Kevin Thomas, Jr., Rules Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410 Power Rankings
The Wheatley Chronicles – Volume V, No. 43
Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (December 21, 2017) – Alabama native Kevin Thomas, Jr., strung together yet another stout campaign in 2017 to top the Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410 Sprint Car Power Rankings for a second year in a row.
After taking the top spot by just 40 markers last year, KT used a monster second half of 2017 to stretch his Momentum Racing Suspensions Power Rankings lead to 246 points by season’s end after sitting second at the mid-way point.
Amassing 13 wins to take the top ranking in 2016, Thomas, Jr., upped to it 18 overall triumphs in Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410’s including eleven over the final half of the season. KT’s victories came at a dozen different tracks, capping it off with his seventh USAC National Sprint Car win of the year in Perris Auto Speedway’s season-ending Oval Nationals.
Atop the Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410 Power Rankings at mid-season, Justin Grant held on for second on the strength of nine wins. Just another 15 points back in third is USAC champ Chris Windom, who picked off ten overall wins. Grant edged Windom for runner-up honors primarily on the strength of 33 top-fives for Grant in comparison to 28 for Windom.
Breaking into the final top ten for the first time, “Sunshine” Tyler Courtney posted seven wins to rank fourth with Robert Ballou returning from a 2016 injury to round out the top five.
C.J. Leary earned his best ranking yet in sixth with Brady Short, Thomas Meseraull, Chad Boespflug and Brady Bacon completing the top ten.
While Courtney cracked the final top ten for the first time, the duo of Ballou and Bacon rank as the only drivers to finish among the top ten over each of the past five years.
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The Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410 Power Rankings are a part of the Open Wheel Power Rankings that also includes STIDA Winged 410s, Rod End Supply Winged 360s, Beaver Stripes Non-Wing 360s, www.midgetmadness.com Midgets and 305s presented by Dodge City Raceway Park.
A look at this year’s Top 50 in Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410 Power Rankings is as follows:
| Rank | Name | Hometown | Wins | Points | 2016 Rank | 2015 Rank | 2014 Rank | 2013 Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kevin Thomas, Jr. | Cullman, AL | 18 | 928 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 6 |
| 2 | Justin Grant | Ione, CA | 9 | 682 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 14 |
| 3 | Chris Windom | Canton, IL | 10 | 667 | 3 | 12 | 18 | 8 |
| 4 | Tyler Courtney | Indianapolis, IN | 7 | 616 | 17 | 37 | 56 | 34 |
| 5 | Robert Ballou | Rocklin, CA | 4 | 599 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | C.J. Leary | Greenfield, IN | 8 | 479 | 10 | 8 | 14 | 23 |
| 7 | Brady Short | Bedford, IN | 7 | 465 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| 8 | Thomas Meseraull | San Jose, CA | 6 | 454 | 4 | 9 | 29 | 61 |
| 9 | Chad Boespflug | Hanford, CA | 2 | 437 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Brady Bacon | Broken Arrow, OK | 3 | 436 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
| 11 | Chase Stockon | Sullivan, IN | 4 | 430 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
| 12 | Shane Cottle | Kokomo, IN | 6 | 386 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 |
| 13 | Dave Darland | Lincoln, IN | 6 | 358 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 14 | Jarett Andretti | Mooresville, IN | 0 | 326 | 15 | 24 | 35 | 65 |
| 15 | Damion Gardner | Concord, CA | 5 | 315 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
| 16 | Brody Roa | Buena Park, CA | 2 | 313 | 25 | 30 | 46 | 70 |
| 17 | Kyle Cummins | Princeton, IN | 4 | 269 | 13 | 21 | 22 | 30 |
| 18 | Jeff Bland, Jr. | Bedford, IN | 3 | 257 | 19 | 41 | 16 | 27 |
| 19 | A.J. Hopkins | Brownsburg, IN | 7 | 230 | 33 | 46 | 51 | 33 |
| 20 | Jake Swanson | Anaheim, CA | 0 | 229 | 29 | 29 | 87 | 242 |
| 21 | Brent Beauchamp | Fairland, IN | 4 | 222 | 28 | 38 | 33 | 40 |
