With only two months left in the season, the championship is going to catch the attention of many. Though with a 50-point advantage for the current leader and no signs of slowing down, it’ll take a bad night to shift the tide. With that said, there’s still lots of wins up for grabs and positions to be gained for others.
As we head into race night, here are five drivers to keep an eye on.
So who has the 50-point advantage? Say hello to Johnny Paradzinski, currently leading 50 points ahead of Dylan Holmes. Paradzinski entered this year as a new face set to get his feet wet in racing, and wasted no time in scoring his first career victory. By the way, the win happened on the second night of competition. Since then, the driver of the No. 4 Honda Civic has posted seven straight top-five finishes, including three more victories.
He’s also catching national attention, having moved up to ninth in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division IV Standings currently. If he can continue the same string of success, expect him to continue to climb those standings while reaping in the rewards at Sunset’s level.
Speaking of Holmes, he has had his ups and downs this year, but enters this weekend on the heels of four straight top-six finishes, including a pair of runner-ups. If you’re looking for a first-time race winner, keep an eye on the No. 400 Mustang.
Lisa DeLeeuw could easily get the nod for most improved driver at season’s end. After only posting one top-10 last season, she’s posted seven top-10s this year with a worst finish of 12th. A couple weeks ago, excitement was high in the DY Racing pit as she scored her first career top-five finish with a third. As her team continues to tweak on her mustang, expect her to continue to work towards being a consistent top-five finisher.
Daniel Montanari has had a mix of good and bad luck this season, but is finding his groove as of late with three straight podium finishes entering Saturday night. A second generation racer, the teenager will hope to score his second career victory and first since the beginning of June.
Ken Townsend has been on a roll lately with six straight top-four finishes, including three wins. Ultimately, the adversity the No. 21 team faced early in the season changed them for the better. Townsend noted in victory lane one night a DQ from the tech officials forced his team to re-do things, and in turn helped them as they found ways to make themselves even faster. Even though he’ll start 14th as last week’s winner tonight, expect Townsend to be in the top-five at night’s end.
