Kwasniewski Conquers Bristol

Dylan Kwasniewski wins the DRIVE4COPD 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Getty Images for NASCAR

Reigning K&N Pro Series West Champ Claims First East Victory

By Shon Sbarra, NASCAR
 

BRISTOL, Tenn. – The sign reads, ‘Welcome To The Last Great Colosseum’ at the tunnel entrance of Bristol Motor Speedway.

Dylan Kwasniewski, 17, bested the legendary .533-mile high-banked oval and the other 35 competitors on Saturday to win the DRIVE4COPD 125 in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship season opener.

Kwasniewski, the reigning K&N Pro Series West champion out of Las Vegas, Nev., took the lead on Lap 30 after pole sitter and race leader Michael McGuire got tangled up with lapped traffic under caution. Kwasniewski – behind the wheel of his No. 98 Royal Purple/Rockstar Energy Drink Chevrolet – was able to hold off Brett Moffitt on seven restarts to pick up his first East victory in his fifth series outing.

POS	DRIVER
1	Dylan Kwasniewski
2	Brett Moffitt
3	Ryan Gifford
4	Michael McGuire
5	CJ Faison

Moffitt was followed by Ryan Gifford – racing out of the Rev Racing stable – in third. McGuire rebounded from the early incident to finish fourth while CJ Faison came home in the fifth position.

Gray Gaulding, Eddie MacDonald, Jimmy Weller, Ben Rhodes and Ben Kennedy rounded out the top 10.

Kwasniewski, who led a race-high 96 laps, is competing for a K&N East championship in 2013 with Turner Scott Motorsports in its first full season of competition. It’s his sixth overall K&N Pro Series triumph in 29 career starts.

The race was slowed due to caution eight times for a total of 37 laps and there was just one lead change.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to action on Saturday, March 23 for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 125 presented by G-Clean at Greenville (S.C) Pickens Speedway.

RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | DYLAN KWASNIEWSKI POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE AUDIO | BRETT MOFFITT & RYAN GIFFORD POST-RACE AUDIO

Dylan Kwasniewski en route to his DRIVE4COPD 125 victory
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Jeff Gordon Test Drive

Fake or real . . . . Doesn't really matter. Just plain NASCAR Fun.  Jeff Gordon and Pepsi MAX go to a car dealership where a disguised Jeff Gordon takes an unsuspecting car salesman on the test drive of his life. #GordonTestDrive

Pursley Rolls To Phoenix Win

Greg Pursley celebrates in Victory Lane at Phoenix International Raceway Friday.
Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR

Pursley Rolls To Phoenix Win

Bests Teammate Hayley For Third K&N West Win At PIR

By Jason Christley, NASCAR 

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Greg Pursley rolled to his third career win at Phoenix International Raceway Saturday, but the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West veteran didn't get it without a fight from his new teammate.

Pursley led 56 laps, taking the lead back from Cameron Hayley on Lap 56 en route to winning the Talking Stick Resort 60. Hayley, 16, finished second to give Gene Price Motorsports a 1-2 finish.

POS	DRIVER
1	Greg Pursley
2	Cameron Hayley
3	Michael Self
4	Derek Thorn
5	Sergio Pena

Hayley was coming off a non-points victory in the K&N Pro Series portion of the UNOH Battle At The Beach two weeks ago at Daytona International Speedway. He is in his first year with the team, filling the seat vacated by 2012 West champion Dylan Kwasniewski.

The victory moved Pursley into a tie with Richard Petty for second on the West wins list at Phoenix, one behind Ken Schrader.

Earlier Saturday, Pursley won the Coors Light Pole Award and broke his own track record with a lap of 26.876 seconds (133.949 mph).

Michael Self finished third. Pursley, Hayley and Self briefly went three-wide on a Lap 54 restart before Pursley was able to wrestle the lead back.

PRESS PASS VIDEOS: Pursley Wins At Phoenix | Cameron Hayley | Michael Self

Derek Thorn and Sergio Pena finished fourth and fifth, respectively.  Gray Gaulding was sixth, followed by DJ Kennington, Brett Thompson, Brandon McReynolds and Taylor Cuzick.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West returns to the track May 4 at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway.

RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | GREG PURSLEY POST-RACE AUDIO | CAMERON HAYLEY POST-RACE AUDIO | MICHAEL SELF POST-RACE AUDIO

Greg Pursley (26) leads Cameron Hayley (24) during the running of the Talking Sticks Resort 70
at Phoenix International Raceway Friday. (Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images for NASCAR)