At Lee USA Speedway:
History
•  Opened in 1964 as Lee Raceway and was a .333-mile dirt tri-oval … Was paved a year later.
•  After five dormant years, the track was reconfigured, renamed Lee USA Speedway and reopened in 1984.
•  Was purchased by the current ownership in 1986 and has operated a weekly program since.
Notebook
•  Played host to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East 16 times from 1992-2004.
•  Kelly Moore won the inaugural NKNPS East race at Lee on June 7, 1992.
•  Dave Dion leads all drivers with seven poles at Lee while Brad Leighton has the most wins with four, earned consecutively from 1996-99.
•  Of the drivers on the preliminary entry list, only Matt Kobyluck (six starts) and Eddie MacDonald (four) have previous NKNPS East experience at Lee.

Lee USA Speedway Data
Race: #7 of 10
Track Layout: .375-mile asphalt oval
Banking: Eight degrees in the straights, 12 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 125 laps (46.875 miles)

Qualifying/Race Data
2009 Pole Winner: N/A
2009 Race Winner: N/A
Qualifying Record: Dave Dion (87.725 mph, 15.389 seconds, 4/30/95)

NKNPS East Pole Winners at Lee
1. Dave Dion … 7
2. Nine drivers with … 1

NKNPS East Race Winners at Lee
1. Brad Leighton … 4
2. Andy Santerre … 3
3. Stub Fadden … 2
4. Dale Shaw … 2
5. Five drivers with … 1

Up to Speed:
•  Darrell Wallace Jr. won the season-opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway on March 27.
•  Max Gresham was victorious on April 3 at South Boston Speedway and in the East/West combination race at Iowa Speedway on May 23.
•  Brett Moffitt was the winner of the inaugural stand-alone NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Martinsville Speedway on June 6.
•  Defending champion Ryan Truex captured his first win of 2010 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 25.
•  Andrew Ranger earned his first NKNPS East pole and race wins last time out in the K&N 100 at Lime Rock Park on July 3.
•  Truex leads Wallace in the season standings by 43 points.
•  The next race for the NKNPS East will be the inaugural visit to Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., on Aug. 28.

Selected Driver Highlights:
Julian Albarracin (No. 54 AAIC Chevrolet)
•  Made NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut last time out at Lime Rock Park … Led 11 laps but finished 21st with a blown engine.
•  The youngest driver competing in the NKNPS East, he just turned 16 on June 22.
•  Has laps at Lee USA Speedway in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model action.

Marc Davis (No. 8 Revolution Racing Chevrolet)
•  Recorded 13 top 10s in 26 NKNPS East starts in 2007-08.
•  Best career finish was second, twice, including his last series start in the 2008 finale at Dover International Speedway.
•  Made a combined 11 starts between the NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series in 2008-09.
•  Is filling the seat of the No. 8, previously driven by Mackena Bell, for this race.

Ryan Gifford (No. 2 Revolution Racing Chevrolet)
•  Has six top fives in 10 career NKNPS East starts … Best career finish is second, twice, including the 2009 finale at Dover.
•  Won his first career Coors Light Pole Award at Martinsville Speedway to become the first African-American driver in NKNPS East history to earn a pole.
•  Slipped from third to sixth in points last time out at Lime Rock … Has three top fives and a best finish of fourth, twice.
•  Is competing out of the Revolution Racing garage as part of the Drive for Diversity program.

Max Gresham (No. 18 Gresham & Associates Toyota)
•  Has two wins, a pole and five top 10s in nine career NKNPS East starts.
•  Won the second and third races this year at South Boston and Iowa … Is fourth in points.
•  Is a teammate to Brett Moffitt at Joe Gibbs Racing.
•  Won the Tim Richmond Memorial 200 ARCA race at Mansfield Motorsports Park on July 17.

Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino Chevrolet)
•  The 2008 NKNPS East champion.
•  Has seven poles, 16 wins and 93 top 10s in 174 career NKNPS East starts.
•  Is seventh in points after six races with a best finish of fourth at Martinsville.
•  Has six previous NKNPS East starts at Lee with an average finish of 14th and a best finish of fourth in 2003, when he led 18 laps.

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
•  Has six wins, two poles and 53 top 10s in 127 career NKNPS East starts.
•  Is ninth in points after six races with best finishes of seventh at South Boston and Iowa.
•  Has four previous NKNPS East starts at Lee with an average finish of 12th and a best finish of third in 2004.
•  Family owns Lee USA Speedway … It is where he got his start in racing, and where he made his NKNPS East debut on April 22, 2001 … Has approximately 20 career wins at Lee.
•  Won the prestigious TD Bank 250 Late Model race at Oxford Plains Speedway for the second year in a row on July 18.

Brett Moffitt (No. 20 Game Plan for Life Toyota)
•  Has three wins, one pole and 13 top 10s in 17 career NKNPS East starts.
•  Has improved from 10th to third in points in the last three races thanks to a win at Martinsville and top-fives at New Hampshire and Lime Rock.
•  Competes as a teammate to Max Gresham in the JGR development program.

Miguel Paludo (No. 77 NBC Bank Brasil Toyota)
•  Has made five starts and is 21st in the season standings.
•  Best finish in those five career starts came last time out at Lime Rock when he finished ninth.
•  Car is prepared out of the Germain Racing shop … Is a teammate to Zach Germain.

Andrew Ranger (No. 35 Waste Management Recycling Chevrolet)
•  Made NKNPS debut in the Iowa East/West combo race … Has three top fives in four starts.
•  Earned first NKNPS East pole and race wins last time out at Lime Rock.
•  Won the NKNPS West race at Infineon Raceway on June 19, his first start in that series.
•  The 2007 and 2009 champion of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1.
•  Has 10 wins, seven poles and 35 top 10s in 40 career NCATS races.

D.J. Shaw (No. 60 Precision JLM Chevrolet)
•  Has three top 10s in eight career starts … Debuted in the series with a pair of starts in 2009.
•  Is eighth in points with three top 10s … Best finish was fifth in the opener at Greenville Pickens.
•  Is the son of 1994 NKNPS East Champion and two-time Lee race winner Dale Shaw.

Kevin Swindell (No. 9 Curb Records/NOS Energy Drink Chevrolet)
•  Has four top 10s in 11 career starts … Debuted in the series with a pair of starts in 2008.
•  Is 10th in points with two top 10s … Best finish was second at New Hampshire.
•  Has made three NASCAR Nationwide Series starts in 2010 for Baker-Curb Racing.
•  Is the son of Sprint Car racing legend Sammy Swindell.

