Preseason Top 10 Drivers Rankings (2/18)

photo taken by B. Meyer Images

1. Steve Francis (Ashland) - Francis is coming off of a 2nd place finish in the 2013 Lucas Oil points standings and has already started off on the right foot getting an early season points win at Golden Isles Speedway in Georgia. Look for a strong 2014 from the Bowyer Racing/Georgia Boot #15.

2. Jackie Boggs (Grayson) - We all know that 4B is fast wherever it shows up. Seems like he won just about every race he showed up to last year and I don't expect all that much to change this year, as Jackie and his team are coming off of a HOT 2013 campaign. Hopefully we can see Jackie at Eldora, Florence, and a few other crown jewel events this year.

3. Eric Wells (Hazard) - Coming off a impressive year in 2013, the young Wells captured the World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year award. Wells has added the former Scott Bloomquist crew chief Tommy Hicks to his team as well this year. Should be an exciting year for Eric.

4. Josh McGuire (Grayson) - I'm not entirely sure if Josh will be able to race this year after fracturing his back in a scary wreck at 201 this past October, but if he doesn't plan to, we will remove him from the rankings once racing kicks off here in EKY. Hopefully we get to see "BAD FAST" wheel that #41 this year though.

5. Chris Combs (Isom) - Combs was one of the hottest drivers after he jumped into his new Swartz car this past summer. He captured wins at several different tracks last year and also raced his way into the DTWC at Portsmouth. He'll be a favorite no matter where he shows up this year in the Bluegrass.

6. Derek Fisher (Olympia) - Fisher was THE man every time he pulled into the pits at 191 this past year. He also got a couple of victories at Richmond and 201. Fisher will be a handful wherever he shows up at in '14.

7. Shannon Thornsberry (Martin) - The 201 track champion was fast last year. Only got into victory lane twice, once at 201 and once at 191, but "Thunder" found a way to finish near the front of every race he was at in 2013. 

8. Brandon Kinzer (Allen) - Kinzer raced more times last year than he has in recent memory. He's got a very fast car and should be used to his MB Customs Chassis now, so look for him to be very strong at 201 and in the south. Would like to see him hit a few more races at Portsmouth and Florence as well.

9. Stephen Breeding (Isom) - Stephen was good last year picking up a big win in his hometown at Lucky 7 Speedway. I expect him to be a very good this year, especially at 201.

10. Michael Paul Howard (Salyersville) - A former 201 track champion that could never really get luck on his side last year, whether it was engine problems, getting caught in a wreck, or whatever, it seemed like just when MPH was about to get a win, something went wrong. Look for him to be a very strong contender for a 201 track championship and it wouldn't surprise me to see him move a few spots on this list.

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I like ranking these drivers to get the pot stirred a little bit before all these guys get behind the wheel, however from about the 4th ranked position on back, the drivers are about as even as you can get. Other drivers in the area, like Jamie Ferguson, Chris Wilson, Brandon Fouts, DJ Wells, Raymond Nichols, Paul Harris, Terry Hicks, etc could all be considered for a spot on this ranking. We're fortunate as fans to have as deep and a strong field of drivers from our area. Super late model racing and dirt racing in general is very popular in this region and we as fans need to get out and show our appreciation to these drivers, track owners, promoters, etc. 

Can't wait to see that mud fly!!! It's only a few weeks away.