Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings: May 31

Welcome to the Inside Track's Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings. Each week of the racing season, the Gazette's Jeremiah Davis will rank the area's top 10 drivers across all divisions.

Think the list should be different? Tweet him at @jeremiahdavis10, send him an email at jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com or leave a comment at The Inside Track by Jeremiah Davis Facebook page.

New this week: Damon Murty, John Oliver Jr.

Dropped out: Johnny Scott, Bryce Garnhart

Others considered (in no order):  David Brandies, Luke Goedert, Benji Irvine, Tyler Bruening, Ronn Lauritzen, J.D. Auringer, Nathan Ballard, Matt Ryan, Rob Toland, Mark Schulte, Chris Zogg, Mitch Hovden, Kyle Olson, Cayden Carter, Johnny Spaw, Troy Hovey, Daniel Wauters, Dalton Simonsen, Richie Gustin, Kyle Brown, Troy Cordes, Dan Hovden, Bryce Garnhart

RANK

+/-

NAME

CLASS

THOUGHTS

1

+3

Hunter Marriott

Modified

He's been fast all spring, and he's been in position for several wins, only to come up short. He finally got himself one Sunday at Benton County Speedway in Vinton, taking the $2,000 prelude to the Hawkeye Dirt Tour opener feature win. He backed that up Monday going from p10 at the start to a second place finish on a locked-down, one-lane track. Add to that a second place at Lee County Speedway earlier last week, and he's earned the top spot. 

2

-1

Tyler Soppe

Sport Mod

You have to admire the kinds of racers who go find a racetrack when their weekly track rains out. That's what Soppe did Friday, hauling to Marshalltown after Farley rained out, finishing second there. He backed that up with a win at Maquoketa on Saturday. Sunday was forgettable, finishing 22nd at Vinton, but he recovered for another p2 on Monday at Vinton. 

3

--

Justin Kay

Late Model/Modified

I-80 Speedway has drawn some guys from over this way early this year, and Kay went over there again this weekend with his Modified. On a night where they ran two main events, Kay got the win in the first one and ran 14th in the other. Then, he pulled to Boone from there and ran the Deery Brothers Summer Series race on Monday. For a guy who has been vocal about Boone not being his favorite, he ran well (again), finishing fifth.

4

+2

Jeremiah Hurst

Late Model

When this summer is done, I have to imagine Hurst is going to have one of the highest - if not the highest - count in terms of nights raced with the Roberts Motorsports Late Model. He raced four times this weekend, finishing fourth at Marshalltown, grabbing wins at Maquoketa and Quad City Speedway in East Moline, Ill., and wrapping up the weekend with a ninth at the Deery show in Boone.

5

--

Tyler Droste

Modified

We could debate the merits of IMCA's qualifying procedure for a day, but I know someone who wishes it was different. Droste's draw hurt him twice this weekend, with suboptimal starting spots in both main events at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. The worst was Monday, when in the redraw, he could've picked the pole or 12th in the blind draw...and he picked 12th. Seventh and ninth aren't bad finishes, though. He can drown his redraw sorrows just fine, though. Droste took home the $1,000 win at Britt on Friday night at the Hobo 100. 

6

+1

Tony Olson

Sport Mod

Team Olson might ban me from covering races they go to. It seems like every time I'm at the same track as Tony this season, he's had bad luck or not run as well as he'd like. After rainouts at Davenport and Independence, he ran second Sunday at Vinton. Then, Monday, he was racing into the top five, jumped the cushion in 3 and 4 and had to restart last. He came back to finish 11th, but it's nights like that he avoided the last two years. 

7

-5

Chris Simpson

Late Model

After his wild ride a little more than a week ago, Simpson regrouped and hauled to the Show-Me 100 in Wheatland, Mo. He was 16th and 10th in his two prelim races, and then took a DNF after he pulled off early in the main event on Saturday. Simpson said Wednesday his back is a little sore, but he's back at it at Memphis, Mo. and Lee County Speedway this weekend.

8

NR

Damon Murty

Stock Car

Murty returns to the rankings after getting a win at Marshalltown Speedway on Friday night, then adding a fifth on Sunday at Benton County Speedway and second on Monday's Memorial Day show. Monday's race, finishing second to Jeff Mueller, was a great one, but he couldn't get his typical high line to work like he wanted and snag that win.

9

--

Darrel DeFrance

Late Model

He went and raced for his dad this weekend, after he and his extended family laid Mr. D to rest - after taking him for one last lap around Marshalltown Speedway and parking him in Victory Lane. DeFrance ended up sixth in the main event Friday night at Marshalltown and then backed that up with a fourth at Boone for the Summer Series event. He continues to be very consistent on the Summer Series and is working his way into the points hunt.

10

NR

John Oliver Jr

Stock Car

No, not the comedian. Yes, I imagine he's heard that joke before, but I had to. The Danville driver doesn't come up this way all that often, running at Lee County Speedway and in the Burlington area most often. But after wins in both his Stock Car and a Sport Mod at LCS this week, he came to Vinton for both races Sunday and Monday. He was third on Sunday and fourth on Monday, showing some versatility. 

Previous weeks: May 10, May 17; May 24

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com