Eastern Iowa Driver Rankings: July 26

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: Cayden Carter, Joel Rust, Benji Irvine

Dropped out: Tony Olson, Jeremiah Hurst, Damon Murty

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, Tony Olson, Jeremiah Hurst, Damon Murty 

1.

Justin Kay

Late Model/Modified

Late Model/Modified

He was one of the last few holdouts running an Open motor wherever he went in a Modified - and won several races in that effort - but made the switch to a Crate five races ago. He has three wins in that span, including Tuesday night's Hawkeye Dirt Tour race at Dubuque Speedway. He was seventh at Southern Iowa Speedway last week and drove to fifth from a B-main at Knoxville. I'd say he's taking to the Crate just fine.

He was one of the last few holdouts running an Open motor wherever he went in a Modified - and won several races in that effort - but made the switch to a Crate five races ago. He has three wins in that span, including Tuesday night's Hawkeye Dirt Tour race at Dubuque Speedway. He was seventh at Southern Iowa Speedway last week and drove to fifth from a B-main at Knoxville. I'd say he's taking to the Crate just fine.

 

2.

Tyler Soppe

Sport Mod

Sport Mod

He's "stuck" at 22 wins at the moment, which is kind of funny when you think about it. He joked about it before Tuesday's race at Dubuque - in which he ended up second to Tim Current - saying they can't get over the hump. Not being satisfied with 22 wins is a level of success most racers dream of. After 31 wins last year, it's not a dream for Soppe. He's got a national championship in his sights.

He's "stuck" at 22 wins at the moment, which is kind of funny when you think about it. He joked about it before Tuesday's race at Dubuque - in which he ended up second to Tim Current - saying they can't get over the hump. Not being satisfied with 22 wins is a level of success most racers dream of. After 31 wins last year, it's not a dream for Soppe. He's got a national championship in his sights.

 

3.

Tyler Droste

Modified

Modified

We made it very clear before the main event at Dubuque on Tuesday that I'm vindicated from being his jinx of finishing second because I wasn't there at Davenport. Then he went out and ran third Tuesday night. I'm still gonna count that as vindication, and you can't tell me otherwise. Seriously though, he's probably the most "almost" driver of 2017. 

We made it very clear before the main event at Dubuque on Tuesday that I'm vindicated from being his jinx of finishing second because I wasn't there at Davenport. Then he went out and ran third Tuesday night. I'm still gonna count that as vindication, and you can't tell me otherwise. Seriously though, he's probably the most "almost" driver of 2017. 

 

4.

Hunter Marriott

Modified

Modified

Speaking of almosts, Marriott had a couple of them in the two half-mile races on the Hawkeye Dirt Tour. He started on the pole at Osky and was about a straightaway ahead before Cayden Carter ran him down - in part thanks to a broken rear brake line. He pulled off so as not to "knock the wall down," which is fair. Then he was racing for second the next night at Knoxville when he and Ricky Thornton Jr. got together, spinning Thornton and sending him to the tail. A p10 finish is a nice recovery.

Speaking of almosts, Marriott had a couple of them in the two half-mile races on the Hawkeye Dirt Tour. He started on the pole at Osky and was about a straightaway ahead before Cayden Carter ran him down - in part thanks to a broken rear brake line. He pulled off so as not to "knock the wall down," which is fair. Then he was racing for second the next night at Knoxville when he and Ricky Thornton Jr. got together, spinning Thornton and sending him to the tail. A p10 finish is a nice recovery.

 

5.

Darin Duffy

Modified

Modified

Duffy is on some kind of run, and it's a pretty special one to boot. His fifth place finish (with a heat race win) at Dubuque was his worst finish in a couple weeks. Duffy won at Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday night in what he called the most emotional victory of his career. His honoring Jessica Miller even had Jeff Aikey - who Duffy beat by half a car-length - celebrating the win. 

