Tuesday, May 29, 2012

News & Notes: K&N West Heads To Vegas

Kwasniewski Leads The Charge To His Hometown Track
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Consistent finishes are usually the sign of an experienced veteran race driver. But in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West this year, it’s second-year driver Dylan Kwasniewski who is the mark of consistency.

The Las Vegas resident, who celebrates his 17th birthday on Thursday, is the only driver to finish in the top five in each of the first six races this year. Those consistent finishes have paid off, giving Kwasniewski a solid lead in the championship standings.

/files/star-nursery-200_logo.jpgThe driver of the No. 03 Royal Purple/Rockstar Ford aims to keep his momentum rolling when the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads to his hometown for the Star Nursery 200 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 2.

Although Kwasniewski will be racing on his home track, he knows the competition will be tough. And in order to win, one of the drivers he will need to beat is defending series champion Greg Pursley, who is Kwasniewski’s teammate at Gene Price Motorsports.

Pursley led the standings a year ago and won at Las Vegas, with Kwasniewski finishing second. This year, however, it is Kwasniewski who is leading the charge heading to Sin City. He is the only driver with multiple wins this year and holds a 17-point lead over Pursley in the point standings.

“He’s got a year under his belt in these cars and he’s our competition now,” Pursley said of his young teammate. “I’m sure we’ll be racing him for the win again.

“He’s progressing a lot as a driver and we’re really proud of him” Pursley said. “I think he’s matured a lot since last year. Since the beginning of the year, he’s been on fire. He’s doing a great job. It’s good to see him doing that.”

Pursley is returning to Vegas with the same equipment he ran with a year ago and aiming for the same results.

“We put all our stuff in it that we won with last year,” he said. “So, we’re going to go with it that way. Hopefully, we can do good there and lead some more laps like we did last year and possibly win the race again.”

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Self Captures First Win With Brainerd Victory

Chases Down Kwasniewski To Take Lead In Closing Laps
See video

BRAINERD, Minn. – Michael Self scored his first career win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West with a victory in the Brainerd 125 at Brainerd International Raceway on Saturday.

The 21-year-old from Park City, Utah chased down Dylan Kwasniewski in the closing stages of the inaugural series race on the 2.5-mile road course and took the lead coming to the white flag. Kwasniewski, who had dominated the competition, was battling transmission issues as the race wound down.

Self had run in third behind teammates Kwasniewski and Greg Pursley for most of the race. He picked off Pursley with 10 laps to go and then overcame more than a three-second deficit to get to the lead. He made the move past Kwasniewski entering Turn 9 on the 48th lap and pulled away in the No. 21 Rockwell/Golden Gate Meat/RCR Chevrolet to win by a margin of 4.859 seconds.
POS DRIVER
1 Michael Self
2 Dylan Kwasniewski
3 Greg Pursley
4 Derek Thorn
5 David Mayhew

Despite the mechanical problems, Kwasniewski held on to finish second. Pursley was third, with Derek Thorn fourth and David Mayhew fifth. Completing the top 10 were Eric Holmes, Jonathon Gomez, Austin Dyne, Dylan Hutchison and Carl Harr.

With his win, Self locked up a spot in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at the UNOH Battle At The Beach at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway next February during Speedweeks.

Kwasniewski, meanwhile, was able to extend his lead by two points in the championship standings.

The 16-year-old from Las Vegas, who led a race high 32 laps on Saturday, has 263 points over Pursley with 246. Mayhew is third, followed by Thorn and three-time series champion Holmes. Self, who had a previous best finish of fourth in 33 series starts, moved from eighth to sixth in the standings. He is followed by Gomez, Cameron Hayley, Daryl Harr and Dyne.

The Brainerd race featured eight lead changes among five drivers. It was slowed by just one caution.

This was the sixth event on a 15-race schedule and the second of four road course races for the series this year.

The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule will be the Star Nursery 200 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday, June 2.

LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | RESULTS | POST-RACE AUDIO: MICHAEL SELFPOST-RACE AUDIO: DYLAN KWASNIEWSKI | POST-RACE AUDIO: GREG PURSLEY

/files/michael-self_nknps-west_brainerd_action_700.jpg
Michael Self wheeled the No. 21 Rockwell/Golden Gate
Meat/RCR Chevrolet to his first career win at BIR on Saturday.
Getty Images for NASCAR

Friday, May 25, 2012

News & Notes: K&N West 1st Visit To BIR

Kwasniewski Looks To Extend Lead
In Championship Standings

 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West makes its inaugural visit to Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway this week as part of the Fourth Annual Street Car Showdown on Saturday, May 26.

The event on BIR’s 2.5-mile road course is the sixth event of a 15-race schedule and the second of four road course events for the series this year.

