Dylan Kwasniewski leads Hunter Index for June

Dylan Kwasniewski won his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race of the season at Stockton 99 Speedway and claimed the top spot in the West Series standings.
He was voted as the top driver in the NASCAR Hunter Index for June with two wins and two runner-up finishes in his past four races.
He was credited with a win for being the highest finishing driver from the West Series at Iowa Speedway. He was eighth. Chase Elliott won the race and he was followed by seven drivers from the East Series.
He was second at the inaugural West Series race at Brainerd International Raceway in Minnesota and was leading that race before his transmission gave out on him in the closing laps.
Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for the complete Hunter Index.

Photo: Dylan Kwasniewski leads the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings and is the top driver in the Hunter Index for June. (Credit Getty Images for NASCAR)

Ron Silk tops NASCAR Hunter Index for October

Ron Silk, who won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series championship last week in Connecticut, was voted as the top driver in the NASCAR Hunter Index for October.
He won two Whelen Modified races in September, including one at New Hampshire International Speedway, and took over the lead in the Whelen Modified standings.
No drivers from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West were ranked in the top 10. Three drivers from the K&N Pro Series East were in the top 10, including Sergio Pena, who won at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina. He came in at No. 9.
Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for more on the Hunter Index.

Photo: NASCAR Whelen Modified driver Ron Silk was voted as the top driver in the Hunter Index for October. (Getty Images)

Rookie Dylan Kwasniewski ranked top driver in NASCAR Hunter Index

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West rookie driver Dylan Kwasniewski was voted the top driver in the Hunter Index for August by one point.
Knowing Kwasniewski, he wouldn't care if he won by one point or 100 as long as he won.
That's his approach to racing. It's no surprise he became the youngest driver in K&N Pro Series history to win a race taking the checkered flag at Colorado National Speedway.
He made it two in a row eight days later winning at Montana Raceway Park.
The 16-year-old from Las Vegas is the only driver from the K&N Pro Series West in the top 10 of the Hunter Index.
Philip Morris, who races in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at South Boston Speedway in Virginia, was second in the Hunter Index after going a perfect 4-for-4 in winning races.
Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for more on the Hunter Index for August.

Photo: Dylan Kwasniewski won two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races in August and was voted the top driver in the Hunter Index. (Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Pursley, Martinez in NASCAR Hunter Index top 10

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver Greg Pursley has been the only driver to be in every NASCAR Hunter Index this year. He won the West Series race at Evergreen Speedway in Washington and comes in at No. 7 in the Hunter Index for August.
Pursley has won six West Series races and has a commanding lead in the West Series standings.
Luis Martinez Jr., a driver from Long Beach, won the West Series race at Portland International Raceway, the first of his career, and cracked the Hunter Index top 10 for the first time this year. He was ranked No. 8.
Even Brandon Davis, a driver from Huntington Beach racing NASCAR Late Models at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, earned an honorable mention in the Hunter Index for July.
Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for the entire Hunter Index for August.

Greg Pursley tops NASCAR Hunter Index for July

Greg Pursley has won five of the seven races in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West this year. He is coming off a dominating performance in the West Series race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. He is running away with the West Series championship.
Pursley was voted as the top driver in the NASCAR Hunter Index for July.
The Hunter Index ranks the top drivers in the NASCAR developmental series.
Pursley was the only driver from the West Series ranked in the top 10.
Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for a look at the top 10 drivers in the Hunter Index for July.
Here is a look at how I voted:

1.Greg Pursley – Good fortune is following Pursley unlike last year when he couldn’t avoid trouble. He gave much of the credit to good luck after winning the race at Irwindale. He said he had seven flat tires that took him out of races last year. No such misfortune so far in 2011.

      2. Sergio Pena – Pena showed what he could do in a race car at the Toyota All Star Showdown two years ago. It took him a while, but he seems to have found his stride again. It’s nice to see him winning some races finally.

      3. Max Gresham – He has been the most consistent racer in the K&N Pro Series East all year.

      4. Homero Richards

      5. DJ Kennington

      6. Scott Steckly

      7. Keith Rocco

      8. Todd Szegedy

      9. LV Miller

     10. Dylan Lupton

1   11. Lee Pulliam

1   12. Jimmy Zacharias

1   13. Adam Royle

1   14. Ron Quesnelle

1   15. Matt Scott

Philip Morris tops NASCAR Hunter Index for June

Philip Morris, a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series driver from South Boston Speedway in Virginia, was the top driver in the Hunter Index for June.

He wasn't my choice, but he received four first-place votes and beat Keith Rocco, 174-168.

I put Brett Moffitt atop my list for the Hunter Index. He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway last month.

