PRACTICE: Custer Quick At Magic Mile

Fastest In North American Power 100 Practice

LOUDON, N.H. – The big tracks just seem to suit NASCAR K&N Pro Series East rookie Cole Custer.

Following the best performances of his first year at facilities like Richmond International Raceway and Iowa Speedway – where he won from the pole in August – Custer is once again proving to be a contender at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as he led the way in practice for this weekend’s North American Power 100.

Custer, a 15-year-old from Ladera Ranch, Calif., posted a fast lap of 29.794 seconds (127.838 mph) in the 90-minute session Friday morning to lead the 31-car contingent. Custer also registered the best 10 consecutive lap average around the 1.058-mile oval at 124.682 mph.

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Cale Conley finished second on the speed chart at 29.904 (127.368) followed by a pair of rookies, who like Custer, are making their New Hampshire debuts. Gray Gaulding was fourth at 29.960 (127.130) and Ben Rhodes fifth at 29.983 (127.032).

Season points leader Dylan Kwasniewski finished fifth on the practice chart at 30.021 (126.871). Kwasniewski brings a 40-point advantage on Brett Moffitt to Loudon and will vie for a third straight pole later today in qualifying at 2 p.m.

Brandon Watson, Mackena Bell, Ryan Gifford, Jesse Little and Ben Kennedy rounded out the top 10 in Friday morning practice in the K&N Pro Series East’s lone stop this year at the “Magic Mile.”

The North American Power 100 is slated to take the green flag on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

PRACTICE RESULTS

NKNPS East NHMS 9/21/13 Practice
Submitted by jcunningham on September 20, 2013 – 10:18am
Pos No. Name Sponsor Time Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 00 Cole Custer * Haas Automation Chevrolet 29.793 127.842 51 51
2 47 Cale Conley PMC Toyota 29.904 127.368 30 32 0.111
3 20 Gray Gaulding * Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota 29.961 127.125 40 54 0.168
4 41 Ben Rhodes * Alpha Industries Chevrolet 29.982 127.036 24 40 0.189
5 98 Dylan Kwasniewski Royal Purple/Rockstar Energy Drink Chevrolet 30.020 126.875 32 33 0.227
6 5 Brandon Watson * Royal Distributing/Shear Metal Chevrolet 30.119 126.458 30 35 0.326
7 21 Mackena Bell * Toyota Racing Development Toyota 30.131 126.408 26 26 0.338
8 2 Ryan Gifford Universal Technical Institute/NTI Toyota 30.232 125.986 8 16 0.439
9 97 Jesse Little * NASCAR Technical Inst./Jean Savers Chevrolet 30.257 125.882 33 41 0.464
10 96 Ben Kennedy Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet 30.268 125.836 44 44 0.475
11 6 Daniel Suárez Visit Acapulco Toyota 30.279 125.790 12 22 0.486
12 99 Austin Dyne KMC Wheels Chevrolet 30.299 125.707 57 57 0.506
13 72 Scott Heckert * Project Lifesaver Chevrolet 30.326 125.595 28 40 0.533
14 1 Johnny VanDoorn * Karl Performance Chevrolet 30.339 125.541 24 30 0.546
15 89 Matt Tifft * DOC 360 Chevrolet 30.368 125.421 28 34 0.575
16 77 Austin Wayne Self * AM Technical Solutions Dodge 30.402 125.281 41 41 0.609
17 34 Kenzie Ruston * AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 30.425 125.187 40 43 0.632
18 71 Eddie MacDonald Grimm Const./National MS Society Chevrolet 30.438 125.133 45 49 0.645
19 4 Bryan Ortiz Rev Racing Toyota 30.454 125.067 25 26 0.661
20 11 Brett Moffitt NRC/NISCO Toyota 30.476 124.977 7 37 0.683
21 39 Cory Joyce * Caplin Family Charities Chevrolet 30.512 124.830 27 39 0.719
22 04 Ronnie Bassett, Jr. * Jerry Hunt Auto Sales/Rheem Toyota 30.544 124.699 31 41 0.751
23 33 Brandon Jones * Rheem Chevrolet 30.592 124.503 30 37 0.799
24 26 Dylan Presnell Amtrol/American Mountain Rentals Chevrolet 30.794 123.686 33 33 1.001
25 15 Trey Hutchens, III * MilitaryWarriors.org/Impact Gel Chevrolet 30.901 123.258 41 41 1.108
26 0 Rafael Vallina * Jarritos Mineragua Toyota 31.075 122.568 28 29 1.282
27 44 Akinori Ogata * Enos Motor Oil Toyota 31.185 122.136 25 31 1.392
28 46 Brandon Gdovic WindStax.com/Aquis Communications Toyota 31.251 121.878 17 17 1.458
29 37 Clay Campbell Legend Gear & Trans/Spraker Racing Chevrolet 31.283 121.753 24 35 1.490
30 63 John Salemi Envirotek Toyota 31.288 121.734 9 26 1.495
31 19 Chuck Buchanan Jr. * Spring Drug Chevrolet 33.262 114.509 41 50 3.469

*Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender

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