K&N Pro Series East Stat Advance: Loudon
Analyzing The North American Power 100 At NHMS
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the North American Power 100 on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Loudon, N.H. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers at the track:
New Hampshire Race Setup
• Points leader Dylan Kwasniewski can move into a tie with Brad Leighton for second on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East single-season wins list with a victory, which would be his sixth of 2013.
• Brett Moffitt has a win and three runner-up finishes in seven previous races at NHMS.
• The active leader with three wins at NHMS, Eddie MacDonald enters this race with a streak of 10 consecutive top-10 finishes at his home track.
• Daniel Suárez has finished on the podium in four of the last five races and has improved from 12th to sixth in the standings during that run.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway:
History
• Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989.
• The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England.
• The official opening was June 5, 1990 and the first NASCAR event was a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990 in which NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers competed in combination.
• Speedway Motorsports Inc., agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008 and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Notebook
• The first NKNPS East stand-alone race was held on Sept. 2, 1990.
• There have been 57 stand-alone NKNPS East races at NHMS, more than any other track in series history.
• There have been 26 different race winners, led by Brad Leighton’s eight. Eddie MacDonald is the active leader with three victories.
• There have been 29 different pole winners, led by Kelly Moore’s six. Brett Moffitt is the active leader with three poles, and maintains the series’ qualifying record.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data
Race: #12 of 14
Track Layout: 1.058-mile asphalt oval
• Race Length: 100 laps (105.8 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 2-7 degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Brett Moffitt
2012 race winner: Kyle Larson
Track qualifying record: Brett Moffitt (128.467 mph, 29.648 seconds, 9/22/12)
ACTIVE SERIES CAREER LEADERS:
Wins
1. Brett Moffitt … 9
2. Eddie MacDonald … 6
3. Dale Quarterley … 6
Poles
1. Brett Moffitt … 10
2. Dale Quarterley … 4
3. Dylan Kwasniewski … 3
Top Fives
1. Brett Moffitt … 33
2. Dale Quarterley … 31
Eddie MacDonald … 31
Top 10s
1. Eddie MacDonald … 83
2. Dale Quarterley … 67
3. Brett Moffitt … 43
Laps Completed
1. Eddie MacDonald … 21,847
2. Dale Quarterley … 18,838
3. John Salemi … 8,500
Laps Led
1. Brett Moffitt … 1,809
2. Dale Quarterley … 706
3. Eddie MacDonald … 668
SELECT DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS:
Cole Custer (No. 00 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
• Has a win, a pole – both at Iowa Speedway – and four top 10s in 11 starts as a rookie this year.
• Ranks 12th in the overall points standings and fifth in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• This will be his first appearance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. His best finishes have come at national series tracks this year: third at Richmond International Raceway, fourth and first at Iowa.
Gray Gaulding (No. 20 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota)
• Has a pole and seven top 10s in his first 11 races. Best finish was second at Five Flags Speedway.
• Became the youngest pole winner in NKNPS East history (15 years, two months, 15 days) in April at Richmond International Raceway.
• Ranks eighth in the overall standings and second in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• This will be his first NHMS appearance. Has recorded an average finish of 15th in four previous races at national series tracks this year.
Brandon Gdovic (No. 46 WindStax.com/Aquis Communications Toyota)
• Has a win, nine top fives and 19 top 10s in 36 career starts.
• Ranks ninth in the season standings with six top 10s, including his first career victory in the April race at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Has an average finish of ninth and a best result of fourth in three previous starts at NHMS.
Ryan Gifford (No. 2 Universal Technical Institute/NTI Toyota)
• Has a win, a pole, 15 top fives and 20 top 10s in 51 career series starts.
• Ranks fifth in points with six top 10s in 11 outings, highlighted by his first career win at Richmond.
• Has an average finish of 13th and a best result of fourth in six career starts at NHMS.
• Finished ninth in his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Iowa in August.
Ben Kennedy (No. 96 Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, two poles, seven top fives and 18 top 10s in 38 career series starts.
• Ranks third in points with eight top 10s, highlighted by wins at Five Flags and Bowman Gray Stadium.
• Has an average finish of 24th and a best result of 16th in three previous series starts at NHMS.
• Has made three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts this year with a best result of 15th at Iowa.
Dylan Kwasniewski (No. 98 Royal Purple/Rockstar Energy Drink Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, three poles, eight top fives and 11 top 10s in 14 career NKNPS East starts.
• Is the season points leader on the strength of those five victories, including the last two races from the pole at Virginia International Raceway and Greenville.
• Is tied for third on the single season wins list with Tracy Gordon, Andy Santerre, Joey Logano and Corey LaJoie. A sixth win would tie him with Brad Leighton for second. Ricky Craven holds the record with 10 in 1991.