Ryan Truex (No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota)
•  The 2009 NKNPS East titlist … Has four wins, two poles and 13 top 10s in 18 career starts.
•  Leads Darrell Wallace Jr. by 43 points atop the standings … Has five top fives in six races, highlighted by a win at New Hampshire.
•  A development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing … Made his NNS debut at Gateway International Raceway on July 17 … Finished 28th after an accident.
•  Father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., also competed in the NKNPS East … Best family finish at Lee was Martin Sr.’s third place in 1998 … Martin Sr. also earned a pole at Lee.

Darrell Wallace Jr. (No. 6 Revolution Racing Chevrolet)
•  Trails Ryan Truex by 43 points in the standings … Has a win and five top 10s in six races.
•  With his win at Greenville, he became the youngest race winner in series history, and also became the first African-American driver to win in the series’ 24 years.
•  Is currently the leading candidate for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
•  Competes out of the Revolution Racing garage as part of the Drive for Diversity program.

Cole Whitt (No. 84 Red Bull Toyota)
•  Has four top 10s in his first six starts in the series and is fifth in points as a rookie … Best finish was second at South Boston and Lime Rock.
•  Earned the pole and finished third in his debut at Greenville … Also won the East pole at Iowa.
•  A highly-decorated open wheel racer, he is a development driver for Red Bull Racing.

Sources: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East PR

Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway, has returned to the schedule for the first time since the 2004 season. The .375-mile banked oval played host to the K&N Pro Series East 16 times from 1992-2004.

While the NASCAR K&N Pro Series 125 will be the first trip for the vast majority of teams and drivers to Lee, for one driver, it will be a homecoming.

Eddie MacDonald, who hails from Rowley, Mass., has a strong connection to the New Hampshire short track. As the son of track owner and operator Red MacDonald, he has spent many a Friday night at Lee.

“Before I started racing there, they would bring us up – my sister and I – to the track and someone would put us to work,” MacDonald said. “A couple of the employees would look over us because we were still fairly young. I’d be selling popcorn and pizza and she would be selling 50/50 tickets and different stuff like that. We did that for quite a while.”

MacDonald moved from one side of the fence to the other at age 15 in the Hobby Stock division. He then moved up to Late Models and eventually made his K&N Pro Series East debut there in 2001.

Since he began competing in the K&N Pro Series East full time, MacDonald hasn’t been back to the track a whole lot. In addition to the commitments with his East team, he’s just not very comfortable as a spectator.

“I hate going to races unless I’m racing,” MacDonald said. “It gets my mind going, thinking I need to go home and get a car ready to come back and race. I do love going up there and watching the guys I used to race with, but every time I go up there I wish I had my own car. “

As one of the veterans, and combined with the series’ six-year absence from competition at the track, MacDonald and Matt Kobyluck are the only drivers on the preliminary entry list who have K&N Pro Series East experience at Lee.

MacDonald hopes that his extensive experience at Lee will provide an edge on the competition, and he will undoubtedly have a comfort level that the other drivers will not.

“That’s going to go quite a long ways – having raced there so many times in the past,” MacDonald said. “The tough thing is, the development teams have so much technology and experience. Hopefully we can really get our car to handle there, and my experience from being there so much will give us an advantage.”

MacDonald has embraced the perceived pressure on him and the team as the hometown favorite, and is using it as further motivation.

“We put pressure on ourselves for every race, but having not won a race there in the K&N Series yet, definitely puts a little more pressure,” MacDonald said. “It is our home track, and it just means that much more.”

ENTRY LIST

Raceday Notes
The Race … The NASCAR K&N Pro Series 125 at Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway is the seventh event in a 10-race schedule this year for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. This will mark the 17th time that Lee USA has played host to the K&N Pro Series East, and the first since 2004.

The Procedure … The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 20 cars will have secured starting positions through two-lap time trials and the remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 125 laps (46.875 miles).

The Track … Lee USA Speedway is a .375-mile asphalt oval that features 12 degrees of banking in the turns and eight degrees in the straights. It is the smallest track – in terms of distance – that the K&N Pro Series East will visit in 2010.

Race Winners … Brad Leighton recorded four wins at Lee USA to lead all K&N Pro Series East drivers. No active drivers have a win at Lee. Current team members Andy Santerre (3) and Dale Shaw (1) have reached Victory Lane there.

Pole Winners … In the first 16 K&N Pro Series East events at Lee USA, only Dave Dion has earned more than one pole award, with seven. Santerre and Mike Olsen are the only current team members that earned poles behind the wheel.

Reunion To Highlight Series’ Return To Lee
When the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returns to Lee USA Speedway, past and present will meet as the track has organized a ‘Busch North’ Reunion.

The K&N Pro Series East was established in 1987 as the Busch North Series, and has strong ties to Lee, which played host to the series in 13 of its first 18 years of competition.

Among the many former K&N Pro Series East  drivers expected to attend the reunion are past champions Joey Kourafas, Dick McCabe, Mike Olsen, Andy Santerre and Dale Shaw.

Olsen, Santerre and Shaw are still involved in the K&N Pro Series East. Olsen owns his own team, Santerre is director of competition for the four-team Revolution Racing and Shaw helps field a team for his son, D.J Shaw.

Fans in attendance will have a chance to meet the former drivers in an autograph session as part of the evening’s activities.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series 125 will also feature a tribute to former series director, the late Bunk Sampson. Former K&N Pro Series East technical director Ken Farrington will also serve as grand marshal for the race.

Truex Makes Nationwide Series Debut At Gateway
The latest NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver to take the next step in the NASCAR ladder system, Ryan Truex made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on July 17 at Gateway International Raceway.

The defending K&N Pro Series East champion, and current season points leader, Truex piloted the No. 00 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing at the 1.25-mile oval in Madison, Ill.

Truex had a potential top-10 in his sights, but was involved in an accident on Lap 178 of 200 and was credited with a 28th place finish.

Former K&N Pro Series East driver Trevor Bayne, Truex’s Nationwide Series teammate, finished third in the race while fellow alums Alex Kennedy and Matt DiBenedetto came home 24th and 29th, respectively.

Current K&N Pro Series East rookie Kevin Swindell also participated and finished 38th.

Race Review: Ranger Continues Road Course Run
The sixth race of 10 on the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule took place at the Lime Rock Park road course on July 3.

Ranger Continues Road Course Mastery … A winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Infineon Raceway on June 19, Andrew Ranger took his road course dominance to Lime Rock Park and earned his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race. A six-time road course winner in his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series career, Ranger also took home the Coors Light Pole, Sunoco Rookie of the Race and Wix Filters Lap Leader Awards.

Whitt Has Successful Road Course Debut … Without any prior testing or schooling on a road course, Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Cole Whitt adapted straight away at Lime Rock. He led two times for 12 laps and wound up as the race runner-up to tie his career-best finish.

