DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway for the final time Saturday for the NAPA 150. Below is a look at the race itself and some of the selected participants.
NAPA 150 Race Setup:
• This marks the K&N Pro Series East’s sixth visit to Columbus since the inaugural race in 2011.
• This will be the track’s 71st and final season.
• No one scheduled to compete in this year’s NAPA 150 has ever won a series event at Columbus.
• Rev Racing has won three of the five competitions held at the .333-mile oval.
At Columbus Motor Speedway:
History
• It began as a motorcycle racing track in 1946 and first played host to stock cars in 1950.
• Columbus is a charter member of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, now in its 35th season.
• It is the second track in the state of Ohio in which the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East has competed, along with Mansfield Motorsports Park.
Notebook
• The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East is the only NASCAR touring series to have visited Columbus. The inaugural event was July 23, 2011.
• Each of the five events have produced different race winners: Darrell Wallace Jr. in 2011, Cale Conley in 2012, Daniel Suarez in 2013, Sergio Pena in 2014 and Rico Abreu last year.
• As with race wins, each of the five races have featured different pole winners: Max Gresham in 2011, Ben Kennedy in 2012, Dylan Kwasniewski in 2013, Scott Heckert in 2014 and Rico Abreu last season.
Columbus Data:
Race: #8 of 14 overall
Race Date: Saturday, July 2 at 9:00 p.m. ET
Track Layout: Third-mile asphalt oval
Banking-Turns: Variable between 8-10 degrees
Banking-Straights: None
Race Length: 150 laps (49.95 miles)
Qualifying/Race Data:
2015 Winner: Rico Abreu
2015 Pole Sitter: Rico Abreu
1-lap Qualifying Record: Rico Abreu, Chevrolet, 14.154 seconds (84.697 mph), July 4, 2015
Columbus Motor Speedway Leaders:
Wins
Rico Abreu … 1
Cale Conley … 1
Sergio Pena … 1
Daniel Suarez … 1
Darrell Wallace Jr. … 1
Poles:
Rico Abreu … 1
Max Gresham … 1
Scott Heckert … 1
Ben Kennedy … 1
Dylan Kwasniewski … 1
Laps Completed
Ryan Gifford … 601
Cale Conley … 450
Eddie MacDonald … 452
Brett Moffitt … 452
Kenzie Ruston … 452
Daniel Suarez … 452
Laps Led
Cale Conley … 150
Darrell Wallace Jr … 116
Daniel Suarez … 88
Rico Abreu … 86
Dylan Kwasniewski … 64
Grant Quinlan … 63
Cameron Hayley … 59
Scott Heckert … 57
Selected Driver Highlights:
Hunter Baize (No. 13 Bicycle Playing Cards/Pine Mountain Firewood Chevrolet)
• Heads into the weekend ranked eighth in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings with five top 10s.
• This will be his first series start at Columbus.
• His best finish this year was sixth at VIRginia International Raceway.
Kyle Benjamin (No. 40 FEVR Chevrolet)
• Is third in the standings with four top fives and five top 10s.
• Finished 16th at Columbus last year after starting eighth.
• Is a NASCAR Next alumnus.
Harrison Burton (No. 12 DEX Imaging/Konica Minolta Toyota)
• Is 13th in the standings headed into the NAPA 150 with one top 10.
• This will be his first series start at Columbus.
• He won his first 21 Means 21 Pole Award at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
• Is a member of the 2106-17 NASCAR Next class.
Collin Cabre (No. 2 UTI/NTI Toyota)
• Is ranked ninth in the standings headed into the weekend with two top 10s.
• He finished 13th at Columbus last season after starting 16th.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Spencer Davis (No. 92 Davis Poultry Chevrolet)
• Is second in the standings with one win and five top fives.
• This will be his first K&N East start at the Ohio oval.
• He earned his first series victory at Virginia’s Dominion Raceway.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Tyler Dippel (No. 38 East West Marine/TyCar Chevrolet)
• Is sixth in the standings with one win and three top 10s.
• This will be his first series start at .333-mile oval.
• Earned his first K&N Pro Series East win at Mobile.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Ruben Garcia Jr. (No. 6 Special Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Toyota)
• Heads into the weekend ranked 12th in the standings with three top 10s.
• This will be his first K&N Pro Series East start at the Columbus short track
• Earned his best finish, sixth, at Dominion.
• Is a NASCAR Next alumnus.
Noah Gragson (No. 7 SPEEDVEAGS/AlertID/Colliers International Ford)
• Is fourth in the standings with one win, two top fives and four top 10s.
• This will be his Columbus debut.
• In a track of the same size (California’s All American Speedway) in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, he finished eighth.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Justin Haley (No. 5 Braun Auto Chevrolet)
• Leads the K&N Pro East standings with one win, six top fives and seven top 10s.
• Earned his first series win at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway.
• In two starts at Columbus, he finished 23rd in 2014 and ninth last season.
Austin Theriault (No. 1 Tanagi Toyota)
• Is ranked fifth in the standings with three top fives and four top 10s.
• This will be his first K&N Pro Series East start at Columbus.
• Earned his best finish, third, at VIRginia International Raceway.
Other Driver Notes:
• Dominque Van Wieringen led 88 of the 150 lap feature at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway, she ultimately finished 16th.
• Todd Gilliland will be making his fourth K&N Pro Series East start. The NASCAR Next driver has earned one win, two top fives and three top 10s.
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 K&N Pro Series East victory in his series debut at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway in February.
• Tyler Dippel collected his first series win in just his second start at Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway in March.
• Justin Haley recorded his first K&N Pro Series East win at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway in March after leading a total of 28 laps.
• Chad Finchum earned his first series victory at Tennessee’s Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Austin Cindric kept the new winner trend going winning the Biscuitville 125 in his series debut at VIRginia International Raceway.
• Spencer Davis took home his first K&N East victory at the series’ inaugural visit to Virginia’s Dominion Raceway.
• Noah Gragson collected his first K&N Pro Series East victory in the series’ return to Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
