Talladega #NASCAR Cup Drivers to Watch

#NASCARPlayoffs | #YellaWood500

The NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series continue the playoff action this weekend in Alabama, each continuing their respective Round of 8s at Talladega Superspeedway.

 

Below is a list of Cup driver to keep your eye on:

 

Tyler Reddick: The No. 45 23XI Racing driver won the 2024 spring Talladega race and has three top 10s in 11 Talladega Cup starts. 

He’s also finished top six in four of the last nine races on superspeedways.

 

Of course, the health of his baby son, Rookie has to be a negative distraction.

 

Morning prayer has Rookie Reddick on the top of the list.💙
From Alexa DeLeon Reddick Instagram. pic.twitter.com/Il5xpwSnZ2

— Claire B Lang (@ClaireBLang) October 15, 2025

Austin Cindric: While no longer in the Cup playoffs, Cindric is arguably NASCAR’s current best superspeedway driver. 

He’s the most recent Talladega winner, and six of his 12 top-five finishes at the Cup level have come on superspeedways. 

Look for him to also connect with his playoff teammates toward the front of the field.

 

TALLADEGA WINNERS 🤘🏻
Could not be any more proud of this team #winning pic.twitter.com/1lWPNuHTc2

— Austin Cindric (@AustinCindric) April 28, 2025

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. : All four of Stenhouse’s Cup Series victories have come on superspeedways.

Further, he is the defending winner of the Talladega playoff race. 

He enters Sunday’s race with five finishes of sixth or better in the last 10 superspeedway events.

 

RICKY STENHOUSE JR. WINS AT TALLADEGA!

0.006 SECONDS! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/uRXYhyA1eU

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 6, 2024

Alex Bowman: The No. 48 Hendrick driver has yet to win on a superspeedway, and his finishes can tend to flip-flop at these types of tracks. 

However, Bowman has two finishes of seventh or better in the last three Talladega races, and he’s posted seven top 10s in the last 13 superspeedway races.

 

Checkered Flag at @TALLADEGA p.16 for @Alex_Bowman and the #Ally48 team. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/eQQVwMsoEj

— Ally Racing (@allyracing) October 6, 2024

Justin Haley: Both of Haley’s Talladega top 10s have come in the last four races at the track, and he has four top-15 results in the last 14 races. 

One can’t forget that Haley was dominant at superspeedways in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing and owns two Talladega victories (both in 2020).

 

The #7 Chevrolet ZL1, driven by Justin Haley, will roar through Talladega Superspeedway in a special way — and WE'RE ON IT! 🙌
Thanks to the Gainbridge Assist Grant, all 32 grant recipients will be featured on the hood of the car!@HankampScott pic.twitter.com/oqVwOh3vRm

— Dell Johnson (@DellJCoachUp) October 15, 2025

 

source: NASCAR Media

Justin Haley - Unsung Hero

It must have been so tempting to ‘throw it in there’ and possibly take out the front of the field

Justin Haley, No. 31 Benesch Camaro ZL1 #NASCAR

 

An unsung hero is someone or something that has done great work, provided a great benefit, or performed a heroic deed, but has not received the credit or recognition they deserve

 

By now almost everyone has heard the NASCAR Cinderella story about New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen, the first driver to win a race in his first NASCAR Cup Series start since Johnny Rutherford accomplished the feat 60 years ago.

 

This three-time Supercars champion, driving for Trackhouse Racing with Sponsor Enhance Health, Project 91, charged from eighth on a Lap 61 restart to the front of the field and won the series’ first street race on the Chicago Street Course in overtime.

 

Don’t get me wrong, NASCAR Race Mom (NRM) was impressed with the unexpected drive. The racing was even more exciting because the pass for first was not made once, but twice due to an ill-timed caution.

 

It was amazing racing . . . . . not only on van Gisbergen’s part but on the part of second place finisher - Justin Haley.

 

Haley started the ‘Grant Park 220’ from 37th after not being able to qualify due to unapproved adjustments.

 

After staying out at the end of stage two, Haley would take over the race lead to begin the final stage, but would need to save fuel if the remainder of the race were to go green. Haley continued to lead as more cautions fell throughout the final stage, leading a total of 23 laps.

 

When a caution fell with eight laps remaining, Haley fought to keep his lead on the restart over the No. 91, who had sixteen-laps-fresher tires, but ultimately lost the battle for first. Haley went on to finish second.