JGR Still Searching for Road Course Win … Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Max Gresham and Brett Moffitt finished third and fourth, respectively, in the K&N 100. JGR drivers have been highly successful on road courses the last two years, but have yet to notch a win. Matt DiBenedetto and Joey Logano had potential wins taken away by accidents at Lime Rock and Infineon, respectively, in 2009. DiBenedetto also came up just short at Watkins Glen International a year ago.

Albaraccin Leads Laps in First Start … The latest international import made an immediate impact at Lime Rock. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut for 16-year-old Columbian Julian Albaraccin resulted in a disappointing 21st-place finish after a blown engine, but he led 11 laps in his inaugural race and was a contender before the mechanical failure.

United Nations in Northwest Connecticut … The K&N 100 featured drivers from five different countries. In addition to the American-born drivers and the aforementioned Columbian Albarracin, Miguel Paludo hails from Brazil, Ruben Rovelo is from Mexico and Jason Holehouse and race winner Ranger are from Canada.

New Championship Trophy Unveiled … NASCAR Managing Director of Racing Operations George Silbermann and Nestor Cabrera from K&N Engineering were on hand to unveil the new NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship trophy. Past champions Matt Kobyluck, Mike Olsen, Andy Santerre, Dale Shaw, Mike Stefanik and Ryan Truex were present to participate in the unveiling.

Whelen All-American Series At Lee
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East may not have competed at Lee USA Speedway in six years, but the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series keeps fans entertained every Friday night during racing season.

Lee sanctions six different divisions, headed by the Late Models. Small Block Supers, Late Model Sportsman, Hobby Stocks, Road Runners and Ironman divisions also compete at the .375-mile oval.

J.R. Baril is the defending track champion out of the E Keys 4 Cars Late Model division, and the reigning NASCAR Whelen All-American Series New Hampshire State Champion.

Through July 15 action, Wayne Helliwell Jr. was atop the Late Model standings by 52 points over Baril. Thomas Tombarello Jr. (Small Block Supers), Grant Aither (Late Model Sportsman), Todd Bregy (Hobby Stocks) and Lloyd Chapin (Road Runners) were also division leaders.

Up Next: Gresham
The inaugural race for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., will be the eighth of 10 races on the 2010 schedule.

The Gresham Motorsports Park 150 will mark the first appearance for the K&N Pro Series East in the state of Georgia. It will also mark the first time that the track has played host to a NASCAR event in more than two decades.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series raced there in 1968 and 1969 with Cale Yarborough and Bobby Isaac the winners. The NASCAR Nationwide Series appeared three times with Darrell Waltrip, the winner in 1986, and Larry Pearson swept both races in 1987.

The track was previously known as Jefco Speedway, Georgia International Speedway and Peach State Speedway. It was purchased by Jim Gresham’s Track Properties LLC in 2008 and re-opened in November 2009. Gresham is the grandfather of current K&N Pro Series East driver Max Gresham.

Gresham Motorsports Park is a half-mile asphalt track that was resurfaced prior to its reopening last Fall.

COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD
Cole Whitt, 2
Ryan Gifford, 1
Max Gresham, 1
Brett Moffitt, 1
Andrew Ranger, 1

COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD
Drew Brannon, 1
Ty Dillon, 1
Zach Germain, 1
Eddie MacDonald, 1
Beto Monteiro, 1
Darrell Wallace Jr., 1

FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD
Max Gresham, 1
Jody Lavender, 1
Miguel Paludo, 1
Jason Patison, 1
Kevin Swindell, 1
Alan Tardiff, 1

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD
Ryan Truex, 2
Ryan Gifford, 1
Max Gresham, 1
Brett Moffitt, 1
Andrew Ranger, 1

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD
Max Gresham, 2
Darrell Wallace Jr., 2
Andrew Ranger, 1
Kevin Swindell, 1

As most folks know, the mods have never run at Lime Rock, but there was also a “first” for the K&N stockers: In the nearly 20 years that NASCAR’s AA-level stock car series has run at Lime Rock – Busch, Camping World, now K&N – they’ve always raced the classic track configuration. This year, NASCAR mandated K&N use the same layout as the Whelen Modifieds; new Uphill with classic West Bend.

For qualifying, the Mods were first up to bat. The cars went out in groups of five or six, starting with the slowest cars in practice to the quickest. Each driver had 4 minutes to put up his or her best lap on Lime Rock’s 1.5-mile, 7-turn road course.

Not unexpectedly, the eventual polesitter came from the last group out. It was a 4-minute dogfight as three drivers were at some point the quickest, but in the end the fastest lap was put up by a driver with roadracing in his background, albeit 14 years ago: Todd Szegedy of Ridgefield, Conn. His :53.099 edged fellow home-stater Ted Christopher’s :53.220 for pole. (Christopher is second in the Whelen Modified Tour points standings coming into Lime Rock.) Young Erick Rudolph of New York, who had been second-quick in the two practice sessions, wound up third on the grid, alongside Mike Stefanik.

Rowan Pennink, Dale Quarterly, Ryan Preece, Ron Silk, Chuck Hossfeld and points leader Bobby Santos III rounded out the top 10.

Then came the K&N Pro Series East army of cars. Same drill as the Mods, but the stock car boys got 6 minutes rather than 4. With the same drill as the Mods – slower cars first, fastest last – five groups hit the track in quick succession. When the final checker flew, the winner of six road course races in NASCAR Touring series action, Andrew Ranger, took the pole for Saturday K&N 100.

Ranger, from Roxton Pond, Quebec, laid down a fast lap of :55.253 seconds driving his Waste Management Recycling Chevy. The pole is Ranger’s first in the K&N Pro Series East – in just his fourth series start – after he earned two championships in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1.

Californian Cole Whitt will start alongside Ranger, thanks to his :55.289 in the Red Bull Toyota. Many time winner Matt Kobyluck and his Mohegan Sun Chevy qualified third, with Sergio Pena and his Revolution Racing Chevy fourth. Rounding out the top 10 are: last year’s race winner Ryan Truex, followed by Brett Moffitt, Kevin Swindell (son of Sammy), Ruben Rovelo, Miguel Paludo and Julian Albarracin.

If you haven’t bought a ticket for Saturday’s races, come on up to Lime Rock tomorrow! There’s even the Salisbury Rotary Fireworks at the track at 9:00 p.m.

Sources: Lime Rock Park PR

Ryan Truex (No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota) heaved a huge sigh of relief as he sat down for the post-race press conference this past Friday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

While Truex had entered the race weekend leading the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in points, he was still searching for his first win.

Mission accomplished.

