North Star Racing Power Rankings: Vasquez Takes Control After Iowa
Iowa Speedway delivered a major shakeup in both the North Star Racing Power Rankings and the championship picture.
Nic Vasquez turned what had been a two-point championship battle into a commanding advantage with one of the most dominant performances of the season. Vasquez won Stage 1, led 146 of 250 laps and captured his fourth victory of the year while championship rival Josh L. Stoltz saw his night end after only 59 laps.
Behind the winner, Tommy Krawczyk continued to show tremendous speed, Alex M. Rogers produced another impressive run, and several drivers charged from deep in the field to earn their way into this week’s rankings.
These rankings consider recent performance, overall speed, consistency and each driver’s current place in the championship picture.
1. Nic Vasquez ➡️ (Previous: 1)
There is absolutely no debate about No. 1 this week.
Vasquez entered Iowa with a championship lead of only two points and left with a 59-point advantage. The No. 22 won Stage 1, led a race-high 146 laps and finished 2.027 seconds ahead of Tommy Krawczyk to earn his fourth victory of the season.
Even more impressive was how consistently Vasquez controlled the race. His average running position was 1.7, meaning he was essentially a permanent fixture at the front of the field throughout the 250-lap event.
Through 23 starts, Vasquez now owns four victories, 11 top-five finishes, 17 top-10s and seven stage wins. Iowa was the kind of performance that can define a championship season.
Iowa Finish: 🏆 1st
Championship: 1st — 981 points
Trend: 🔥 Championship control
2. Tommy Krawczyk 🆕 (Previous: NR)
Tommy Krawczyk makes a huge jump into the rankings after proving he had one of the only cars capable of challenging Vasquez at Iowa.
Krawczyk finished second in Stage 1 and then controlled most of Stage 2, leading 54 of its 61 laps. He eventually finished sixth in the stage, but his speed carried through the remainder of the race.
Krawczyk finished second overall and led 54 laps, giving him 103 laps led over the last two North Star Racing events represented in the current season data.
He may still be searching for his first victory of the season, but Iowa made one thing clear: the No. 48 has race-winning speed.
Iowa Finish: 🥈 2nd
Laps Led: 54
Trend: 🚀 Major rise
3. Alex M. Rogers ⬆️ (Previous: 7)
Alex Rogers continues making it increasingly difficult to leave him out of the conversation surrounding North Star Racing’s fastest drivers.
Starting 14th, Rogers worked his way forward throughout the night. He finished fifth in Stage 1, third in Stage 2 and ultimately climbed all the way to third at the checkered flag.
Rogers also led 13 laps and earned 48 total points from the Iowa event.
The numbers across his limited schedule are becoming difficult to ignore: eight top-five finishes in only 11 starts. Whenever Rogers is in the field, he’s becoming a legitimate threat to contend near the front.
Iowa Finish: 🥉 3rd
Positions Gained: 11
Trend: 📈 Climbing fast
4. Steven Carlile ➡️ (Previous: 4)
Iowa wasn’t spectacular for Steven Carlile, but it was exactly the kind of race he needed after a difficult Indianapolis.
Carlile started third and finished sixth, completing all 250 laps without recording an incident. While he never truly threatened Vasquez for the victory, a clean top-10 finish helped stabilize his recent results.
More importantly, Carlile remains third in the championship standings with 809 points.
The gap to the championship leader is significant, but Carlile continues to put himself in position to capitalize if either of the top two encounters trouble.
Iowa Finish: 6th
Championship: 3rd — 809 points
Trend: ➡️ Stabilizing
5. Josh L. Stoltz ⬇️ (Previous: 2)
One bad race doesn’t erase what Josh Stoltz has done recently, but Iowa was undoubtedly the biggest setback of his championship campaign.
Stoltz entered the weekend only two points behind Vasquez after a victory at North Wilkesboro and runner-up finish at Indianapolis.
Then everything changed.
Stoltz finished 20th in Stage 1 and his race ended after only 59 laps. He was officially scored 22nd and collected just 15 total points while Vasquez scored 72.
The result dropped Stoltz 59 points behind Vasquez in the championship.
He falls in the Power Rankings, but the recent speed and his position of second in the standings keep him comfortably inside the top five. How he responds next week will tell us a lot about this championship fight.
Iowa Finish: 22nd
Championship: 2nd — 922 points (-59)
Trend: 📉 First major setback
6. Zach Thomas Johnson ⬇️ (Previous: 3)
Zach Thomas Johnson’s Iowa race was a mixed bag.
Johnson struggled for much of Stage 1 and finished the opening segment 19th. Stage 2 wasn’t much better, with the No. 45 finishing outside the points in 13th.
He recovered to finish 11th overall and led 14 laps during the race, but six incident points and an average running position of 10.9 prevented him from continuing the top-six streak he carried into Iowa.
There was still a championship positive. Johnson moved up one position to fourth in the standings with 767 points.
He drops in this week’s rankings because of the Iowa result, but his overall consistency keeps him firmly inside the top 10.
Iowa Finish: 11th
Championship: 4th — 767 points
Trend: ↘️ Small step backward
7. Cory Mott ⬇️ (Previous: 6)
The final finishing position doesn’t tell the entire story for Cory Mott.
