After a weekend off, the NASCAR Nationwide Series gets back to work at Michigan International Speedway for the Alliance Truck 250 on Saturday, June 18. For the fourth time this season, the top four in the series driver standings are separated by 11 points or less.
After the first 14 races in 2010, there had been four different driver standings leaders and four different driver standings lead changes; as compared to this season, with the new points system, there have been six different driver standings leaders and seven driver standings lead changes.
On average through the first 14 races this year, six driver championship contenders have finished in the top 10 versus four last year. Also, driver championship contenders have led 457 laps. After 14 events in 2010, series-only drivers led 313 laps through the first 14 races.
Reed Sorenson leads the standings by two points. He has posted five top fives and is tied with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. with a series-high 10 top-10 finishes this season. Elliott Sadler is second in the standings, and has posted a series-leading seven top fives, coupled with nine top-10 finishes and a pole this season.
“I love going to Michigan, Sadler said. “It is the manufacturers’ backyard, so there are a lot of bragging rights on the line when we head to Michigan. It’s a very wide track, with a huge sense of urgency. There are only 125 laps and 250 miles, so you have to qualify good to race good from start to finish.”
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is third in the standings, six points behind Sorenson; he has posted one win (Iowa), five top fives, 10 top-10 finishes and two poles this season. His season-to-date Driver Rating, 107.6, ranks third in the series – the highest rank and rating of the driver championship contenders. Justin Allgaier is fourth in the driver standings 11 points behind Sorenson; he has posted one win (Chicago), four top-five and eight top-10 finishes this season.
Of the top four in the standings, Justin Allgaier has the best average finish at Michigan with a 5.5.
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