Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings: Aug. 9

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: Tony Olson, Damon Murty

Dropped out: Joel Rust, Benji Irvine

Others considered (in no order):  David Brandies, Luke Goedert, 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, Brody Willett, Jeff Aikey, Chris Simpson, Jeremiah Hurst, Benji Irvine, Joel Rust 

1.

Justin Kay

Late Model/Modified

Late Model/Modified

Noted Sport Mod driver Justin Kay has had a busy couple of weeks since we last came together for the Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings. In the 14 days since the last rankings, Kay has competed in 14 main events. That's, uh, that's a lot of racing. In that time? Five wins, three second-place finishes and two other top fives. The Sport Mod win at Tipton even got him banned from racing the class. (Jokes, people, jokes.) Seriously though, he's up to 24 wins across three divisions and is in contention for the Late Model national title.   

Noted Sport Mod driver Justin Kay has had a busy couple of weeks since we last came together for the Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings. In the 14 days since the last rankings, Kay has competed in 14 main events. That's, uh, that's a lot of racing. In that time? Five wins, three second-place finishes and two other top fives. The Sport Mod win at Tipton even got him banned from racing the class. (Jokes, people, jokes.) Seriously though, he's up to 24 wins across three divisions and is in contention for the Late Model national title.   

 

2.

Tyler Soppe

Sport Mod

Sport Mod

Speaking of wins in the mid-20s, here's your front-runner for the Sport Mod national title. Soppe was stuck on 22 wins for a while, but broke through a few times these last few weeks. He dominated Monday at Farley, and didn't finish worse than fourth in the last two weeks - including finishing third behind Kay and Corey Dripps at Tipton. He and Kay are favorites for Eastern Iowa Driver of the Year as it stands right now.

Speaking of wins in the mid-20s, here's your front-runner for the Sport Mod national title. Soppe was stuck on 22 wins for a while, but broke through a few times these last few weeks. He dominated Monday at Farley, and didn't finish worse than fourth in the last two weeks - including finishing third behind Kay and Corey Dripps at Tipton. He and Kay are favorites for Eastern Iowa Driver of the Year as it stands right now.

 

3.

Tyler Droste

Modified

Modified

We've joked here a few times about his bad luck this season, finishing second a lot and whatnot. Well, that's nothing compared to the last few weeks - on and off the track. As he detailed in The Inside Track Podcast, there were flat tires on the tow rig, bent up racecars and more time than he cared to deal with not just focused on racing. Still, he got some solace in a big money win at LaSalle Speedway last week. He'll take it.  

We've joked here a few times about his bad luck this season, finishing second a lot and whatnot. Well, that's nothing compared to the last few weeks - on and off the track. As he detailed in The Inside Track Podcast, there were flat tires on the tow rig, bent up racecars and more time than he cared to deal with not just focused on racing. Still, he got some solace in a big money win at LaSalle Speedway last week. He'll take it.  

 

4.

Darin Duffy

Modified

Modified

Duffy didn't get a win in the last two weeks, but moves up one for a few reasons. First, he didn't finish worse than fifth in any races he ran and has continued to go several different places. Second, he got voted into the All-Star Invitational for Super Nationals and thus has decided to race Super Nationals. That's a win for everyone because it adds another high quality car to the show.

Duffy didn't get a win in the last two weeks, but moves up one for a few reasons. First, he didn't finish worse than fifth in any races he ran and has continued to go several different places. Second, he got voted into the All-Star Invitational for Super Nationals and thus has decided to race Super Nationals. That's a win for everyone because it adds another high quality car to the show.

 

5.

Hunter Marriott

Modified

Modified

Marriott got a win on Monday in the Hawkeye Dirt Tour main event at Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, backing up a win in Algona last week for their fair event. He also ran fourth in the Harris Clash on Tuesday night in Webster City. So why drop him? None of those races happened in Eastern Iowa. He's still a de facto Eastern Iowa guy thanks to his holdovers in West Union and Oxford, but he doesn't get the same bump as normal.  

Marriott got a win on Monday in the Hawkeye Dirt Tour main event at Clay County Fairgrounds in Spencer, backing up a win in Algona last week for their fair event. He also ran fourth in the Harris Clash on Tuesday night in Webster City. So why drop him? None of those races happened in Eastern Iowa. He's still a de facto Eastern Iowa guy thanks to his holdovers in West Union and Oxford, but he doesn't get the same bump as normal.  

