PODIUM FINISH: Week Ending May 20

Each Monday we take a look back at the week that was from around the region.

First-time winners turned in some impressive performances, and some first-time starters were equally impressive. Fields in both the weekly series and touring series ranks are proving both deep and capable, meaning the competition is as good as it's been in years.

Without further ado, here's who made The Podium this week:

1. Ben Ashline, Pittston, Maine

Ashline bested both the full-time ACT Late Model Tour teams and a stout field of weekly Oxford Plains Speedway Late Model drivers to win the Armed Forces Day 150 on Sunday afternoon. The victory was the first on the ACT Late Model Tour for Ashline, the 2011 ACT Rookie of the Year.

Ashline led the final 104 laps and won by more than 7.5 seconds over Joey Polewarczyk Jr.

2. Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga.

Elliott emerged from a green-white-checkered finish to win the East-West combination Graham Tire 150 at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night, the first career K&N Pro Series victory for the Hendrick Motorsports driver and son of 1988 Sprint Cup Series champion Bill Elliott.

3. Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Pennink earned his fifth career Valenti Modified Racing Series win by claiming the caution-filled 75-lap main event at Thompson International Speedway on Sunday. The win marked Pennink's first in a touring Modified at Thompson.

Honorable Mention

2011 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Ron Silk of Norwalk, Conn., won the Hall of Fame 100 for Tour-type Modifieds at Riverhead Raceway Saturday night... Darrell Wallace Jr. of Mobile, Ala., finished ninth in his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Iowa Speedway on Sunday afternoon. Wallace, a Joe Gibbs Racing development driver, finished second in the final K&N Pro Series East standings in 2011... Keith Rocco of Wallingford, Conn., won both the SK Modified and Late Model features at Waterford Speedbowl Saturday night... Wayne Helliwell of Dover, N.H., swept both ends of twin 35-lap Late Model features at Canaan Fair Speedway on Saturday... Jeff Marshall of Lunenburg, Vt., won the Late Model feature event at Riverside Speedway on Saturday night... Connecticut's Shaun Buffington won the NELCAR Legends event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway to become the tour's first repeat winner of the season.

– TB