Auto racers don't necessarily have to load up on feature wins to get to the top of the points standings.

Tom Wagner is proof of that.

The 35-year-old Legends driver from Mercer hasn't won a single feature race in six dates at Mandan's Dacotah Speedway this season. However, he is the leading point-getter in his class with 553 tallies. He holds a six-point lead over second-place Nathan Speten of Wilton, and a 12-point advantage over Troy Speten, also of Wilton.

Wagner said consistency is the main reason why he owns the No. 1 spot at Mandan. He finished in the top five in all six features. His best finish is second place, which he posted on June 19. He came in third three times, and fifth twice.

"I have one feature win to my name in four years, and that came at Minot," Wagner said. "But I'm in first place (at Mandan), so I must be doing something right. In racing, consistency is the key. I have a good car, and I've placed in the top five in all of my races. All of those points add up."

Wagner is in his fourth season racing Legends cars and he's hoping to improve on last year's fifth-place finish at Mandan. He also wound up fifth in the Legends National Semi-Pro Dirt Class standings.

"I had a good year last year. It was my best, so far," said Wagner, who was named the Mandan track's Sportsman of the Year in 2008. "I've improved every year, and that's what I want to do. To be in first place this far into the summer is exciting. Staying in first is going to be awfully tough because of all the good drivers there are in this class. But I'll keep giving it all I got. We'll see how things turn out in the end."

Wagner is making a run nationally as well. He's currently fourth in the Pro Dirt Class standings with 1,199 points. Troy Speten is third with 1,224, and Donavin Wiest of Wishek is fifth with 1,169.

"I'm really happy with where I'm at in national points. Any time you're in the top five you have to like that," Wagner said. "North Dakota is usually well-represented nationally. It shows the quality and talent we have here."

Wagner was a quality drag-racer before he got into racing Legends. A test drive at Underwood in 2005 led to the switch.

"Ivan Sailer (of Bismarck) let me take a car around the track a few times and that's all it took to get me hooked," Wagner said. "It was a blast. I had been in drag-racing for five, six years, but I was ready for a change. I sold the dragster and not long after that I bought a Legends car that I had my eye on. It was the right thing to do. I tell you, I've had more fun racing Legends than I ever had in drag-racing. It's been heaven for me. It's great being on the track with all of those cars, fighting for position. It's a real adrenaline rush."

Wagner said he enjoys the camaradarie of the Legends drivers more than the competition.

"It's like racing against your brothers," he said. "Sometimes we get mad at each other, but that's going to happen from time to time in racing. Overall we get along real well."

The end of the season at Dacotah Speedway is about two months away, but Wagner is looking ahead to October, when he'll drive in the Sprintacular at the Eldora Speedway in New Weston, Ohio

"Eldora is a half-mile track owned by Tony Stewart," Wagner said. "It'll be a chance of a lifetime for me. I've always wanted to go there and watch the late models, sprints and Legends, but I never got the chance. If things go as planned, I'll have a chance to actually race there. It should be something. A lot of good drivers will be there."

There is no racing at Mandan until July 10, but Wagner will be in Minot on Saturday and Sunday.

Wagner missed the first two dates at the Nodak Speedway - for reasons that were job-related - and is sitting in 12th place in points.

"If you miss a date or don't finish, you lose out on a lot of points," Wagner said. "But I've been a regular (at Minot) the last month or so, and if all goes well, I should move up the ladder. I'd like to be somewhere in the top 10 before it's over."