Steve Carlin will enter the 2012 season the No. 1-ranked hobby stock/bomber driver, as you read in the previous blog. So what’s next for the five-time track champion? He needs four more victories to be the first driver in this series to reach 100 wins for his career.

Only five drivers in all classes have reached the century mark since we started keeping these statistics in 1999, but next year that number should increase by three. Late model drivers Denny Woodworth (99) and Lonnie Bailey (98) are on the cusp of that 100 mark, too.

Another number Carlin will be chasing is the hobby stocks’ all-time feature victory total of 39, belonging to Eddie Dieker. Carlin (32) needs seven to tie Dieker and eight to hold the mark himself.

Carlin took over the all-time lead in heat wins in 2010 and increased his margin in 2011.

HOBBY STOCK/BOMBER CAREER VICTORY LEADERS
Since 1999

TOTAL (drivers in blue active in 2011)
1. Steve Carlin, 96
2. Eddie Dieker, 91
3. Adam Birck, 64
4. Jim Powell, 47
5. Bobby Anders, 45
6. Bill Genenbacher, 40
7. Larry W. Powell, 32
8. Bruce Hatfield, 26
9-tie. Travis Booher, 23
9-tie. Dave Wietholder, 23
9-tie. Bobby Uppinghouse Jr., 23

FEATURES
1. Eddie Dieker, 39
2. Steve Carlin, 32
3. Adam Birck, 24
4. Bobby Anders, 16
5. Jim Powell, 14
6. Bill Genenbacher, 12
7. Bobby Uppinghouse Jr., 10
8. Dave Wietholder, 9
9. James Leffew, 8
10-tie. Travis Booher, 7
10-tie. Aaron Brocksieck, 7

HEATS
1. Steve Carlin, 61
2. Eddie Dieker, 51
3. Adam Birck, 38
4. Bobby Anders, 28
5. Jim Powell, 27
6. Bill Genenbacher, 23
7-tie. Larry W. Powell, 22
7-tie. Bruce Hatfield, 22
9. Todd Reichert, 18
10-tie. Travis Booher, 15
10-tie. Aaron Brocksieck, 15

HOBBY STOCK/BOMBER CAREER VICTORY LEADERS
Since 2007 when series became known as Hobby Stocks

TOTAL (drivers in blue active in 2011)
1. Steve Carlin, 54
2. Bobby Anders, 44
3. Jim Powell, 26
4. James Leffew, 21
5. Aaron Brocksieck, 17
6. Wes Mayfield, 14
7. Jake Powers, 13
8. Travis Booher, 12
9. Tanner Klingele, 11
10-tie. Justin Bartz, 9
10-tie. Todd Reichert, 9

FEATURES
1. Steve Carlin, 19
2. Bobby Anders, 16
3. Jim Powell, 9
4. James Leffew, 8
5. Aaron Brocksieck, 7
6-tie. Tanner Klingele, 6
6-tie. Wes Mayfield, 6
8-tie. Jake Powers, 5
8-tie. Travis Booher, 5
10. Jim Brown, 3

HEATS
1. Steve Carlin, 33
2. Bobby Anders, 28
3-tie. Jim Powell, 13
3-tie. James Leffew, 13
5. Aaron Brocksieck, 10
6. Justin Bartz, 9
7-tie. Jake Powers, 8
7-tie. Wes Mayfield, 8
9-tie. Nathan Anders, 7
9-tie. Travis Booher, 7
9-tie. Todd Reichert, 7

There’s a new sheriff in town.

For seven years, Steve Carlin has been eyeing the No. 1 all-time ranking in the hobby stock/bomber class at Quincy Raceways.

Following an unprecedented third straight and record fifth overall series championship, that top spot now belongs to the tugboat pilot from Hannibal, Mo.

For seven years Eddie Dieker held the No. 1 ranking, but there was little he could do to hold off the charging Carlin. Dieker retired after the 2006 season with four track titles.

Drivers receive ranking points on a 15-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale for their position in the final top 10 points standing each season. Carlin picked up 15 more this year to move past Dieker 108-101.

Carlin will be holding on to that No. 1 position for quite some time. The closest active driver in the rankings is Jim Powell at No. 7 with 46 points.

Carlin also has a big lead in the rankings for the period since 2007 when the series became known as hobby stocks. He is No. 1 with 63 points and Powell No. 2 with 32.

HOBBY STOCK/BOMBERS ALL-TIME DRIVER RANKINGS SINCE START OF SERIES IN 1987

Drivers receive ranking points on a 15-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale for their position in the final top 10 points standing each season. Ties broken by number of second-place points finishes, top five points finishes, top 10 points finishes

Active drivers in 2011 in blue
1. Steve Carlin, 108 points (5 titles)
2. Eddie Dieker, 101 (4 titles)
3. Bill Genenbacher, 74 (2 titles)
4. Bob Uppinghouse, 57 (1 title)
5. Harold Ketchum, 57 (1 title)
6. Junior Tuggle, 56 (1 title)
7. Jim Powell, 46
8. Adam Birck, 37
9. Dale Hatfield, 36
10. Bruce Hatfield, 36

Other drivers active in 2011 (minimum 10 points)
Wes Mayfield, 22
Jake Powers, 20
Bobby Anders, 18
Jeremy Buss, 14
Nathan Hayes, 11

HOBBY STOCK DRIVER RANKINGS SINCE 2007 (when series changed name from bombers)

Active drivers in 2011 in blue
1. Steve Carlin, 63 points (3 titles)
2. Jim Powell, 32
3. Aaron Brocksieck, 22 (1 title)
4. Jake Powers, 20
5. Bobby Anders, 18
6. Mike Wiley, 16
7. Tod Reichert, 15 (1 title)
8. Jeremy Buss, 14
9, Wes Mayfield, 13
10. Nathan Hayes, 11

Other active drivers in 2011 (minimum 5 points)
Tanner Klingele, 9
Nathan Anders, 9
Adam Scott, 7
Justin Bartz, 7
Brandon Symmonds, 6

From left to right: Steve Fraise, Jan Scott, Bob Scott, Jeff Scott, Hank DeLonjay, Mark Burgtorf and Don Hummel. Not pictured: A representative from Refreshment Services Pepsi.

Here are the winners of the fans’ voting the past two years in the DIRT-y Driver of the year online balloting:

Late models
2010: Keith Pratt
2009: Justin Reed

Modifieds
2010: Jared Schlipman
2009: Tony Dunker

Stock cars
2010: Andrew Griffin
2009: Steve Steinkuhler

Hobby stocks
2010: Nathan Hayes
2009: Adam Scott