The N.O.R.L. obtained its 16th Champion last week after Scott Jackson crossed the finish line in third place during the Speedway Cup Season 10 Finale @ California. Scott became the first independently owned N.O.R.L. Champion since John Tharp, who won his crown during the 2011 Sunday Series Fall Season. The quiet NASCAR Racing 4 veteran capped off a streak of 11 top-5 finishes that began at the end of Season 9. That's only ten off of the top-5 record that belongs to 2nd-place points finisher Tim McDonnell, who grabbed 21 top-5's in-a-row between the final two Shootout Series seasons in 2013. Scott also grabbed 0 DNF's during the 10-race season, sharing the accolade with Tim McDonnell as the only two full-time drivers to do so.
The new Speedway Cup Season commenced after celebrating Jimmie Stevens' inaugural Championship in Season 9. Likewise, Season 10 would provide the crown to another newly-named superior. The season started off with seven different victors in the first seven events, something that has never happened in Speedway Cup or N.O.R.L. history. Because the drivers were so competitive this season, both Ben Geer and Tony Pizzaro were kicked out of the chase despite their victories in weeks 3 and 4. Craig Lee was the only contender to keep up with top-seeded Scott Jackson and fourth-seeded Tim McDonnell after the chase race at Indianapolis Banked. Craig fell off after a 9th place finish at Zen Joltis the next week, giving Tim a 3-point deficit behind Scott without pressure from behind. Tim would start on pole for the final race at California on January 23rd. Despite hogging the lead for most of the race, Tim's second place finish behind Dave Miller was still one spot behind the Championship crown. Scott's 3-point advantage over Tim entering the chase turned out to be the difference!
Season 10 Chase Results Average Finish Tim McDonnell 1.67 Scott Jackson 2.67
Points Tim McDonnell 131 Scott Jackson 129 Laps Led Scott Jackson 54 Tim McDonnell 51
Other accolades this season include laps led Champion Scott Jackson, 3-time pole winner Craig Lee, and laps completed leader Tim McDonnell.
During the seven race regular season, we have had seven different winners:
Scott Jackson @ Daytona Ken Pettit @ Indianapolis Banked Ben Geer @ Monza Oval Tony Pizzaro @ HRJ Dave Miller @ Michigan Tim McDonnell @ Ontario Craig Lee @ Talladega Thank you for making this Speedway Cup season the most competitive yet!
