Spencer Lewis Power Rankings - Installment #1 (ITMN Volume 12, Issue 6)

In Volume 12, Issue 6 of Inside Track Motorsport News, Sunset Speedway announcer Spencer Lewis offered his TOP 10 Ontario Asphalt Stock Car racers. Below is his complete list, including some honourable mentions. Spencer has prepared another Power Ranking list for our next issue, which is going to press today. Thanks to Spencer for his contribution.

1) Steve Robblee (Delaware LM, OSS, Sauble Invitationals)
It only makes sense this man tops the list early in the season. Margarita Ice 150 Win? Check. OSS Season Opener Win? Check. Delaware Points Lead? Check. Face it, Steve Robblee is very arguably the most consistent driver in the province right now, Time will tell how the rest of his season will play out, but more travelling and more winning certainly won't hurt his spot at the top of the heap.

2) Dwight Brown (Mosport Modified, Mosport LLM, Kawartha LLM)
Be it in a Limited Late Model or an Open Wheel Modified; Be it Mosport Speedway or Kawartha Downs Speedway, there's no doubt about it, Dwight Brown is fast. So fast that in the first month and a half of the season, he already has 4 LLM and 2 OWM wins to his credit at Mosport and added an additional LLM win at Kawartha Downs in their season opener. It seems as though the Limited Late Model is his primary focus in 2008, but when you've racked up two feature wins in a part-time car, who can complain?

3) Tom Walters (Kawartha LLM, Sunset LLM)
With 24 championships in the books, the road to a 25th has started off quite nicely for Stompin' Tom. Four feature wins and the points lead at Sunset Speedway is reason enough to make anyone smile. Walters has also picked up the pace on Friday nights after a slow start to his Kawartha Downs Speedway season. Now that Tom has his feet underneath him on both Friday and Saturday night, if the mechanical gremlins stay away, so will any hope of Walters landing outside of the top 3 in our power rankings.

4) Rob Clarke (OSCAAR)
Those old shoes still have some magic in 'em, and Rob Clarke proved just that with a second place finish in OSCAAR's season opener at Kawartha followed up with a Sunset Speedway victory and a runner up at the second Sunset show July 5th. Though his early season success has shown promise, he’s been known in the past to pick and choose which races to show up at. Clarke’s choice to run the full OSCAAR schedule or not, will be his power rankings deal breaker in the end.

5) Scott Lyons (Flamboro LM)
Since the folding of the ALSTAR Late Model Series, few race fans outside of the Hamilton area have been given the pleasure of seeing the weekly show that Lyons' #52 puts on. However, if you frequent Flamboro Speedway on a regular basis, you understand completely why Lyons comes in at number 5. Currently enjoying a 22 point lead over perennial contender Jason Shaw, Lyons shows no signs of letting up. Armed with the strategic coolness his driving style has adopted in recent years, this Westover native has been racking up wins and trophies left and right. In a division stacked with Late Model all stars, consistency is key, and if Lyons can manage to keep it running 'til the end, he's bound to be a permanent fixture on our 2008 Power Rankings.

6) Glenn Watson (OSCAAR)
Starting off the 2008 OSCAAR season with a very impressive win at Kawartha Downs Speedway was certainly a good way to kickstart Mr. Watson's bid for a championship; Making a slick move to finish in the top three at Sunset was a solid follow up. Watson has hid a stumbling block as of late with a wreck at Flamboro Speedway and a fifth place at Sunset, however the Race2way.ca team has proven to be resourceful in the past; Expect to see Watson and the gang back in victory lane before season’s end.

7) Dwayne Baker (Barrie LLM)
In 7 starts this season, the B&B Towing #48 has 2 wins and 4 top 5s..oh, and he's the defending Barrie Speedway Late Model champion. Baker's choices of invitationals will determine future spots on the 2008 Power Rankings board, as he's been known to visit Kawartha Speedway once or twice a year. With a few mid-summer events in the near future, a win at another track is both possible and necessary for Baker to slide into our Power Rankings top 5.

8) Larry Jackson / Dan McHattie (Tie) (Kawartha LLM)
Ahh, the first tie of the 2008 Power Rankings; Only fitting that it would deadlock two drivers whose driving styles could not be more similar. Though neither driver made the drive to Sauble Speedway for the Margarita Ice 150, Jackson won the first Kawartha Speedway 100 lap invitational, while McHattie is the current points leader. An end to this stalemate could come shortly, as Kawartha’s Summer Sizzler is fast approaching, and a convincing performance amongst ACT regulars could propel one of these drivers right up the Power Rankings ladder.