• Finished fourth in his NHMS debut in 2012.
• Was the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, where he recorded five wins, seven poles and 24 top 10s in 28 career starts from 2011-12.
Jesse Little (No. 97 NASCAR Technical Institute/Jean Savers Chevrolet)
• Has six top 10s in 18 career NKNPS East races.
• Ranks 10th in the overall season standings and third in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points. Has a top-10 average finish in his last six races.
• Finished 23rd last year in his first appearance at NHMS.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, two poles, 31 top fives and 83 top 10s in 169 career series starts.
• Ranks fourth in points with eight top 10s in 11 outings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at August Iowa.
• Has three wins, 12 top 10s, an average finish of 17th and 171 laps led in 24 career starts at NHMS. Maintains a streak of 10 top-10 finishes in a row at the track. Had an average finish of 25th in 14 starts there prior to the current top-10 streak.
Brett Moffitt (No. 11 NRC/NISCO Toyota)
• Owner of nine wins, 10 poles, 24 podiums, 33 top fives and 43 top 10s in 58 career series starts.
• Ranks second in the season standings with five top fives and nine top 10s in 11 outings.
• Is in the midst of a career-long winless drought, now at 17 races.
• Has a win (Sept. 2011), three poles, an average finish of eighth and is the active leader with 195 laps led in seven career starts at NHMS. Has three runner-up finishes at the track.
• Has an average finish of 16th in his two NCWTS appearances this year.
Ben Rhodes (No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet)
• Rookie has four top 10s in five appearances this year, highlighted by a best finish of third – among East drivers – at Iowa in June.
• Has five wins in 13 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series late model starts this season. Became the youngest late model winner in Greenville’s history in August.
• This will be his first NHMS appearance. Has three top 10s in four previous races at national series tracks.
Kenzie Ruston (No. 34 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet)
• Has four top fives and six top 10s in 11 starts.
• Ranks seventh in the overall standings and leads in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• Best career finish of third, recorded in April at Greenville, is the best finish by a female driver in NKNPS East history.
• This will be her first NHMS appearance. Has an average finish of 15th in four previous races at national series tracks.
Dale Quarterley (No. 32 Van Dyk Baler Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, four poles and 67 top 10s in 156 career NKNPS East starts.
• Has a win, a pole, two runner-ups, 15 top 10s and an average finish of 17th in 30 career NKNPS East starts at NHMS.
• Also has one top-10 finish in three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts at NHMS, and his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut came there in 2005.
Daniel Suárez (No. 6 Visit Acapulco Toyota)
• Has a win, six top fives and 12 top 10s in 27 career NKNPS East starts.
• Ranks sixth in points with six top 10s in 11 outings, highlighted by his first career victory at Columbus Motor Speedway. Has finished on the podium in four of the last five races.
• Has an average finish of 10th and a best result of seventh in three previous starts at NHMS.
UP TO SPEED:
• The 2013 season is the 27th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
• The 2013 schedule features 14 races at 12 different tracks across 10 states.
• The competition season opened with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on Feb. 19 on the short track at Daytona International Speedway. Cameron Hayley won the K&N Pro Series feature.
• Dylan Kwasniewski took the checkered flag in the first points race of the season on March 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He assumed the lead when polesitter Michael McGuire was spun out under caution on Lap 30 and held it the rest of the way.
• Brandon Gdovic captured his first career victory on April 6 at Greenville Pickens Speedway. Brett Moffitt earned his ninth career pole prior to the race, which was originally scheduled to run on March 23 but was postponed due to rain.
• In the first points race in series history in the state of Florida, the Sunshine State’s own Ben Kennedy earned his second career pole and went on to lead all 150 laps in the inaugural event at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola on April 13.
• On April 25 at Richmond International Raceway, Gray Gaulding became the youngest pole winner in series history and Ryan Gifford captured his first career checkered flag.
• It was Moffitt who took the pole and led a race-high 123 laps, but Kennedy came out with the checkered flag at Bowman Gray Stadium on June 1.
• In the East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway on June 7, Anderson Bowen captured the pole in his series debut at Kwasniewski was credited with a victory as the highest-finishing East driver.
• At Langley Speedway on June 22, Kwasniewski registered his third win of the season after qualifying was rained out.
• Daniel Suárez made his first trip to Victory Lane on July 13 after leading 88 laps at Columbus while Kwasniewski earned the pole win.
• It was a record-setting night at Iowa on Aug. 2 as Cole Custer dominated the action and became the youngest race winner in series history.
• In the series’ return to a road course for the first time in three seasons, Kwasniewski stole the show as he captured the pole and led 39 of 57 laps en route to victory at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 24.
• Kwasniewski won from the pole for the second race in a row when he triumphed in Greenville on Sept. 2.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR K&N Pro Series East PR