STAFFORD – What was just a joke made in jest last year by Keith Rocco is seemingly on the cusp of becoming stunning reality.

In 2007, 2008 and 2009 Rocco looked late in each season to be one of the top contenders to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national championship. Each year his chances dissolved in the final weeks of the season.

Under the Whelen All-American Series national points system drivers in the premier division at short tracks across the country are ranked based on their 18 best finishes of the season to figure out a national champion. Eighteen victories for a driver in full fields (at least 20 cars) represents a perfect season.

The number of victories are maxed out for Keith Rocco, now comes the time to clean up the numbers and make them perfect.

NASCAR’s ranking system for the Whelen All-American Series national short track standings ranks a driver on their 18 best finishes of the season.

The eighteen best NASCAR Whelen All-American Series finishes for Rocco in 2010 have one thing common: They’re all victories.

Rocco’s win at the Waterford Speedbowl Saturday night was his ninth of the season at the shoreline oval and 18th overall between Waterford, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway.

Article source: http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2010/08/keith-rocco-looking-to-reach-n.html

WATERFORD – The magic number is down to two for Keith Rocco on his quest to be crowned NASCAR’s best short track driver of 2010 in perfect style.

Rocco, of Wallingford, went to the lead with 11 laps to go and won the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature Saturday at the Waterford Speedbowl.

It was the ninth victory of the season at Waterford for Rocco, and 18th SK Modified victory overall this season for him between Waterford, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway.

Article source: http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2010/08/another-one-down-keith-rocco-i.html

Keith Rocco has gone from wondering if he would ever win again to having a perfect NASCAR Whelen All-American Series actually in view of possible completion by the end of this week.

Possible being the key word.

The stars would have to align perfectly for Rocco this week, and he himself could still make a decision that would make it an impossible feat.

Rocco, of Wallingford, broke a nearly month-long winless slump by stealing victory in dramatic style in last Saturday’s 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified feature at the Waterford Speedbowl.

Rocco went from third to first on a restart with two laps remaining Saturday for his 17th SK Modified win of the season between Waterford, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thompson International Speedway. Saturday’s victory was his first in an SK Modified since July 3.

Article source: http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2010/08/possible-perfect-season-back-i.html

The month of July hasn’t been friendly to NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national points leader Keith Rocco.

Rocco, of Wallingford, had 14 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series SK Modified victories through the first three months of the season, but has recorded just two victories in the month of the July, and the lack of trips to victory lane for Rocco is beginning to show in a big way in his lead at the top of the standings.

Article source: http://blogs.courant.com/autoracing/2010/07/keith-roccos-lead-at-the-top-o.html

Keith Rocco may have not have won last week, but nobody is coming close yet to knocking him off the throne at the top of the national short track standings.

Rocco, of Wallingford, who has 16 victories in 31 starts between Stafford Motor Speedway, Thompson International Speedway and the Waterford Speedbowl, remains far ahead of the field in the Whelen All-American Series standings with 788 points, 22 points shy of a perfect season.

Craig Preble, of Yutan, Neb., who competes in a dirt Late Model at I-80 Speedway in Omaha, Neb. and at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., remained second in the standings this week with 715 points.

Preble has 13 victories and 21 top-5′s in 21 starts this year.

Article Source:
Hartford Courant

http://www.courant.com/sports/auto-racing/