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Kwasniewski heads to Minnesota first in the championship standings – with a 15-point lead over his teammate, defending series champion Greg Pursley. While Kwasniewski looks to build on his point lead, Pursley aims to gain ground in hopes of capturing back-to-back titles.

"I'm really excited about the inaugural K&N West race at Brainerd,” said Kwasniewski. “I think the fact that it's new for all of us West drivers levels the field just that much more. I'm happy that Royal Purple stepped up to sponsor this race and I'm confident I can bring my No. 03 Ford home in the winner’s circle this time."

Kwasniewski, of Las Vegas, is the first driver to capture more than one win in the series this year. He scored a victory earlier this month at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway and was credited with a win as the top finishing West driver in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on Saturday.

Although he had a record setting season as a rookie last year, Kwasniewski did not have much success in road course events. His best finish in the three races was 25th. But with a fourth-place finish at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah last month, he appears to have turned things around this year.

"We did have a lot of bad luck on road courses last year and that's frustrating for me because I grew up racing karts on many different kinds of open wheel tracks,” Kwasniewski said. “I feel that I didn't have the opportunity to showcase my ability to race these kinds of tracks last year. Miller was definitely a boost to my confidence. I really enjoy racing road courses because you have to be on your game with all the turns, shifting and elevation changes all the time. I think finishing well in the road courses we have on the schedule is going to be important to winning the championship.”

/files/bir_logo.jpg
Pursley, meanwhile, has the best road course stats among the series regulars. The driver of the No. 26 Gene Price Motorsports/Star Nursery Ford has three wins, all at Miller Motorsports Park, along with six top-five and seven top-10 finishes in 11 series road course starts.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Band Perry Honors U.S. Heroes
via Indy NASCAR Race

Posing with bricks: Members of The Band Perry pose with
commemorative bricks honoring each of the five finalists
for the Crown Royal “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400
 program at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 21, 2012 – The roar of engines will now be joined by the sweet sounds of rhythm and bass during this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, thanks to a partnership announcement today among the makers of Crown Royal® whisky, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and BigMachineRecords.com. Officially titled Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com, the race weekend will feature country music stars The Band Perry, Justin Moore, The Mavericks, Greg Bates and others performing for fans in attendance and viewers tuning in to the race on television.

Big Machine Label Group artists will be on hand at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 29 to ensure the winner of Crown Royal’s annual “Your Hero’s Name Here” contest is provided an experience to remember.  The winner, who will be named in early July, will meet various stars and attend a concert as part of a collaborative effort by Crown Royal and the BigMachineRecords.com to showcase those individuals who make a difference in their communities without asking for anything in return.  Crown Royal and the Big Machine Label Group artists will be at the track all weekend honoring heroes from Indianapolis and around the country and additionally, urging adult fans to drink responsibly and designate drivers, helping to make sure everyone has a fantastic race-day experience and gets home safely. 

"There's no track in the world like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and I'm thrilled that we will return as a race sponsor in 2012 for the Crown Royal presents the 'Your Hero's Name Here' 400 at the Brickyard powered by BigMachineRecords.com!" said Scott Borchetta, President and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group. "We will again bring our most exciting artists to the stage for a great pre-race musical experience for the fans."

“Once again the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is excited to offer a weekend full of great racing and great music,” said Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation president and CEO Jeff Belskus. “Our fans are in for a real treat when some of the best names in the Big Machine Label Group combine with Crown Royal and some of the best names in racing to provide a great day of entertainment for our fans.”

This race will mark the sixth time Crown Royal has awarded race naming rights to an adult fan. This year, the program focused on all of the unsung heroes who make a difference in their communities, from firefighters and police officers, to first responders and local volunteers.  Five heroes have been chosen as finalists and beginning on May 21st, fans will be asked to visit the Crown Royal Facebook page to cast their vote for the person they feel most deserving of the ultimate honor, naming rights of one of the season’s most exciting races.

Waving green flag: Members of The Band Perry wave the green flag to begin
qualifying at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 19, 2012.
Big Machine Label Group stars The Band Perry visited IMS this weekend to announce the partnership and recognize the five finalists: Dale Beatty, veteran and cofounder of the nonprofit organization Purple Heart Homes from Statesville, N.C.; Lindsey Marquez, ICU nurse from Sun Prairie, Wis.; Curtiss Shaver, Fire Lieutenant and EMT from Troy, Ala.; John Thomas, Deputy Sheriff from Sarasota, Fla.; and Brandon Veatch, veteran and Purple Heart recipient from Bloomfield, Ind.

