There are some all-time statistics included at the end, dating back to 1967. While the track opened in 1965, my records date back to the beginning of the 1967 season. All of the “all-time” statistics include races from only the five divisions that currently compete today. For those wondering, Modifieds started competing in 1983, Hobby Stocks in 1989, Stock Cars in 1993 and SportMods in 2008. The information included for the Late Models dates back to 1967.
Not counting the storm-delayed 2008 season, June 2010 nearly matched a dubious mark in track history. While only two race nights were successful this year, 2010 still managed to fall one shy of the all-time record. In 2006, only one race night was completed during the month of June. The two races in June this year matched 1969 and 1986 as the only years with just two successful events (weekly programs) for the month of June at the speedway. Yes, even the very wet 1993 season managed to get three weekly shows in the books during the month of June!
Here are the numbers from 2010, through June 26. Let's hope for a much drier July!
Car Count
Division - Average - High - Low
Late Model - 24.7 - 27 - 21
Modified – 27.5 - 35 - 19
Stock Car – 19.7 - 27 - 14
SportMod – 34.2 - 42 - 27
Hobby Stock – 24.7 - 27 - 22
TOTAL – 130.7 - 152 - 106
Points
* 201 drivers have earned points so far this season.
* Among those 201 drivers, 82 different hometowns are represented.
* Only two of five points leaders have won features: Sean Johnson (Stock Car) and Jamie Whitaker (Hobby Stock). Points leaders without victories include Tyler Bruening (Late Model), Troy Cordes (Modified) and Joel Rust (SportMod). Bruening, Cordes and Rust led the points at the end of May and maintained their leads through June despite earning no wins.
* No driver has held the points lead all six weeks. Troy Cordes has been atop the standings for the last five weeks, Tyler Bruening and Joel Rust for the past four weeks and Jamie Whitaker for the last three weeks.
Joel Rust has held the lead in the IMCA SportMod divison standings during the last four weeks despite having no feature wins this year. His consistency, five top-5 finishes in six weeks, has allowed him to lead the way.
IN THE HUNT
* 22 drivers have remained in the top-10 in the points every week this season. Those drivers include:
Late Model (4): Tyler Bruening, Dale Hackwell Jr., Greg Kastli, Curt Martin;
Modified (5): Troy Cordes, Max Corporon, Darin Duffy, Jerry Luloff, Clint Wendel;
Stock Car (5): Norman Chesmore, Brian Irvine, Sean Johnson, Dan Trimble, Jarod Weepie;
SportMod (3): Danny Dvorak, Joel Rust, Duane Van Deest;
Hobby Stock (5): August Bach, Vince Buchholz, Josh Irvine, Justin Lichty, Wes Stanek Jr.
Tyler Bruening is the only driver at the speedway who has remained in the top two of his division's standings throughout the entire 2010 season. He currently leads Darren Ackerman by a single point in the IMCA Late Model division.
Feature Winners
* There have been 23 different feature winners in 30 feature events this season.
* There have been no repeat winners in the Hobby Stock division. Read below for more information on that potentially history-making streak.
* Five drivers have multiple wins: Jeff Aikey (Late Model), Max Corporon (Modified), Brian Irvine (Stock Car) and Austin Kaplan, Josh Sherbon (SportMod).
History in the making?
Hobby Stock: There have been six different Hobby Stock feature winners through the first six weeks of the season. This matches the 2002 season in having the most number of different winners to start a season in that division. The Hobby Stocks are in their 22nd season of competition at Independence.
Top-10s
* 121 drivers have earned at least one top-10 finish this season.
* 3 drivers have earned top-10 finishes in all sixfeatures:
Late Model: None;
Modified: Troy Cordes;
Stock Car: Dan Trimble, Norman Chesmore;
SportMod: None;
Hobby Stock: None.
Top-5s
* 76 drivers have earned at least one top-5 finish this season.
* Troy Cordes (Modified) is the only driver to earn top-5 finishes in all six features. In fact, Cordes has not finished outside the top four all season.
Troy Cordes has finished in the top four of every IMCA Modified feature this season. He is the only driver who can boast that honor.
Top-3s
* 53 drivers have earned at least one top-3 finish this season.
Feature Lap Leaders
* 52 drivers have led at least one lap of feature competition.
* Division lap leaders include:
Late Model (11 total different lap leaders): Jeff Aikey (39 laps led), Jason Rauen (35), Dale Hackwell Jr. (25), Travis Smock (20), Darren Ackerman (10);
Modified (12): Justin O’Brien (20 laps led), Richie Gustin (19), Adam Johnson (17), Darin Duffy (16), Max Corporon and Brett Ladehoff (13 each);
Stock Car (8): Dave Stricker (44 laps led), Brian Irvine (32), Justin Temeyer (20), Dan Trimble (14);
SportMod (9): Austin Kaplan (24 laps led); Josh Sherbon (19); Austin Lucas (9); Rod McDonald, Jeramia Boynton and Scott Thomas (6 each);
Hobby Stock (12): Justin Lichty and Max Leonard (each led 15 laps); Jim Ball (13); Chris Wiltse and Quinton Miller (12 each), Josh Irvine (11).
IMCA Stock Car driver Dave Stricker tops the list when it comes to leading races. He leads all drivers at the speedway with his 44 feature laps led.
Heat Races
* There have been 63 different heat race winners in 99 heat races.
* 24 drivers have won multiple heat races this season.
* Josh Sherbon (SportMod) leads all drivers with five heat wins through six weeks. Greg Kastli (Late Model) and Dave Stricker (Stock Car) are the only four-time heat winners.
