Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Stats Blitz! Benton County Speedway by the numbers through May

Below is the first installment of the 2012 Benton County Speedway Stats Blitz! The statistics included here are through five nights of weekly racing. This includes weekly points races only and does not include the Spring Shakedown or Frostbuster specials in April.

I have been in the process of collecting every weekly feature winner in the history of the track, but haven't assembled all of them quite yet. Until then, I will include monthly statistical updates of the 2012 season in Vinton. Check back at the end of every month for updated numbers.

All photos included here are courtesy of Scott Tjabring of Action Track Photography, the official track photographer of the speedway.

A new Blitz will be posted at the end of each calendar month.

Car Count
Division - Average - High - Low
Modified – 21.2 - 28 - 18
Stock Car – 14.6 - 18 - 11
SportMod – 17.0 - 20 - 15
Hobby Stock – 14.2 - 20 -11
Sport Compact – 12.8 - 16 - 11
TOTAL – 79.8 - 100 -73

Points
* 139 drivers have earned points this season.
* No driver has led the points of his division after all five weeks, however three drivers have held points leads following four of five nights. Joe Docekal (Modified) has led the points the last four weeks, while Danny Dvorak (SportMod) and Scott Pippert (Hobby Stock) led the points following nights 1, 3, 4 and 5. Nathan Chandler (Sport Compact) has led the points following weeks 1, 4 and 5, while Phil Holtz and Jason Deshaw (Stock Car) took over the points lead following the May 27 show and are tied at the top entering June.

DEFASTEST - With his win on May 27, Jason Deshaw (shown here) climbed into a tie with Phil Holtz atop the IMCA Stock Car standings.

IN THE HUNT
* 24 drivers have remained in the top-10 in the points every week of the season. Those drivers include:
Modified (4): Brandon Banks, Joe Docekal, Patrick Flannagan, Jerry Luloff;
Stock Car (4): Norman Chesmore, Jason Deshaw, Scooter Dulin, Jay Schmidt;
SportMod (3): Danny Dvorak, Kyle Olson, Dave Schulze;
Hobby Stock (5): Nathan Ballard, Matt, Doug Laughridge, Cale Petersen, Scott Pippert.
Sport Compact (8): Merv Chandler, Nathan Chandler, Travis Losenicky, Jacob McVay, Steve Miedke, Gary Peiffer, Brett Vanous, Bill Whalen Jr.

* 6 drivers have remained in the top-5 in the points every week of the season. Those drivers include:
Modified (2): Joe Docekal, Jerry Luloff;
Stock Car (0): No Stock Car driver has spent every week in the top-5 in points.
SportMod (1): Danny Dvorak;
Hobby Stock (2): Scott Pippert, Matt Brown; 
Sport Compact (1): Brett Vanous.


PIP SHOW - Scott Pippert has led the IMCA Hobby Stock points for four weeks this season and has not fallen below second in the standings. He and SportMod driver Danny Dvorak are the only two drivers who can make that claim this season.

Feature Winners
* There have been 15 different feature winners in 25 feature events this season.
* Current points leaders account for 12 of the 25 feature wins.
* Joe Docekal (Modified) is the only current points leader without a feature win.
* Every division has seen one repeat winner: Scott Pippert (Hobby Stock, 4 wins); Nathan Chandler (Sport Compact, 4 wins); Damon Murty (Stock Car, 3 wins); Richie Gustin (Modified, 2 wins); Danny Dvorak (SportMod, 2 wins).

JO DO NO-NO - Joe Docekal has led the IMCA Modified points the last four weeks, despite no trips to victory lane

Top-10s
* 103 drivers have earned at least one top-10 finish this season. The top-10 leaders in each division are as follows:
Modified (23 drivers with at least one top-10): Joe Docekal, Patrick Flannagan, Jerry Luloff (5 each);
Stock Car (20): Jay Schmidt (5); Norman Chesmore, Jason Deshaw, Phil Holtz, Damon Murty (3 each);
SportMod (22): Danny Dvorak, Kyle Olson (5 each); Jim Buhlman, Curt Hilmer, Dave Schulze (4 each);
Hobby Stock (20): Cale Petersen, Scott Pippert (5 each); Vince Buchholz, Rod Grother, Jacob Keiser, Doug Laughridge (4 each);
Sport Compact (18): Jacob McVay, Steve Miedke (5 each); Merv Chandler, Nathan Chandler, Gary Peiffer, Travis Ross, Brett Vanous, Bill Whalen Jr. (4 each).