 

It would have been easy to get caught up in the fray as Justin sparred with the world-class driver, van Gisbergen who was on sixteen-laps better tires. However, in a mature move, Justin raced hard but clean.

 

“Yeah, it was tough,” Haley said. “I put it in the tire barrier yesterday and we stayed up all night. I stayed with the guys through the rain and rewrapped this thing, put a new body on it…

 

“Obviously congrats to Project 91. It sucks, obviously, where we are right now we don’t have a… we aren’t in position to win every week, so coming that close obviously is not what you want.

 

“But just really proud of everyone at Kaulig Racing and what an awesome event. Can’t wait to come back next year.”

 

It must have been so tempting to ‘throw it in there’ and possibly take out the front of the field. In a culture where winning is everything, the clean drive by Justin Haley on the streets of Chicago treated the fans to first-class competition and their fairy tale ending. You have a new fan in NRM Justin Haley.

 

Enjoy the action below:

This racing for the lead late was 🤌. pic.twitter.com/IsSKStROHm

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 3, 2023

 

source: NASCAR Media

Justin Haley Fastest

#NASCAR Qualifying at L.A. Memorial Coliseum

 

Justin Haley set the fastest lap in Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum qualifying Saturday night at the quarter-mile purpose-built track inside the famous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

 

He put down a lap!@Justin_Haley_ goes fastest in @nascarclash qualifying. pic.twitter.com/EcH6OgNkPb

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 5, 2023

The 23-year-old Indiana-native drove the No. 31 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet to the top qualifying position with a lap of 67.099 mph and will start out front for one of the four heat races Sunday afternoon to formally set the 27-car field for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum non-points exhibition opener Sunday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

 

Two-time series champion Kyle Busch will be making his debut for the Richard Childress Racing team from the front row of the second heat race; his No. 8 RCR Chevrolet second fastest overall at 66.406 mph.

 

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, who advanced to the 2022 Championship 4 Round, will start his No. 20 JGR Toyota on pole in the third heat race and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron will start the No. 24 Chevrolet out front in the fourth heat race.

“I feel like we were a pretty good car in practice there, just wasn’t getting the full potential out of the race car and obviously in qualifying our lap was just dominant,” Haley said. “I feel pretty confident about where we are. It’s obviously a good place to start the season. Not sure why we’re so good here. I wish I had this talent at all the races but pretty thankful and it’s really cool to give Kaulig Racing their first pole, my first pole as a driver in my second year as a driver here.”

 

The qualifying session consisted of three laps – one warm-up and two timed, the faster of the two-timed laps counting toward their starting position in the four heat races.

 

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr., who was fastest after practice Saturday afternoon, was only 22nd fastest in the night-time qualifier.

 

TONIGHT! pic.twitter.com/Mo4Z8YkCtz

— Ryan Blaney (@Blaney) February 5, 2023

Two cars – the No. 54 JGR Toyota driven by Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ty Gibbs and the No. 12 Team Penske Ford driven by Ryan Blaney – will both start last in their heat races. Blaney’s qualifying time was 11th fastest at the time but ultimately disallowed because after spinning on a hot lap he drove the wrong direction to the back straightaway and spun his car around to complete the lap at speed. It’s illegal to drive backwards on track.

 

Gibbs was also penalized after it was determined his Joe Gibbs Racing crew made unapproved adjustments just prior to the qualifying session. Gibbs’ Toyota caught fire during the final practice session and was taken to the garage for repairs. The team was able to fix it without going to a back-up car, however NASCAR determined some of the repairs fell into the “unapproved adjustments” penalty category.

 

“First off want to thank my whole Monster Energy team they’ve worked so hard,” Gibbs said. “We have to start last in the heat race but we’ve got a great car. “It’ll be fun,” he added with a smile.

 

The format to set the 27-car feature field Sunday afternoon includes four 25-lap heat races with the top-five finishers advancing to the feature. There will then by a pair of ‘last chance qualifiers’ with the top-three finishers in each advancing to the feature with one final starting spot awarded to the highest 2022 championship finisher that hadn’t moved into the main event field otherwise. Nine cars entered will miss the feature show.

