2011 title pick Steven DeLonjay, trophy girl Hope Cernea, "Justin Credible" Reed and Ryan Meyer.

The following drivers were the top 10 finishers in points in the 2010 stock car season. Here’s what I see for each of those drivers in 2011:

1. Jared Schlipman: Unless your name is Michael Long, it is next-to-impossible to put together back-to-back championship seasons in this division, which is arguably the deepest of the five weekly series at the track. Schilpman’s breakout summer in 2010 was entertaining to watch unfold, but he’ll need another perfect storm type of year to win two in a row. I’m assuming Long will not be running a complete points schedule, so Schlipman’s primary competition for the 2011 championship will likely be Steven DeLonjay, Dave Wietholder, Justin Reed and possibly Shawn Deering. I see “Schlip” running strong again, but probably winding up second or third.

2. Michael Long: If he runs the complete points schedule he’ll win his third track title. It’s not rocket science. He’s that good.

3. Steven DeLonjay: He’s knocked on that championship door three straight years, never finishing lower than third in points. This is the season he breaks that door down. Meet your 2011 modified track champ, Steven DeLonjay. If that scenario plays out, it will mean he will have won three track titles before the age of 20. (Don’t forget those two hornet championships.)

4. Dave Wietholder: Wietholder is a regular near the top of the points, but seems cursed in an effort to break through with that first modified track title. Seriously, what can you say about No. 05, other than if he avoids that one catastrophic week late in the points year the title could be his. Maybe the sod gods will be on his side this season. If Wietholder avoids one of those engine meltdowns my prediction is he battles with Schlipman for second behind DeLonjay. If we see a plume of smoke come from beneath his car in August he’ll likely have to settle for a top-five finish.

5. Justin Reed: “Justin Credible” found out how the other half lived in 2009 after roaring to that 2008 championship. An accident there, an engine problem there and it wound up being a mildly frustrating season. A fifth-place finish is nothing to sneeze at in this series, but once you have reached the penthouse, anything else is a disappointment. I see another top-five finish in the cards, but I’m not sure the Team 4 power plant can catch DeLonjay & Co. ahead of him.

6. Shawn Deering: If you want a breakout pick for 2011, this could be the guy. This is Deering’s sixth season as a regular in the mod lineup and he has never finished lower than ninth — but never higher than fifth. I’m picking him to match his sixth-place finish from a year ago, but if you want a dark horse pick for the three this is it.

7. Tony Dunker: Mr. Excitement says he is not running for a track title, but I won’t believe it until I see it. Sunday nights with “Bone” at the Bullring? Say it ain’t so. (Dunker needs at least a top-10 points finish from 2011. He’s currently tied with Hank DeLonjay at 11 for the most consecutive years with a modified top 10 finish.)

8. Ryan Meyer: Meyer had his first top 10 points showing at Quincy since 2002. He should have no trouble duplicating that ffeat.

9. James Leffew: The next goal for this rising star is a top-five points finish. Will it come in 2011? I think we might have to wait one more season, but No. 25 will definitely be pressuring the series’ elite drivers..

10. Robbie Reed: If Reed runs the full points schedule, he’s at least a top-five car, maybe more. The last time he ran the complete points schedule was 2006, the same year he won the track championship.

I was notified of these two items Thursday by e-mail:

• The 2011 four-cylinder wild thing rules are now posted on the www.quincyraceways.com website.

• The 2011 UMP modified rules that were released Thursday. Check out the details at http://www.dirtcarump.com/rules/modified-rules/

The rumors were true concerning 24 Raceway in Moberly, Mo. The facility will not be opening in 2011. Ownership is citing the overall downturn in the economy, plus low car and crowd counts in 2010. For more information, see the track release at www.heartlandmotorsports.com.

Aaron Brocksieck: 2011 series champion?

The following drivers were the top 10 finishers in points in the 2010 stock car season. Here’s what I see for each of those drivers in 2011:

1. Terry Houston: No. 97 may or may not run full-time in 2011. My guess is he will ultimately decide to tackle the complete points schedule because there is nothing like being a defending champ going for two straight titles. If that’s the case, he is the man to beat, plain and simple. If not, to borrow a line from Seinfeld, “It’s chaos, Jerry, chaos.”  

