WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Scott Heckert proved he can master an oval as well as a road-course, and he did it on one of the most historic tracks in NASCAR.
The 21-year-old from Ridgefield, Connecticut, earned his third NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory Saturday night in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Heckert’s two previous wins came last year on road-courses: New York’s Watkins Glen International and VIRginia International Raceway. Saturday on the flat quarter-mile of Bowman Gray, he was flat out dominating. He was quickest in practice, won the Coors Light Pole Award and led all 150 laps of the race.
Heckert’s HScott Motorsports With Justin Marks teammates Dalton Sargeant and JJ Haley finished second and third, respectively. Heckert finished .579 seconds in front of Sargeant, driving one of the oldest in the HScott Motorsports fleet. It is a 2004 chassis that was previously driven to victory lane by past Mike Greci-led drivers as Trevor Bayne and Ryan Truex. Greci is currently the team manager for the HScott Motorsports
Jay Beasley led three NASCAR Drive For Diversity drivers in the top 10 with his fouth-place finish. Gray Gaulding completed the top five.
Beasley’s Rev Racing teammates Devon Amos and Kenzie Ruston were sixth and ninth, respectively. Kaz Grala was seventh and Mason Mitchell eighth, while Nick Drake rounded out the top 10.
Championship points leader William Byron was involved in a spin and finished 15th. His lead, after five of 14 races is 13 over Austin Hill, who finished 14th, and 17 over Kyle Benjamin. Heckert moved up to fourth in points, one behind Benjamin and nine in front of Gaulding.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 will air on Thursday, June 4 at 6 p.m. on NBCSN.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to the track on Saturday, June 20 with the Visit Hampton 175 at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Virginia.