Truex dominated the New England 125 en route to his first victory of 2010 and the first at the ‘Magic Mile.’ Now he heads to Lime Rock Park this Saturday with another goal: successful repeat of his trip to Victory Lane from a year ago.

Truex enters the K&N 100 as the defending race champion — a victory that came as a mild surprise considering the now 20-year-old’s lack of road course experience.

He served notice earlier in the season when he out-dueled noted road-course ace Patrick Long in the closing laps to win at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. But it was his follow-up victory at the historic 1.53-mile course in northwestern Connecticut that really confirmed his ability to adapt quickly.

“You don’t know what to expect from him because he never talks about himself in ‘I’m going to do this …’ ” said Truex’s crew chief, Mike Greci.

Truex was fast in practice, but got behind when he stalled the car on pit road. Undeterred, he put himself in position to benefit when race leader Matt DiBenedetto was involved in a wreck with lapped traffic. Truex led the final 18 laps and won by 1.481 seconds over Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet).

“When you put the window net up, nothing he does on the race track surprises me any more,” Greci said. “There’s not a place that he doesn’t seem to adapt to.”

Greci had won previously at Lime Rock as crew chief for Mike Stefanik in 1998. It came during Stefanik’s second straight East title. Truex is halfway toward joining Stefanik, Jamie Aube (1988-90), Dick McCabe (1992-93), Brad Leighton (1999-2000), and Andy Santerre (2002-2005) as repeat champions in the series.

Truex holds a 33-point lead over second-place Darrell Wallace Jr. (No. 6 Revolution Racing Chevrolet). Ryan Gifford (No. 2 Revolution Racing Chevrolet) and Brett Moffitt (No. 20 Game Plan For Life Toyota) are 89 and 90 points back, respectively.

Truex felt he had run well enough to win prior to New Hampshire. He led laps in four of the first five races, including a race-high 127 laps at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway. However, he was involved in several late-race incidents and limped home with a season-worst 14th. Truex also lost the lead at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway just before the rain shortened the race and he settled for a second-place finish.

Greci admits they were cautiously optimistic last year when they arrived at Lime Rock, and then again when they entered this season as defending champions.

Truex has done his best to erase any doubts.

“I think just about every place we’ve gone this year, we’ve been better than we were last year,” Greci said. “We’re so much more competitive now than we were last year, but the competition is so much better than it was last year. I think the race programs — across the board — are so much stronger than they were. We’re racing against some really good race teams.”

One area they have picked up on is bringing the chassis program in-house. Last year, Truex’s title run was in cars the team bought from Dale Earnhardt, Inc.

“We’re just plugging along and I’m taking it one race at a time. I know how humbling this sport can be,” Greci said. “I’ve got a great race team, and I’ve got great people working for me.”

The Race K&N 100
The Place Lime Rock Park
The Date Saturday, July 3
The Time 2:15 p.m. ET
TV Schedule SPEED, July 8, 6 p.m. ET
Track Layout 1.53-mile road course
Race Purse $120,788
2009 Winner Ryan Truex
2009 Polesitter Matt DiBenedetto
Event Schedule Friday, July 2: Practice 10:40-11:25 a.m., 2:10-2:55 p.m.; Qualifying 4:55 p.m.
Track Contact Rick Roso, (860) 435-5000, rick@limerock.com
NASCAR PR Contact Jason Cunningham, (704) 201-6658, jcunningham@nascar.com

ENTRY LIST

Raceday Notes

The Race … The K&N 100 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., is the sixth event in a 10-race schedule this year for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, and the only road course race in 2010. This year’s edition will mark the 18th season in a row that Lime Rock has played host to the K&N Pro Series East.

The Procedure … The starting field is 32 cars, including provisionals. The first 28 cars will have secured starting positions based on road-race style (group) qualifying. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 66 laps (101 miles).

The Track … Lime Rock is a 12-turn, 1.53-mile road course. The K&N Pro Series East has competed at Lime Rock every year since 1993. The track opened April 20, 1957 and has held sports car events throughout its history. The K&N Pro Series East will run the “Optional Uphill” for the first time in 2010.

Race Winners … Ken Schrader won the first K&N Pro Series East race at Lime Rock in 1993. Matt Kobyluck and Butch Leitzinger are the only drivers to win three times. Leitzinger won from 1994-96, while Kobyluck won in 2005, and 2007-08. Dale Quarterly (2001 and 2003) and Bryan Wall (1999 and 2000) each have two wins. Ryan Truex is the defending winner of the race.

Pole Winners … Wall has won the most Coors Light Pole Awards with four: 1997 and 1999-2001. Kobyluck is second with three (2005-2007). He also started on the pole in 2008 when rain washed out qualifying. Matt DiBenedetto was the pole winner in 2009.

Holehouse leads road-course experts

Every road course event brings out drivers who specialize in turning right and left, and Lime Rock Park is now different.

Leading the way are a trio of drivers who have a history of road course success.

Jason Holehouse (No. 81 Kowabunga Bounce Houses Chevrolet), an instructor at Monticello (N.Y.) Motor Club, had been an instructor at Skip Barber School at Lime Rock for 22 years and drove to a third-place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race last year.

“We were surprised coming right out of the trailer fast,” Holehouse said of last year’s top-five run. “I thought things were okay, because we hit on a good setup last year at Watkins Glen. We ended up learning a lot, and that set the tone for Lime Rock.”

Holehouse believes his experience will pay off against a field that’s tilted more toward youth than experience.

“I don’t think Lime Rock is that difficult to drive,” Holehouse said. “It’s a right-hand oval, so the kids go pretty quick right off the bat. But there’s a whole bunch of little subtle things to do with Turn 2 and Turn 4, and the uphill and downhill, that I benefit by knowing the track real well. It’s easy to go fast; the last few tenths are probably the hardest ones to get.”

Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Mohegan Sun Resort Chevrolet) ran into mechanical issues last year, but is one of the most successful road-course drivers in the series. He had three wins and a second-place finish at Lime Rock between 2005-08.

Two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion Andrew Ranger (No. 35 Waste Management Chevrolet) will be another early favorite. He won in the West earlier this month at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

Race Review: Truex Joins Family In Victory Lane

The fifth race of 10 on the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule took place at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 18. The New Hampshire 125 marked the 45th event at the ‘Magic Mile.’

Truex Makes Victory Lane A Family Tradition … Ryan Truex, who will make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut later this season, got the New Hampshire victory he badly wanted. When he lost a last-lap battle for the win with Matt DiBenedetto last year, Truex was more than disappointed with his second-place finish. New Hampshire was the one place on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule he really wanted to win. After all, both his father and older brother won at the 1.058-mile oval. Martin Sr. earned the victory in July of 1994. Martin Jr. picked up wins in July of 2000 and again in July of 2003 on his way up the ladder to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Wallace, LaJoie Come From The Back … Both Darrell Wallace Jr. (No. 6 Revolution Racing Chevrolet) and Corey LaJoie (No. 07 LaJoie Auto Wrecking Ford) had top 10 finishes after going to the back of the field to start the event — Wallace for an engine change and LaJoie for unapproved adjustments. Wallace took home his third straight third-place run, while LaJoie came home eighth.