Greg Pursley was the only driver from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in the Hunter Index top 10. He came in at No. 6 after a fourth-place finish in the K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway.

Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for the complete Hunter Index for June.

Photo: Philip Morris won nine Late Model races in a row at South Boston Speedway in Virginia and earned the top spot in the Hunter Index for June. (James Price)

Here is a look at how I voted:

Ted Christopher tops NASCAR Hunter Index for May

Ted Christopher won two races in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour and one in the Whelen Modified Tour to capture the top spot in the Hunter Index for May.
The driver from Plainville, Conn., also won a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race at Thompson International Speedway in Connecticut giving him four wins and five top-fives in seven starts in April.
Greg Pursley, a Canyon High graduate who used to live in Newhall has won two of the first three races in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season, came in at No. 3 in the Hunter Index. His most recent win was on Saturday at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. He also won the season opener at Phoenix International Raceway.
Brandon Davis, a driver from Henderon, Nev., has won five NASCAR Late Model races at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale and is the No. 4 driver in the Hunter Index, which ranks the top drivers in the NASCAR developmental series in the nation.
Go to NASCAR Hometracks to see the rest of the top 10.
Here is how I voted:

Hunter Index for May
1. Greg Pursley
2. Sergio Pena
3. Darrell Wallace Jr.
4. Jason Fensler
5. Ted Christopher
6. Brandon Davis
7. Max Gresham
8. Moses Smith
9. Brett Moffitt
10. Bobby Santos
11. Rogelio Lopez
12. Dylan Kwasniewski
13. Zachary Hausler
14. BJ Mackey
15. Jesse Lefevres

Photo: Ted Christopher (00) won the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified race at Caraway Speedway, one of four races he won in April. He was ranked No. 1 in the NASCAR Hunter Index for May. (Credit: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Moffitt top driver in NASCAR Hunter Index for April

Brett Moffitt won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina and earned the top spot in the Hunter Index for April.
The Hunter Index ranks NASCAR's top developmental drivers in the nation. Moffitt narrowly edged George Brunnhoelzl III, who won the first two NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour events, for the top spot in the latest Hunter Index.
Greg Pursley, a driver from Newhall and a Canyon High graduate, was third. He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at Phoenix International Raceway last month. 
Here is how I ranked the top-15 drivers:


Hunter Index top 15 for April
1.    Brett Moffitt, K&N Pro Series East driver
2.    Greg Pursley, K&N Pro Series West Series driver
3.    Jorge Goeters, Mexico Series driver
4.    George Brunnhoelzl, Whelen Southern Modified Tour driver
5.    Jonathan Gomez, K&N Pro Series West driver
6.    Derek Thorn, K&N Pro Series West driver
7.    Coleman Pressley, K&N Pro Series East driver
8.    Chase Elliott, K&N Pro Series East driver
9.    Brandon Davis, Whelen All-American Series driver
10.    Phillip Morris, Whelen All-American Series driver
11.    Keith Rocco, Whelen All-American Series driver
12.    Zachary Hausler, Whelen All-American Series driver
13.    Anthony Anders, Whelen All-American Series driver
14.    Alex Bowman, K&N Pro Series East driver
15.    Ty Dillon, K&N Pro Series East driver

Bowles atop NASCAR Hunter Index Preseason Top 10

Jason Bowles won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown last month and earned the No. 1 spot in the Hunter Index preseason poll.
Bowles, a driver from Ontario, tallied six first-place votes among the 14 Hunter Index panelists. He is the top driver on my top 15.
Keith Rocco was the No. 2 driver, collecting one fewer point than Bowles. Rocco won the NASCAR Whelen All-American national championship in 2010.
Bobby Santos, the reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, was third in the Hunter Index. DJ Kennington, the runner-up in the Toyota All-Star Showdown and the reigning NASCAR Canadian Tires Series champion, was fourth, followed by Burt Myers, from the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, in fifth.

Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for the complete Hunter Index Preseason Top-10.

Here’s a look at my top 15:

1. Jason Bowles

2. DJ Kennington

3. Derek Thorn

4. Burt Myers

5. Travis Pastrana

6. Philip Morris

7. Jonathon Gomez

8. Craig Preble

9. Bobby Santos

10. Dale Quarterley

11. Greg Pursley

12. Keith Rocco

13. Luis Martinez Jr.

14. Johnny Borneman

15. Ryan Partridge

Photo: Jason Bowles won the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in Irwindale last month and claimed the top spot in the Preseason Hunter Index for NASCAR developmental drivers. (Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)

