2014-08-13

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Statistical Advance: VIR

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For Immediate Release

 

 

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Statistical Advance: VIR

Analyzing The Biscuitville125 at VIRginia International Raceway

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 12, 2014) – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East visits a road course for the second consecutive week as it heads to VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, on Saturday, Aug. 16 for the Biscuitville 125. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers:

 

Biscuitville 125 Setup

·         This will be the series' second visit to the track after last year's inaugural Biscuitville 125.

·         Prior to last year's race at VIR, the K&N Pro Series East had not competed on a road course since July 2010 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut. Saturday's event will be the fourth one held on a road course since 2013. 

·         Series points leader Ben Rhodes finished third in his first road course event last time out at Watkins Glen. He enters the weekend with a 75-point advantage over Cameron Hayley in the standings

·         Bryan Ortiz, runner-up finisher in last year's event, will make his 2014 season debut with Rev Racing in the Biscuitville 125.

 

VIRginia International Raceway

History

·         Opened in 1957 and was closed from 1974 to 2000 when it was reopened by Harvey Siegel. 

·         Offers five track configurations. The Full Course is 3.27 miles in length while the Patriot Course stretches for 1.1 miles entirely inside the Full Course. The North Course measures 2.25 miles in length and the South Course covers a distance of 1.65 miles. The Grand East course is the longest configuration at 4.2 miles and is made up from the Full and Patriot courses.

·         Has hosted numerous test sessions for NASCAR's top-three national series.

 

Notebook

·         This is the second NASCAR-sanctioned race at the track.

·         There are four drivers – Gray Gaulding, Brandon Gdovic, Sam Hunt and Sergio Peña – from Virginia on the entry list.

 

VIRginia International Raceway Data

Race: #14 of 16 overall, 2 of 2 on a road course

Track Layout: 2.25-mile road course

Race Length: 55 laps (123.75 miles)

 

VIRginia International Raceway Qualifying/Race Data

2013 Pole Winner: Dylan Kwasniewski, Chevrolet, 89.404 seconds, 90.600 mph

2013 Race Winner: Dylan Kwasniewski, Chevrolet, 1:54:53, 66.981 mph

1-lap Qualifying Record: Dylan Kwasniewski, 90.600 mph (89.404 seconds), Aug. 24, 2013

55-lap Race Record: Dylan Kwasniewski, Chevrolet, 1:54:53, 66.981 mph, Aug. 24, 2013

 

Active Series Leaders

Wins

Eddie MacDonald … 7

Dale Quarterley … 6

Ben Rhodes … 5

Sergio Peña … 4

Daniel Suárez … 3

Cole Custer … 3

Nine drivers tied with 1

 

Poles

Ben Rhodes … 5

Dale Quarterley … 4

Cale Conley … 3

Cole Custer … 2

Gray Gaulding … 2

Scott Heckert … 2

Eddie MacDonald … 2

Seven drivers tied with 1

 

Laps Completed

Eddie MacDonald … 23,219

Dale Quarterley … 18,923

Ryan Gifford … 8,430

 

Laps Led

Ben Rhodes … 757

Dale Quarterley … 706

Eddie MacDonald … 674

 

Selected Driver Information:

Jay Beasley (No. 42 Toyota Racing Development Toyota)

·         Has two top fives and four top 10s in 13 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Occupies the 12th position in the season standings.

·         Has posted top-10 finishes in four of his last eight events.

·         Finished season-best fourth at Iowa Speedway on May 17.

 

Mackena Bell (No. 21 Special Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Toyota)

·         Has two top fives and five top 10s in 32 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Ranks 16th in the season standings.

·         Finished season-best eighth in the season opener at New Smyrna Speedway on Feb. 16.

·         Finished 17th at VIR last season

 

Nick Drake (No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)

·         Has three top fives and seven top 10s in 13 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Ranks eighth in the championship standings.

·         Finished season-best second at Iowa Speedway on May 17.

·         Collected first series top-five finish (4th) on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

·         Finished third in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 2014 season opener at Phoenix International Raceway.

·         Will make his first start at VIR

 

Gray Gaulding (No. 20 Krispy Kreme Chevrolet)

·         Has two poles, five top fives and 14 top 10s in 27 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Sits fifth in points

·         Recorded a season-best finish of second on March 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

·         Became the youngest pole winner in NKNPS East history (15 years, 2 months, 15 days) in April 2013 at Richmond.

·         Finished fifth at VIR last season

·         Became the youngest race winner in NKNPS West history (15 years, 8 months, 30 days) in November 2013 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.

·         Became the youngest pole winner in NKNPS West history (15 years, 8 months, 16 days) in October 2013 at Kern County Raceway Park.

·         Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on March 30 at Martinsville Speedway.

·         Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.

 

Kaz Grala (No. 31 Oz Link Chevrolet)

·         Has a two top fives and eight top 10s in 13 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Occupies the sixth spot in the season standings.

·         Finished a season-best fourth at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8.

·         Is the K&N Pro Series East's youngest full-time competitor at 15 years of age.

 

Cameron Hayley (No. 98 Cabinets By Hayley Chevrolet)

·         Has one pole, five top fives and seven top 10s in 14 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Sits second in the championship standings, 75 tallies behind the points leader.