Tardiff Bounces Back … Alan Tardiff (No. 38 Bestway Disp./Ironclad Energy Drink Chevrolet) bounced back from a disappointed 25th-place run at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway to finish seventh and pick up the Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award.

Moving Foward … While Eddie MacDonald and Drew Brannon (No. 11 RaceDrewHome.com Chevrolet) didn’t have the qualifying runs they hoped for, they showed plenty of speed in the race. MacDonald qualified 21st and moved up to seventh by Lap 110. He wound up finishing 10th. Brannon qualified 24th and steadily worked his way up 13 spots to finish 11th and take home the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award.

Moffitt Back In Front … Brett Moffitt earned his second career 21 Means 21 Presented by Coors Light Pole Award. His first was in his series debut on April 11, 2009.

Up Next: Lee USA

The next stop for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will take place at an old familiar facility.

Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H., has returned to the schedule for the first time since the 2004 season. The .375-mile banked oval played host to the K&N Pro Series East 16 times from 1992-2004.

Brad Leighton has the most career K&N Pro Series East race wins at Lee with four. Current Revolution Racing Director of Competition Andy Santerre earned three wins behind the wheel.

Among the full-time competitors in 2010, only Matt Kobyluck and Eddie MacDonald have career top fives at Lee.

Lee is where MacDonald made his K&N Pro Series East debut in 2001. The facility is owned and operated by his father, Red MacDonald.

The July 30 race will be 125 laps.

Lee will also hold a ‘Busch North’ Reunion along with its regularly-scheduled NASCAR Whelen All-American divisions that evening. Defending track champion Wayne Helliwell Jr., is the current E Keys 4 Cars Late Model division points leader by 30 over Mile Chipman and 35 over J.R. Baril. Helliwell has three wins, while Chipman and Baril have one apiece. The track also runs Small Block Super and Late Model Sportsman divisions.

Contingency Awards
COORS LIGHT POLE AWARD
Cole Whitt, 2
Ryan Gifford, 1
Max Gresham, 1
Brett Moffitt, 1

COCA-COLA MOVE OF THE RACE AWARD
Drew Brannon, 1
Ty Dillon, 1
Zach Germain, 1
Eddie MacDonald, 1
Beto Monteiro, 1

FEATHERLITE MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD
Max Gresham, 1
Jody Lavender, 1
Jason Patison, 1
Kevin Swindell, 1
Alan Tardiff, 1

WIX FILTERS LAP LEADER AWARD
Ryan Truex, 2
Ryan Gifford, 1
Max Gresham, 1
Brett Moffitt, 1

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE RACE AWARD
Max Gresham, 2
Darrell Wallace Jr., 2
Kevin Swindell, 1

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR STANDINGS*
Darrell Wallace Jr., 38
Ryan Gifford, 32
Cole Whitt, 28
Kevin Swindell, 25
Max Gresham, 23
D.J. Shaw, 23
Ty Dillon, 23
Andrew Ranger, 15
Drew Brannon, 13
Corey LaJoie, 13
Sergio Pena, 13
Zach Germain, 10
Miguel Paludo, 10
Ruben Rovelo, 8
Derek Ramstrom, 7
Jake Crum, 6
Mackena Bell, 5
Joey Polewarczyk, 5
Andrew Smith, 5
* Final standings based on best 75-percent of 2010 race finishes

Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR PR

Loudon, NH — Ryan Truex became the third member of his family to reach Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday as he dominated the New England 125 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race.

Truex took the lead on Lap 60 and never looked back as the Mayetta, N.J., driver joined his brother NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Martin Truex Jr., and his father, Martin Sr., on the K&N Pro Series East winners list at New Hampshire.

“My brother and my dad won here, and I finally got a win here,” Truex said. “I’m really happy about it.”

The younger Truex needed 60 laps to work his way from a sixth starting position to the lead, and once he got there, he was able to check out on the rest of the field. It wasn’t all easy for Truex, however, as the 18-year-old development driver for Michael Waltrip racing had to survive four restarts in the last half of the race to earn his fourth career K&N Pro Series East victory.

“I’m just happy to get a win here, this feels like the Daytona 500 for me,” Truex said. “I think this is the biggest race of the year. You’re in front of the [NASCAR Sprint ] Cup Series guys, and you can show off your talents and abilities to them.”

Truex was followed across the line Friday by Kevin Swindell, Darrell Wallace Jr., Ryan Gifford and Brett Moffitt in the top five.

It marked the best finish in 10 career starts for Swindell in the series, who just didn’t quite have enough to reel in Truex at the end.

“It was just a matter of trying to race with that [No.] 00, and I was just too tight behind cars to really make a run on him,” Swindell said. “I kind of stayed with him on the last restart, and got to his corner down in Turn 3, but couldn’t hold it down there. He was able to get back up there and get enough of a gap that I just couldn’t quite make it up.”

Ty Dillon, Alan Tardiff, Corey LaJoie, Andrew Ranger and Eddie MacDonald rounded out the top 10.

With the New Hampshire win, Truex earned a secured starting position in the postseason NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.). The defending NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion, he extended his points lead to 33 over Wallace and 89 over Gifford. Moffitt and Kobyluck are fourth and fifth, respectively.

The New England 125 will be broadcast on SPEED on Thursday, July 1 at 6 p.m.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to the track at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., on Saturday, July 3.

RESULTS | LAP-BY-LAP RECAP | POST-RACE PRESS CONFERENCE VIDEO OF SECOND AND THIRD-PLACE

Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR  NASCAR  K&N Pro Series East PR

Loudon, NH — Longtime NASCAR K&N Pro Series East team Fadden Racing announced Thursday afternoon that development driver Julian Camilo Albarracin will make his series debut next weekend on the road course at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.

Team owner Mike Olsen, who is fielding a car for Jonathan Smith in Saturday’s New England 125, said he’s looking forward to working with the 16-year-old driver from Colombia. Fadden Racing will enter Albarracin in Late Model events in New England as well as test extensively with the K&N Series cars.

“Obviously, he’s very young — which is good, because we can work with him,” said Olsen, a two-time series champion as a driver.

Albarracin, whose driving experience is largely in the road course-dedicated Skip Barber Series, said it was countryman Juan Pablo Montoya’s move to NASCAR that sparked his interest in stock car racing.