As part of Crown Royal’s “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 program, the five finalists, which will ultimately include the winner, will travel to Indianapolis for one of the NASCAR season’s most-anticipated races.  The winner will be treated to an unforgettable experience, which includes waving the green flag to signal the start of the race and delivering the trophy bearing his or her moniker to the race winner in Victory Lane.

“For each of the past six NASCAR seasons, we’ve worked to bring new and innovative elements to the once in a lifetime event experience for our Crown Royal program winners,” said Yvonne Briese, VP Marketing, DIAGEO North American Whisky.  “This year, not only will our winner have a weekend they’ll never forget, some of country music’s biggest stars will help make sure that the hundreds of thousands of fans on hand have a fantastic experience as well.” 

The Crown Royal Presents the "Your Hero's Name Here" 400 at the Brickyard Powered by BigMachineRecords.com, will be the marquee event of the inaugural Super Weekend at the Brickyard, which also will feature a NASCAR Nationwide Series event Saturday, July 28, two GRAND-AM road races Friday, July 27 and Nationwide practice Thursday, July 26.

Race Day ticket prices start at just $30. Fans can buy tickets online at www.imstix.com, by calling the IMS ticket office at (317) 492-6700, or (800) 822-INDY outside the Indianapolis area, or by visiting the ticket office at the IMS Administration Building at the corner of Georgetown Road and 16th Street between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET) Monday-Friday. Children 12 and under will receive free general admission to any IMS event in 2011 when accompanied by an adult general admission ticket holder.

 About Crown Royal
Crown Royal Canadian whisky is the number one selling Canadian whisky brand in the US by value and has a tradition as long and distinctive as its taste. Specially blended to commemorate a grand tour of Canada made by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain in 1939, Crown Royal Canadian whisky's smooth, elegant style reflects its aristocratic origins and is considered the epitome of Canadian whisky. For more information visit www.crownroyal.com. Crown Royal encourages all race fans to please enjoy responsibly.


About Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been the worldwide leader in motorsports entertainment since it opened in 1909. The facility has hosted the Indianapolis 500, the world’s largest single-day annual sporting event, since 1911 and also is the site of the Crown Royal Presents the “Your Hero’s Name Here” 400 at the Brickyard and the Red Bull Indianapolis GP. The NASCAR Nationwide Series and GRAND-AM Road Racing also will make their IMS debut with races in 2012.

IMS is the world’s largest spectator sporting facility and is the only venue to stage annual races in the IZOD IndyCar Series, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, GRAND-AM Road Racing and MotoGP.

About Big Machine Label Group
At the helm of the independent Big Machine Label Group is industry veteran Scott Borchetta, who serves as President and CEO. The conglomerate encompasses Big Machine Records (founded in 2005), The Valory Music Co. (founded in 2007) and Republic Nashville (a partnership with Universal Republic founded in 2009 with Jimmy Harnen serving as President). The Big Machine Label Group's current artist roster includes Multi-Platinum superstars Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Reba and Martina McBride; Platinum sensations The Band Perry; Newly minted Gold-selling artist Brantley Gilbert; Chart-topping established acts Eli Young Band and Justin Moore, and  newcomers Sunny Sweeney, Edens Edge, Ella Mae Bowen, Greg Bates and Thomas Rhett. BMLG artists have received multiple GRAMMY, CMA, ACM, American Music Awards, CMT Music Awards, Teen Choice Awards, MTV Video Music Award and People's Choice Award accolades as well as Brit Award and JUNO Award nominations. For more information, visit www.BigMachineRecords.com


Read About The Five Finalists:







 
Voting has started!  Adult consumers can log on to the Crown RoyalFacebook page and click the “Crown Your Hero” tab to vote for the hero they think is most deserving of naming rights to the race. Voting runs through June 28th and the grand prize winner will be announced in early July.

Elliott Triumphs

Elliott Triumphs In Iowa K&N Combo Race
First NASCAR Victory For Hendrick Motorsports Driver
 By Jason Cunningham, NASCAR




NEWTON, Iowa – Closer and closer to that first victory each time out this season, Chase Elliott was able to take home the checkered flag Saturday at Iowa Speedway in the Graham Tire 150 for his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series triumph.

Elliott, the second generation driver of the No. 9 Aarons/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet from Dawsonville, Ga., inherited the lead on Lap 145 from a dominant Brett Moffitt and held on through a green-white-checkered finish for the first victory in 16 career K&N Pro Series East starts.

Moffitt, the defending race winner from nearby Grimes, earned the pole earlier in the evening Saturday and seemed destined to repeat in front of the hometown faithful. He held leads of three and four seconds during the middle stages of the races, but was caught in the closing laps by Cale Conley, who made incidental contact that slowed both and allowed Elliott to capitalize. Moffitt had to settle for fifth place.