 

NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying
Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles, California
Saturday, February 4, 2023

• 1. (31) Justin Haley, Chevrolet, 67.099 mph.
• 2. (8) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 66.406 mph.
• 3. (20) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 66.328 mph.
• 4. (24) William Byron, Chevrolet, 66.196 mph.
• 5. (10) Aric Almirola, Ford, 66.176 mph.
• 6. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 66.152 mph.
• 7. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 66.074 mph.
• 8. (16) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 66.065 mph.
• 9. (48) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 66.060 mph.
• 10. (5) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 65.992 mph.
• 11. (99) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 65.871 mph.
• 12. (1) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 65.775 mph.
• 13. (21) Harrison Burton, Ford, 65.626 mph.
• 14. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, 65.531 mph.
• 15. (14) Chase Briscoe, Ford, 65.526 mph.
• 16. (23) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 65.493 mph.
• 17. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 65.459 mph.
• 18. (47) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 65.374 mph.
• 19. (45) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 65.250 mph.
• 20. (43) Erik Jones, Chevrolet, 65.137 mph.
• 21. (42) Noah Gragson #, Chevrolet, 65.109 mph.
• 22. (19) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 64.977 mph.
• 23. (6) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 64.921 mph.
• 24. (41) Ryan Preece, Ford, 64.888 mph.
• 25. (34) Michael McDowell, Ford, 64.795 mph.
• 26. (2) Austin Cindric, Ford, 64.702 mph.
• 27. (38) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 64.678 mph.
• 28. (7) Corey LaJoie, Chevrolet, 64.660 mph.
• 29. (17) Chris Buescher, Ford, 64.586 mph.
• 30. (9) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 63.889 mph.
• 31. (15) JJ Yeley, Ford, 63.140 mph.
• 32. (51) Cody Ware, Ford, 62.867 mph.
• 33. (77) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 62.116 mph.
• 34. (78) BJ McLeod, Chevrolet, 58.793 mph.
• 35. (12) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 22.332 mph.
• 36. (54) Ty Gibbs #, Toyota, 0.000 mph.

 

source: NASCAR Media

Kyle Busch’s Clash Pole

#18 Turned a 13.745 Second Lap

 

Kyle Busch turned a lap in 13.745 seconds (65.489 mph) Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to pace single-car qualifying for Sunday’s Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum.

 

That means Busch will start from the pole in the first of four 25-lap heat races on Sunday, each featuring nine cars on the quarter-mile pavement track built specifically for the event, which features the competitive debut of NASCAR’s Next Gen Cup Series car.

 

“I never would have thunk it,” said Busch, the only Toyota driver in the top 14 in time trials. “I don’t know, you know, it’s pretty cool. It’s just different with the opportunity to do something like this. NASCAR took a lot of flak on what this was going to look like and what it was going to be. But we’re having a great time. We had a bunch of fans come out just to witness the qualifying.

 

Sittin pretty on the #BuschPole 😎 pic.twitter.com/KgjoeVgDC8

— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) February 6, 2022

 

“I’m looking forward to seeing what this place will look like (Sunday) and have the opportunity to race this No. 18 Toyota and keep it up front. We’re not in (the main event) yet—we still have to go through that heat race.”

 

All 36 Charter teams are in Los Angeles, but only 23 will make the final show on Sunday night under the lights.

 

How the Busch Light Clash Works

• Sunday, Feb. 6: Heat races

 

Schedule: 3 p.m. ET, FOX (NASCAR RaceDay comes on at 2 p.m. ET)

 

There will be four 25-lap heat races with nine cars in each race Sunday, with those events starting at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. The four fastest cars from Saturday’s single-car qualifying — Kyle Busch, Tyler Reddick, Justin Haley, Joey Logano — are on the pole position for each heat race (fastest speed in the first heat race, second fastest speed in the second heat race, etc.).

 

The first heat race consists of cars with qualifying speeds ranked one, five, nine, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29 and 33 on the speed chart. The second heat race will consist of cars with qualifying speeds ranked two, six, 10, 14, 18, 22, 26, 30 and 34. And so on.

 

• How to advance from the heat race to the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum

 

The top four finishers in each heat race — 16 total cars ¬— will automatically advance through to the Clash later in the evening. The winner of the first heat race will start on the pole, with the outside pole going to the winner of the second heat race.

 

The winners of heat race three and four will make up the second row. The remaining order for the 16 cars will be filled out in the same manner.

 

 

source: NASCAR Media

Kaulig Racing's Justin Haley Gets 1st Xfinity Win

Justin Haley secured his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) last night at Talladega Superspeedway in the Unhinged 300, earning Kaulig Racing its second win of the 2020 season.

