Sunday, November 12, 2017

Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and Daniel Suarez - Before They Became #NASCAR Stars

Ryan Blaney, Alex Bowman, Chase Elliott, and Daniel Suarez - Before They Became #NASCAR Stars

2011 K&N Pro Series West Season Finale at Phoenix Raceway

Ryan Blaney earned his first NASCAR victory in style November 12, 2011 at Phoenix Raceway with a triumph in his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in the Casino Arizona 125.

Ryan Blaney celebrated in Victory Lane in his first K&N Pro Series West
race  at Phoenix in 2011. (Rainier Ehrhardt/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Blaney, then just 17 years old, took the lead for the third and final time on Lap 104 and cruised to victory following a spirited battle with Alex Bowman that saw the pair swap the lead five times through the race’s final 55 laps.

“Right at the start of the race we were tight,” Blaney said of the event at the time. “It got worse and worse that first segment. We dropped back to 11th before the break. (Crew chief) Trent Owens made great changes to free us up and help us turn a whole bunch through the center and that put us over the edge to beat the other cars there at the end. So, it was a great night. It didn’t start off looking so well, but it ended up good.”

You might recognize several of the drivers who finished in the 2011 race’s top-ten.

The 2011 race winner, Ryan Blaney will start today’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event from pole.

Alex Bowman who will be taking over Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s popular #88 Cup Car next year had to settle for second after also leading the 2011 race on three different occasions.

“It’s definitely not as successful as we would like for it to be,” Bowman said of the 2011 race. “Overall, everybody did a good job. It was definitely a hard fought race. We probably over adjusted just a little bit there at the break.”

The third place finisher in 2011, Chase Elliott will be battling for the final spot in the #MENC final four today.

“For us to come out here, first race at this track and first race in the West, that was fantastic,” said the then 15-year-old. “The biggest thing I look forward to from tonight is momentum for next year. We have a lot of good things going on at the shop back in Dawsonville (Ga.). We’re really looking forward to next year. This is a heck of a way to end the season. Obviously, two spots better would have made it even better, but we’ll take it and move on.” (Chase Elliott)

Daniel Suarez finished the race in sixth position.

At you can tell from the list of young drivers above, the K&N Pro Series is where you can learn about the future NASCAR Stars in an close and fan friendly environment.



NASCAR Race Mom viewed the race from the PIR Media Center.  I was there doing PR for my son, Moses Smith.  Below are just a few photos I snapped for the event in 2011.

2011 #NASCAR Casino Arizona 125 - Phoenix Raceway
2011 #NASCAR Casino Arizona 125 - Phoenix Raceway
  Ben Kennedy #96 (Started 8th Finished 15th )
Ben Kennedy #96 (Started 8th Finished 15th )
Team Owner Bill McAnally – His driver Todd Gilliland Won This Year’s Championship
Team Owner Bill McAnally His driver Todd Gilliland Won This Year’s Championship
NRM’s Son Moses Smith #16 going through tech (Started 29th Finished 17th )
NRM’s Son Moses Smith #16 going through tech (Started 29th Finished 17th )
  Spencer Gallagher #23 (Started 35th Finished 27th )
Spencer Gallagher #23 (Started 35th Finished 27th )
Alex Bowman #25 (Started 9th Finished 2nd)
Alex Bowman #25 (Started 9th Finished 2nd)
  Daniel Suarez #76 (Started 2nd Finished 6th)
Daniel Suarez #76 (Started 2nd Finished 6th)

2011 K&N Pro Series
West-Casino Arizona 125
Race Results


Fin St #   Driver Laps
1 4 11   Ryan Blaney 125
2 9 25   Alex Bowman 125
3 12 94   Chase Elliott 125
4 10 20   Eric Holmes 125
5 5 9   Derek Thorn 125
6 2 76   Daniel Suarez 125
7 6 98   Chad Boat 125
8 16 10   Brandon Davis 125
9 19 8   Johnny Borneman, III 125
10 3 17   David Mayhew 125
11 23 81   D.J. Kennington 125
12 11 74   Carlos Iaconelli 125
13 20 13   Todd Souza 125
14 17 88   Jessica Brunelli 125
15 8 96   Ben Kennedy 125
16 27 52   Ryan Philpott 125
17 29 16   Moses Smith 125
18 21 51   Carlos Vieira 125
19 34 37   Robbie Brand 125
20 38 2   Carl Harr 124
21 24 89   Brian Wong 82
22 37 38   John Wood 82
23 1 26   Greg Pursley 81
24 13 50   Dylan Presnell 77
25 26 6   Luis Martinez, Jr. 77
26 14 29   Brennan Newberry 77
27 35 23   Spencer Gallagher 77
28 39 7   Greg Rayl 73
29 40 1   Brady Flaherty 73
30 22 31   Jason Bowles 70
31 32 71   Daryl Harr 67
32 7 21   Michael Self 64
33 18 3   Dylan Kwasniewski 64
34 31 61   Brett Thompson 64
35 30 54   Justin Philpott 57
36 36 41   Jason Fraser 53
37 15 75   Dylan Lupton 53
38 28 22   Jonathon Gomez 36
39 33 14   Travis Milburn 22
40 25 24   Cameron Hayley 22

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