Motor Speedway | Grand Junction, CO | 9 | | 7/17 | SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals #2 | S1 | Grand Junction Motor Speedway | Grand Junction, CO | 9.5 | | 7/17 | SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals #2 | S2 | Grand Junction Motor Speedway | Grand Junction, CO | 9 | | 7/23 | Great Lakes Pro Series #5 | Stock Moto | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/23 | SKUSA Central States Challenge #3 | S2 | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/24 | Great Lakes Pro Series #6 | Stock Moto | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/24 | SKUSA Central States Challenge #4 | S2 | New Castle Motorsports Park | New Castle, IN | 8 | | 7/31 | Racing the Rockies #4 | Spec 125 Senior | The Track at Centennial | Centennial, CO | 8 | | 8/6 | Utah Kart Championships #8 | Spec Light | Miller Motorsports Park | Tooele, UT | 8 | |
EKN Driver Rankings Calculation Process
The EKN Driver Rankings are calculated using a driver’s best finishes in major North American races. Assembled using events from the previous 12 months from the current date, we use a driver’s best seven finishes in TaG and six in Stock Moto to determine their overall current point total. With each new release, results posted from more than one year ago are discarded. To deliver our ranking list, we tabulate the results of all the national programs and selected regional programs. We have included the results for the major one-off events such as the SKUSA SuperNationals, the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals, the Rock Island Grand Prix and the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix.
Each race is initially weighted based on the prestige and history of the event or series with a score of ten (10) being the highest attainable base ranking. For 2011, the SKUSA SuperNationals and US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals receive a score of 10 in their initial weighting in the TaG category while the SuperNats is the lone event in the Stock Moto division. The SKUSA Pro Tour and Rotax Pan American Challenge national series events draw a base ranking of nine (9), while the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup, Florida Winter Tour, Challenge of the Americas, IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals and other regional program races were given a base ranking of either eight (8) or nine (9).
The EKN staff reserves the right to adjust the rankings of each event throughout the year. Continuing for 2011 is a minimum entry total for any events considered for the Driver Rankings program. If an event does not have at least five (5) drivers starting the race, those results will not be tabulated toward the Driver Rankings.
Added to these initial rankings are two variables that help confirm the true importance of an event to the ranking process – field size and field strength. A percentage of one weighting point is added for the size of the field, while the number of existing top 50 drivers entered offers another full point or fraction of a point. The sum of these numbers becomes the overall ranking for any race. Following a race, drivers receive points based on their finishing positions with 100 points earned for a win. Each subsequent position drops by one point with 99 points given to the second place driver and so on throughout the field. These points are then multiplied by the overall ranking to produce a driver’s final point total from each event. Using a driver’s best seven races in TaG, six for Stock Moto, we calculate each driver’s overall score and subsequent ranking. |
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