2. Abe Huls: Barring a change of heart, Honest Abe will not be running any sort of full schedule this season, so we have to consider No. 30 to be a non-factor in 2011. 

3. Steve Steinkuhler: Steinkuhler will either be one of four favorites to win a first track championship, or one of four drivers battling to finish second behind Houston. If Houston decides not to campaign for the championship, Steinkuhler is my pick to finish a close second to … you’ll have to wait a couple of paragraphs to see how that sentence ends.

4. Jerry Jansen: Jerry “Don’t Call Me Larry” Jansen is steady, smooth and does not tear up his equipment. He’s a definite contender and could easily win the series championship with a break or two, but with all things being equal (and Houston deciding not to make a title run) I see Jansen finishing a close third.

5. Andrew Griffin: This is another of my contenders, arguably the sleeper of the quartet. I look at Griffin to potentially have the same kind of breakout season as Nathan Anders could in the hobby stocks. I call it the Jared Schlipman syndrome. First you dominate the heats, then come the features. Remember this, Griffin won more points heat races than any other stock car driver in 2010. I think he takes the next step in 2011, becoming a bona dife contender with Steinkuhler, Jansen and …

6. Wes Mayfield: Wes will not be running in this series this season.

7. Aaron Brocksieck: Here’s my championship pick for 2011 if Houston takes some Sunday nights off. Brocksieck knows how to win a track title (he won the hobby stock crown in 2008), had a solid rookie season in stock cars in 2009 and then sustained every kind of bad lock possible a year ago. I think Lady Luck — not to mention the law of percentages — shines in Brocksieck’s favor in 2011.

8. Kevin Tomlinson: OK, here’s the wild card among the stock car guys. If Tomlinson can keep his car on the track and stay away from the mechanical issues that dogged him in 2010, there will be five legit title contenders, and Tomlinson could easily walk away with the big iron. He knows how to run up front and is not afraid to move a bumper out of his way. He also can’t afford to get buried int he points race early in the season like he did last spring.

9. Derek Sammons: Derek needs a full season in this series after coming aboard midway through 2010. I want to see more of him in a season-long run.

10. Jason Leapley: The same with Jason. We simply did not see enough of him a year ag, so we’ll put him under the micrscope in 2011.

Intangible: We could very well see the return of 2008 series champ Jeff Mueller to the Bullring in 2011. Maybe a few other drivers such as John Oliver and Jason Cook, too (if not full time, a lot of the time). It doesn’t take a genius to realize if that’s the case we will have a revised look into the crystal ball. But for now, we’ll stand by our fearless forecasts.

Sarah Woodhurst, in her four-cylinder days.

It required some serious searching, but here’s a quick recap of the two years of (four-cylinder) hornet racing in 2006-07 at Quincy Raceways. With the addition of the wild things to the 2011 schedule at the track, these are the marks the second generation of four-cylinders will be shooting at:

CHAMPIONS
2007: Steven DeLonjay
2006: Steven DeLonjay

2007 Top 10
1. Steven DeLonjay, 728
2. Levi Long, 725
3. Jordan DeLonjay-Rice, 680
4. Cody Griggs, 635
5. Zach Bruenger, 510
6. Wild Bill Winkle, 507
7. Lew Aikman, 483
8. Joshua Klauser, 472
9. Glen Wiley, 457
10. Joe Gollaher, 388

2006 Top 10
1. Steven DeLonjay, 763
2. James Leffew, 761
3. Sarah Woodhurst, 694
4. Jake Powers, 645
5. Levi Long, 604
6. Wild Bill Winkle, 512
7. Darren Morgan, 422
8. Joel Kerr, 304
9. Lew Aikman, 297
10. Joshua Klauser, 291

Total victories
2007: Steven DeLonjay, 17
2006: Steven DeLonjay, 12

Feature victories
2007: Steven DeLonjay, 7; Levi Long, 7
2006: Steven DeLonjay, 6

Heat victories
2007: Steven DeLonjay, 10
2006: Steven DeLonjay, 6; James Leffew, 6

Career Total Victories
Steven DeLonjay, 29
Levi Long, 17
James Leffew, 11
Sarah Woodhurst, 10
Jordan DeLonjay-Rice, 10

Career Feature Victories
Steven DeLonjay, 13
Levi Long, 7
James Leffew, 5
Sarah Woodhurst, 5

