2013 Overview: Whelen All-American Series

By Paul Schaefer, NASCAR
May 9, 2013 – 12:08pm

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is NASCAR’s national championship program for weekly short track auto racing. The program brings NASCAR-sanctioned racing to the hometown level at more than 50 tracks. By the end of May, all participating tracks in the U.S. and Canada are scheduled to be open for the series’ 32nd season.

Connecticut-based Whelen Engineering is the series’ title sponsor. Whelen Engineering is a leading manufacturer of automotive, aviation, industrial and emergency vehicle lighting. NASCAR tracks and pace cars across North America are among the many showcases for Whelen products.

“The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series has always been the foundation for all of NASCAR,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “NASCAR’s heritage was built on weekly short tracks. These drivers, teams and tracks are a vital part of NASCAR’s present and future.”

How It Works:

Each track operator designates their top weekly division as that track’s NASCAR Division I. The series’ national champion is the competitor who accumulates the highest total of Division I points over the course of the season. Division I drivers are able to compete for points at any NASCAR-sanctioned weekly track in North America. Each NASCAR Whelen All-American Series participant must have a current, valid NASCAR license to receive NASCAR points and be eligible for awards.

Pavement Late Model driver Lee Pulliam, 24, of Semora, N.C., won the 2012 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship. His racing record was 22 wins, 30 top-fives and 32 top-10s in 36 starts.

A NASCAR Division I driver’s best 18 results through the Sept. 15 closing date count toward their state and national point totals and the champions are decided on overall point totals. Once a driver reaches 18 starts, their point total increases incrementally as they replace some poorer runs with better results.

Under the point structure for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, a race winner receives two points for every car in the event up to 20 cars. Second place receives two fewer points and so on through the field. Race winners receive an additional five points. For example, if 20 cars are in the field, the winner receives 45 points, second place 38 and third 36. If there are 15 cars, the winner receives 35 points, second 28 and third, 26.

In addition to awards from NASCAR, Whelen and tracks, Division I year-end awards also include the Lunati Crew Chief Award for the national champion driver’s crew chief and the Lincoln Welders national champion car owner award. The UNOH Ultimate Mechanic Challenge recognizes a national winner from track award winners. Other special awards include state and national Rookie Of The Year Awards presented by Jostens; the Wendell Scott Trail Blazer Award; and the Mobil 1 Racing Oil Crew Chief Award for the Division I track champion crew chief at each track.

Division I track and state or provincial championships are also awarded.

Track champions are determined by local track points. A competitor does not have to win a track championship in order to win a state, province or national championship.

State and province champions are those who accumulate the most NASCAR points at any NASCAR-sanctioned track within a state or province. Points do not transfer between states or provinces, but a driver may compete for more than one championship.

Division I track, state and provincial champions, the top-three finishers in the national standings, and special award winners earn invitations to the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Awards event.

NASCAR Finalist Division Program:

The NASCAR Finalist Division program recognizes drivers who compete in support divisions at NASCAR Whelen All-American Series tracks. With “Division I” being the top class, the NASCAR Finalist Division line-up at each track highlights drivers competing in their second, third, fourth and fifth tier divisions. A NASCAR-licensed driver’s best 14 finishes count toward their Finalist Division point total for the year. Points are kept separately for dirt and asphalt tracks. Track operators designate their support classes as NASCAR Divisions II-V.

The top three drivers in the four asphalt and four dirt track NASCAR Finalist Divisions also earn invitations to the series’ awards event where they will be recognized.

Per section 12-4K of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series rule book, all drivers must display the series’ and contingency decals on their race cars to be eligible for state and province awards. The exclusive NASCAR Member website is www.nascarmembers.com.

NASCAR will begin the release of weekly NASCAR Division I Top 500 national standings on May 14, and the NASCAR Finalist Division standings on May 16. Those standings will be updated each Tuesday and Thursday respectively.