World Of Outlaws Late Model SeriesMay 10, 2017 by Dan Beaver
Sam Hafertepe Tumbles, Brandon Sheppard Surges In This Week's Rankings
Sam Hafertepe Tumbles, Brandon Sheppard Surges In This Week's Rankings
Sam Hafertepe Jr. lost his perfect FloSports Power Ranking this week after struggling in two World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series races.
Almost everyone was back on the track last week, and that caused a shakeup in the FloSports Combined Power Rankings.
The World of Outlaws Sprints and Late Models as well as the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series each raced twice over the past week.
The most significant ripple in this week's rankings came when Sam Hafertepe Jr. climbed into a 410 sprint car and challenged the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series regulars during their two-day show at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, MO, and 81 Speedway in Park City, KS.
Simply making the A-Mains was an accomplishment for Hafertepe, who was driving in equipment that he rolls out on special occasions and racing against a field of unfamiliar drivers. He took a tumble in the standings after garnering only 41 percentage points in Missouri and 48 in Kansas. Hafertepe plummeted to seventh in the rankings.
The first two drivers to pass Hafertepe in the rankings took the week off and rested on their laurels.
Shannon Babb has not returned to the track in one of the top late model divisions since finishing third at Batesville Speedway in Locust Grove, AR, so his Power Ranking of 91.67 remains intact.
Hafertepe's American Sprint Car Series rival Johnny Herrera also held his position in second by a narrow margin.
Herrera was challenged by fourth-place David Gravel. The Outlaw sprinter finished ninth in Missouri, but it was his third-place finish at 81 Speedway that allowed him to close the distance to within 0.06 points. If Herrera finishes anywhere except the top five in this week's KC Klassic at Lakeside Speedway, he will almost certainly lose his spot to Gravel.
Late model racer Brandon Sheppard was the big mover among the top 10 this week. He leapt over eight drivers to fourth on the strength of a second-place finish in the World of Outlaws race at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC, and a win at Fayetteville Motor Speedway in Fayetteville, NC.
Donny Schatz rounds out the top five. Despite sweeping the weekend in Outlaws competition, he did not make up any ground in the rankings. That is because the formula looks at the past 60 days in order to account for recent momentum. Schatz won back-to-back races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track in March, and that pair of victories aged out of his average.
2. Johnny Herrera, 89.20
3. David Gravel, 89.14
4. Brandon Sheppard, 87.00
5. Donny Schatz, 86.07
6. Justin Henderson, 86.00
7. Sam Hafertepe Jr., 84.14
8. Brad Sweet, 83.64
9. Billy Moyer Sr., 83.50
10. Tyler Erb, 83.17
View Full Combined Rankings
Rico Abreu Jumped 18 Positions, April 26
The World of Outlaws Sprints and Late Models as well as the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series each raced twice over the past week.
The most significant ripple in this week's rankings came when Sam Hafertepe Jr. climbed into a 410 sprint car and challenged the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series regulars during their two-day show at the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia, MO, and 81 Speedway in Park City, KS.
Simply making the A-Mains was an accomplishment for Hafertepe, who was driving in equipment that he rolls out on special occasions and racing against a field of unfamiliar drivers. He took a tumble in the standings after garnering only 41 percentage points in Missouri and 48 in Kansas. Hafertepe plummeted to seventh in the rankings.
The first two drivers to pass Hafertepe in the rankings took the week off and rested on their laurels.
Shannon Babb has not returned to the track in one of the top late model divisions since finishing third at Batesville Speedway in Locust Grove, AR, so his Power Ranking of 91.67 remains intact.
Hafertepe's American Sprint Car Series rival Johnny Herrera also held his position in second by a narrow margin.
Herrera was challenged by fourth-place David Gravel. The Outlaw sprinter finished ninth in Missouri, but it was his third-place finish at 81 Speedway that allowed him to close the distance to within 0.06 points. If Herrera finishes anywhere except the top five in this week's KC Klassic at Lakeside Speedway, he will almost certainly lose his spot to Gravel.
Late model racer Brandon Sheppard was the big mover among the top 10 this week. He leapt over eight drivers to fourth on the strength of a second-place finish in the World of Outlaws race at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, SC, and a win at Fayetteville Motor Speedway in Fayetteville, NC.
Donny Schatz rounds out the top five. Despite sweeping the weekend in Outlaws competition, he did not make up any ground in the rankings. That is because the formula looks at the past 60 days in order to account for recent momentum. Schatz won back-to-back races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track in March, and that pair of victories aged out of his average.
Combined Power Rankings
1. Shannon Babb, 91.67 percentage points2. Johnny Herrera, 89.20
3. David Gravel, 89.14
4. Brandon Sheppard, 87.00
5. Donny Schatz, 86.07
6. Justin Henderson, 86.00
7. Sam Hafertepe Jr., 84.14
8. Brad Sweet, 83.64
9. Billy Moyer Sr., 83.50
10. Tyler Erb, 83.17
View Full Combined Rankings
Previous Combined Power Rankings
Sam Hafertepe Jr. Is Finally Perfect, May 3Rico Abreu Jumped 18 Positions, April 26