Career Heat Victories
Steven DeLonjay, 16
Levi Long, 10
Jordan DeLonjay-Rice, 9
Lew Aikman, 6
James Leffew, 6

Career Track Points
Steven DeLonjay, 1491
Levi Long, 1329
Wild Bill Winkle, 1019
Lew Aikman, 780
Joshua Klauser, 763

Career Herald-Whig Performance Points
Steven DeLonjay, 399
Levi Long, 306
James Leffew, 201
Sarah Woodhurst, 125
Zach Bruenger, 111
Wild Bill Winkle, 110
Jordan DeLonjay-Rice, 100

Bobby Anders (20) and Jeremy Buss (11B) should both be factors in the 2011 hobby stock championship pursuit.

The following drivers were the top 10 finishers in points in the 2010 hobby stock season. Here’s what I see for each in 2011:

1. Steve Carlin: Carlin, seeking that record fifth track title for this series, will finish first … or second.

2. Bobby Anders: I feel Anders is poised for a monster season and I see him finishing …. second, or first. (The hobby stock title will likely be decided by the driver — meaning Carlin or Anders — who can avoid a costly DQ, DNS or DNF. It’s going to be that close, and I can’t wait for the fun to begin.)

3. Jim Powell: This is the one driver who could make it a three-way scramble for the championship. Jimbo is long overdue for a title and I love No. 48′s passion, but sometimes it gets the best of him. If he can keep both the temperature of his car and temper both in check we could have a mild surprise come championship night.

4. Jeremy Buss: Jeremy established himself as a solid, week-to-week threat in 2010. The next step is to become a bona fide contender. I think this is the year he does that. Before you win a championship, you have to contend for one.

5. Brian Hoener: Brian is part of a group of drivers on the cusp of a breakout season. I think 2011 would be an excellent year to award two trophies, one for the championship race that will likely involve Carlin, Bobby Anders, Powell and Buss, and another for who leads the “best of the rest.” Hoener is where Buss was a year ago at this time and I look for him to make the same kind of progress.

6. Nathan Hayes: All Denny Hamlin Jr. has done since he started racing is get better. Look for that to continue. I think Nathan joins the list of contenders in 2012 if he maintains the same degree of improvement in 2011. 

7. Justin Bartz: Justin has quietly joined that list of potential breakout drivers. I think we’ll see continued development from No. 42, but he needs to show he can regularly finish up front in the features. He registered just two top-five finishes in a main event points run in 2010, the fewest of any of these drivers.

8. Jake Powers: “The Snake” has flashed all the tools to be a track champion except one — consistency. I look for him to take that step in 2011 and become a legitimate title threat by no later than 2012.

9. Tanner Klingele: One of the most promising drivers in any class, Tanner also needs to harness that week-to-week ability to run near the front. No other driver in any series won as many features as Klingele (2), yet finish outside the top five in the final points standings. My gut feeling is Klingele does harness that consistency and finishes fifth or higher in points in 2011.

10. Nathan Anders: Nathan’s brother, Bobby, garnered most of the 2010 headlines when it came to the Anders family, but keep an eye on Nathan in 2011. Nathan’s progress in this series reminds me of how Jared Schlipman developed in the modifieds. Schlipman began dominating the heat races he ran, then eventually figrued out the features. Keep this in mind — Nathan won the second-most hobby stock heat races last season. I’m not sure if 2011 is his breakout year or not, but it’s coming soon.

Merry Christmas to all the readers of this blog who make every day a little bit better than the previous. The number of daily readers has grown to proportions I never dreamed possible. Thank you very, very much!

Most of all, let’s be thankful we have a local dirt track that we can enjoy and let’s hope 2011 is a great season. The relationship with your favorite dirt track is much like a marriage. There are bumps along the way (no pun intended!), but in the end you love them both.

The banquet is getting close, and so is the season. The countdown clock is now under 100 days.

Once again, Merry Christmas!!!

We needed to look no farther than the late model of No. 45 for the feel-good story of 2010. It also happened to be the story of the season — veteran Denny Woodworth, one of the most popular drivers at the track, finally secured the late model championship he had sought since 1995. 

For much of the year, ol’ D.W. found himself in a side-by-side battle with Jason Perry for the points lead. But the late model lawyer took control of the points standings with about a month to ago and was able to keep Perry at arm’s length the rest of the way. 