“Before this, I wanted to race Formula 1,” Albarracin said. “Watching (Montoya), I thought I wanted to do a (NASCAR) test. When I did a test, I thought this was most fun for me.”

It may be fun, but it will come with challenges.

“The biggest difference is they race side-by-side. There’s contact,” Albarracin said of oval track racing.

The Lime Rock Park race is part of a doubleheader day on July 3 with the Whelen Modified Tour, which will make its debut at the facility. Albarracin is then expected to enter the K&N Pro Series East race at Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway at the end of July.

POWERING UP: NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour driver Jimmy Blewett is debuting his new Roush/Yates Racing engine this weekend in the No. 14 Ling Trucking/Atlantic Sprinkler Ford. He’ll start 10th in Saturday’s New England 100.

“It felt pretty strong the little bit I used it,” Blewett said during a rain delay in Thursday’s afternoon practice. “We’re hoping there’s a big difference (in power) from what we had before.”

After qualifying, the Howell, N.J., driver was confident that the new power plant had provided a much-needed boost where it matters most at the largest track on the circuit: the straightaways.

“It’s good,” Blewett said. “I was able to go out there and push Ronnie Silk around (in the draft in practice), and he won here last time.

“We were able to tune on it pretty good. It’s a new car, a new chassis and new engine — so we’re working on it.”

MAKING THEIR PITCH: K&N Pro Series East rookie Joey Polewarczyk Jr. joined a group of drivers from both that series and the Whelen Modified Tour on Wednesday night at a minor-league baseball game. The nearby Lowell Spinners — Class A short-season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox — held a promotion involving NASCAR and the visiting drivers, who signed autographs on the concourse and raced go-karts around LeLacheur Park’s warning track between innings.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Polewarczyk, of Hudson, N.H., whose No. 1 Pole’s Automotive Chevrolet starts 20th in Friday’s New England 125. “But we could only race two guys at a time, and by the time we got to go — well, there wasn’t much left of the karts.”

NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver Ryan Gifford threw out the first pitch.

KEEPING BUSY: Two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion Andrew Ranger doesn’t have many weekends off these days.

Ranger, who starts 28th in Friday’s New England 125 in the No. 35 Waste Management Recycling Chevrolet, is in the middle of a grueling stretch of races. The New Hampshire visit is part of a string in which Ranger plans to compete in seven races at seven different tracks in seven different states or provinces in a span of six weekends.

Ranger kicked off the run with his K&N Pro Series East debut at Iowa Speedway on May 23, before heading to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, where he finished fifth on June 6. From there, he headed to a Canadian Tire Series event at Mosport International Raceway in Ontario, where he was second on June 13, won the K&N Pro Series West race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., on June 19, and showed up in Loudon for this weekend’s race.

Next week, Ranger plans to run both the K&N East race at Lime Rock Park on Saturday afternoon before making the trip that night to St. Eustache, Quebec, for the scheduled Canadian Tire Series race.

WORTH NOTING: New Hampshire resident DJ Shaw, who start second in the New England 125, said NHMS is still a big deal for local racers. “This track is a good showcase for (us), because the Cup Series is here. Hopefully, I’ll impress some people.”… Mike Christopher’s ride blew an engine in practice and was forced to withdraw from the New Hampshire 100. Christopher is the twin brother of the tracks’ all-time winningest driver, Ted Christopher — who has 10 career New Hampshire victories (five Whelen Modified Tour and five K&N Pro Series East) … Former Kevin Harvick Inc., NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Cale Gale is the crew chief this weekend for the No. 3 of Ty Dillon in the K&N Pro Series East.

Sources: Travis Barrett/NASCARHomeTracks.com

This will mark the second year in a row that drivers from the K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Modified Tour will participate in the Spinners’ “NASCAR Night” in advance of the quadruple-header of NASCAR racing this week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Drivers Ryan Gifford, Matt Kobyluck, Brett Moffitt, Sergio Pena and Joey Polewarczyk will be in attendance to represent the K&N Pro Series East at the Spinners’ promotional night while the Whelen Modified Tour will have drivers Richie Pallai Jr., Ryan Preece, Glen Reen and Andy Seuss on hand.

The race cars of Preece and Kobyluck will be on display at the main entrance as fans enter the park.

Lowell is the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The Spinners play in LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., where they have sold out every game the previous nine seasons.

The K&N Pro Series East will contest the New England 125 in Loudon on Friday, June 25. The New England 100 Whelen Modified Tour race will be held on Saturday, June 26. Both series will qualify on Thursday, June 24.

For tickets to a full weekend of NASCAR racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, please visit the track’s official website, http://www.nhms.com

Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR WMT PR

For a number of reasons, the annual stops for the K&N Pro Series East at the Loudon, N.H., track are the highlight of MacDonald’s season. For starters, the “Magic Mile” is a mere 90-minute drive from his hometown of Rowley, Mass. But MacDonald would surely drive across the country just to experience the success he’s had in his back yard.

MacDonald and the No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet team has won three of the last four races at New Hampshire. The run started with a sweep of the summer and fall races in 2008, and a return to Victory Lane in the second race a year ago. No driver has experienced that level of success in Loudon since Brad Leighton captured three-in-a-row in 2001-02.

A veteran of 10 seasons of K&N Pro Series East competition, half of MacDonald’s career wins have come at New Hampshire. Success at the largest track the series visits annually, however, has not always been there for MacDonald.

In his first 15 career Loudon starts, MacDonald was winless with just four top-10 finishes.

The difference figures to be when MacDonald teamed full-time prior to the 2008 season with car owner Rob Grimm and crew chief Rollie LaChance. Since the trio has come together, MacDonald has had the best two-plus years of his racing career. The team finished seventh in points in 2008, and leaped to second a year ago, with a legitimate shot at the championship until the final checkered flag flew.

The New England 125 on June 25 is coming at just the right time for the Rob Grimm Racing team, which is in need of a rally. After four races to start the season, MacDonald is a distant 12th in the standings with a best finish of seventh. Another top finish in Loudon is much needed for the team to start thinking about climbing back in the title hunt.

The Race New England 125
The Place New Hampshire Motor Speedway
The Date Friday, June 25
The Time 5 p.m. ET
TV Schedule SPEED, July 1, 6 p.m. ET
Track Layout 1.058-mile oval
Race Purse $227,607
2009 Winner Matt DiBenedetto
2009 Polesitter Ryan Truex
Event Schedule Thursday, June 24: Practice 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.; Qualifying 3:15 p.m.
Track Contact Kristen Costa, (603) 513-5708, kcosta@nhms.com, Twitter: @NHMotorSpeedway
NASCAR PR Contact Jason Cunningham, (704) 201-6658, jcunningham@nascar.com

ENTRY LIST

Raceday Notes
The Race … The New England 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway will mark the midway point of the 10-race 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule, and the first of two trips to Loudon, N.H. This will be the 53rd all-time race for the series at NHMS.