9) Ron Sheridan (Delaware LM, Sauble Invitationals)
Mr. Sheridan currently sits shotgun on Steve Robblee’s quest for Delaware Gold, and if you are aware of the current crop of APC Late Models racing at Delaware, you’ll understand why even a second place standing is such an impressive feat. Delaware’s favourite duo even took their act on the road to Sauble Beach back in May, with Sheridan again finishing second to Robblee’s feature win. With a Part Source 141 win under the hood of his Restoration Masters #52, The Rocket might need to visit some more unfamiliar territory this summer to improve on his 9th place ranking.

10) Ray Morneau (Delaware Super Stock)
For those that live south of London, Ray Morneau is a Super Stock driver, and a darn good one at that. He currently sits atop the Peterbilt Super Stock standings 2 months into the season with a 46 point lead over second place. Morneau’s been called the class of the field more than once over the course of the last few seasons, and in 2008 he’s showing Delaware Speedway and the rest of Ontario that he means business.

11) Keith McLeod (Barrie LLM)
One of Southern Ontario's hottest rivalries picked up right where it left off on May 10, 2008 when Barrie Speedway officially re-opened it's doors. Last season the points race came right down to the wire, and diehard McLeod fans still argue that had an on-track incident with another driver NOT occurred, McLeod would be the 2007 defending champion. History aside, McLeod has 2 feature wins, complimented by 6 top 5s thus far. The only thing hurting his Power Rankings standing is his lack of interest in travelling to racetracks NOT named Barrie Speedway. If McLeod chooses to whet his whistle somewhere else in Ontario this summer, he's an easy bid for a top 10 Power Rankings spot; If not, the chase is on for the BSW Championship.

12) Vic Parsons (Sunset LLM, Kawartha LLM)
Straight out of the scenes of an old western, a cowboy's last days are when he's most dangerous. The same has proven true for veteran 'Quick' Vic Parsons. The beginning of the 2008 season began with rumours of Parsons having one last go, before enjoying retirement with his new bride. Parsons confirmed this rumour three weeks into the season in a post-race interview stating, "We have two cars- and they're both for sale". However, someone should tell ol' Vic that nearing retirement is a good time to start slowing down. With 8 weeks of solid runs to his credit at Sunset Speedway (including 1 feature win), Vic started off the 2008 Kawartha season with a top-5 in the season opener and a feature win come week 2. With his future uncertain, Vic clocks in at #12.

13) Jason Shaw (Flamboro LM)
If the Shaw's first two months of activity are any indication, it appears the tour-ladened schedule fans have become accustomed to has been cut down to focus on a championship bid. Namely, the Flamboro Speedway championship. Shaw has made two appearances at Delaware Speedway earlier in their season, and had a top-10 in the Part Source 141 to show for it. Second place in the Flamboro point standings, behind our number 5 entry Scott Lyons, is good enough for 13th spot; But if power rankings improvement is what he seeks, the formula is more winning and more travelling.

14) Gary McLean (Varney Modified)
If you're scratching your head wondering who Gary McLean is, make sure you get out to Varney Speedway sometime this year. This man has been Mr. Modified in Southern Ontario for the past 5 years. His only setback? The lack of tracks available for him to visit. McLean has recorded two wins at Peterborough's Autumn Colours in the past three years. Starting 2008 off with a bang, with 2 wins in 3 starts, McLean is Varney's current APM points leader and with veteran Dale McArthur nipping at his heels 8 points back, the division promises to give quite the show the rest of the year.

15) Jim Rossiter (Mosport Modified)
With all the talk of Dwight Brown's Mosport success, it's almost easy to forget the other man campaigning for the crown of Modified Champion. That's right, the 2007 Champion already has 2 feature wins to his credit (including a Hat Trick on opening night). With Brown only running a part time modified schedule, Rossiter sits atop the R.P Oil Modified rankings, and with no finish coming outside of the top 3, has shown to be a tough man to beat.

16) Todd Delisle (Kawartha LLM)
If there's one thing the 2007 Mosport Speedway Limited Late Model champion is adamant about, it's establishing new goals. With a Mosport championship already in the books, Delisle chose 2008 to be the year he focuses entirely on a points crown at Kawartha Downs Speedway. Though he's had two strong runs on Friday nights, it's tough to rank Delisle any higher, due to the fact that we're in Mid-July and he's run a total of 5 race nights at 2 different tracks. With a very full season still to come at Kawartha, there's much time for power rankings improvement and if 2007 is any gauge, expect Delisle to be crashing the party at the top very soon.

