At the half-way point of the season 135 different drivers from Formula One, Indycar, NASCAR, NHRA drag racing, and the World Rally Championship have qualified to be included in The Speed Blog driver rankings.

World Rally driver Mikko Hirvonen maintains the top spot for another month, but the gap to second placed Indycar racer Scott Dixon is closing fast.

Here’s the Top 10 standings at the end of June.

1. Mikko Hirvonen (WRC)
2. Scott Dixon (IRL)
3. Sebastian Loeb (WRC)
4. Helio Castroneves (IRL)
5. Robert Kubica (F1)
6. Fellipe Massa (F1)
7. Dan Wheldon (IRL)
8. Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
9. Tony Schumacher (NHRA)
10. Chris Atkinson (WRC)

Kyle Busch is the top ranked NASCAR driver at #13 on the list.

NHRA.com reports that Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta, 46, died June 21 from multiple injuries suffered after his car went out of control and crashed in a high-speed racing accident at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park during the fourth and final round of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals. Kalitta was extracted from his car by NHRA emergency services officials and transported to Old Bridge Township Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Kalitta, a two-time NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series Top Fuel champion and one of only 14 drivers in NHRA history to earn victories in both premier nitro categories, earned 18 victories during his career, his last coming in Chicago in 2005 in Top Fuel.

Kalitta earned most of his racing success in Top Fuel, where he claimed back-to-back world championship titles in 1994 and 1995. He retired from racing in 1997, sitting out most of two seasons before returning for a 10-race campaign in 1999. He sat out three more seasons following that brief stint and then returned again in 2003, joining cousin Doug as a second driver for the family’s two Top Fuel dragsters.

Kalitta started his pro career in Top Fuel in 1982, running limited events for four seasons before moving to Funny Car in 1986 for his first full season of competition. He returned to that category full time in 2006. He posted a runner-up finish two weeks ago in Chicago, his 36th career NHRA final-round appearance.

Kalitta is survived by his father, legendary NHRA racer and team owner Connie Kalitta; wife, Kathy; and sons, Corey, 14, and Colin, 8.

Once again World Rally ace Mikko Hirvonen stays at the top of our overall driver rankings for another month with his preformance on the Sardinian Rally continuing a run of strong finishes.

The Speed Blog Ranking list compares drivers from World Rally, F1. NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA based on the number of top ten finishes and the avearge finishing position.

The Top 10 Drivers at the end of May 2008 were:

1. Mikko Hirvonen (WRC)
2. Helio Castroneves (IRL)
3. Scott Dixon (IRL)
4. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
5.  Sebastian Loeb (WRC)
6. Robert Kubica (F1)
7. Chris Atkinson (wrc)
8. Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
9. Tony Schumacher (NHRA)
10. Kyle Busch (NASCAR)

Finnish rally ace Mikko Hirvonen stays at the top of our combined driver rankings chart for a second month. By the end of April a total of 116 drivers from NASCAR, FI, IRL, NHRA and WRC have qualified for inclusion in the ranking calculations. Thsi month the rankings are dominated by World Rally and IndyCar drivers, and for the first time since we started the month by month rankings in early 2007, no NASCAR drivers make the list.

The Top 10 Drivers at the end of April 2008 are

1. Mikko Hirvonen (WRC)
2. Chris Atkinson (WRC)
3. Sebastian Loeb (WRC)
4. Helio Castroneves (IRL)
5. Scott Dixon (IRL)
6. Tony Kannan (IRL)
7. Kimi Raikkonen (F1)
8. Dan Wheldon (IRL)
9. Jason Line (NHRA)
10. Dani Sordo (WRC)

Ashley Force’s (NHRA) and Danica Patrick’s (IRL) historic wins in April placed them at #18 and #23 respectively.

Finnish rally ace Mikko Hirvonen leaps to the top of our combined driver rankings chart at the end of March. So far a total of 91 drivers from NASCAR, FI, IRL, NHRA and WRC have qualified for inclusion in the ranking calculations with all series being represented in the Top 10 this month.

The Top 10 Drivers at the end of March 2008 are

1. Mikko Hirvonen (WRC)
2. Sebastian Loeb (WRC)
3. Lewis Hamilton (F1)
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR)
5. Greg Anderson (NHRA)
6. Tony Schumacher (NHRA)
7. Heki Kovalainen (F1)
8. Nick Heidfeld (F1)
9. Tony Stewart (NASCAR)
10. Scott Dixon (IRL)