Mott started 21st and immediately had work to do, but the highlight came during Stage 2 when he executed his race perfectly and captured the stage victory.
He ultimately climbed 11 positions from his starting spot to finish 10th, led five laps and collected 10 stage points.
The consistency continues to improve, and now Mott has another stage win to show for it. He slips one position only because several drivers ahead of him produced exceptional Iowa performances.
Iowa Finish: 10th
Iowa Highlight: 🏆 Stage 2 Winner
Trend: ➡️ Still building
8. Haden Higginbotham 🆕 (Previous: NR)
Haden Higginbotham delivered one of Iowa’s biggest drives through the field.
Starting 19th, Higginbotham methodically worked his way forward and eventually crossed the finish line fourth.
That’s a gain of 15 positions.
He also scored points in Stage 2 and stayed competitive throughout the final portion of the race, finishing less than three seconds behind Vasquez.
One strong performance doesn’t automatically make someone a weekly favorite, but a charge from 19th to fourth absolutely earns a place in this week’s rankings.
Iowa Finish: 4th
Positions Gained: 15
Trend: 📈 Breakout drive
9. Joe T Wright 🆕 (Previous: NR)
If Higginbotham’s drive was impressive, Joe T Wright went one position better in terms of moving through the field.
Wright started dead last in 22nd and finished fifth.
That’s a remarkable 17-position gain over the course of the race.
Wright didn’t need stage points or dozens of laps led to make an impact. He simply kept moving forward and was there when it mattered.
It was exactly the type of performance these Power Rankings are designed to recognize.
Iowa Finish: 5th
Positions Gained: 17
Trend: 🚀 Biggest charge
10. Garry Wells 🆕 (Previous: NR)
Garry Wells grabs the final position this week after quietly putting together a strong Iowa race.
Wells finished second in Stage 2, collecting nine valuable stage points, and eventually brought the car home eighth.
He also led five laps during the race and scored 38 total points.
It wasn’t the headline-grabbing performance of Vasquez, Krawczyk or Rogers, but Wells consistently put himself in the right positions throughout the evening.
Iowa Finish: 8th
Stage 2: 2nd
Trend: 📈 Quietly impressive
📈 Biggest Movers
- Alex M. Rogers — #7 to #3: Charged from 14th to third and scored points in both stages.
- Tommy Krawczyk — NR to #2: Led 54 laps and finished runner-up to Vasquez.
- Haden Higginbotham — NR to #8: Climbed 15 positions from 19th to fourth.
- Joe T Wright — NR to #9: Drove from 22nd to fifth.
- Garry Wells — NR to #10: Finished second in Stage 2 and eighth overall.
📉 Trending Down
- Josh L. Stoltz: A 22nd-place finish transformed a two-point championship deficit into 59 points.
- Zach Thomas Johnson: Still moved up to fourth in the championship, but Iowa ended his recent string of stronger finishes.
- Caleb Sheets: Finished 15th after showing early speed with a fourth-place Stage 1 result.
- Lucas Gortman: Followed his Indianapolis victory with a 20th-place Iowa finish after disconnecting 107 laps from the finish.
⭐ Driver of the Week: Nic Vasquez
There really isn’t another choice.
- 🏆 Race Winner
- 🥇 Stage 1 Winner
- 🔥 146 Laps Led
- 📊 72 Total Points
- 🎯 1.7 Average Running Position
- 📈 Championship Lead Increased from 2 to 59 Points
Vasquez didn’t simply win Iowa. He completely changed the complexion of the championship battle.
Championship Watch
- Nic Vasquez — 981 points
- Josh L. Stoltz — 922 points (-59)
- Steven Carlile — 809 points (-172)
- Zach Thomas Johnson — 767 points (-214)
- Stewart Harding Walker — 763 points (-218)
For weeks, the championship storyline centered around Vasquez and Stoltz being separated by almost nothing.
Iowa changed that in one night.
Vasquez now owns the first substantial advantage we’ve seen between the two championship favorites, while Stoltz faces the challenge of recovering from his worst result at exactly the wrong time.
Behind them, Carlile continues to hold third, while Johnson moved ahead of Stewart Harding Walker for fourth.
The championship is far from decided, but for the first time in several weeks, Nic Vasquez has breathing room.
Complete Power Rankings After Iowa
- Nic Vasquez ➡️
- Tommy Krawczyk 🆕
- Alex M. Rogers ⬆️
- Steven Carlile ➡️
- Josh L. Stoltz ⬇️
- Zach Thomas Johnson ⬇️
- Cory Mott ⬇️
- Haden Higginbotham 🆕
- Joe T Wright 🆕
- Garry Wells 🆕
Final Word
Iowa gave North Star Racing its first major championship momentum swing in weeks.
Vasquez now has the results, the points lead and the momentum. Krawczyk and Rogers are emerging as serious weekly threats, while Stoltz suddenly finds himself needing a response after watching his championship deficit grow dramatically.
One week ago, the question was whether Stoltz would leave the next race as the new championship leader.
After Iowa, the question has changed:
Can anyone stop Nic Vasquez from taking control of this championship?