“Brett [Moffitt] had the dominant car tonight, and you hate to see that get taken away from anybody – especially when it’s you – but we’ll take it when we can get it,” Elliott said. “We had a really fast car, one that I think was capable of winning, we just had to have things go our way.”

POS DRIVER
1 Chase Elliott
2 Ryan Blaney
3 Cale Conley
4 Travis Pastrana
5 Brett Moffitt
Ryan Blaney followed Elliott across the line for his second runner-up finish of the year. Conley and action sports star Travis Pastrana also recorded personal best finishes in third and fourth, respectively.

“I hate it that I got into Brett Moffitt like I did,” Conley said. “I think I got in over my head a little bit just trying to go for a win. I saw an opening and I tried to take advantage of it. Maybe next time I’ll know what to do if I’m in a position to win it.”

Following Moffitt, the rest of the top 10 in the sixth-annual K&N Pro Series East & K&N Pro Series West combination race were Kyle Larson, Sergio Pena, Dylan Kwasniewski, Greg Pursley and Eddie MacDonald.

As the highest finishing K&N Pro Series West driver, Kwasniewski is also credited with a win in that series, the fourth of his career. The 16-year-old from Las Vegas extended the season points advantage he brought to Iowa and now leads teammate Greg Pursley by 15 points.

“Eighth is typically not the best finish, but a good points day and I’m still in the lead now,” Kwasniewski said. “It was a fun race, I had a blast, and we came home with all the fenders on it.”
Elliott, 16, also extended his lead in the K&N Pro Series East standings to 20 points over Moffitt with the Iowa victory and as the overall race winner he has earned a secured starting position for the inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach on the short track at Daytona International Speedway during 2013 Speedweeks.

The K&N Pro Series West will return to action on May 26 at Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway while the K&N Pro Series East will next race at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., on June 2.

RESULTS  |  LAP-BY-LAP RECAP  | POST-RACE AUDIO: SECOND PLACE RYAN BLANEY  |  POST-RACE AUDIO: THIRD PLACE CALE CONLEY  |  POST-RACE AUDIO: TRAVIS PASTRANA  |  POST-RACE AUDIO: DYLAN KWASNIEWSKI

Chase Elliott and crew chief Lance McGrew celebrate in Iowa Victory Lane.
Mike Gatzke/Iowa Speedway.


Saturday, May 19, 2012

K&N Pro Series East-West Combination Race at Iowa Speedway

If you are anywhere near Newton, Iowa this weekend and love racing; NASCAR Race Mom (NRM) recommends that you check out the first of two East versus West K&N Pro Series combination races of 2012.

This event marks the sixth year for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway. However, this is the first year that the two factions of this upper level NASCAR developmental series reunite to do battle for both points and glory twice in one year.*

Read More

Graham Tire 150 Trophy

@NASCAR_NE:  
Hardware for tonight's #GrahamTire150 @iowaspeedway 

 #NASCAR #KNEast #KNWest

Justin Lofton - First-Time Winner

For the third time in five races, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series produced a first-time winner, as Justin Lofton drove the No. 6 Eddie Sharp Racing Chevrolet to victory lane Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway following the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

"This is amazing," Lofton said. "I really don't know what to do."

After a restart with five laps remaining, Lofton got out front while the rest of the frontrunners raced hard for second. Todd Bodine in the No. 11 Red Horse Racing Toyota got by the No. 19 Brad Keselowski Racing Ram on that final restart to claim the second position, but Keselowski took it back with two laps to go to finish second.

"We had a great Cooper Standard Ram," Keselowski said after the race, but he took exception to the final restart when contact was made between his truck and the No. 9 Joe Denette Motorsports Chevrolet of Ron Hornaday.

"They did everything they could to wreck me," Keselowski said.

Bodine finished third, Jason Leffer was fourth in the No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota and Hornaday rounded out the top-five.

Ty Dillon started the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet on the pole with Lofton alongside in second. But on the green flag, Lofton fell back several positions and lost several more spots on a restart following a caution that came out on lap three.

"I was worried the first two restarts we had," Lofton said.

The yellow flag waved three times in the first 24 laps of the 134-lap event. On the third caution, the leaders headed down pit road for the first time. James Buescher, who had pitted under one of the earlier cautions, stayed out in his No. 31 Turner Motorsports Chevrolet to inherit the lead.
Soon after the restart, Keselowski raced his way up to second.

The field began cycling through green flag pit stops with 65 laps remaining, but that cycle was interrupted by the yellow flag that came out for one of multiple spins throughout the race by the No. 14 truck of Brennan Newberry.