The Procedure … The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 cars will have secured starting positions based on two-lap qualifying. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 125 laps (132.25 miles).

The Track … NHMS is a 1.058-mile, slightly-banked asphalt oval. NHMS has played host to the K&N Pro Series East in each year of the track’s existence and has held more East races than any other facility.

Race Winners … The inaugural K&N Pro Series East race on Sept. 2, 1990 at NHMS was won by Mike McLaughlin. McLaughlin, who also won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race that same day, went on to earn three more East wins at the “Magic Mile.” New Hampshire native Brad Leighton has the most series wins at NHMS with eight. Matt DiBenedetto became the 22nd all-time winner at NHMS in the 2009 June event.

Pole Winners … Kelly Moore has the most Coors Light Pole Awards in K&N Pro Series East history at NHMS with six. Brian Hoar set the qualifying record in 2002 at 28.892 seconds (127.141 mph). Ryan Truex became the 25th driver to earn a pole at NHMS in June 2009, and in the process joined his father and brother as pole winners at the track.

Truex Returns To The Top
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title defense for Ryan Truex and the No. 00 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota team may not have gone as planned through the first four races of the 2010 season, but, they are back in a familiar position. Following the UNOH Performance 200 at Martinsville Speedway on June 6, the team is back atop the standings.

As a rookie in 2009, Truex had three mediocre runs to start the season before a string of four wins and seven-straight podium finishes vaulted him to the K&N Pro Series East title.

With so much success a year ago, and with the series returning to many of those tracks again in 2010, Truex now expects to win every time out. The wins have yet to pan out, but he is undoubtedly in a better position for a championship after the first four races this year than he was in 2009.

Truex’s first top-five finish came in the fourth race of last year’s season, when finished third and left South Boston Speedway ranked seventh in points, 113 tallies out of first. It was not until after the seventh race of the year – when he won at Thompson International Speedway – that Truex led in points.

The start to the 2010 season has been much more consistent for the No. 00 team. Despite getting spun during the green-white-checker finish, Truex led a race-high 127 laps in the opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway, and hung on to finish 13th. He then finished third for the second year in a row at South Boston, and followed that with a finish of sixth overall at Iowa Speedway.

Last time out at Martinsville, Truex led 30 laps and was in position for a win at the end, but was passed on a restart and never had a shot to get back in front as rain shortened the race.

Truex was visibly disappointed in the Martinsville post-race press conference that he was not leaving with the grandfather clock, but at the end of the day he was undoubtedly in a better position to defend his title.

Of the five race tracks standing between Truex and a second-consecutive K&N Pro Series East title, he has successful experience at three. Although he has not been to Lee USA Speedway or Gresham Motorsports Park, Truex won a pole and registered finishes of second and third in two starts at New Hampshire Motor Speedway a year ago. He was the winner at Lime Rock Park and finished eighth at Dover International Speedway.

The first of two shots for Truex to break through at New Hampshire – where his father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., both won during their K&N Pro Series East careers – will come this week in the New England 125.

Race Review: Moffitt Wins Martinsville Clock
The fourth race of 10 on the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule took place at Martinsville Speedway on June 6. The UNOH Performance 200 marked the first stand-alone race in series history at the venerable facility.

Moffitt Back in Victory Lane … Snake-bitten the first three races of the 2010 season, Brett Moffitt may have got his sophomore campaign on track with a win in the rain-shortened UNOH Performance 200. Moffitt took the lead from Ryan Truex on a restart on Lap 161 and was in the lead when the race was red flagged due to rain on Lap 175. It marked his third win in just 15 career starts, and the second at a national series track after his triumph at Dover International Speedway in the 2009 finale.

Truex, Wallace Rocket Through Field … Although he qualified fourth, Truex had to start at the rear of the 32-car field because he missed driver introductions. Darrell Wallace Jr. also had to go to the back for unapproved adjustments on the car after a fifth-place qualifying run. At the end of the day, however, both ended up with podium finishes as Truex and Wallace finished just behind race winner Moffitt.

Historic Pole for Gifford … In just his eighth career K&N Pro Series East start, Ryan Gifford earned his first Coors Light Pole Award. In addition to the qualifying effort being a personal milestone for Gifford, it was also a historic moment in the history of the K&N Pro Series East as he became the first African-American to accomplish the feat. Gifford went on to lead the first 98 laps of the race and earned the Wix Filters Lap Leader Award.

Career Day for Patison … Jason Patison registered the best finish in his 13 career K&N Pro Series East starts when he crossed the line sixth. Patison, who was 40th in the previous race at Iowa Speedway, took home the Featherlite Most Improved Driver Award.

Stellar Debuts for Monteiro, Frahm … The K&N Pro Series East debuts for Beto Monteiro and Matt Frahm resulted in top-10 efforts. Monteiro, who filled in in the Troy Williams Motorsports No. 12 Dodge, came from the 27th starting position to finish seventh and earn the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award. Frahm’s initial K&N Pro Series East run resulted in an eighth-place finish.

Ranger in Top Five … It took all of two races for reigning NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 Champion Andrew Ranger to notch a top-five effort in K&N Pro Series East action. After a disappointing series debut at Iowa, Ranger finished fifth in his second shot behind the wheel.

Crum Makes Mark in Return … In Jake Crum’s second start of the season, he showed why he was the winner in last year’s prestigious Bailey’s 300 Late Model race at Martinsville. Crum went from his 18th starting position to the lead on Lap 99, where he stayed until Wallace got past him on Lap 116. After some mechanical issues, Crum settled for a 13th-place finish.

Gresham, Dillon Slip After Top Iowa Runs … The rollercoaster seasons of Max Gresham and Ty Dillon dipped at Martinsville. Gresham finished 23rd in the season opener, won the next two races, then slipped to 17th at Martinsville. Dillon’s season was highlighted by a runner-up to Gresham at Iowa, but he was 22nd at Martinsville and his first two finishes of the year were 18th and 10th.

Up Next: Lime Rock
A relationship that has spanned 17 years will continue in 2010 as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to Lime Rock Park on July 3.

While the K&N Pro Series East has evolved throughout the years, annual appearances at the Lakeville, Conn., road course have been a staple of the series’ schedule.

Matt Kobyluck and Butch Leitzinger are tied for the most K&N Pro Series East wins at Lime Rock, at three. Kobyluck, who has won three of the series’ last five races at the 1.53-mile circuit, will look to break that tie in 2010.

The defending winner of the race is Ryan Truex, who was victorious en route to the series championship.