Haley, who is in his sophomore year in the NXS, as well as with Kaulig Racing, has come close to securing his first win, recording a runner-up finish and eight top-five finishes. He finally earned his first victory in his 47th start, making him just one of 32 drivers, and the second youngest, to win in all three of NASCAR’s top-tier series.

“I can’t thank Matt Kaulig and LeafFilter Gutter Protection enough for this moment that I’ve been waiting so long for,” said Haley. “Kaulig Racing has been building such fast cars all year, and my LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy last night was no different. I’m so happy to finally get this car to victory lane for Matt (Kaulig) and everyone at LeafFilter.”

LeafFilter Gutter Protection™, which has been the primary sponsor on Haley’s No. 11 Chevrolet for the second year in a row, first got its taste of NASCAR sponsorship in 2014 in the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS). They went on to sign on for 24 NXS races in 2015 before going full time in 2016 with Kaulig Racing. The Hudson, Ohio-based company, started by Matt Kaulig, has made 147 starts as a primary sponsor, making them one of the longest-running sponsors in the NXS.

More than a team. A family. pic.twitter.com/2SxPQ0XMZv

— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) June 21, 2020

Haley’s celebration was followed by a post-race embrace with his teammates, Ross Chastain, who finished second and secured the Dash 4 Cash prize, and AJ Allmendinger, who finished 7th, capping off the 21-year-old’s victory.

About LeafFilter Gutter Protection™

Since 2005, LeafFilter Gutter Protection™ has revolutionized the gutter protection industry. The company is proud to have grown from one small office in Hudson, Ohio to the largest direct to customer home products company in the nation and the leading choice in gutter protection systems. Once installed on a homeowner’s existing gutters, LeafFilter Gutter Protection eliminates gutter cleaning for life. The micro-mesh filter is 50 microns fine – so not even sand can get through. With more than 70 million feet of gutter guards installed on homes across the United States and Canada, LeafFilter Gutter Protection has the knowledge and expertise to guarantee that nothing, but water, will get into your gutters. Learn more about LeafFilter Gutter Protection and request a free estimate at www.leaffilter.com .

source

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5. JR Motorsports Xfinity Preview Cheddar's 300 presented by Alsco

The #NASCAR Truck Series Tonight at Iowa Speedway

M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store (200 Laps)

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series heads to Iowa Speedway this weekend for the M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store on Saturday, June 16 (7 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Johnny Sauter continued to take the Camping World Truck Series by storm last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, holding off Stewart Friesen on a three-lap shootout at the 1.5-mile oval.

.@JohnnySauter and Joe Shear Jr. are a potent combination for @GMSRacingLLC in the @NASCAR_Trucks Series: https://t.co/0ZILTynPJX

— Motorsport.com (@Motorsport) June 7, 2018

Sauter, the series points leader, posted his fifth career win at Texas Motor Speedway and his fourth win in eight races this season. Todd Bodine, two-time Truck Series champion, is the only driver with more wins at the track than Sauter, with six.

Finishing 0.092 seconds ahead of Friesen, Sauter took the lead for the first time on Lap 117, passing teammate Justin Haley.

Sauter has now won six of the last 11 series races, going back to Texas last fall, and has posted a top-three finish in 10 of the last 12 races. Sauter now has 21 career Truck Series victories in 229 starts.

"It's a bad fast truck & a lot of fun to drive."@StewartFriesen looks to cash in from the pole at @TXMotorSpeedway. pic.twitter.com/loPy8OpbVD

— NASCAR Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) June 8, 2018

After his victory on Friday, Sauter is now the third driver in series history to post four or more wins in the first eight races of the season. Kyle Busch and Mike Skinner are the only other drivers on that list. If Johnny Sauter were to win this weekend at Iowa, he would tie Kyle Busch and become just the second driver is series history to win five races in the first nine races of the season. Busch accomplished the feat in 2014.

On top of that, he hasn’t started a race outside of the top-10 this season and has finished in the top-five in all but one race – Martinsville, where he finished 19th.

Sauter now sits 77 points ahead of second-place Noah Gragson and 95 points ahead of Brett Moffitt in third. Friesen posted his first top-10 finish in the three races he’s contested at Texas Motor Speedway and recorded his fifth top-10 finish of 2018.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

• Next Race: M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store
• The Place: Iowa Speedway
• The Date: Saturday, June 16
• The Time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV: FS1, 6:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
• Distance: 175 miles (200 laps) 
• Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 60)
• Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 120)
• Final Stage (Ends on Lap 200)

Source: NASCAR Release

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K&N Pro Series East Champion Justin Haley to Join GMS Racing in 2017

Kevin Bellicourt Signs-On to Lead No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado Team

Two wins, 13 top-five finishes and 14 top-10 results in just 14 races. That is what it took for Justin Haley to claim the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) Championship. He announced that he will be taking the next step in his career by joining GMS Racing for the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) season.

