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A Team Battle Brewing in Top Sportsman

The Summer Break is in effect at the MWDRS and as we wait for sweltering heat to cool down and give us racing, it's time to properly start looking at the championship points battles before racing resumes at US-131 Motorsports Park September 5-6th.

To give some context, racers earn 20 points per round win, 25 points for #1 qualifier reducing by 1 point down to 10 points for the #16 qualifier, and 25 points for paid entry to the race. So when Racer A is behind Racer B by 10 points, Racer A beating Racer B would put A ahead by 10 points. If Racer A Qualified #1, and Racer B qualified #11, and they both were eliminated in the same round they would be tied. There are other points to play with in the alternate rule, race attendance bonus, and more, but for now we will keep our view at 1000 feet and our eyes on the chase for the championship.

COMPRESSED AIR SUPERCHARGING TOP SPORTSMAN

Last year I would have told you that Rod Moore owned this class, and the question was if anyone would step up to knock him down. In 2025 I think we found our answer.

Tyler Wells has set the MWDRS on fire with his incredible run starting with his victory in Tulsa. After a victory in his debut, fans and racers alike knew that there was something special brewing with this kid. A 10-1 record in rounds of elimination so far have eyes popping when he's on the track. His 148 point lead represents over 7 rounds worth of eliminations and barring something crazy, it may be safe to say we'll have our youngest ever big car champion come October.

Mark Griffin has been a model of consistency over the years at Midwest, and the Compressed Air Supercharging Camaro finds itself in second once again. After a pair of first round exits to begin the season, Mark has grabbed 3 win lights over the last 2 races moving him into second in the standings. While a championship may require a bit of luck, he seems poised for a bare knuckle brawl with his teammate.

Tina Pierce, also a Compressed Air Supercharging driver, is one of the stories you shouldn't let fly under the radar this year. To put it bluntly, the Pierce's had been flummoxed by gremlin in the pickup last year which left one of the brightest minds in racing, David Pierce scratching his head. But this year the Pierces are back in a big way. Grabbing a Semi-Finals appearance in Tulsa and grabbing 3 win lights in Kansas City, the Pierces are firing on all cylinders as a family. I do mean as a family, as we'd be remiss not to mention daughter Kenzie's Mega Week win. The CAS Crew may not have a championship in the cards this year, but there's a lot to like looking forward.

Finally, all dynasties hit a bump eventually, and Rod Moore is the closest thing to a dynasty the MWDRS has seen. The 3-time champ has seemed very unlike himself this year at the tree, seeing red lights and a rear end deleting itself in Kansas City. That being said, when the Whiskey Barrel works, it's a machine when piloted by Rod Moore.

While Moore-Woody Racing may not have a 4-peat in the cards, you don't have to be as smart as Shane Tecklenburg or Jeff Pierce to know betting against the Whiskey Barrel in 2026 isn't a smart move.

Speaking of Doug Woody, Jason Kimbrell in the Straight Line powered machine finds himself in the mix as well. Sitting just 22 points out of 2nd in the standings, the first-year MWDRS racer made quite the splash at Xtreme Raceway Park, but a tough-luck first round exit at US-131 and Flying H have left River Rat Racing aiming higher in the back half of the season.

While the championship favorite is clearly Tyler Wells at this point, I think the real battle to watch this year in Top Sportsman is going to be a battle between teams. The Compressed Air Supercharging cars hold down spots 2 and 3, with Straight Line Engines grabbing spots 4,5, and 7 (Doug Woody himself). With barely a round seperating the two top cars for each team, the battle is tight between the builders. Find out who takes the lead and if anyone can knock down Tyler Wells on September 5-6th at US-131 Motorsports Park in Michigan!

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