Timothy Peters had yet to pit his No. 17 Red Horse Racing Toyota, so he stopped for service during the caution and came back out on the track with the lead and Lofton restarted second.

While most of the field headed down pit road to top of with fuel when the yellow flag waved again for an incident involving the No. 5 truck of Paulie Harraka and Buescher a few laps later, Lofton, Bodine and others opted to stay out. That handed the lead back to Lofton and second to Bodine.
The caution came out three more times, allowing Lofton and others who stayed out to go the distance on the fuel they had.

Keselowski moved his way back toward the front in the closing laps, getting by Hornaday for second with 30 laps remaining and then back into the lead by passing Lofton for the top spot with 16 laps to go.

Right after Keselowski retook the lead, the yellow flag waved for the seventh time, brought out by the No. 30 truck of Nelson Piquet Jr. Lofton reassumed the lead and Jason White's No. 23 truck moved into second on the following restart. Keselowski quickly moved back up to second, only to see the yellow flag wave for the eighth and final time for debris with nine laps remaining.

Lofton took to top spot on the final restart to drive on to his first win as the rest of the field behind him battled three and four wide for second.

The win was also the first victory for Eddie Sharp Racing.

To be notified when new articles are posted, follow me on Twitter @NASCARexaminer, like NASCARexaminer on Facebook or follow RacingMedia on Digg.

By Amanda Vincent  NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Examiner

Iowa Speedway - Teams Arrive

Joey Mancari ‏@KNPSWDir 
 #KNWest #KNEast teams arrive at 
@iowaspeedway. @NASCARHomeTrack


Curtiss Shaver - Crown Royal Finalist

Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here 400"
CURTISS SHAVER, TROY, ALABAMA

Curtiss Shaver, 37, of Troy, Ala. is a certified EMT, paramedic and current Lieutenant of the Troy Fire Department. Shaver was nominated by a fellow firefighter for his commitment and dedication to give back not only to the Troy Fire Department, but to the community as a whole, despite what many would consider a handicap.

At the age of 18, he was involved in a severe farming accident, resulting in the amputation of his left leg. Inspired by the desire to give back to others after being aided by good Samaritans during his accident, Shaver completed extensive rehabilitation and training and was hired by the very same fire department that responded to his farming emergency. 

Excited about the opportunity to share the NASCAR experience in Indianapolis with the other four finalists, Shaver views this nomination as a true honor.

Remember Voting begins on May 21st on the Crown Royal Facebook site.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

NKNPS Iowa Schedule

Friday
9:30 a.m. Haulers enter
11 a.m. Registration opens
12:30 p.m. Garage opens
6 p.m. Garage & Registration close


Saturday
9 a.m. Garage & Registration open
11:05 a.m. Practice
1 p.m. Final Practice
3 p.m. Autograph Session
4:30 p.m. Drivers Meeting
5:10 p.m. Qualifying
6 p.m. Registration closes
7 p.m. Race (150 LAPS, 131.25 MILES)

All times CT (local zone and subject to change

John Thomas - Crown Royal Finalist

Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here 400"
JOHN THOMAS, SARASOTA, FL



John Thomas, 36, of Sarasota, Fla., joined the military in 1996, bravely touring combat zones in Bosnia Herzegovina (1996-1997) and Iraq (2003-2004). 

While deployed, Thomas received many awards including the Iraqi War Metal and the Combat Infantry Badge, the most meaningful honors to him, before leaving the army as a Sergeant. After returning home, Thomas joined the Sarasota Sheriff\'s Department, where he has been a Deputy Sheriff for the past seven years and spends most of his time in the field. Thomas recognizes his mother and grandfather, who he accredits for instilling him with proper morals and values, as his heroes. 

He and his wife Melissa are proud parents to their 13-month-old daughter Amelia and are dedicated racing fans, who attribute their attendance to at least one NASCAR race each year to the exciting event atmosphere.

Remember Voting begins on May 21st on the Crown Royal Facebook site.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Lindsey Marquez - Crown Royal Finalist

Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here 400"
LINDSEY MARQUEZ, SUN PRAIRIE, WIS



Lindsey Marquez, 28, of Sun Prairie, Wis., served as an Air Force ICU nurse for seven months in Bagram, Afghanistan. Deployed in 2010, she left her husband David and then 18-month-old daughter Eva in San Antonio, Texas where the family resides. 

Marquez was nominated by David for her determination to aid severely burned and injured soldiers through the Keep a Soldier Warm project, which supplies servicemen and women with blankets for warmth during long flights back to the states. 

She currently works at the Surgical Trauma ICU San Antonio Medical Center, providing emergency surgical services and trauma care for veterans and civilians, alike. If she receives the grand prize, Marquez is most excited to kiss the bricks at the Brickyard and to share the experience with David.

