NWAAS: Anthony Anders, Dillon Bassett Headline National Standings

NASCAR announced the NASCAR WHELEN All-American standings on Tuesday following the first quarter of short track racing which featured surprises and disappointments for a multitude of competitors, especially Anthony Anders, the 43-year-old short track devoted driver.

“We’re focused on national points. The bottom line is we have to win races.” Anders said. “We want to have staying power.”

Anders, who competes, primarily, at Hickory Motor Speedway, Greenville-Pickens Speedway and Anderson Motor Speedway, notched eight triumphs in 18 starts en route to an astounding 148 point lead in the national standings.

“I won 11 features during all of 2013,” Anders said. “This year, I’ve won eight in the first six weeks. I finished last year with 568 points. This year I already have 518. Randy Hawk and Lee McCall are just on top of everything.”

Anders, piloting from Easley, South Carolina, has 15 top-10 and 14 top five finishes through the first quarter of short track racing. Yet he’s craving more and flexible to compete anywhere across the eastern coast.

“We’ll race everywhere and anywhere we can to try to win races,” Anders said. “We started out at Greenville, Anderson and Hickory Motor Speedway, and we’ll get to Kingsport Speedway and Myrtle Beach. Hickory is getting a ton of cars for their 100-lap races. I hope the car counts stay strong everywhere.”

Dillon Bassett, 16, places second in the standings, riding in high pursuit to seize the points lead from Anders and capture the championship in his debut season. He’s competed across four different circuits this season – Caraway Speedway, Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Anderson Motor Speedway and East Carolina Motor Speedway.

Bassett, who finished seventh in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown last season, has occupied the top five finishes in all 12 appearances this season; in addition his four trips to victory lane.

Tommy Lemons Jr., 27, was scored third in the rankings after participating at Caraway Speedway, Southern National Motorsports Park, South Boston Speedway and Motor Mile.

Lemons Jr., who captured last season’s Virginia Lovers 300 at Martinsville Speedway, tallied one win and 12 top five finishes to remain 191 markers from the lead.

The WHELEN All-American Series’ season continues to evolve and below, following six weeks of intense action, is the point’s standings – remember to follow @OnPitRoad_ on Twitter for all the short track racing updates as they transpire.