The 2010 edition of the K&N Pro Series East at Lime Rock will once again feature an exciting collection of some of the best young talent in NASCAR. Truex, a development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, figures to be one of the favorites to run up front again this year. After four races in 2010, Truex is in the lead in the season standings in his title defense.

Joe Gibbs Racing development drivers Max Gresham and Brett Moffitt will head a list of other budding young drivers with potential for a trip to the Lime Rock Winner’s Circle. Gresham had two wins in the first four races of the year, and will pilot the same No. 18 Toyota that current NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Matt DiBenedetto won the Lime Rock pole with a year ago. Moffitt has been a frontrunner all year and was the winner at Martinsville Speedway.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be joined at Lime Rock on race weekend by the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

Sources: NASCAR PR

Fan favorite and driver of the No. 31 LENOX Industrial Tools Chevrolet Jeff Burton will kick off this year’s festival with a question-and-answer session hosted by WOKQ’s Morning Waking Crew, Mark Ericson and Karen Kiley.

Country singer Chuck Wicks, who appeared on the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars, will headline this year’s concert.

Also fresh off their qualifying run, the pole sitters for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and Whelen Modified Tour will hold autograph sessions for their loyal fans.

“FanFest” will also include the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hauler Parade beginning at 7:00 p.m. This unique opportunity allows fans to see the colorful rigs that bring their favorite drivers car to the track for race weekend.

The excitement doesn’t stop there. For those fans who want to showcase their singing skills karaoke will be available, alongside casino games for adults, and face painting for kids.

This jam-packed evening is free to all fans. It even includes admission to the New England 125 and New England 100 qualifying and practice sessions. If you are not one of the lucky ones who can get out of work a little early, great tickets are still available for “D-Day” featuring Danica Patrick in the Nationwide Series on Saturday and for the LENOX Industrial Tools 301 on Sunday. Purchase them now by visiting us online at www.nhms.com or by calling our Ticket Hotline at (603) 783-4931.

Sources: NHMS PR

How “underdog” is the New England born and bred NASCAR K&N Pro Series East driver?

When MacDonald first won at New Hampshire in June of 2008, four of the five cars finishing directly behind him were fielded by Sprint Cup Series teams. It was just the fourth win at the time in a career spanning more than 100 series starts. And one of the most crucial suspension pieces on his winning No. 71 Chevrolet had been crafted, quite literally, in a basement.

Two years later, it seems as though the victory still hasn’t quite sunk in.

“I always thought I could win at Loudon, but it’s one of those places where it always seems to go wrong,” MacDonald said. “You’ve really got to be on top of your game there, because if anything can go wrong it probably will there. It was an awesome feeling just to win there.”

Once was hardly enough, though. MacDonald has won three of the last four K&N Pro Series East races held at the 1.058-mile track — including a sweep of the two events in 2008 — as the series prepares for its next event at New Hampshire on June 25, the Heluva Good! 125.

MacDonald, who finished a career-best of second in the final standings last season, is one of six New England drivers currently competing in a series once dominated by names like Kelly Moore, Dave Dion and Dale Shaw. Those drivers and their cars have been replaced by Sprint Cup Series teams with teenaged development drivers from across the country.

The series landscape has changed considerably, giving way to the big names and bigger expectations of stock car racing’s most successful organizations. What hasn’t changed is that sometimes all a race car needs is good old Yankee ingenuity, even in the face of competing on a Cup track where conventional wisdom says technology and R&D support provided by Cup teams should matter most.

But when MacDonald beat Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Trevor Bayne for his win in June 2008, he did so on a car that had been built — in part — inside the house of crew chief Rollie LaChance.

“I do the shocks for the car right at home in my basement,” LaChance said, remembering when NASCAR started using a new device to test shock rebound rates that season. He bought one of the devices for himself to test his work with.

“This test device came in by UPS, and as soon as I got it I wanted to see it for myself. I took it out of the box and set it up in my living room right there on the carpet. I ran downstairs and grabbed a couple of shocks and put them on the device right then and there, and it just ended up staying.”

Fast-forward to MacDonald’s trip to Victory Lane and subsequent visit to post-race technical inspection. One of the NASCAR officials took a shock off MacDonald’s car and put it on one of the test devices — something one of LaChance’s young children took note of.

” ‘Hey that looks just like the one in our living room!’ they yelled out,” LaChance said. “The inspector looked at me like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ I was like, ‘Nope. It’s in our living room.’”

It’s become almost cliche to suggest that New Hampshire Motor Speedway is to New England racers and their fans what Daytona International Speedway is to stock car racing on the whole. But it’s as true today as it was when the track first hosted K&N Pro Series races 20 years ago this season.

LaChance fielded fast cars for drivers like Shaw and Tracy Gordon in the past with no measured success to show for it. MacDonald remembered his first visit to the track after never racing anywhere larger than the tight one-third mile Lee USA.

“I remember that first time we went, I thought it was pretty cool just to be there,” MacDonald said. “The problem was, though, that’s all we were. We were just there.”

But MacDonald — who has 19 career starts at New Hampshire, most of any track on the schedule, with seven top-10s and one pole — was able to do something not many New Englanders were able to do on a track where 150 mph speeds are nearly twice what the locals run on nearby short tracks. He was able to quickly find a comfort level.

And when he paired with LaChance, it was the perfect marriage of skill and sensibilities.

“Eddie loves the place, so that really helps,” LaChance said. “Some guys, they get to a place and they kind of psyche themselves out. It’s really easy to get yourself intimidated in racing. … This latest package we’re running, for whatever reason, seems to work for us.”

It’s especially easy to get intimidated in the K&N Pro Series garage. To the right is Red Bull Racing and points leader Cole Whitt. To the left is reigning series champ Ryan Truex, from the Michael Waltrip Racing stable. Three of the first four races this season have been won by Joe Gibbs Racing.

“You look around and it amazes you to just look around at your neighbors,” MacDonald said. “It’s impressive to watch those guys work and the equipment they have — I’m jealous. I always tell my guys we can learn from them, just by watching what they do.

“Having that involvement brings the whole series up a notch for all the guys in it.”

And as the competition level rises, MacDonald feels it’s more important than ever to represent New England’s racing community on the region’s signature circuit.

“It is kind of weird to look at that garage and see how much it’s changed, how few New England guys are there,” said MacDonald, who also won the inaugural ACT Invitational for northeast-based Late Models at New Hampshire in September. “But that also makes it so it’s more important for us to win at that one track, I think.

“For the other guys in the series, it’s a combined (weekend) with the Cup cars. Everyone wants to win with that kind of exposure, but maybe because it’s here at home, it gives us a little more desire to win.”

Sources: Travis Barrett/NASCARHomeTracks.com