Remember Voting begins on May 21st on the Crown Royal Facebook site.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

News & Notes - Graham Tire '150'


Fast Facts:

Race: This event marks the sixth year for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway. This year, however, the track is hosting two combination races, with a return engagement set for Aug. 3.

Procedure: The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 28 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining eight spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (131.25 miles).

Track: Iowa Speedway is a .875-mile paved oval with the turns banked 12-14 degrees, four degrees banking in the backstretch and 10 degrees banking in the frontstretch.

Records: Qualifying: Kyle Busch, May 17, 2009, 135.484 mph, 23.250 sec.; Race: To be established at this distance.

16-Year-Olds Return To Iowa As Title Contenders
 Last year’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination event at Iowa featured a late-race battle between two 15-year-old rookies, racing for a top-10 finish. Those two teens return to Iowa this year, each leading their series in the championship standings.

Dylan Kwasniewski is coming off a win at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway that vaulted him to first and gave him a six-point lead in the standings for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.

In the most recent race for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, meanwhile, a second-place finish by Chase Elliott at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway gave him a four-point lead in that title hunt.

Kwasniewski, who won the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award last year in the K&N West, is a teammate at Gene Price Motorsports to defending series champion Greg Pursley.

Elliott, the son of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, is a teammate at Hendrick Motorsports on race weekends to Ben Kennedy, who is second to him in the standings.

Race Notes

Defending Winner, Hometown Favorite:
Not only is he the most recent NASCAR K&N Pro Series East winner this season, but Iowa native Brett Moffitt is also the defending winner of the East-West combo event at Iowa Speedway. From Grimes, Moffitt secured the victory at his home track in 2011 with an impressive performance that saw him lead 138 of the 175 laps. Moffitt turned in a similarly-dominating performance on April 26 of this season when he led 92 of 103 circuits at Richmond International Raceway for his eighth career East victory.

Three Straight Weeks of Racing For West: The East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway marks the first of three consecutive weeks of racing for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Following Iowa, the series heads to Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway on May 26 and a week later the series visits The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on June 2.

Milestones: Two series champions from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will hit career marks at Iowa. Three-time series champion Eric Holmes is set to make his 80th career series start there, driving the No. 20 NAPA Toyota. It will mark the 58th consecutive start for the Escalon, Calif., driver – who made his initial series debut at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., on Oct. 11, 1997. Defending series champion Greg Pursley is slated to make his 60th career series start at Iowa. The driver of the No. 26 Gene Price Motorsports/Star Nursery Ford made his first series start at Mesa Marin Raceway on Oct. 17, 1999.

East: Final Notes From Richmond

Moffitt Tops Field:
Brett Moffitt earned his eighth career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in the second annual Blue Ox 100 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on April 26. Moffitt edged Chase Elliott in a thrilling last-lap battle to the checkered flag. Moffitt garnered his fifth career pole prior to the event and led 92 of 103 laps.

Career Mark For Elliott: The runner-up effort was the best in 15 career starts for Chase Elliott.

Youth Movement Continues: Jesse Little became the youngest driver in K&N Pro Series history at 15 years and 11 days. Little finished 11th in his series debut.

Wallace Slips: Defending race winner Darrell Wallace Jr. finished 28th and slipped from first to 11th in the season standings.

West: Final Notes From Stockton

Wire-To-Wire Win: Dylan Kwasniewski started from the pole and led wire-to-wire to win the Pick-N-Pull 150 at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway on May 5. The win vaulted the 16-year-old Las Vegas driver into first in the championship standings, making him the youngest in the history of the series to lead the title hunt.

50th Top-Five Finish: Eric Holmes notched his 50th career series top-five finish with a runner-up finish at Stockton. He also has 16 wins and 13 poles, along with 63 top-10 finishes, in 79 series starts.

First Top 10s: Two drivers registered their first career series top 10s at Stockton. Jessica Brunelli finished ninth, while making her fifth series start and Ronnie Jay finished 10th, in making just his second start.

Up Next – East:  NASCAR Hall of Fame 150
 The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will next compete at historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., on June 2 with the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150. This will mark the second visit for the series to the tight and flat quarter mile that saw Matt DiBenedetto lead wire-to-wire in the inaugural 2011 event.

Up Next – West: Brainerd International Raceway

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads to Minnesota for its inaugural visit to Brainerd International Raceway. It marks the second of four road course events on this year’s series schedule.