Duffy is on some kind of run, and it's a pretty special one to boot. His fifth place finish (with a heat race win) at Dubuque was his worst finish in a couple weeks. Duffy won at Independence Motor Speedway on Saturday night in what he called the most emotional victory of his career. His honoring Jessica Miller even had Jeff Aikey - who Duffy beat by half a car-length - celebrating the win. 

 

6.

Cayden Carter

Modified

Modified

Some guys love doing interviews. In my now four and a half years covering racing for The Gazette, I've had guys not stop talking and guys from whom I had to pry quotes. Carter is the latter. So when I interviewed him twice before the two HDT races, he tried hiding, with a laugh. Well, at Osky anyway. When I came up to him at Knoxville after he won at Osky, he was a little more eager. The more he wins, the more I'll bug him.

Some guys love doing interviews. In my now four and a half years covering racing for The Gazette, I've had guys not stop talking and guys from whom I had to pry quotes. Carter is the latter. So when I interviewed him twice before the two HDT races, he tried hiding, with a laugh. Well, at Osky anyway. When I came up to him at Knoxville after he won at Osky, he was a little more eager. The more he wins, the more I'll bug him.

 

7.

Joel Rust

Modified

Modified

Rust is sitting second in the Hawkeye Dirt Tour points with two races to go. He was third at Osky, eighth at Knoxville and seventh Tuesday at Dubuque. I asked him a little about points racing before the Dubuque event and he offered the same basic thoughts as points leader Kelly Shryock: win and it takes care of itself. Still, he's got a real chance at it against a legend of the sport, and he's a consistent driver.

Rust is sitting second in the Hawkeye Dirt Tour points with two races to go. He was third at Osky, eighth at Knoxville and seventh Tuesday at Dubuque. I asked him a little about points racing before the Dubuque event and he offered the same basic thoughts as points leader Kelly Shryock: win and it takes care of itself. Still, he's got a real chance at it against a legend of the sport, and he's a consistent driver.

 

8.

Nathan Wood

Stock Car

Stock Car

If Tyler Droste is the most "almost" driver in 2017, Wood is the second most "almost" driver. Wait, would THAT make him the most "almost," because he can't even win that? I digress. He ran second at Osky last week before getting rained out like most everyone else. Like Droste, the more he runs that consistently, the better chance he has to win. 

If Tyler Droste is the most "almost" driver in 2017, Wood is the second most "almost" driver. Wait, would THAT make him the most "almost," because he can't even win that? I digress. He ran second at Osky last week before getting rained out like most everyone else. Like Droste, the more he runs that consistently, the better chance he has to win. 

 

9.

Tyler Bruening

Late Model

Late Model

Bruening is an underrated driver, I think. Whenever I hear people discuss IMCA Late Model drivers in our area, he's not usually among the first few names out of their mouths, but he should be. As the defending Deery Bros champ, Bruening has been consistently very good this year. He was third Saturday night at Independence in another showing of just that.

Bruening is an underrated driver, I think. Whenever I hear people discuss IMCA Late Model drivers in our area, he's not usually among the first few names out of their mouths, but he should be. As the defending Deery Bros champ, Bruening has been consistently very good this year. He was third Saturday night at Independence in another showing of just that.

 

10.

Benji Irvine

Hobby Stock

Hobby Stock

Typically I don't give preference in a close call to racers who don't consistently race more than one track, but when a guy wins five straight races at a track, it cannot be ignored. Irvine became just the 11th driver in Independence Motor Speedway history to do so, and just the third Hobby Stock driver to reach that mark. My only hope is we get to see him race Nathan Ballard more often.

Typically I don't give preference in a close call to racers who don't consistently race more than one track, but when a guy wins five straight races at a track, it cannot be ignored. Irvine became just the 11th driver in Independence Motor Speedway history to do so, and just the third Hobby Stock driver to reach that mark. My only hope is we get to see him race Nathan Ballard more often.

 

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

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