Haley, who has competed in a total of six NCWTS races over the past two seasons with one top-10 finish, will pilot the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado beginning at Martinsville Speedway. Haley’s rookie season will be directed by second-year crew chief Kevin Bellicourt.

“I’m so excited and thankful for this opportunity with GMS Racing. The past few years in K&N has been an effort to get to the next step in my career and I don’t think we could have done any better than joining GMS, especially at this point in time,” expressed Haley. “Everyone knows what they’ve been able to accomplish over the last year and it’s that type of consistency and drive that every driver wants to see when making a decision like this. Kevin Bellicourt coming on for 2017 is one of the most exciting parts of this deal. He’s had a lot of success with young drivers and I can’t wait to see what we’re able to accomplish.”

The Indiana native began his racing career in 2008, at the age of nine years old. He has earned wins in quarter midgets, micro sprints, the CRA Late Model Sportsman Series, JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour, ARCA Racing Series, and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

In 2015, Haley completed his first full-time season in the NKNPSE with six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes, and a ranking of sixth in the point standings. He followed that up in 2016 by earning his first NKNPSE win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway after starting from the second position and his second victory at Columbus Motor Speedway where he started from the pole position. With only one finish outside of the top five and no result worse than ninth, Haley claimed the NKNPSE title by a 22-point margin.

Bellicourt joins GMS after completing his first year as a NCWTS crew chief with ThorSport Racing and driver Ben Rhodes, earning two top-five and five top-10 finishes. He also earned the 2015 NKNPSE Championship with driver William Byron.

“There are a lot of great things happening at GMS Racing,” said Bellicourt. “It’s one thing to watch the progress and success from a distance, but to now be a part of what is coming together is a completely different experience and I’m thankful for chance to be here. Justin is a great driver, who has had a lot of success fast, but he has handled it like a driver who has been doing this for years. I’m excited to see what he’s able to do once we get him in the No. 24.”

Bellicourt and Haley join a GMS Racing team that garnered six wins with four different drivers last season, as well as the 2016 NCWTS Championship with veteran driver Johnny Sauter. Haley will unite with Sauter and 17-year-old Kaz Grala, who returns to the team after competing in nine NCWTS races in 2016. Haley and Grala will both compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2017.

Additional details on sponsorship for all three drivers will be announced at a later date.

Team Release

Related Posts:

1. 2016 #NASCAR Sunoco Rookie Of The Year Winners
2. CHAMPION'S PROFILE: Haley Finds Groove 
3. Johnny Sauter Finishes 3rd - Wins Championship
4. NASCAR Tripleheader at Homestead-Miami
5. Benjamin Wins the Battle; Haley Wins the War

CHAMPION'S PROFILE: Haley Finds Groove

Consistency Nets Indiana Driver
Coveted K&N Pro Series East Crown

After winning the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship,
Justin Haley is eyeing a full season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
(Streeter Lecka/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Consistency was the name of the game for Justin Haley during his march to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship this season.

Haley, from Winamac, Indiana, had a 3.4 average finish during the 14-race season that started on Feb. 14 at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and ended Sept. 30 at Delaware’s Dover International Speedway.

The second-year driver earned 13 top-five and 14 top-10 finishes during the 14-race season along with two victories during his championship run. It was like Haley found a groove and never lost it.

In fact, that’s exactly how Haley described it.

“It was like we got in a groove and couldn’t get out of it,” Haley said when looking back on his championship year aboard the No. 5 Off Axis Paint Chevrolet. “It was kind of like we couldn’t do anything wrong. It was a pretty good groove.”

After a fifth-place finish at New Smyrna Haley finished ninth at Alabama’s Mobile Int’l Speedway, his worst finish of the 2016 campaign. Haley rebounded by picking up his first victory of the year at South Carolina’s Greenville Pickens Speedway on March 26.

Justin Haley signs a K&N Filters helmet after clinching the NASCAR
K&N Pro Series East title at Dover International Speedway.
(NASCAR via Getty Images)

A fourth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway followed by a runner-up result on the road course New Jersey Motorsports Park moved Haley into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship lead, a position he never lost for the remainder of the year.

