While competition at the highest levels of NASCAR continue to suffer both from the poor economic climate and the infamous Car of Tomorrow, this year's championship battles down at the NASCAR Touring echelon continue to thrill followers and draw large crowds to local tracks. This high level of competition has kept many of these NASCAR series healthy during a period of time where lower-level sports organizations go on hiatus or close altogether.
Today, I'm going to review these exciting battles and predict a winner for each series title. Since 2003, at least one NASCAR Touring title has been determined by less than ten points. If you're a supporter of local racing, send a message and go to the final few races of these series.
Camping World West[]
Races Run: 11/13
Currently Point Leader: Jason Bowles (+37)
View Complete Point Standings
Jason Bowles (#6 Sunrise Ford Dealership Ford) - Bowles has been the most consistent driver this year, only finishing out of the top-ten once. His three wins are tied for the most in the series, including a victory in the longest race of the year, the King Taco 200. Looking at the tracks he will visit in the final two races, Bowles finished fourth at Iowa Speedway in May and won last year's season finale at Roseville.
Eric Holmes (#20 NAPA Toyota) - Had a strong run at Iowa in May not gone awry when he was crashed by lapped vehicle Billy Kann, Holmes would probably have a respectable point lead heading into these two races. Despite struggling at mid-season on the road courses, Holmes has only finished outside of the top-ten once in the first eleven races and has led the most laps in the series this year (457). Looking forwards, Holmes had failed to finish in the top-ten his first two starts at Iowa but has also won two of the last three races at Roseville
Everyone Else - Greg Pursley has had a career year this season, picking up his first career victory and first career pole. But, with only two races to go, Pursley sits 170+ points out of the lead. His main concern will be holding off rookie phenom Paulie Harraka, winner last weekend in Colorado. They are separated by just thirty-three points. David Mayhew, who won the May race at Iowa, has slipped to fifth with some miserable luck in recent weeks, but could conceivably make a run back to third. Sixth through eighth place will be another fantastic battle while Jamie Dick (currently 10th) must hold off Wes Banks to earn his first ever top-ten points finish.
PREDICTION: Jason Bowles won the final two races last year and there is no reason to think he won't do it again. However, one of those races was at Irwindale, where his three-race win streak will do no good as Irwindale no longer has an October date. Instead, Bowles must finish well at Iowa, where neither he nor Holmes have ever won, and at Roseville, which Eric Holmes has pretty much owned in the last three trips. Holmes, for his part, must run well at Iowa Speedway, where poor luck has left Holmes with crippled cars in the past. I think Holmes will redeem himself at that facility as his Bill McAnally Racing team is too good at the big tracks to not run well. I am going to give Holmes the nod as my favorite for champion, but he must be within 20 points of Bowles entering Roseville to feel confident. A bad race for either Bowles or Holmes down the stretch will lock up the championship for the other.
Camping World East[]
Races Run: 9/11
Current Point Leader: Ryan Truex (+50)
View Complete Point Standings
Ryan Truex (#00 NAPA Toyota) - The brother of Martin Truex, Jr., Ryan has proved his ride with Martin's Michael Waltrip Racing was not nepotism. Instead, the youngest Truex has won three races, two poles, and recorded six top-five finishes. Furthermore, he's hot right when it counts, finishing first or second in the last five races that have taken out strong contenders down the stretch. Truex has the advantage headed into the final two races, events at facilities where the Truex name has been synonymous with greatness.
Eddie MacDonald (#71 Grimm Construction Chevy) & Jody Lavender (#88 JoJo Enterprises Chevy) - MacDonald's year has been a bit of a disappointment while Lavender's year has been nothing but successful considering his limited budget. Both, however, sit winless and within shouting distance of Truex headed into the final two. Despite Lavender's year, he has not been a factor on the larger tracks. MacDonald, though, won both of last year's races at Loudon (the next race on the schedule) and was only denied the July race there due to poor pit strategy.
Matt Kobyluck (#40 Mohegan Sun Chevy) & Steve Park (#35 Waste Management Chevy) - Despite being tied for fourth in the points, this season has not been fruitful to either driver. Despite grabbing his first win since 1996 at Adirondack, Park was expected to have won two or three races and be in the championship battle for his second-year team. Kobyluck, last year's runaway champion, has barely whiffed Victory Lane and ran poorly during the visit to the Southern short tracks. While Loudon and Dover are tracks where both drivers have been incredibly good at in the past, they will need to have good luck to win either event.
PREDICTION: This championship is Ryan Truex's to lose. He is fifty points ahead, would normally would be more than surmountable. But the economy this year has limited car counts, and even a bad race for Truex may not hurt him too bad. If he enters the season finale at Dover more than seventy-five points ahead, it probably won't matter what happens during that race. I'm giving the nod for Truex. Park may be the one that manages to slip into the runner-up slot by year's end.