Top-5s
* 57 drivers have earned at least one top-5 finish this season. The top-5 leaders in each division are as follows:
Modified (10 drivers with at least one top-5): Joe Docekal (5); Patrick Flannagan, Scott Hogan, Jerry Luloff (4 each); 
Stock Car (14): Damon Murty (4); Jason Deshaw, Phil Holtz, Jay Schmidt (3 each);
SportMod (11): Danny Dvorak (5); Jim Buhlman, Kyle Olson (4 each); Curt Hilmer (3);
Hobby Stock (12): Vince Buchholz, Scott Pippert (4 each); Matt Brown, Rod Grother (3 each);
Sport Compact (10): Merv Chandler, Nathan Chandler, Steve Miedke, Brett Vanous (4 each).

FAB FIVE - Danny Dvorak is the only IMCA SportMod driver with top-5 finishes every night this season.

Top-3s
* 40 drivers have earned at least one top-3 finish this season. The top-3 leaders in each division are as follows:
Modified (9 drivers with at least one top-3): Richue Gustin, Scott Hogan (3 each); Joe Docekal, Patrick Flannagan (2 each);
Stock Car (8): Damon Murty (4); Jason Deshaw, Phil Holtz (3 each);
SportMod (7): Jim Buhlman (4); Danny Dvorak (3); Curt Hilmer, Nick Roberts, Duane Van Deest (2 each);
Hobby Stock (9): Scott Pippert (4); Nathan Ballard, Matt Brown, Rod Grother (2 each);
Sport Compact (7): Nathan Chandler (4); Merv Chandler, Steve Miedke (3 each); Bill Whalen Jr. (2).

DA MAN - Damon Murty has made four appearances in weekly racing in Vinton this season and has finished no worse than second

Feature Lap Leaders
* 35 drivers have led at least one lap of feature competition.
* Division lap leaders include:
Modified (7 different lap leaders): Richie Gustin (30 laps led), Kyle Brown (19), Patrick Flannagan (18), Troy Cordes (12), Shawn Ryan (11);
Stock Car (9): Paul Shepherd (23 laps led), Damon Murty (22), Jason Deshaw (13), Sean Johnson (6);
SportMod (4): Duane Van Deest (31 laps led); Matt McCahen (14); Jim Buhlman, Kyle Olson (11 laps each);
Hobby Stock (8): Scott Pippert (28 laps led), Nathan Ballard (17), Rod Grother (11), Erick Knutsen (7);
Sport Compact (8): Nathan Chandler (36 laps led), Steve Miedke (11), Adam Gates (6), Merv Chandler (4).

SUNDAY DRIVER - IMCA Sport Compact driver Nathan Chandler has led more feature laps, 36, than any other driver in Vinton this season.

Heat Races
* There have been 36 different heat race winners in 58 heat races.
* 16 drivers have won multiple heat races this season.
* The heat race wins leaders in each division are as follows:
Modified (8 winners in 15 heats): Ronn Lauritzen, Troy Cordes (3 each); Kyle Brown, Joe Docekal, Scott Hogan (2 each);
Stock Car (7 winners in 10 heats): Paul Shepherd (3), Damon Murty (2), Five drivers tied with (1 each);
SportMod (7 winners in 12 heats): Danny Dvorak (3); Jim Buhlman, Curt Hilmer, Duane Van Deest (2 each);
Hobby Stock (8 winners in 11 heats): Rod Grother, Jacob Keiser, Doug Laughridge (2 each).
Sport Compact (6 winners in 10 heats): Merv Chandler (4), Steve Miedke (2).

DON'T SWEAT THE HEAT - Merv Chandler's four IMCA Sport Compact heat race wins are the best among all drivers this season.