SCHEDULE | ENTRY LIST


Source:  NASCAR HomeTracks

Brandon Veatch - Crown Royal Finalist

Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here 400"
BRANDON VEATCH, BLOOMFIELD, IND


Brandon Veatch, 36, of Bloomfield, Ind., served eight years in the United States Army Special Forces. Deployed twice, once to Baghdad and once to northern Iraq, Veatch was injured fighting off three separate ambushes while intercepting a kidnapping in the streets of Baghdad in 2004. For his heroism, Veatch was awarded a Purple Heart by U.S. Senator Dan Coats in February 2012. 

Veatch was humbled by this nomination and hopes to continue to be a role model for men rising through the ranks today. He is currently an Acquisitions Management Specialist for the Navy at Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center and recently celebrated his fourth anniversary with his wife, Melissa. 

In his free time, he enjoys carpentry and watching his children play baseball and basketball. If he wins the grand prize, Veatch says, "There are a million and one things I am looking forward to, I can‘t just pick one. I would just feel privileged to represent so many heroes."

Remember Voting begins on May 21st on the Crown Royal Facebook site.

Graham Tire "150" Entry List


K&N East-West Meet In Iowa 
Driver's List


Car #     Driver
1 Sergio Pena  East 
2 Ryan Gifford  East 
4 Bryan Ortiz  East 
7 Corey LaJoie  East 
7 Eddie MacDonald  East 
8 Jorge Arteaga  East 
9 Chase Elliott  East 
10 Ryan Blaney  East 
11 Brett Moffitt  East 
12 Jorge Contreras Jr. East 
14 Daniel Suarez  East 
16 Duarte Ferreira  East
18 Darrell Wallace Jr.  East 
23 Sam Hunt  East 
31 Jimmy Weller  East 
37 TBA East
39 CJ Faison  East 
46 Brandon Gdovic  East 
47 Cale Conley  East 
49 Scott Saunders  East 
51 Carlos Iaconelli  East 
62 Andrew Smith  East 
69 Kyle Larson East 
83 Dylan Presnell  East 
96 Ben Kennedy  East 
97 Jesse Little  East 
98 Chad Boat  East 
99 Travis Pastrana East 



3 Dylan Kwasniewski West
5 Dylan Hutchison West
6 Derek Thorn  West
15 Jack Sellers  West
17 David Mayhew  West
20 Eric Holmes  West
21 Michael Self  West
22 Jonathon Gomez  West
24 Cameron Hayley  West
26 Greg Pursley  West
36 John Wood  West
41 Daryl Harr  West
42 Taylor Cuzick  West
44 Ronnie Jay Victoria  West
52 Ryan Philpott  West
61 Brett Thompson  West
71 Carl Harr  West
72 Josh Reaume  West
90 Chris Evans  West
91 Austin Dyne  West

* Sunoco ROY Candidate

Dale Beatty - Crown Royal Finalist

Crown Royal "Your Hero's Name Here 400"
DALE BEATTY, STATESVILLE, NC


Dale Beatty, 34, of Statesville, N.C., was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Freedom Iraq in 2004 and was involved in an anti-tank mine explosion that left him a double amputee. 

After returning home, Beatty became the general contractor of a barrier free home for him and his family. The building of his home inspired he and his "battle buddy" John Gallina to establish the nonprofit Purple Heart Homes, Inc., which builds and alters homes to fit specific housing needs of veterans. 

He has received numerous awards including the Purple Heart, Carolinas Freedom Foundation award, and the Hope & Courage award, and he and Gallina were featured on a 2011 cover of TIME magazine. 

Beatty has always been a NASCAR fan and is looking forward to taking his wife Belinda, who is currently expecting their third child, to the Brickyard this summer.

Remember Voting begins on May 21st on the Crown Royal Facebook site.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Jamie McMurray's Mother's Day Greeting


Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Jamie McMurray can't imagine growing up any way but the way his mother raised him, and for that he is very thankful to his mom! And now that he is a father himself, he also thanks his own wife for being a great mom!

Greg Biffle's Mother's Day Greeting


Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Greg Biffle thanks his mother for never missing his races growing up and wishes a happy Mother's Day to his mother and his wife.

Jeff Burton's Mother's Day Greeting


Coca-Cola Racing Family driver Jeff Burton thanks his and all mothers for setting a great example and being so caring.

Tony Stewart's Mother's Day Greeting


For all that she has done for him throughout his life and his career, Coca-Cola Racing Family star Tony Stewart offers a Mother's Day salute to his mom.

200th win for Hendrick's Motorsports


Although NASCAR Race Mom was hopping that Dale Jr. would capture the 200th win for Hendrick's Motorsports this weekend; Jimmy Johnson completed the feat in classy style.  A huge congratulations to Hendrick's Motorsports and everyone on the #48 team!