Whelen Modified Tour[]
Races Run: 8/14
Current Points Leader: Ted Christopher (+29)
View Complete Point Standings
Ted Christopher (#36 Al-Lee Installations Chevy) - Christopher has been this year's most dominant and aggressive driver, but bad luck has put his run at a second straight championship at risk. Despite two victories and already having led nearly 500 laps during the year, he sits twenty-nine markers ahead. He, though, remains the favorite for the championship since he has earned a reputation as a strong finisher down the stretch run. In addition, two of the next three races, at Loudon and Martinsville Speedway, are at tracks where Christopher has notched multiple victories.
Todd Szegedy (#2 Wisk/Snuggle Ford) - The 2003 series champ, Szegedy has been this year's most consistent driver. However, despite the five top-fives and eight top-tens, Szegedy has yet to claim a checkered flag in '09. If he is to seriously fight Christopher to the wire, Szegedy must lead laps and gain at least one victory. The tracks still left on the schedule play a little more to Szegedy's strengths than they do Christopher's, especially considering two races remain at the Thompson, where Szegedy has won three times in the last three years.
Ryan Preece (#3 Reynold's Auto Wrecking Chevy) - The eighteen year-old has lived up to his full potential in 2009, racking up two victories and 1230 points. The 1230 leave him in third place and some thirty-two points behind Christopher. Despite his youth, Preece has had an incredibly consistent year, finishing out of the top-ten just once thus far. He won last year's race at Martinsville Speedway and always runs well at Stafford Motor Speedway but will have to buff up his program at some of the other tracks down the stretch to battle Christopher and Szegedy.
Donny Lia (#4 Mystic Missile Dodge) - Having won the series' inaugural event at Bristol Motor Speedway, the 2007 champ looks to be a contender once again for the title. Lia also won at Loudon in the prestigious June race but has had some weak runs at short tracks where he normally excels at. While he'll be my pick to win at Martinsville when the Tour returns in September, Lia's strength of schedule laid in the first half of the schedule. Like Preece, Lia must really step up his program at tracks like Chemung Speedrome and Stafford Motor Speedway in order to compete.
PREDICTION: A lot of Modified Tour observers, notably the boys at The Chrome Horn, continue to stick to their guns and predict Christopher and I can't really blame them. Christopher has had the most consistently competitive program this decade and appears lately to finally have the consistency to put together a string of championships. Ryan Preece will not let Christopher run away with it though. Preece not only shows the talent needed to contend but the maturity and humbleness that makes good drivers great drivers. I'm not sure he'll win this year, but he might be the runaway driver in 2010. Still, I'm going to give him a narrow decision over Christopher when all is said and done with. Also notably, Preece's BRE Racing has gone without a championship since 1996.
Whelen Southern Modified Tour[]
Races Run: 7/15
Current Point Leader: George Brunnhoelzl, III (+81)
View Complete Point Standings
George Brunnhoelzl, III (#28 Oval Speed Unlimited Ford) - After two years of mediocrity in the Tour, Brunnhoelzl has finally hit his stride in 2009. Coming off the Bristol finish that awarded him 180 points, Brunnhoelzl looks to be well on his way to the first NASCAR title for his famous Brunnhoelzl family. However, for him to see his 81-point championship lead through not only the mid-season but the end-season standings, Brunnhoelzl must continue his improvement instead of stagnating during the stretch run.
Andy Seuss (#47 Advance Auto Parts Dodge) - He's been at it for quite a while, but Andy Seuss has finally turned his program into a true championship contender. He has won two races this year (doubling his previous total) and is on track to set a new career-high for top-fives and top-tens in 2009. Unlike Brunnhoelzl, Seuss has been extremely competitive at the upcoming tracks and must expect to grab one or two victories to narrow the points gap.
Brian Loftin (#23 L & M Transmission Chevy) & Burt Myers (#1 Capital Bank Ford) - These two veterans are grouped together because, despite each having excellent seasons, both have so far failed to meet expectations. Loftin was the 2008 Tour Champion and won three races at a row in mid-season. This year he's only been able to string together a series of top-fives. As for Myers, who was probably the hottest driver at the end of 2008, 2009 has been underwhelming. A trio of top-fives have kept him in the points battle, but otherwise finishing no better than 9th in the other four races has his hopes looking shaky at best. Both Loftin and Myers will probably win a race this year but both must expect an "Indian Summer" hot streak to catch back up to Brunnhoelzl.
DECISION: It's hard to argue against Brunnhoelzl's chances. After his father, northern modified legend George Brunnhoelzl, Jr., decided to take his son's career to the more rookie-friendly Southern Modified Tour, Brunnhoelzl has shown increasing maturity and talent. While his statistics at the upcoming tracks aren't very impressive, nor were his statistics at tracks that comprised the first half of his solid 2009 campaign. But don't expect Brunnhoelzl's road to be easy. Loftin has been gaining momentum in recent weeks and Caraway Speedway (the next race on the schedule) is probably where Loftin can pick up his first victory of 2009. If Brunnhoelzl has a bad race or two down the stretch, Loftin will be there. I'll take Brunnhoelzl by 25 points over Loftin at years end.