Efficiency Stats
* 83 races have been run this season.
* 824 green flag laps have been completed.
* 86 caution flags have been thrown (an overall average of 1.04 per race).
Cautions Per Race Ratio
Sport Compact: 5 cautions in 15 races (0.33 cautions per race)
Hobby Stock: 9 / 16 (0.56)
Stock Car: 16 / 15 (1.07)
SportMod: 21 / 17 (1.24)
Modified: 35 / 20 (1.75)
Race Laps Per Caution Ratio
Sport Compact: 120 laps with 5 cautions (average of 24.00 green flag laps between cautions)
Hobby Stock: 163 / 9 (18.11)
Stock Car: 160 / 16 (10.00)
SportMod: 163/ 21 (7.76)
Modified: 218 / 35 (6.23)
Races with No Caution Flags
Hobby Stock:  12 of 16 races have run green to checkers without a caution (75.00%)
Sport Compact: 11 / 15 (73.33%)
SportMod: 10 / 17 (58.82%)
Stock Car:  8 / 15 (53.33%)
Modified: 6 / 20 (30.00%)
47 of 83 races have gone green to checkers without a caution
Feature Cautions
Modified: 20 of 35 total cautions were thrown in feature races (57.14%)
Sport Compact: 3 / 5 (60.00%)
Stock Car: 13 / 16 (81.25%)
SportMod: 19 / 21 (90.48%)
Hobby Stock: 9 / 9 (100.00%)
64 of 86 total cautions have been thrown during feature racing
Average Lap of First Feature Caution
Sport Compact: 10.00
Hobby Stock: 6.20
Stock Car: 4.60
SportMod: 3.00
Modified: 2.60 

Stuff Nobody Should Know…
* Of the 25 feature winners, 10 have come from inside starting spots and 15 from the outside.
* Each of the Stock Car winners have come from different starting positions (1, 3, 4, 6, 9). The same is true for the Sport Compacts (1, 3, 4, 6, 8).
* All five Modified winners have come from an outside row start.
* There have been four straight different SportMod feature winners (Nick Roberts, Kyle Olson, Danny Dvorak, Duane Van Deest).
* Hobby Stock feature winners have come from only two different starting positions: Outside row four (2 times) and inside row five (3 times).
* Dating back to last July, Scott Pippert has won 11 of the last 13 weekly points features for the Hobby Stocks.
* Eight different starting positions have produced feature winners so far this season.
* Danny Dvorak and Kyle Olson (SportMod) and Nathan Chander and Brett Vanous (Sport Compact) are the only drivers to finish in the top-3 of all of their heat races.
* 79 different drivers have cracked the top-10 in his division’s points for at least one week this season.
* 15 different drivers have held or shared their division's points lead at some point during the season.
* Scott Hogan has finished second in the Modified feature three weeks in a row.

THREE TWOS FOR TWO THREES AND A "D" - Scott Hogan (33D) has finished second the last three weeks in IMCA Modified feature competition, twice to Richie Gustin and once to Kyle Brown.

Stuff To Tell Your Friends That Makes Them Think You've Lost It...
* Although Cale Petersen (Hobby Stock) has finished in the top-10 every week, he has yet to finish in the top-5. His consistency has led to finishes of 9, 8, 7, 6 and 7 this season.
* Jay Schmidt (Stock Car) has been in Vinton all five weeks, but has finished in only two different finishing positions. He has three 5th place finishes and two 6th place finishes.

JAY'S WAY - Jay Schmidt has been the most consistent driver at the speedway this season. His finishes haven't been more than a single position apart week-to-week all year. Schmidt has earned three 5ths and two 6ths in IMCA Stock Car feature racing.

* Patrick Flannagan (Modified) and Jacob McVay (Sport Compact) are the only two drivers with five top-10 finishes through five weeks, but have yet to finish in the same position twice. Flannagan's finishes, in chronological order, are 10, 1, 4, 3, 5. McVay's are 10, 7, 5, 3, 8.
* Ronn Lauritzen (Modified) is the only driver to win his heat race three consecutive weeks (May 6, 13 and 20).
* Twice this season the Sport Compacts have completed an entire program without a single caution flag. The Hobby Stocks have gone caution-free for an entire program one time. Other division lows include... Stock Cars (1 caution May 6), SportMods (2 cautions May 13), Modifieds (3 cautions May 20).
* The starting position to produce the most number of feature winners is outside row four. Six of 25 winners have come from that starting spot. The starting position to produce the fewest feature winners toward the front of the field is inside row three. No driver has won from that starting position yet this season.
* A car with a 3 or a 0 in its number has led every lap of SportMod feature racing (75 laps). The car numbers of SportMod feature lap leaders through five weeks include 00, K3, 3R, 23JR, 63 and 80.
* A car with a letter in its number has not led a single Hobby Stock feature lap (75 laps total).
* Of 76 laps of Stock Car feature racing, the feature winners have led only 28 laps of the features they went on to win.
* Of 75 laps of SportMod feature racing, the feature winners have led only 34 laps of the features they went on to win.
* Of 75 laps of Hobby Stock feature racing, the feature winners have led only 37 laps of the features they went on to win.

That's it for the month of May for Benton County Speedway. I'll be back at the end of next month with post-June numbers.

Thanks for reading!

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