Photos via www.nascar.com

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Hendrick Motorsports - Win 200

Darlington Raceway, in South Carolina was built in the fall of 1949. Believing that Bill France's fledgling NASCAR just might catch on, Harold Brasington set out to shape a 1.25-mile speedway on land that had once produced peanuts and cotton.

The track "Too Tough to Tame" continued to keep pace with the booming NASCAR world, adding lights for a night race in 2005 and expanded seating in 2006. Darlington is tough for several reasons. The racing line is narrow; it has an abrasive track surface that quickly takes the “new” off a set of tires.

Additionally, the track’s two sets of turns are dramatically different. Equally as tough, it would seem, has been Hendrick Motorsports’ quest for their 200th victory. Fifteen races have passed since Hendrick Motorsports' last win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, when Jimmie Johnson gave the team its 199th victory on October 9, 2011 at Kansas Speedway.

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Friday, May 11, 2012

Pick & Pull 150 K&N Pro Series West



STOCKTON, Calif. -- Dylan Kwasniewski was able to pull away on a green-white-checkered finish from Eric Holmes to win the Pick-N-Pull 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race Saturday at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Kwasniewski, who picked up his first win of the season and third of his career, started from the pole and led every lap in the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at the quarter-mile track since 2006. It was also the sixth time in nine NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races at Stockton since 2002 that a race was extended past its advertised distance.

Published on May 9, 2012 by

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Kwasniewski Dominates In Stockton Win


Kwasniewski Dominates In Stockton Win

16-Year-Old Leads Wire-To-Wire For Third Career Win
Tim Southers, NASCAR
May 6, 2012 - 12:52am
See video

STOCKTON, Calif. – Dylan Kwasniewski was able to pull away on a green-white-checkered finish from Eric Holmes to win the Pick-N-Pull 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race Saturday at Stockton 99 Speedway.

Kwasniewski, who picked up his first win of the season and third of his career, started from the pole and led every lap in the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at the quarter-mile track since 2006. It was also the sixth time in nine NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races at Stockton since 2002 that a race was extended past its advertised distance.

“It was definitely tough,” said Kwasniewski, who after gaining the lead on the initial start had to fend off challenges in seven restarts during the event. “The Rockstar Energy Ford was great. Everybody at Gene Price Motorsports did a perfect job of putting this car together.”

Kwasniewski was side-by-side with his Gene Price Motorsports teammate, Greg Pursley, for the start and most of the restarts; but three-time series champion Eric Holmes had battled his way to second when the final caution flew. He challenged for the lead, but Kwasniewski once again was able to gain the position and lead the field to the checkered flag.

Pos Driver
1 Dylan Kwasniewski
2 Eric Holmes
3 David Mayhew
4 Greg Pursley
5 Jason Fensler
“Eric Holmes had a chance to take me out and drive me rough, but he’s a great driver and I’m glad he did it respectively,” said the 16-year-old second-year driver from Las Vegas. “It was a great race. It was just perfect. I had a blast.”
Kwasniewski’s No. 03 Rockstar/Royal Purple Ford crossed the finish line with a margin of victory of .490 seconds.
Holmes held on for second, with David Mayhew taking third. Pursley, who held second through Lap 145, ended up fourth, with Jason Fensler fifth. Finishing sixth was Jonathon Gomez, with Derek Thorn seventh and Austin Dyne eighth. Jessica Brunelli and Ronnie Jay completed the top 10.

With his victory, Kwasniewski locked up a spot in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at the UNOH Battle At The Beach at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway next February during Speedweeks.
Kwasniewski also took over the lead in the championship standings. He leads with 173 points over Mayhew with 167. Pursley is third with 162 points, followed by Holmes with 160 and Thorn with 156. Completing the top 10 are Cameron Hayley at 126, Daryl Harr at 119, Jonathon Gomez at 118 and Austin Dyne and Michael Self tied with 116 each.

Kwasniewski is following up a record-setting rookie year in the series last season in which he set the mark as the youngest race winner and youngest pole winner. He capped off 2011 by becoming the youngest driver to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.

With his win at Stockton, he became the fourth different winner in four races this season. And he became the fourth driver to win from the pole this year. The last one to lead wire-to-wire, however, was Mayhew in the season opener.

The Pick-N-Pull 150 will air on SPEED on May 17 at 3 p.m. ET.

The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is the Graham Tire 150 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on May 19.

LAP BY LAP RECAP | RESULTS | POST-RACE AUDIO: ERIC HOLMES | POST-RACE AUDIO: DAVID MAYHEW
Greg Pursley (26) and Dylan Kwasniewski race for the lead at Stockton 99 Speedway.
Dylan Kwasniewski (No. 03) and his teammate Greg Pursley (No. 26) were side-by-side for numerous restarts at Stockton. Jason O. Watson/Getty Images for NASCAR