17) Brandon Watson (ACT, Delaware LM, Kawartha LM)
2008 thus far has been a year of challenges and learning for the youngster from Stayner. The ACT Tour has proved to be a harsh mistress for the 15 year old, and a trip to London's Delaware Speedway in May gave the team more beat up equipment than feature success. Still, Watson's will to carry on and 'never give up' attitude has been recognized and admired by peers more than twice his age. Brandon's four appereances at Kawartha Downs Speedway have been stellar to say the least, and if his improvement continues, ACT success is no doubt within arms reach.

18) Amanda Connolly (Peterborough LLM)
After a couple seasons of bouncing between tracks and not running full time from May to October, Connelly seems to have found a home at Peterborough Speedway. After finishing out the 2007 season at the 1/3 mile oval, she has found her stride early in 2008. Though she has not achieved feature glory yet, her #16 has not left the top 5 since the season began in April. A couple trips down the road to Kawartha on Friday nights wouldn’t hurt her ranking, but the points lead at Peterborough is enough to secure Amanda a top-20 spot.

19) Willie Reyns (Kawartha Thunder Car)
With a solid season already under his belt, youngster Willie Reyns has very quickly established himself as the future of the Thunder Car division in Ontario. Coming from the world of Four Wheeler and Dirt Bike racing, Reyns used his Enduro experience to set himself up a very quick car for 2008. With an opening night feature victory at Kawartha Downs Speedway, Reyns continue to put together solid top 5 runs each week. Though he has yet to venture from his two home tracks of Mosport and Kawartha in 2008, 2007 saw the Boundy Roofing Monte Carlo travel to Peterborough, Sunset and as far away as Ottawa's Capital City Speedway. The future is very bright for Reyns, and if he keeps taking tutelage from Thunder Car veterans such as Jim Remington, he will be a fixture on our Power Rankings for the rest of the year.

20) Ed Tremblay / Kevin Albers (Tie) (Barrie Thunder Car / Flamboro Thunder Car)
Our second tie, rather fitting that these two men are the points leaders of the provinces strongest and most talent rich thunder car divisions. Tremblay's ascent to the top of Barrie's ranks has been that of consistency and persistence; Though he has not notched a feature win yet, he has finished inside of the top 10 in each of his 5 outings in 2008, and with the crop of thunder cars that Barrie currently boasts, that in itself is an accomplishment. Meanwhile in Hamilton, Kevin Albers began his season with back to back feature wins and has yet to finish outside of the top 10; All the while holding the 2007 champion Randy Rusnell and 2007 Rookie of the Year Nick Roth at bay with a 9 point lead. With three very big Thunder Car invitationals penciled into Kawartha Speedway’s schedule and Sunset Speedway’s $1000-to-win August 16th event, there is a chance we could see these two cars on the same track, at the same time, to settle the tie once and for all.

21) John Baker Jr. (Mosport Thunder Car, Mosport LLM)
The one word often associated with second generation drivers is pressure. John Baker Jr seems to have dealt with this quite nicely. After logging enough track time in both Mini Stocks and Thunder Cars to fill multiple speed charts, Baker Jr stepped into a full time LLM for the first time in 2008. Though his 5 (count em, 5) Thunder Car feature wins are impressive, more impressive is his seamless transition into the LLM division. Opening night at Peterborough Speedway saw JBJ rubbing doors with fellow power rankers Dwayne Baker, Amanda Connolly and Tom Walters. He's won in every car he's ever driven, and after only 6 weeks in a LLM, it seems a John Baker Jr feature win is no longer a why, but a when.

22) Dave Bailey (Flamboro Mini Stock)
Best Mini Stock driver in Ontario? If not, there aren't too many better. Bailey is currently the points leader at Flamboro Speedway, in the midst of campaigning for yet ANOTHER championship. With 3 feature trophies already crowding the mantle, Bailey has been eyeing running invitationals at Grand Bend Speedway whenever possible as well as running on the dirt at Ohsweken in the ultra-competitive Thunder Stock division. Bailey clocks in at number 22, proving you don't have to win in something with 8 cylinders to be part of the power rankings.

