Billy Musgrave is the target for all Stock Moto drivers in the EKN Driver Rankings (Photo: DromoPhotos.com)

The season is at the halfway point as the month of July hits. The next five months will decide who is the best drivers of the 2016 season. To this point, some drivers are still banking on their results from 2015 while others are utilizing the opportunities thus far in 2016 to help their championship chase cause, and of course move up the standings of the EKN Driver Rankings. In Stock Moto, Billy Musgrave remains the top driver with a solid lead over Koltin Griffin.

Musgrave (MRC / Praga) is the top American Stock Moto driver, as the current point leader in California ProKart Challenge and sitting second in the SKUSA Pro Tour standings behind Kiwi Daniel Bray. The SoCal driver returns to the site of his first Pro Tour victory last year for the SummerNationals at New Castle, with the ability to maintain his lead with a solid weekend in Indy. Koltin Griffin (Pure Karting / Tony Kart) landed his first S1 podium in New Castle last year, and has steadily improved since. The Arizona pilot needs to do better than a best P5 that he recorded at the SpringNationals to close up on Musgrave.

Jumping back into the top-three is veteran Ron White. The longtime CRG driver added a sixth race at the recent California ProKart Challenge event at his home track in Sonoma. White triumphed to help elevate his EKN Driver Rankings position after Fritz Leesmann dropped out of the top-10. That also promoted Jake French (Dallas Karting Complex / Sodi Kart) to the fourth position. French has elevated his talents in the last 12 months, and is among the contenders heading to the SummerNationals. The same can be said for his fellow S2 teammate Austin Wilkins, who now holds the fifth position. A victory at the SpringNationals is his highlight of 2016, including four straight podium finishes at the Texas ProKart Challenge this summer.

Defending California ProKart Challenge champion Jarred Campbell remains in the sixth position. The Champion Racing / Intrepid driver closed up the gap on Musgrave in the regional title chase with a runner-up to White in Sonoma last month. Campbell is always quick at the horsepower circuits, including New Castle.

The rest of the top-10 all moved up one position. Jacob Neal (VRP / Tony Kart) is seventh – sitting fourth at the California PKC standings. 2015 SKUSA Pro Tour S2 champion Carter Williams (Phil Giebler Racing / Ricciardo) is just two points back in eighth and current S2 standout Hunter Pickett (Muscle Milk Racing / Aluminos) is ninth. Miguel Lopez (GP) has moved back into the top-10, but the former S2 contender will see his two wins at the 2015 SummerNationals removed in the next release of the EKN Driver Rankings. Among those looking to move up into the top-10 include Harry Gottsacker (Champion Racing / Intrepid) and Marco Eakins (Black Flag Racing / Formula K).

Upcoming EKN Stock Moto Driver Rankings Events

Stock Moto #1 – Billy Musgrave
Norco, California

(Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)

The driver to beat in the second half of the season is Billy Musgrave. Now a two-time winner on the SKUSA Pro Tour, Musgrave is filling out his resume nicely. The MRC / Praga driver added the inaugural win of the Los Angeles Karting Championship Pro Show victory, and now has his sites on reaching the top of the SKUSA Pro Tour standings heading to New Castle. He trails former champion Daniel Bray, who was the second winner at the SpringNationals, earning more points throughout the weekend to retain the championship lead.

Point Breakdown

**************************************

Stock Moto #2 – Kolton Griffin
Phoenix, Arizona

(Photo: SeanBuur.com)

Among the top rookies in 2015, Griffin is now working to elevate his talents to become a regular contender in the S1 division. Griffin drove to his first SKUSA Pro Tour podium finish last year at the SummerNationals, only recording a best finish of fifth at this year’s SpringNationals. Should Griffin competed at the SuperNationals in November, his total would be much closer to Musgrave, as his total includes just four Pro Tour results, one regional and a victory from the Challenge of the Americas. Griffin will need to find the magic of Indy once again in order to close up on Musgrave and maintain his position inside the top-three.

Point Breakdown

**************************************

Stock Moto #3 – Ron White
San Jose, California

Ron White

Just when you thought he was gone, Ron White comes screaming back in. Just about to fall off the EKN Driver Rankings map, White returns to the seat after a six month absence dating back to the SKUSA SuperNationals. The California ProKart Challenge traveled to Sonoma, White’s home facility. Among the quickest all weekend, the CRG driver had to come from the tail of the S1/S2 field after getting collected in a wreck in Heat #2. White came from 21st to 1st, beating the young guns of the S1 field for his first series victory since Street of Lancaster Grand Prix in 2014.

Point Breakdown

**************************************

Stock Moto ‘On the Move’ – #16
Nick Neri
Palmetto, Florida

(Photo: ChampionKart.com)

Among the most talented drivers in North America is Nick Neri. The Florida driver is one of two drivers to earn four Rotax Grand Nationals titles in four different categories. Neri was among the top TaG drivers before moving over to the Stock Moto ranks. Nick scored the 2011 S2 SuperNationals victory and was a championship podium finisher in 2014 in S1. Champion Racing has picked up Neri, who spent much of 2015 out of the seat, to pilot one of their Intrepid machines. Neri won in his debut at the US Open, and is sure to be among the challengers at the upcoming SummerNationals at one of his favorite tracks – New Castle.

Point Breakdown

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 2016, the SKUSA Pro Tour and US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals receive a score of 10 in their initial weighting in the TaG category while the SuperNationals is the lone event in the Stock Moto division. A base ranking of nine (9) goes to the United States Pro Kart Series, Florida Winter Tour Rotax Max Challenge, Challenge of the Americas, Rock Island Grand Prix and California ProKart Challenge. Other national and regional program races were given a base ranking of either 8.5 or 8.

The EKN staff reserves the right to adjust the rankings of each event throughout the year. A minimum entry total for any events considered for the Driver Rankings program is five (5). 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.

2016 EKN Stock Moto Driver Rankings – as of July 1, 2016

Share on Facebook

Tweet