“The consistency just kept being there,” Haley said. “Kyle Benjamin, the other points racer, just kept having bad week after bad week. So we just stayed on the lucky side. We were really consistent and fast and it all just kind of fell into our hands.”

While Haley certainly deserves some of the credit for his consistent approach to capturing the championship, he was quick to give credit to his crew chief at HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks, Shannon Rursch.

“Fourteen races ago, which was the start at New Smyrna, he had never even worked on a K&N car,” said the 17-year-old driver. “He was a new face to the K&N series. I wanted him over there. I worked with him late in the year in 2015 in the Trucks, so having him come over, he just had so much confidence in me and going to the race track with that much confidence from your crew chief is key to someone like me.

“Just having him sitting there pounding into my head that we’re going to win, we’re going to do this, that helped a ton.”

Haley ended the year with two victories on his resume, picking up trophies at Greenville Pickens and at Ohio’s Columbus Motor Speedway. He said each victory was special to him, but for very different reasons.

“Greenville was kind of bittersweet because in 2015 after the East season ended we went out West and dominated the race at Phoenix,” said Haley. “We had like a 12 second lead and had led every single lap that night and with four to go we had a rivet get caught in the right-front and that basically took the race away from us. So to win at Greenville the season after having something taken away from me that I knew I had won, it was a good personal motivator for me and the team.”

The triumph at Columbus, which closed down after the 2016 season after nearly 70 years in operation, was important to Haley because he grew up racing at the third-mile oval.

“We went to Columbus and that is kind of my home track. I grew up racing late models at Columbus, so to get the final victory there in K&N East at Columbus, that was pretty cool,” Haley said.

K&N East champ @Justin_Haley_ is headed to @GMSRacingLLC in 2017!

Details: https://t.co/rP92E6trSe pic.twitter.com/8lz9QRzXeY

— NASCAR Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) December 12, 2016

With the championship in his back pocket, Haley has turned his attention to the future. He recently announced plans to step up to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with reigning series champions GMS Racing.

It’s an opportunity that Haley, who has made six career Truck Series starts, knows could catapult his career to new heights.

“I’m pumped. There is no other team I’d rather be with than GMS Racing,” Haley said. “It’s cool to go over there to GMS and see what they’re doing and see all the technology.

“It’s kind of cool to move up the ladder. I’m very thankful I got the opportunity. I’m just trying to enjoy it and take it all in. It’s definitely cool to be in such great Truck equipment and have this kind of opportunity.”

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3. Gragson To Drive For Kyle Busch Motorsports
4. Will Partridge Return to the K&N Pro Series West?
5. Gilliland and BMR Expand Horizons For 2017

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Benjamin Wins the Battle; Haley Wins the War

Justin Haley earned his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with
a top-five run Friday at Dover International Speedway.
(Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Justin Haley began his racing career at the age of nine in Quarter Midgets at Kokomo Quarter Midget Club during the summer of 2008. Now at the tender age of seventeen, Haley crossed the finish line in fourth in his No. 5 Off Axis Chevrolet in last evening’s ‘Dover 125’ at the Dover International Speedway. The finish was plenty good enough for him to capture the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Championship.

“It’s been a long way coming,” Haley said. “I’m very fortunate and blessed. Now all the stress and all that is lifted.” Haley accomplished his first championship as the only series driver to have finished in the top-ten in all fourteen races this year.

Kyle Benjamin dominated the Dover 125 Friday en route to his third
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win of the season.
(Sarah Crabhill/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Race winner Kyle Benjamin did everything he could in his No. 40 Ranier Racing with MDM Chevrolet. The nineteen-year-old NASCAR Next  alum from Easley, South Carolina, led the most laps (eighty-four) and won for the third time this season. A late caution pushed the race to 126 laps, but Benjamin was able to pull away from the field on the green-white-checkered finish to secure the victory. Kyle finished as runner-up in the championship points.

“It’s really cool to get the win here,” Benjamin said. “This is one of the places you want to get the win. We got Bristol last year, which is (similar) to this track, so it’s really cool to also get Dover. This has been a really good season.”

Twenty-One-Year-Old female racer, Dominique Van Wieringen rounded out the podium in third with her third straight top-five finish.

