NKNPSE: K&N East Stat Advance: VIR

Analyzing The Biscuitville 125 At VIRginia International Raceway

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will visit their final road course of the season Saturday at VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, 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’ third visit to the track with the inaugural Biscuitville 125 taking place August 24, 2013.
• Prior to the 2013 event 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 sixth one held on a road course since 2013.
• Series points leader William Byron finished seventh at his first K&N East road course event last time out at Watkins Glen International. He made his first overall road course start in June in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at California’s Sonoma Raceway and finished fifth.
• Byron heads into the weekend only 12 points ahead of HScott Motorsports teammate and road course expert, Scott Heckert, who is the defending winner of the Biscuitville 125. Heckert has won the series’ last three road course races overall.

VIRginia International Raceway:
History
• Originally 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 third NASCAR-sanctioned race at VIR.
• There are three drivers – Brandon Gdovic, Sergio Peña and Zeb Pixley – from Virginia on the entry list.

VIRginia International Raceway Data:
Race: #12 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:
2014 Winner: Scott Heckert
2014 Pole Winner: Scott Heckert
1-Lap Qualifying Record: Scott Heckert, Chevrolet, 88.243 seconds (91.792 mph), August 16, 2014
55-Lap Race Record: Dylan Kwasniewski, Chevrolet, 1:54:53 (66.981 mph), August 24, 2013.

Active Series Leaders at VIRginia International Raceway:
Wins
Scott Heckert … 1

Poles:
Scott Heckert … 1

Top Fives:
Gray Gaulding … 2
Scott Heckert … 1
Austin Hill … 1
Kaz Grala … 1

Top 10s:
Gray Gaulding … 2
Scott Heckert … 2
Kaz Grala … 1
Austin Hill … 1
Jesse Little … 1
Eddie MacDonald … 1

Laps Completed:
Gray Gaulding … 117
Scott Heckert … 117
Jesse Little … 117
Kenzie Ruston … 17
Cole Custer 91

Laps Led:
Gray Gaulding … 24
Scott Heckert 11

Selected Driver Information:
Rico Abreu (No. 98 AccuDoc Solutions/Go-Pro Motorplex/Curb Records Chevrolet)
• Is ranked fifth in the standings after notching one win, three top-five and seven top-10 finishes.
• Earned his first K&N Pro Series East win on July 4, 2015 at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway.
• Finished 12th in his first series road course start at New York’s Watkins Glen International.
• Is a member of the 2015-16 NASCAR Next class.
• This will be his first K&N East start at VIRginia International Raceway.

William Byron (No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet)
• Is first in the standings after earning four wins, five top fives and eight top 10s.
• Finished seventh in at Watkins Glen, his first road course start in the East.
• In his first road course start at California’s Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West he finished fifth.
• Is a member of the 2015-16 NASCAR Next class.
• This will be his first series start at VIR

Nick Drake (No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
• Is ranked ninth in the standings after recording ton top-five and five top-10 finishes.
• This will be his first K&N East start at VIR.
• In two road course starts at Watkins Glen, he finished 10th (2014) and 11 (2015).
• In 27 series starts, he’s earned five top fives, 13 top 10s and one pole award.

Kaz Grala (No. 3 Kiklos Toyota)
• Is ranked eighth in the standings after registering three top fives and seven top 10s.
• In his first start at VIR (2014), he finished fifth.
• In his two starts at Watkins Glen, he finished 4th (2014) and 15th (2015).
• In 27 career starts in the K&N East, he’s totaled seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes.

JJ Haley (No. 5 Braun Auto Chevrolet)
• Is ranked sixth in the standings after tallying five top-five and eight top-10 finishes.
• This will be his first series start at VIR
• He finished third at the series visit to Watkins Glen.
• Competed in the K&N West’s event at Sonoma, his first road course start, and finished third.

Scott Heckert (No. 34 Project Lifesaver Chevrolet)
• Is ranked second in the standings after earning two wins, eight top fives and nine top 10s.
• Has won the last three K&N East road course events.
• In two starts at VIR, he finished eighth (2013) and first (2014).
• Has won in both of his appearances at Watkins Glen (2013 and 2014).
• In 41 series starts, he’s tallied four wins, 14 top fives, 19 top 10s and four poles.

Austin Hill (No. 22 A&D Welding/Don Rich Ford)
• Is ranked third in the standings after notching one victory, four top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
• In his only start at VIR (2014), he finished third.
• He finished 17th (2014) and 6th (2014) at Watkins Glen.
• In 34 K&N East starts he’s recorded four wins, 12 top fives, 21 top 10s and one pole.
• Is a member of the 2015-16 NASCAR Next class.

Sergio Pena (No. 42 Special Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Toyota)
• Is making his fourth start of the season.
• In his first start at VIR last season, he finished 14th.
• In one start at Watkins Glen he finished 20th.
• Finished ninth at the season opener at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway with Hattori racing.
• In 57 career starts, he’s registered four wins, nine top-five and 27 top-10 finishes.

Kenzie Ruston (No. 4 L&M Ethanol Toyota)
• Is ranked 10th in the standings after recording four top-10 finishes.
• In two starts at VIR, she’s finished 12th in 2013 and 11th last season.
• In her two appearances at Watkins Glen, she finished 9th (2014) and 18th (2015).
• In 41 K&N East appearances, she’s earned seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes.

Dalton Sargeant (No. 51 GALT Chevrolet)
• Is ranked fourth in the standings after earning five top fives and seven top 10s.
• This will be his first series appearance at VIR.
• In his first start at Watkin Glen he finished second after starting seventh.
• Made his road course debut at the K&N West’s race at Sonoma and finished second after leading 64 laps.

Fresh Faces:
Chuck Buchanan Jr. (No. 19 Spring Drug Chevrolet)
• This will be his third NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start of the season and 13th career start.
• He finished 23rd in both his starts at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway and Virginia’s Langley Speedway.
• In two starts at VIR he finished 24th (2013) and 24th (2014).

Brandon Gdovic (No. 12 WindStax/Fronius USA Toyota)
• Will be making his first start of the season and his 48th career series appearance.
• In his two races at VIR, he’s finished 25th (2013) and 15th (2014).

Zeb Pixley (No. 50 Pixley Automotive Chevrolet)
• Will be making his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut.

Dale Quarterley (No. 32 Quarterley Racing Chevrolet)
• This will be his first appearance of the season and his 159th career start.
• In two starts at VIR, he’s finished 22nd (2013) and 22nd (2014).
• Has an average finish of 13.4 and an average start of 8.3 in nine starts at Watkins Glen.