Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings: July 5

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: Jeremiah Hurst

Dropped out: Joel Rust

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, Mitch Hovden, Kyle Olson, Johnny Spaw, Daniel Wauters, Dalton Simonsen, Richie Gustin, John Emerson, Kyle Brown, Troy Cordes, Dan Hovden, Bryce Garnhart, John Oliver Jr, Darrel DeFrance, Jimmy Gustin, Andy Eckrich, Chris Zogg, Joel Rust, Darin Duffy, Brody Willett, Jeff Aikey

1.

Justin Kay

Late Model/Modified

Late Model/Modified

I was told recently by a well-meaning race fan that it's boring to read about Justin Kay all the time - that it was boring he's No. 1 in the rankings every week. My response: "Winning is boring?" Sadly, for many, yes. It's not new for racing fans to want some variety in Victory Lane. Kay won again this weekend, taking the Late Model feature at Davenport. He also ran second to Jeremiah Hurst at Dubuque on Sunday. Success is recognized, even if it isn't new.

I was told recently by a well-meaning race fan that it's boring to read about Justin Kay all the time - that it was boring he's No. 1 in the rankings every week. My response: "Winning is boring?" Sadly, for many, yes. It's not new for racing fans to want some variety in Victory Lane. Kay won again this weekend, taking the Late Model feature at Davenport. He also ran second to Jeremiah Hurst at Dubuque on Sunday. Success is recognized, even if it isn't new.

 

2.

Tyler Droste

Modified

Modified

Like another driver in these rankings (Tony Olson) I think I might be a jinx for Tyler Droste. Well, at least in terms of winning races. I've covered at least four races this year in which Droste finished second - most recently Sunday's Hogan Memorial at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. After the race Sunday, he joked I won't be allowed to cover his races anymore. I wasn't at Britt last week and he won. Maybe he's onto something.

Like another driver in these rankings (Tony Olson) I think I might be a jinx for Tyler Droste. Well, at least in terms of winning races. I've covered at least four races this year in which Droste finished second - most recently Sunday's Hogan Memorial at Benton County Speedway in Vinton. After the race Sunday, he joked I won't be allowed to cover his races anymore. I wasn't at Britt last week and he won. Maybe he's onto something.

 

3.

Tyler Soppe

Sport Mod

Sport Mod

The razor thin margin I wrote about last week still exists, but I should've mentioned Droste was right there too - hence this drop for Soppe. He was fourth at Maquoketa on Saturday and credited with 14th on Sunday at Dubuque. While that's an outlier, it's still a result. Soppe will rebound, I'm sure, and when he does I'm sure he'll rebound in these rankings.

The razor thin margin I wrote about last week still exists, but I should've mentioned Droste was right there too - hence this drop for Soppe. He was fourth at Maquoketa on Saturday and credited with 14th on Sunday at Dubuque. While that's an outlier, it's still a result. Soppe will rebound, I'm sure, and when he does I'm sure he'll rebound in these rankings.

 

4.

Hunter Marriott

Modified

Modified

Something that struck me on Sunday, after Marriott won the Hogan Memorial and took home $3,433: Marriott could probably have been justified in blaming a heavy track during his heat for why he had to come through a B-main, but didn't. He put it on himself, and not having the car good enough to that point. Marriott is a pretty matter-of-fact interview, and that was another example. Clearly they've got the thing rolling, and he's the defending Dakota Mod Tour champ, to boot.

Something that struck me on Sunday, after Marriott won the Hogan Memorial and took home $3,433: Marriott could probably have been justified in blaming a heavy track during his heat for why he had to come through a B-main, but didn't. He put it on himself, and not having the car good enough to that point. Marriott is a pretty matter-of-fact interview, and that was another example. Clearly they've got the thing rolling, and he's the defending Dakota Mod Tour champ, to boot.

 

5.

Damon Murty

Stock Car

Stock Car

Murty made more IMCA Stock Car history this weekend, and did it at a track he's synonymous with. The Chelsea Charger won his fifth Hogan Memorial, which is most all time in any division at the event - the biggest each year in Vinton. A couple people on Twitter commented he's pretty good there. I replied he's good everywhere. Second- and third-place finishes at the Stock Car Shootout at Southern Iowa Speedway on Monday and Tuesday are evidence enough.

