School's out, and the Mid-Am season is more than half over! Summer has just begun but there are only six races left in the 2001 season. The very busy early schedule seems to have caught a lot of drivers unaware as we also have the lowest driver count in years -- only 116 have been registered to date. Compare that to a range of 165 to 173 drivers in each of the past five years!

            So, even though it is almost five months to the end of the season, drivers seeking a championship will need to take advantage of all the opportunities that remain.

            Even for drivers who seem to have a big lead, if challengers can get close enough by September, upsets can - and sometimes do - happen in the double-points  Bonus Race.

            Who's up front so far?

Production

            SP - Chester Bailey (Wich) with three wins is leading the pack.

            EP - Ronald Davis (KC) has won three, and is 17-up on Kyle Ritter (KC).

            FP - Bill Van Keppel (KC) posted his fourth win at Heartland Park for a 30-point lead.

            GP - Rocky Entriken (Sal) picked up his third 12-point score at Memphis to go six ahead of Adam Hamric (MidS) with perennial champ Court Whitlock (OzMt) another six behind in the closest Production class.

GT

            GT1 - Three wins and two seconds have given Mary Daly (StL) a 30-point edge over the Panoz of Dan Guterman (NeOk), a 2-time winner.

            GT2 - Tommy Morrison (OzMt) has only been out once for 12 points.

            GT3 - Charles Guenther (KC) scored his 48th point at Heartland Park.

SportsRacing

            S2000 - Al Essig (KC) has won three times so far this season.

            SRF - Ron Lentz (KC) is leading this busy class with 54 points, but Ken Tripkos (Kan) won at Heartland Park and now is just 12 behind. Wayne Hudec (NeOk) and Fernando Licopoli (KC) are both also in the hunt.

Formula

            FA - Phil Gumpert (StL) only has the one finish at Memphis so far.

            FC - Phil Hemes (KC) has put a hammerlock on the class with six wins. Steve Willenbrink (StL), Shane Bennoch (OzMt) and Tom Coppage (StL) are looking for the points that will put them in contention to challenge at the Bonus Race.

            FM - Bob Hancock (NeOk) ran off three April wins.

            FF - Dan Layton (StL) and David Livingston Jr. (MidS) finally got together at Heartland Park; Layton prevailed to take a three-point lead.

            CF - The I's have it, as Hans Iwand (Neb) with three wins leads Chris Ingram (OzMt) by six points.

Am.Sedan/Spec Miata

            AS - Ted Johnson (Neb) is leading this class with three wins and 18 points over Scott Bettinger (Wich).

            SM - Dick Faxon (OzMt) and Don Wiseman (MidS) both have five wins, but Faxon has one more second-place finish for a 9-point lead.

Improved Touring

            ITS - David Bryson (StL) has won four, Chris Flier (StL) and  Randy Wagner (NeOk) both have two. Bryson leads Flier by six.

            ITA - Bob Stretch (SIll) has posted four wins, but Mitch Johnson (Wich) with three is only five points back. Terry Bryant (MidS) and David Long (KC) are both also within close range.

            ITB - Chris Albin (SIll) still owns this class, nine wins in 10 starts. Bill Briggen (SIll) is second and Michael May (Neb) is third with the only victory Albin didn't get.

            ITC - The best action this class has had in years shows D.J. Manis (Kan) six ahead of Phil Harris (MidS) with Mark Buffon (KC) another three back. Harris has won three, while Manis and Buffon have two each.

            ITE - The leader is John Hemmingson (KC) but three wins have Jeff Demetri (Neb) only six points behind.

-Rocky Entriken