| 22 | Tyler Thomas | Collinsville, OK | 4 | 222 | 35 | NR | NR | NR |
| 23 | Mike Spencer | Temecula, CA | 1 | 173 | 39 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 24 | Carson Short | Marion, IL | 1 | 172 | 37 | 42 | 28 | 125 |
| 25 | Kody Swanson | Kingsburg, CA | 4 | 158 | 34 | 26 | 59 | 117 |
| 26 | Jon Stanbrough | Avon, IN | 0 | 157 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| 27 | Shane Cockrum | Benton, IL | 3 | 143 | 27 | 104 | 64 | NR |
| 28 | R.J. Johnson | Phoenix, AZ | 3 | 142 | 43 | 51 | 82 | 85 |
| 29 | Jordan Kinser | Bedford, IN | 1 | 141 | 31 | 40 | 45 | 35 |
| 30 | Landon Simon | Tipp City, OH | 3 | 137 | 58 | 27 | 52 | 104 |
| 31 | Michael Fischesser | Cincinnati, OH | 0 | 136 | 46 | 73 | 48 | 150 |
| 32 | Austin Williams | Yorba Linda, CA | 0 | 132 | 26 | 23 | 42 | 46 |
| 33 | Justin Owen | Harrison, OH | 2 | 128 | 63 | 79 | 213 | 264 |
| 34 | Max McGhee | Mooresville, IN | 0 | 125 | 24 | 22 | 38 | 83 |
| 35 | Scotty Weir | Marion, IN | 0 | 120 | 50 | 36 | 19 | 13 |
| 36 | Richard Vander Weerd | Visalia, CA | 1 | 119 | 18 | 16 | 30 | 40 |
| 37 | Josh Hodges | Tijeras, NM | 0 | 119 | 20 | 25 | 73 | NR |
| 38 | Stevie Sussex | Tempe, AZ | 0 | 104 | 72 | NR | NR | NR |
| 39 | Dallas Hewitt | Troy, OH | 0 | 101 | 41 | 39 | 70 | 25 |
| 40 | Aaron Farney | Lafayette, IN | 0 | 100 | 44 | 33 | 68 | 140 |
| 41 | Korey Weyant | Springfield, IL | 6 | 98 | 36 | 111 | 157 | 108 |
| 42 | Dustin Smith | Russiaville, IN | 3 | 98 | 45 | 62 | 40 | 118 |
| 43 | Brandon Mattox | Terre Haute, IN | 1 | 96 | 68 | 54 | 54 | 89 |
| 44 | Cermen Perigo | Stoystown, PA | 1 | 93 | 77 | NR | NR | NR |
| 45 | Matt Westfall | Ludlow Falls, OH | 1 | 93 | 38 | NR | 26 | 26 |
| 46 | Cody Williams | Yorba Linda, CA | 0 | 93 | 74 | 65 | 43 | 45 |
| 47 | Ryan Bernal | Hollister, CA | 0 | 92 | 30 | 35 | 57 | 37 |
| 48 | Hunter Schuerenberg | Sikeston, MO | 1 | 89 | 88 | 48 | 17 | 21 |
| 49 | Shawn Westerfeld | Guilford, IN | 1 | 87 | 23 | 31 | 50 | 127 |
| 50 | Aric Gentry | Corydon, KY | 6 | 84 | 178 | 136 | 58 | 56 |
Features Completed: 225 (206 in 2016, 218 in 2015, 224 in 2014, 235 in 2013)
Number of Different Winners: 76 (72 in 2016, 75 in 2015, 85 in 2014, 92 in 2013)
Number of Drivers to Earn Points: 226, (231 in 2016, 268 in 2015, 293 in 2013, 336 in 2013)
Past Top Tens in Momentum Racing Suspensions Non-Wing 410 Sprint Car Power Rankings:
2016 – 1. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (13) 782, 2. Brady Bacon (3) 742, 3. Chris Windom (5) 661, 4. Thomas Meseraull (8) 658, 5. Dave Darland (2) 632, 6. Chad Boespflug (6) 555, 7. Robert Ballou (4) 503, 8. Chase Stockon (3) 497, 9. Shane Cottle (4) 451, 10. C.J. Leary (3) 446.
2015 – 1. Robert Ballou (18) 959, 2. Dave Darland (6) 895, 3. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (6) 649, 4. Chase Stockon (5) 607, 5. Brady Bacon (9) 601, 6. Jon Stanbrough (2) 577, 7. Brady Short (16) 561, 8. C.J. Leary (4) 517, 9. Thomas Meseraull (9) 466, 10. Shane Cottle (5) 419.
2014 – 1. Robert Ballou (11) 822, 2. Dave Darland (11) 750, 3. Jon Stanbrough (8) 705, 4. Bryan Clauson (9) 671, 5. Justin Grant (8) 625, 6. Brady Short (12) 605, 7. Chase Stockon (4) 532, 8. Brady Bacon (4) 477, 9. Chad Boespflug (7) 438, 10. Shane Cottle (3) 410.
2013 – 1. Dave Darland (9) 631, 2. Bryan Clauson (11) 627, 3. Brady Short (10) 531, 4. Jon Stanbrough (3) 509, 5. Chase Stockon (3) 507, 6. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (10) 496, 7. Robert Ballou (5) 474, 8. Chris Windom (6) 414, 9. Chad Boespflug (6) 390, 10. Brady Bacon (2) 389.
A part of the recurring “The Wheatley Chronicles” series of articles on www.sprintcarmania.com, the Open Wheel Power Rankings are determined by cumulative points based on a sliding scale dependent upon car count at Sprint Car and Midget events across all sanctions and non-sanctions throughout North America.
The Wheatley Chronicles brings insight and highlights from all variety of racing series throughout the nation in 2017 and beyond along with the Open Wheel Power Rankings. Please send any comments, questions or advertising inquiries regarding The Wheatley Chronicles at www.sprintcarmania.com to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