Murty made more IMCA Stock Car history this weekend, and did it at a track he's synonymous with. The Chelsea Charger won his fifth Hogan Memorial, which is most all time in any division at the event - the biggest each year in Vinton. A couple people on Twitter commented he's pretty good there. I replied he's good everywhere. Second- and third-place finishes at the Stock Car Shootout at Southern Iowa Speedway on Monday and Tuesday are evidence enough.

 

6.

Chris Simpson

Late Model/Modified

Late Model/Modified

Simpson hadn't been in a Modified in more than a month, had never been to Benton County Speedway and had to come through a B-main, but he ran sixth at the Hogan Memorial. I know he dropped a couple spots - more because of the others' wins - but it takes a heavy helping of talent to be versatile with the two types of cars.

Simpson hadn't been in a Modified in more than a month, had never been to Benton County Speedway and had to come through a B-main, but he ran sixth at the Hogan Memorial. I know he dropped a couple spots - more because of the others' wins - but it takes a heavy helping of talent to be versatile with the two types of cars.

 

7.

Tony Olson

Sport Mod

Sport Mod

Olson told me this weekend - following one in which he didn't win - he, his dad and uncle decided to go back to a setup that worked in the past, rather than a direction they'd been down this year. The result? Wins at Davenport and Independence, and a seventh at Vinton on Sunday. Not a bad decision, it seems. We'll see if it remains on as the next few weeks roll on.

Olson told me this weekend - following one in which he didn't win - he, his dad and uncle decided to go back to a setup that worked in the past, rather than a direction they'd been down this year. The result? Wins at Davenport and Independence, and a seventh at Vinton on Sunday. Not a bad decision, it seems. We'll see if it remains on as the next few weeks roll on.

 

8.

Cayden Carter

Modified/Late Model/Stock Car

Modified/Late Model/Stock Car

Carter won the Stock Car Shootout at Osky on Tuesday at Southern Iowa Speedway. He won the Modified main event last Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. He also had a pair of top-fives at Osky in Modified. But the most impressive thing about this weekend from my perspective was what he did at Vinton on Sunday. He spun without a caution in his heat and finished last. He started last in his B-main, transferred in and started 21st in the main. He finished fifth. That's a lot of cars he passed. Kind of incredible, in fact.

Carter won the Stock Car Shootout at Osky on Tuesday at Southern Iowa Speedway. He won the Modified main event last Friday at Marshalltown Speedway. He also had a pair of top-fives at Osky in Modified. But the most impressive thing about this weekend from my perspective was what he did at Vinton on Sunday. He spun without a caution in his heat and finished last. He started last in his B-main, transferred in and started 21st in the main. He finished fifth. That's a lot of cars he passed. Kind of incredible, in fact.

 

9.

Nathan Wood

Stock Car

Stock Car

Wood has been tremendously consistent the last month or so in his Stock Car, and that continued again this weekend. He won at CJ Speedway, and backed that up with a third in the Hogan Memorial - which came while racing hard for the win - and backed all that up with third on the first night at fourth in the finals at the Stock Car Shootout at Osky.

Wood has been tremendously consistent the last month or so in his Stock Car, and that continued again this weekend. He won at CJ Speedway, and backed that up with a third in the Hogan Memorial - which came while racing hard for the win - and backed all that up with third on the first night at fourth in the finals at the Stock Car Shootout at Osky.

 

10.

Jeremiah Hurst

Late Model

Late Model

IMCA's leader in national points for Late Models has settled back in after a rocky couple weekends, and finished no worse than second in three nights of weekly racing. He was second at both Davenport Speedway and Maquoketa Speedway, and then beat Justin Kay on Sunday at his home track of Dubuque. It's going to be hard for him to lose the national title if those numbers stay the same.

IMCA's leader in national points for Late Models has settled back in after a rocky couple weekends, and finished no worse than second in three nights of weekly racing. He was second at both Davenport Speedway and Maquoketa Speedway, and then beat Justin Kay on Sunday at his home track of Dubuque. It's going to be hard for him to lose the national title if those numbers stay the same.

 

Previous weeks: May 10, May 17; May 24; May 31; June 7; June 15; June 21; June 28

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