·         Has a season-best finish of second in the season opener at New Smyrna Speedway, Langley Speedway and Columbus Motor Speedway.

·         Has a win, six poles, 19 top fives and 26 top 10s in 34 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts.

·         Was championship runner-up to Derek Thorn last season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

·         Is the youngest (15 years, 23 days) driver to start K&N West race in August 2011.

·         Took over Turner Scott Motorsports car that Dylan Kwasniewski drove to the K&N East championship in 2013.

·         Is an alumnus of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.

 

Scott Heckert (No. 34 Project Lifesaver Chevrolet)

·         Earned his first career victory at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8

·         Has one win, two poles, four top fives and seven top 10s in 27 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Is ninth in the season standings.

·         Finished eighth at VIR last season

 

Austin Hill (No. 22 A&D Welding/Don Rich Ford Ford)

·         Has a win, five top fives and nine top 10s in 20 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Ranks 10th in championship standings after 13 races.

·         Has seven top 10s in his last 12 series starts with four of those being top-five finishes.

·         Finished a season-best second on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.

·         Earned first career win in September 2013 at Dover International Speedway.

·         Member of 2014-15 NASCAR Next class.

 

Brandon Jones (No. 33 Wolfpack Energy Services Chevrolet)

·         Has one win, five top-five finishes and 11 top-10 finishes in 20 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Holds down the third position in points, seven points behind Cameron Hayley for the second spot

·         Recorded first series win the last time out in Iowa

·         Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut last August at Bristol.

 

Jesse Little (No. 97 NASCAR Technical Institute Chevrolet)

·         Recorded first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 11. Has one win, one pole, 10 top fives and 16 top 10s in 34 career NKNPS East races.

·         Won his first series pole award at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1.

·         Owns the fourth position in the championship standings.

·         Was 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year for the K&N Pro Series East and finished ninth in championship standings.

·         Made K&N Pro Series West, in which his father, Chad, was the 1987 champion, debut last November at Phoenix.

·         Member of 2014-15 NASCAR Next class.

 

Bryan Ortiz (No. 6 Rev Racing Toyota)

·         Has four top fives and 15 top 10s in 28 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Is making his 2014 season debut

·         Was the runner-up finisher at VIR one season ago, his best career finish.

·         Is an alumnus of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program

 

Sergio Peña (No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Toyota)

·         Has four wins, nine top fives and 24 top 10s in 52 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Is ranked 14th in the points standings.

·         Earned his first victory of the season and third 2014 win for Rev Racing at Columbus Motor Speedway on July 19.

·         Is an alumnus of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport, and a current member of Rev Racing and Drive for Diversity.

 

Ben Rhodes (No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet)

·         Has five wins, five poles, 12 top fives and 16 top 10s in 20 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Leads championship standings by 75 points over Cameron Hayley.

·         Has five wins and nine podium finishes his last 11 events.

·         Scored first career win on March 22 at Greenville. Most recent win came at Langley.

·         Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on March 30 at Martinsville and finished eighth.

·         Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.

 

Kenzie Ruston (No. 96 Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet)

·         Has seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 27 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

·         Ranks seventh in the championship driver standings.

·         Her runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1 was her best career finish and the highest finish by a female in series history.

·         Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.

 

 

Up To Speed:

·         The 2014 season is the 28th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

·         The 2014 schedule features 16 races at 14 different tracks across 10 states.

·         Daniel Suárez opened the season with a narrow victory over Cameron Hayley, who won his first K&N East pole, at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.

·         Suárez won at Daytona for his second straight series victory to become just the second driver in series history to win the first two races of the season. Sean Caisse in 2006 is the other. Ben Rhodes picked up his first series career pole award.

·         Eddie MacDonald snapped a 53-race winless streak at Bristol. Rhodes started from the pole and led 130 of 132 laps.

·         Rhodes started from the pole for the third consecutive race and picked up his first series win after leading a race-high 106 laps at Greenville Pickens Speedway.

·         Cole Custer started from the outside pole position and won at Richmond International Raceway after passing Bill McAnally Racing teammate and pole sitter Nick Drake with 51 laps remaining.

·         Rhodes picked up his second win of the season and led a race-high 115 laps at Iowa Speedway. Brodie Kostecki led the race's first 35 laps after earning his first series career pole award.

·         At Bowman Gray, Rhodes collected his second straight win after his fourth start from the pole.

·         Gray Gaulding sat on the pole at Five Flags Speedway last time out, but it was Rhodes who once again stole the show with his third consecutive win.

·         Rhodes overtook teammate and pole winner Scott Heckert in the early going at Langley Speedway, holding on for his fourth win in a row

·         Jesse Little avoided a late lap accident that claimed the two race leaders, driving past them for his first career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

·         Sergio Pena survived a late restart at Columbus Motor Speedway, holding off Cameron Hayley in the final laps to record his first series win of the year and first victory since 2011, giving the Drive for Diversity driver four career victories.

·         Brandon Jones became the 11th different winner in 11 meetings at Iowa between the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West. Kenzie Ruston, who started the race from the 16th position, finished second and became the highest finishing female in series history.

·         Scott Heckert took the lead from Andrew Ranger and Cole Custer on a green-white-checkered restart to capture his first career win and the seventh victory for Turner Scott Motorsports in 13 events this season.

 

Contact:

John Tejeda

NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications

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