Eric Holmes tops NASCAR Hunter Index

Eric Holmes, the leader in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings, earned the top spot in the NASCAR Hunter Index for the developmental drivers.
Holmes, a driver from Escalon, Calif., won the K&N Pro Series West race at Montana Raceway Park and was second in the race at Portland International Raceway in Oregon. The two-time West Series champion has three wins this year and has a 79-point lead with four races to go.
The next West Series race is Saturday at Colorado National Speedway.
No other driver from the West Coast made it in the top 10 of the Hunter Index. David Mayhew, a driver from Bakersfield and the second-place driver in the West Series standings, earned an honorable mention. Patrick Long, a driver from Thousand Oaks who won the West Series race at Portland International Raceway, also earned an honorable mention.
Antonio Perez, the leader in the NASCAR Mexico Series, came in at No. 8 in the Hunter Index. 
Go to NASCAR Home Tracks for more on the Hunter Index.

Bobby Santos on top of Hunter Index for June

The NASCAR Hunter Index for June has Bobby Santos in the top spot. He received five of the six first-place votes. I was the lone dissenter, opting for Max Gresham from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East instead.
Santos is the first driver in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to win three of the first four races of the year. He also has three poles and leads the Whelen Modified Tour standings by 89 points over nine-time NASCAR champion Mike Stefanik.
Gresham won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway against the top drivers from the West and East Series. There were 40 cars in the race. He held off Ty Dillon on a green-white-checker flag finish to win his second race in a row. He also won the East Series race at South Boston Speedway in May.
There are four drivers from the West Coast in my top 15 for the Hunter Index. Eric Holmes came in at No. 3 after winning races at Douglas County Speedway in Oregon and Phoenix International Raceway in April.
Justin A. Johnson is No. 7 after winning three NASCAR Super Late Model races in a row at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
David Mayhew came in at No. 11 on my list. He was the highest finishing driver from the West Series at the Iowa Speedway race and was second at Douglas County Speedway.
Finally, Matt Scott is No. 15 after winning two late model races at All American Speedway in Roseville.
Here is a look at my top 15 and how the Hunter Index unfolded for May:

1. Max Gresham
2. Eric Holmes
3. Bobby Santos
4. CE Falk III
5. Keith Rocco
6. Craig Preble
7. Justin A. Johnson
8. Homero Richards
9. Justin T. Johnson
10. Brett Moffitt
11. David Mayhew
12. James Civali
13. Philip Morris
14. Jacob Gomes
15. Matt Scott

Photo: Max Gresham (18) narrowly beats Ty Dillon to the finish line in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway. It was Gresham's second win in a row in the East Series. (Credit: Meg Bestell-Eide)

Ted Christopher No. 1 in NASCAR Hunter Index

It was a very interesting vote for the NASCAR Hunter Index this month. Bobby Santos III from the Whelen Modified Tour garnered the most first-place votes, but came in third in the balloting.
Ted Christopher, on the strength of winning the Spring Sizzler on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, has the No. 1 spot in the Hunter Index, despite only one first-place vote. He beat out Keith Rocco, winner of four Modified races in Connecticutt, by one point for the top spot in the Hunter Index.
Eric Holmes won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Phoenix International Raceway at the beginning of the month and came in fifth in the Hunter Index.
David Mayhew, my No. 1 driver in the Hunter Index and the co-leader in the West Series standings after two races, was an honorable mention. He is tied with Greg Pursley, a Canyon High of Canyon Country graduate, for the lead in the West Series standings. Mayhew is the only driver in the West Series with two top-five finishes, which is why he is at the top of my list.
Here is a look at how I ranked the top-15 drivers. Go to NASCAR HomeTracks.com for the NASCAR’s Hunter Index top 10.

1. David Mayhew – He has two top fives in two races and tied for the lead in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings.
2. Greg Pursley – He was third in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Phoenix International Raceway and is tied with Mayhew for the lead in the West Series standings.
3. Eric Holmes – He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Phoenix and moved up to third place in the West Series standings.
4. Paulie Harraka – It was a rough race at Phoenix for Harraka. After winning the West Series season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville, he was 29th at Phoenix and went from first to eighth in the West Series standings.
5. Ted Christopher – He won the Spring Sizzler, the second race in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut for a record sixth time.
6. Nick Joanides – He won a NASCAR Super Late Model race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, but blew an engine in his car later in the month.
7. Justin Johnson of Las Vegas – He won his first NASCAR Super Late Model race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale and took over the lead in the Super Late Mode standings at the track.
8. Dusty Davis – Johnson’s teammate at Vision Airways Racing also won the first NASCAR Super Late Model race of his career at Toyota Speedway.
9. Rafael Martinez – The driver from the NASCAR Mexico Series won the first two races of the season, including the one at Nuevo Autodromo de Queretaro. He has a 25-point lead in the Mexico Series standings.
10. Keith Rocco – His four wins have come at three different tracks in Connecticut. The only time he didn’t win a race last month was when he finished second in a Sunoco Modified race at Thompson International Speedway.
11. Eric Schmidt – He has won three NASCAR Late Model races in a row at All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
12. Philip Morris – The two-time NASCAR Whelen All-American national champion won two races at Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia.
13. Justin Johnson of Durham, N.C. – The reigning NASCAR Late Model champ at South Boston Speedway in Virginia has also won a race at Motor Mile Speedway.
14. Bobby Santos III – He won the pole and the season-opening Modified race at Thompson International Speedway.
15. Cole Whitt – The leader in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East did not race last month. But he didn’t lose a race either.