Denny Woodworth

The track title was the second for Woodworth, who won the “A” modified crown in 1993. 

Woodworth’s late model title also served an intangible kind of purpose. It’s no secret that 2010 was a year of trials and tribulations for the venerable track at 8000 Broadway, one that would have ended with more of a black mark by it in the dirt-track history books if it had not been for Woodworth’s championship. D.W.’s title gave fans something to hang their hat on as a positive for 2010, an important accomplishment in what is the track’s marquee division. The exclamation point provided by Woodworth eased some of the pain of the question marks that surrounded so many other facets of the season. 

Woodworth will enter 2011 in search of another major addition to his late model resume. If he can win back-to-back championships in this series he will be the first to do so since Mark Burgtorf in 2006-07 and become the only late model hotshoe no named Burgtorf, Fraise or Gallaher to do so.

No. 1: AT LONG LAST, D.W. GETS THE RING
No. 2: AND NOW, THE RECORD AWAITS
No. 3: MR. MODIFED
No. 4: BURGTORF BURIES DEERY OPPONENTS — TWICE
No. 5: FIFTH CLASS ADDED FOR 2011
No. 6: SCHLIPMAN IS NOW A FINISHER, TOO
No. 7: HOUSTON BREAKS THROUGH
No. 8: THE EMERGENCE OF BOBBY ANDERS
No. 9: JEEP’S WIN REKINDLED MEMORIES
No. 10: KING OF THE HILL FRONT ROW CHALLENGE

Steve Carlin

We’re down to the final two of the 2010 Countdown. Just writing the following account got my adrenalin pumping for that first green flag of the season. Is it April yet?

For a decade, Steve Carlin has chiseled away at the accomplishments – and the legend – of Eddie Dieker, the most successful bomber/hobby stock driver in track history. And now, as the 2011 season nears, Carlin is now on the threshold of surpassing Dieker in the most important of all the career statistics — track championships.

When Carlin won his fourth track title last summer that gave him the same number as Dieker. Carlin goes for a record fifth series championship starting in April and figures to be no worse than a c0-favorite for the title. At this point, Carlin and Bobby Anders, who was runner-up in 2010, look to be at the head of the hobby stock class. This could be one slobberknocker of a championship race.

I doubt if this particular series will have ever generated the interest and attention it will receive next summer. Dieker, who retired five years ago, has long been the masuring stick of the bomber/hobby stocks. That could all change by August 2011.

No. 2: AND NOW, THE RECORD AWAITS
No. 3: MR. MODIFED
No. 4: BURGTORF BURIES DEERY OPPONENTS — TWICE
No. 5: FIFTH CLASS ADDED FOR 2011
No. 6: SCHLIPMAN IS NOW A FINISHER, TOO
No. 7: HOUSTON BREAKS THROUGH
No. 8: THE EMERGENCE OF BOBBY ANDERS
No. 9: JEEP’S WIN REKINDLED MEMORIES
No. 10: KING OF THE HILL FRONT ROW CHALLENGE

Jimmie Johnson, right, and crew chief Chad Knaus.

Think racing season is not getting closer by the day? I picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated’s NASCAR Review/Preveiw 2011 at the Quincy Mall Monday night. Here’s the magazine’s picks for next season’s Sprint Cup championship:

1. Jimmie Johnson: That would be six in a row.
2. Kyle Busch: If he harnesses his aggression, he could win 10 races. Their words, not mine.
3. Denny Hamlin: “At 30, his best years are ahead of him.” Hey, at 57, I feel the same way.
4. Carl Edwards: Hopefully, he’ll stop in again at Quincy Raceways.
5. Kevin Harvick: I’ve nenevr understood that “Happy” nickname. Harvick has always been a major pain in the butt.
6. Kasey Kahne: I can’t see him finishing this high, even with the switch to the Red Bull team.
7. Jeff Gordon: Gordon thinks he has at least one more title in him. I’m beginning to doubt it.
8. Tony Stewart: He only had none top-five finishes in 2010. That’s hard to believe.
9. Mark Martin: Check out the comments about whether or not he is a Hall of Famer. I think you’ll find them quite interesting.
10. Matt Kenseth: Like Gordon, I think his best days might be behind him.
11. Joey Logano: Definitely a future champion.
12. Kurt Busch: A dark horse title pick?