23) Spencer McPherson (ACT, ACT-Castrol, Kawartha LM, Capital City LM)
Carleton Place's favourite son has been a very busy man early in 2008. He could tell you all about the scenery in Quebec, and has yet to forget what line to run at his hometrack of Capital City Speedway. On June 14, McPherson clocked in with a very acceptable top 15 finish at Autodrome Chaudiere in a talent rich ACT-Castrol event. Learning from veteran Quebec racers like Theetge, Laperle, Cyr and Allard will teach this 4th year driver the quick way around any track in a hurry. So far, it appears McPherson plans on running the bulk of the ACT-Castrol tour, as well as events on the ACT tour AND selected races at Capital City and Kawartha. As soon as these trips start translating into wins, expect to see and hear much more of Spencer McPherson.

24) Scott McTeer (Sauble Thunder Car)
Scott McTeer's goal the past 3 seasons seems to have been simple enough. Prove that your name does not need to be Todd Davenport in order to call Sauble Speedway home and have one of the fastest thunder cars around. Fresh off a 2007 championship, the Bayview Roofing & Renos Monte Carlo has been hard at work reminding the good people of Owen Sound his recent run was no fluke. With a feature win already under the hood, McTeer currently finds himself locked in a tooth and nail battle with Shawn McAdam in his bid to be a repeat champion. His only downside is the lack of travelling in his schedule, but when you call Tiverton home, you don't have alot to work with as far as race track accessibility. As is the case with many others in the Power Rankings, more wins and different tracks will see the #69 climb the ranks before the year is through.

25) Herb Walters (Sunset Thunder Car)
A return to the division Walters called home for so many years is not what surprised many of his followers. It was the vehicle chosen to complete the task that came as a bit of a shocker. For the 2008 season, Herb Walters will be piloting a camaro that has garnered wins for drivers all the way from Kyle Donaldson to Amanda Connolly. Walters definitely has the equipment and the crew support for the journey (Ken Donaldson, anyone?) and his first win of the season on June 5th did nothing but boost his confidence. Quality equipment, quality crew and a bolstering momentum could make for a very productive championship run for Herb and his team..

Honourable Mentions...

Dave Doucette (Barrie Thunder Car, Sunset Thunder Car)
"The Deuce" is coming off a 2007 championship at Barrie Speedway, but 2008 has been hot and cold for the Angus native. Doucette currently holds 2 feature wins in 3 starts at "the high line", however politics may keep the xtremeautomachine.com Monte Carlo away for the rest of the season. In the surprise move of the night, Doucette found himself at Sunset Speedway gearing up for action on June 21, a night which would see him claim a heat win and a follow up second place finish after starting at the back in both races. The night would be called before the feature, but "The Deuce" appeared to have the car to beat. Consistency and a definitive future kept Doucette off the Power Rankings this time around, but if he can achieve some racing stability, he will be right back in the thick of things.

Stephen Richmond (Delaware Super Stock, Delaware Open Wheel Modified)
Has there been a driver coming out of Delaware Speedway in recent memory with as much hype and fanfare as young Richmond? All the praise and then-some is certainly well deserved for this 2nd year Super Stock driver. On top of the praise garnered for his impressive performances in the Peterbilt Super Stock division in 2007, the SRMotorsports team announced the purchase of an Open Wheel Modified in early February for Stephen to run on Super Stock off nights, with a full time Modified campaign slated for 2009. Richmond possesses a racer's true ability to learn as he goes, with his first Late Model start in last years APC 300 being proof. With the will to learn, the natural ability, and the experience of his supporters, Richmond's career has nowhere to go but up.

Kevin Crowhurst (Ontario Pro Challenge)
Coming out of a division that doesn’t catch a lot of press coverage is hard for a racer is talented as Crowhurst. After making the move up from the Southern Ontario Legends ranks, Crowhurst fought tooth and nail to get a feeling for his new ride. In 2008, it seems the battle has been won; After kicking off the season with two straight wins, Crowhurst held the points lead through the first four events. Late model enthusiasts all across the province are dieing to see Crowhurst nab himself a ride in a bigger car, here’s hoping it’s sooner than later.

Kevin Foisy (Legends)
Kevin Foisy has won every single Capital City Speedway Legends feature. Go ahead, go back and read that again. Every single one! The only reason he hasn’t penetrated past the notable mentions section is his lack of experience outside of the momentum cars. A hotshoe like Foisy would be a perfect fit for Capital City’s blossoming Thunder Car division, naturally such a move won’t come until the offseason, but it’s never too early to start planning for 2009. Especially with the momentum Kevin Foisy has working for him right now.