Photo: David Mayhew, right, was my vote for No. 1 in the NASCAR Hunter Index. But the co-leader in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings only earned an honorable mention in the consensus Hunter Index voting.

Paulie Harraka No. 1 in Hunter Index

The drivers in my top 15 for the Hunter Index moved around quite a bit since the first time they were ranked. For one, Paulie Harraka jumped from fifth to first in my poll. His win in the season opener for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West at All American Speedway in Roseville was not only impressive, it was his third in the past four West Series races.
Cole Whitt jumped into my top 15 at No. 4 after a pair of runner-up finishes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Whitt has the lead in the East Series standings with those two second-place finishes.
Sergio Pena, who surprised everyone with his performance in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in January, was knocked down to fifth in my poll after a disastrous season opener in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Here’s a look at my top 15:

NASCAR Hunter Index top 15 for April

1. Paulie Harraka: He’s off to a great start, winning the season opener in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Maybe some of the Duke basketball magic will rub off on the Harraka, a Blue Devil undergraduate. Previous rank: 5

2. Nick Joanides: He won the NASCAR Super Late Model season opener at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale and is still the only driver to win the Super Late Model and Late Model championship at the track in the same year. Previous rank: 4

3. Philip Morris: He won the season opener at the Motor Mile on April 3, but ran into some bad luck at South Boston Speedway in Virginia. He is third in points in the Late Model division at the track after a third-place finish on opening night, followed by an eighth-place finish in the second race of the season. Previous rank: 2

4. Cole Whitt: He has a pair of runner-up finishes in the first two races of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and the lead in the East Series standings. Previous rank: Unranked

5. Sergio Pena: He has not lived up to the hype in the first two races of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. He finished 27th in the East Series season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina and 14th in the race at South Boston Speedway. After nearly winning the NASCAR All-Star Showdown, Pena is 20th in the East Series standings. Previous rank: 1

6. Ryan Truex: He has to be the hard-luck driver of the year so far. He led the most laps in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Greenville Pickens Raceway only to end up in 14th place after a crash during the green-white-checker flag finish. Somehow the reigning East Series champion has managed to stay in the top five in the 2010 East Series standings. Previous rank: 3

7. Keith Rocco: He has won the first two races of the SK Modifieds season at Waterford Speedbowl in Connecticut and leads the standings at the track. Previous rank: 14

8. Rafael Martinez: He won the NASCAR Mexico Series season opening Pennzoil 240 at Nuevo Autodrome de Aguacalientes. Previous rank: Unranked

9. Darrell Wallace Jr.: He became the youngest driver to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race. He won the East Series season opener at Greenville Pickens Raceway in South Carolina and followed that up with a 20th place finish at South Boston Speedway. Previous rank: Unranked

10. Josh Combs: He inherited a second-place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville. He was third on a green-white-checker finish, but Jonathan Gomez’s car did not pass post-race inspection and was knocked from second to last place as a result. Previous rank: Unranked

11. James Civali: He won the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race at South Boston and has three top 10s in the first three races of the season. He leads the Whelen Southern Modified Tour standings. Previous rank: Unranked

12. Greg Pursley: He was looking at a third-place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville when he was spun out on the white-flag lap. Josh Combs jumped up to third place in the race and ended up in second with Joanathan Gomez was disqualified. Previous rank: 7

13. Jody Lavender: He was second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Greenville Pickens Raceway and 11th in the East Series race at South Boston Speedway. That puts him third in the East Series standings after two races. Previous rank: Unranked

14. David Mayhew: He survived a wild finish to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at All American Speedway in Roseville and came away with a fourth-place finish. Previous rank: 8

15. Max Gresham: He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at South Boston Speedway and is seventh in the East Series standings. Previous rank: Unranked

Photo: Paulie Harraka displays the winning trophy for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series season opener at All American Speedway. (Brian Bahr/Getty Images for NASCAR)