 

6.

Nathan Wood

Stock Car

Stock Car

There are few who can say they race as much as Nathan Wood in our area - at least recently. He's racing at minimum three times a week (which lots do) and has seen four or five times a week multiple times this year (not many do). In the last few weeks, Wood got a pair of wins at Osky and CJ Speedway, gave 34 Speedway a try (ask him how he felt about that) and got two other top fives.

There are few who can say they race as much as Nathan Wood in our area - at least recently. He's racing at minimum three times a week (which lots do) and has seen four or five times a week multiple times this year (not many do). In the last few weeks, Wood got a pair of wins at Osky and CJ Speedway, gave 34 Speedway a try (ask him how he felt about that) and got two other top fives.

 

7.

Damon Murty

Stock Car

Stock Car

Murty fell out of the last set of rankings because he hadn't raced a lot. Since the last rankings, though? Three wins - two at Vinton in the last two weeks and on at Marshalltown two weeks ago. He also ran third at Summerfest at Lee County Speedway. I'll be honest: it's hard to come up with new ways to talk about his winning. He does it in such a matter of fact way.

Murty fell out of the last set of rankings because he hadn't raced a lot. Since the last rankings, though? Three wins - two at Vinton in the last two weeks and on at Marshalltown two weeks ago. He also ran third at Summerfest at Lee County Speedway. I'll be honest: it's hard to come up with new ways to talk about his winning. He does it in such a matter of fact way.

 

8.

Cayden Carter

Late Model/Modified/Stock Car

Late Model/Modified/Stock Car

Carter got back in a Stock Car two weeks ago, running at Britt on July 28. In somewhat of a surprise (he wins a lot in the Stock Car), he didn't end up in Victory Lane. He was p10 after starting 21st, so that's not nothing. He also got another win at Osky in his Modified, ran second in both nights of Summerfest at LCS and was p3 in Late Model at LaSalle as well. 

Carter got back in a Stock Car two weeks ago, running at Britt on July 28. In somewhat of a surprise (he wins a lot in the Stock Car), he didn't end up in Victory Lane. He was p10 after starting 21st, so that's not nothing. He also got another win at Osky in his Modified, ran second in both nights of Summerfest at LCS and was p3 in Late Model at LaSalle as well. 

 

9.

Tony Olson

Sport Mod

Sport Mod

Olson fell out of the rankings for the first time in more than two years last time the rankings came out. Justin Kay is the only driver with a longer streak. He's back thanks to back-to-back wins at Vinton, a pair of third place finishes at Independence and a p7 at Summerfest. Olson said Wednesday they found the rear end of his car was bent. If that's true and it's fixed, we may see a return of what has come to be expected of the defending Driver of the Year.

Olson fell out of the rankings for the first time in more than two years last time the rankings came out. Justin Kay is the only driver with a longer streak. He's back thanks to back-to-back wins at Vinton, a pair of third place finishes at Independence and a p7 at Summerfest. Olson said Wednesday they found the rear end of his car was bent. If that's true and it's fixed, we may see a return of what has come to be expected of the defending Driver of the Year.

 

10.

Tyler Bruening

Late Model

Late Model

Bruening has had a really solid summer in his IMCA Late Model. Rarely has there been a week where he hasn't either gotten a win or knocked on the door of one in the spec car. He added to that win list on July 29 at Independence, in fact. Still, what he wants is a win in his Open car. He was seventh in Corn Belt Clash action at Farley and eighth at West Liberty after qualifying third in time trials. The speed is there, now he has to put it all together.

Bruening has had a really solid summer in his IMCA Late Model. Rarely has there been a week where he hasn't either gotten a win or knocked on the door of one in the spec car. He added to that win list on July 29 at Independence, in fact. Still, what he wants is a win in his Open car. He was seventh in Corn Belt Clash action at Farley and eighth at West Liberty after qualifying third in time trials. The speed is there, now he has to put it all together.

 

Previous weeks: May 10, May 17; May 24; May 31; June 7; June 15; June 21; June 28; July 5; July 19; July 26

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