Efficiency Stats
* A total of 143 races have been run this season.
* A total of 1,430 laps have been completed.
* A total of 151 caution flags have been thrown.
* The Hobby Stock division (22 cautions in 26 total events) has had the best caution per race ratio by averaging .85 cautions for every race.
* The Late Models (25 cautions in 294 total laps) have had the best caution per race lap ratio by averaging .085 cautions per lap completed.
* The SportMods are the worst in both categories. They have had 49 caution flags through 38 total events for an average of 1.29 caution flags every race. They have completed 322 green flag laps, leaving them with .152 cautions for every lap, or one caution for approximately every 6.5 green flag laps.
Since the year 1967...
* 636 Late Model feature events have been completed in weekly competition with 95 different winners. On average, a new Late Model winner visits victory lane every 6.7 events.
* 406 Modified feature events have been completed in weekly competition with 77 different winners. On average, a new Modified winner visits victory lane every 5.3 events.
* 254 Stock Car feature events have been completed in weekly competition with 39 different winners. On average, a new Stock Car winner visits victory lane every 6.5 events.
* 29 SportMod feature events have been completed in weekly competition with 11 different winners. On average, a new SportMod winner visits victory lane every 2.6 events.
* 315 Hobby Stock feature events have been completed in weekly competition with 82 different winners. On average, a new Hobby Stock winner visits victory lane every 3.8 events.
* Overall, in the last 43-plus seasons, there have been 1,640 features completed in the five divisions that currently compete at the speedway.
On June 26, Jason Rauen became the 95th different Late Model driver to win a feature at Independence since 1967. He is the 51st winner in the Late Model division in the years the division has been IMCA-sanctioned at Independence.
Qualifying Streaks
* The longest currently active feature qualifying streaks for weekly competition in each division include:
Late Model: Darren Ackerman has qualified for 51 consecutive features. His last miss was June 3, 2006.
Modified: Jerry Luloff has qualified for 189 consecutive features. His last miss was July 5, 1997.
Stock Car: Jarod Weepie has qualified for 128 consecutive features. His last miss was June 9, 2001.
Hobby Stock: Wes Stanek Jr. has qualified for 27 consecutive features. His last miss was July 12, 2008.
SportMod: Kaleb Bentley and Jim Buhlman have qualified for all 29 features dating back to the first one at the speedway on June 21, 2008.
With Josh Irvine's absence on June 26, Wes Stanek Jr. has now qualified for the most consecutive IMCA Hobby Stock features at the speedway.
* All six Modified feature winners have come from different starting positions (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9)
* All six Stock Car feature winners have come from different starting positions (1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 17)
* All six Hobby Stock feature winners have come from different starting positions (1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10)
* Five different starting positions have produced the six Late Model feature winners (1, 3, 4, 6, 7 – The “1” spot is the only position to produce two winners)
* Five different starting positions have produced the six SportMod feature winners (3, 6, 7, 8, 11) – The “7” spot is the only position to produce two winners)
* A car with a letter in its number has won every Modified feature – 19G, 3C, 24R, 19D, 12J
* Through six weeks, Norman Chesmore has finished fourth in the Stock Car feature four times.
* Troy Cordes has two second, two third and two fourth place finishes in six Modified features.
* With his win on June 26, Vince Buchholz extended his record of having the longest span between first and most recent feature wins in that division. His first win came on May 29, 1993 – 6,237 days between his first and most recent win, or 17 years and 28 days. Second on htat list for the Hobby Stocks? Todd Temeyer, who went 2,191 days between his first and last wins from 1990-1996.
Vince Buchholz earned the Hobby Stock win at Independence on June 26. In doing so, his feature wins now span 17 years in the division at Independence.
* Only six drivers have placed in the top 3 of all six of their heat races this season – Darin Duffy (Modifieds); Sean Johnson and Dave Stricker (Stock Cars); Joel Rust and Josh Sherbon (SportMods); and Justin Lichty (Hobby Stocks).
* Heat races have not been kind to SportMod driver Kaleb Bentley. He has qualified for the feature only one time (opening night). The other five nights he has started 24, 21, 21, 23 and 18, respectively. Bentley has earned top-10 finishes each of those nights, including finishes of 5, 6, 9, 8 and 7. Ironically, the only night he qualified out of his heat resulted in his only non-top-10 finish. He finished 15th on opening night after starting third.
Not letting his lack of success in heat race action deter him, IMCA SportMod driver Kaleb Bentley has driven to five straight top-10 finishes at Independence after failing to make the invert through qualifying. Currently fourth in the overall SportMod standings (20 points out of the lead), Bentley leads the hard charger points for the division. His 72 hard charger points (that's +12 positions per week, on average) are 10 better than his closest competitor in that category.
* 81 different drivers have cracked the top-10 in his or her division’s points for at least one week this season.
* Freak Stat of the Month? If your first name starts with J, you're more likely to win a feature than a driver with any other initial. Of the 30 features so far this season, 10 of them (that's 33%, or 1/3) have been won by drivers with the first name starting with "J" - Justin Temeyer, Jeff Aikey (2) , Josh Sherbon (2) , Josh Irvine, Justin Lichty, Jamie Whitaker, Jason Rauen, Justin O'Brien. The letter "A" is second best by winning six features - Austin Kaplan (3), Austin Lucas, August Bach, Adam Johnson. Yeah, so the odds are better than 50/50... if your name starts with a J or an A, start polishing your victory lane speech...
That's it for this month, check back after July for the next Blitz!
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