Click Here for Complete Race Results

Haley, Benjamin and other top performers from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be honored on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Charlotte for the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards celebration. The event will be held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame at the Charlotte Convention Center for the seventh consecutive year.

The race will be shown at 12:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 6 on NBCSN. 

       

Speechless doesn't describe the emotions I'm feeling right now, to be a NASCAR Champion is something special. Thanks to everyone, we did it🏆

— Justin Haley (@Justin_Haley_) September 30, 2016

RACE STATISTICS

Fastest Qualifier: Cancelled Due to Weather,

Time of Race: 1 hrs., 20 mins, 36 secs Average Speed: 93.797 mph Margin of Victory: Under Caution

Caution Flags: Laps 33-38 (Debris on the Backstretch - FP #14); 53-56 (#2 Turn 2 - FP #43); 62-64 (#55 Frontstretch + Break- FP#4); 87-89 (#7 Backstretch - FP #4); 103-107 (#2 Turn 2 - FP #21); 120-123 (#08 Turn 4 - No FP); 126 (#4 & #39 - Frontstretch). 7 for 26 laps.

Lap Leaders: Justin Haley 1-42, Kyle Benjamin 43-126.

Total Laps Led: Kyle Benjamin 84, Justin Haley 42. 1 changes involving 2 drivers.

Top 10 Driver Points:

1. Justin Haley 580
2. Kyle Benjamin 558
3. Tyler Dippel * 475
4. Hunter Baize * 463
5. Noah Gragson 454
6. Collin Cabre 447
7. Harrison Burton * 444
8. Spencer Davis * 440
9. Dominique Van Wieringen * 429
10. Ruben Garcia Jr. * 425

* designates rookie status

 

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K&N Pro Series East - Greenville #knwest #nascar

Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 Greenville Pickens Speedway

 

Greenville Data:

• Race: #12 of 14 overall
• Race Date: Monday, September 5 at 5 p.m.
• Track Layout: .500-mile asphalt oval
• Banking/Corners: 5 degrees
• Race Length: 140 laps (70 miles)

If you are of mind that today's NASCAR Sprint Cup race puts a period to the race weekend; rejoice. 

On Labor Day Monday, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East heads to Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, South Carolina, for the second of two races at the track this season. Point leader Justin Haley returns to the track where he collected his first career win back in March.

It is notable that the 2014 Greenville - Pickens #kneast race winners, Ben Rhodes and Austin Hill in addition to the 2015 winner William Byron are now racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

The green flag is scheduled to drop at five o'clock in the evening.  Be sure to follow all the action live via your computer or mobile device via Race Central Live Powered by Speed51.com.  It is the next best thing to being there.

Click Here For Live Lap By Lap

Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 Race Setup:

• • This is the second of two visits this season for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East to Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• • Justin Haley, who holds a 36-point lead atop the series standings over Kyle Benjamin with three races remaining this season, won at Greenville in March.

History:

• • Opened on July 4, 1946 as a dirt track. The surface was converted to asphalt in April 1970.
• • Held 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 1951-71, including the first flag-to-flag televised event.
• • David Pearson (1959) and Ralph Earnhardt (1965, 66) are among the famed drivers that have won championships at the track.
• • Junior Miller won a pair of NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour races at Greenville in the 2006-07 seasons.

Up To Speed:

• • The 2016 season is the 30th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
• • The 2016 schedule features 14 races at 13 different tracks across the United States.
• • Third-generation driver Todd Gilliland earned his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory in his series debut at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
• • Austin Cindric has won his only two starts this season — his only career starts — at Virginia International Raceway and Watkins Glen.
• • Kyle Benjamin won at Iowa Speedway for his second career K&N Pro Series East win.
• • Tyler Dippel collected his first series win in just his second series start at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway.
• • Justin Haley recorded his first K&N East win at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway after leading a total of 28 laps, following that effort with his second win at Columbus Motor Speedway.
• • Chad Finchum earned his first series victory at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway.
• • There have been seven first-time winners through 11 races this season.

Day/Time	Event
Monday, Sept. 5
9:00 a.m.	Garage opens
11:00 a.m.	Driver/Crew Chief Meeting
11 a.m.	Rookie/Spotter Meeting
12:15 to 1:00 p.m.	Practice
1:15 to 2:00 p.m.	Final Practice
2:30 p.m.	Group Qualifying
4:00 p.m.	Driver Autograph Session
5:00 p.m.	Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140

* All times are local and subject to change.

Click Here for Entry List

 

 

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