Swift Lifestyles Power Rankings - Week 12 (Charlotte)

AREA Swift Lifestyles Pro Series
Weekly Power Rankings
Date: 1/17/22
Race 12 – Charlotte

The final race of the regular season is here! It’s now or never for the AREA Swift Lifestyles Pro Series (“SLPS”) drivers if they want to make the playoffs. Last week, the #45 of Travis Beckner dominated the only road course of the SLPS season at Watkins Glen, leading 31 of 35 laps and winning by nearly 5 seconds.

But it’s officially the final week of scenario season as we take look at the projected playoffs as they stand now, with some categories to make it all more visible:

Clinched:
1. Matthew Robinson (x – Homestead, Iowa)
2. James Schanewolf (x – Pocono)
3. Nick Halda (x – Daytona)
4. Caleb Steimer (x – Talladega)
5. Forrest Smith – 383 (x - points)

Safe:
6. Gary Lewis Jr. – 344
7. Bobby Tinch – 335
8. Sean Corcoran – 334
9. JJ Wang – 326

Bubble:
10. Brian Dixon – 319
11. Eli Greene – 315
12. Trevor Williams – 308
———————————
13. Dominic DiLeo - 298
14. Jerimy Horn - 295

After the shakeup post-Watkins Glen, there are really only two drivers in striking distance for the final spot now held by Williams: DiLeo and Horn As far as those who are safe – assuming they start the race – Lewis Jr., Tinch, Corcoran and Wang should all make it in the playoffs on points if we see a similar sized field as we have the past few weeks. Dixon and Greene, on the other hand, could be in trouble if they have a bad finish in the race. Expect some fireworks tonight!

Charlotte Motor Speedway is a 1.5 mile quad oval, with some steep banked turns that allow drivers to post some quick lap times. The closest analogue to Charlotte that the SLPS has run is probably Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which saw a lot of cautions and a race won by the #02 of Jordan Herrley. As always, coverage begins at 8:40 p.m. ET courtesy of One2Go Studios with Hunter Sleppy, Jacob Bell and Harold Darner on the call at https://www.twitch.tv/areairacing.

1 - #40, Matthew Robinson
JWRacing; Northern Capital/Trak Racer
Previous Rank: 1st (-)
Last Result: 8th – Watkins Glen

“The Streak” is officially done – but don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened. 10 straight Top 5 finishes. Put it in the history books. Robinson finished 8th at Watkins Glen, which is a respectable Top 10 finish (the new streak is 11 straight Top 10 finishes), and his speedway prowess is too much to bump him off the #1 spot. Robinson is still the driver to beat heading into the playoffs.

2 - #83, James Schanewolf
Audible Racing
Previous Rank: 2nd (-)
Last Result: 2nd – Watkins Glen

Schanewolf needed a rebound, and he got one at the Glen. While he couldn’t get his second win of the season, he was 2nd best all race and gets some much-needed momentum heading into the playoffs.

3 - #84, Forrest Smith
OneMind2Design Motorsports
Previous Rank: 3rd (-)
Last Result: 3rd – Watkins Glen

It’s now 5 straight Top 10’s for Smith, and he has clinched a spot in the playoffs on points and minimum starts, which means he can miss the Charlotte race and still be in the Top 12 come next week in Atlanta. Smith has quietly become one of the more dangerous championship contenders. He hasn’t won a race, nor really had a chance to win one at the end, but he always has good speed and finds himself in position to rack up points.

4 - #69 Gary Lewis
OneMind2Design Motorsports
Previous Rank: 4th (-)
Last Result: 13th – Watkins Glen

Lewis has probably clinched a postseason berth on points, and likely would still make the playoffs if he missed tonight’s race, but theoretically if DiLeo, Horn, Carroll or Ward were to win tonight if Lewis missed there is a chance he would not make it. But Lewis is comfortably in, he’s pretty consistent, and he’s a big reason why the OneMind2Design Motorsports duo has a hold on the team championship standings.

5 - #1, Trevor Williams
JWRacing; Saloon Door Sports
Previous Rank: 5th (-)
Last Result: 7th – Watkins Glen

Williams put himself in a bit of a scary situation in the last week as he’s the 12th driver in, with DiLeo and Horn in striking distance of stealing that last spot. He was able to navigate near disaster at Watkins Glen after a black flag for pit entrance put him at the back of the field, and finished right behind DiLeo and Horn in seventh place. Williams is still Top 5 in the Power Rankings, as he has not only has the speed to make the playoffs, he has shown speed on speedways that could win tonight at Charlotte.

6 - #22, Sean Corcoran
Sampsin Motorsports; Northern Capital
Previous Rank: 6th (-)
Last Result: 11th – Watkins Glen

The Sampsin Boys of Corcoran and Tinch are solidly in the playoffs as well, unless they were to miss tonight’s race. Corcoran has shown a lot more speed and has come on as of late, moreso than his teammate Tinch, which explains why Corcoran is so much higher on the power rankings.

7 - #81, Jerimy Horn
vADER Motorsports; Audible
Previous Rank: 8th (+1)
Last Result: 6th – Watkins Glen

Despite Horn finishing sixth at the Glen, he still finds himself the same amount of points outside of Williams due to Williams’ strong finish and lap led bonus point. Either way, Horn has rocketed up the point standings in the final week. He’s done it with 8 straight Top 15 finishes, and 4 Top 10’s in the last 10 races. He’s become one of the more consistent drivers as the season has gone on, and even if he doesn’t make the playoffs, he’s one of the dark horses for next season as he’s really come on strong as the inaugural SLPS season has gone on.

8 - #28, Eli Greene
Swift Lifestyles
Previous Rank: 9th (+1)
Last Result: 10th – Watkins Glen

Greene was able to earn a Top 10 finish at the Glen, but lost ground on DiLeo and Horn as they try to backdoor a spot in the playoffs. Greene is 17 points ahead of DiLeo, and 20 points ahead of Horn. Barring disaster tonight, Greene should be in the playoffs. Greene was in contention at Las Vegas earlier in the season, and the #28 hopes that he can get that same speed tonight at Charlotte.

9 – #21 Dominic DiLeo
Fazekas Motorsports; Eat Sleep Race
Previous Rank: 12th (-3)
Last Result: 5th – Watkins Glen

DiLeo earns his first power rankings Top 10 after his first career Top 5, and he’s in theoretical striking distance of Williams (10), Greene (17) and maybe Dixon (21) if he’s able to carry Top 5 speed throughout the race tonight at Charlotte. DiLeo has had speedway tracks where he’s been fast – Gateway and Darlington come to mind – but he’s still on the outside looking in with one more race to go and fast drivers to catch.

10 - #33, Brian Dixon
Previous Rank: 7th (-3)
Last Result: 3rd – Talladega

Dixon missed the race last week at Watkins Glen, and theoretically could be in danger of missing the playoffs if he has a catastrophic finish tonight at Charlotte. But he’s never finished worse than 16th this season (Pocono), and he’s been able to stay out of trouble all year. f

On The Bubble:

11 (-) - #87 Nick Halda, JW Racing; Trak Racer
12 (+3) - #66 Bobby Tinch, Sampsin Motorsports; Northern Capital
13 (+1) – #00 JJ Wang, nFinite Gaming
14 (-1) - #92 Dustin Carroll, vADER Motorsports; Audible
15 (-5) - #18 Caleb Steimer, nFinite Gaming; Irontrax
16 (-) - #34 Rick Ward, Summit Point