K&N Pro Series East Stat Advance: Dover
Analyzing The Drive Sober 150 At Dover International Speedway
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will head to Dover (Del.) International Speedway for the Drive Sober 150 on Friday, Sept. 27. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers at the track:
Dover Race Setup
• Points leader Dylan Kwasniewski has a mathematical shot at clinching the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship at Dover International Speedway. He brings a 23-point lead on Brett Moffitt into the Drive Sober 150.
• 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.
• Moffitt is the only driver in series history with two victories at Dover and he’s led laps in three of his four career starts there.
• Daniel Suárez has finished on the podium in five of the last six races and has improved from 12th to fifth in the standings during that run.
DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:
History
• The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969 – won by Richard Petty.
• Dover held 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series–NASCAR K&N Pro Series East combination races from 1987-92.
• The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
• The first stand-alone NKNPS East race was held at Dover on July 18, 1998.
• The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.
Notebook
• There have been 12 previous stand-alone NKNPS East races at Dover.
• Of those 12 previous events, there have been 11 different race winners and 10 different pole winners, with qualifying cancelled one year.
• Of the 11 previous winners, only Brett Moffitt has won twice.
• Of the 10 previous pole winners, only Darrell Wallace Jr. has two.
Dover International Speedway
Race: #13 of 14
Track Layout: One-mile concrete oval
• Race Length: 150 laps (150 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
• Banking/Straights: Nine degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
2012 Race Winner: Corey LaJoie
2012 Pole Winner: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Qualifying Record: Matt DiBenedetto (23.201 seconds, 155.166 mph, 9/25/09)
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 … 44
Laps Completed
1. Eddie MacDonald … 21,891
2. Dale Quarterley … 18,838
3. John Salemi … 8,605
Laps Led
1. Brett Moffitt … 1,809
2. Dale Quarterley … 706
3. Eddie MacDonald … 672
CHAMPIONSHIP CLINCH SCENARIOS:
• Dylan Kwasniewski enters the Drive Sober 150 with a 23-point lead on Brett Moffitt, 473-450.
• Since Kwasniewski owns the points tiebreaker by virtue of the earning the most wins during the season, he needs to have a 48-point lead on Moffitt at the conclusion of the race for the championship to be clinched at Dover International Speedway.
• Kwasniewski would need to gain 25 points on Moffitt to clinch at Dover by positions on the track and potential laps led bonuses. He would also need to remain 48 points ahead of the rest of the field.
SELECT DRIVER HIGHLIGHTS:
Cole Custer (No. 00 Haas Automation Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, two poles and five top 10s in 12 starts as a rookie this year.
• Won from the pole at Iowa Speedway in August and last time out at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
• Ranks 10th in the overall points standings and fifth in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points.
• This will be his first appearance at Dover International Speedway. His best finishes have come at national series tracks this year: third at Richmond International Raceway, fourth and first at Iowa, first at New Hampshire.
Gray Gaulding (No. 20 Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota)
• Has a pole and eight top 10s in his first 12 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.
• Ranks sixth in the overall standings and is tied for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year points lead.
• This will be his first Dover appearance. Has recorded an average finish of 12th in six previous races at national series tracks this year, including the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West opener at Phoenix International Raceway.
Brandon Gdovic (No. 46 WindStax.com/Aquis Communications Toyota)
• Has a win, nine top fives and 19 top 10s in 37 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 finishes of 11th and 10th in his two previous starts at Dover.
Ryan Gifford (No. 2 Sunoco Racing Fuel Toyota)
• Has a win, a pole, 15 top fives and 20 top 10s in 52 career series starts.
• Ranks eighth in points with six top 10s in 12 outings, highlighted by his first career win at Richmond.
• Has an average finish of 11th and a best result of second (2009) in four career starts at Dover. Led 32 laps there in 2009 and 43 in 2011.
• Finished ninth in his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Iowa in August.
Ben Kennedy (No. 96 Delaware Office of Highway Safety Chevrolet)
• Has two wins, two poles, seven top fives and 18 top 10s in 39 career series starts.
• Is tied for third in points with eight top 10s, highlighted by wins at Five Flags and Bowman Gray Stadium.
• Has finishes of 12th and fourth in two previous starts at Dover.
• 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 15 career NKNPS East starts.
• Is the season points leader on the strength of those five victories.
• 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.
• This will be his first appearance at Dover.
• 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 Chevrolet)
• Has seven top 10s in 19 career NKNPS East races.
• Ranks 11th in the overall season standings and is tied for the lead in Sunoco Rookie of the Year points. Has a top-10 average finish in his last seven races.
• Finished 22nd last year at Dover after being involved in an accident.
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, two poles, 31 top fives and 83 top 10s in 170 career series starts.
• Is tied for third in points with eight top 10s in 12 outings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Iowa in August.
• Has four top 10s, an average finish of 12th and a best result of third (2004) in 11 previous races at Dover.
Michael McGuire (No. 51 Woods Towing & Transportation Toyota)
• Has five top 10s in six career NKNPS East starts. All five top 10s have come at national series tracks. His one result outside the top 10 came on a road course at VIR.
• Best career series finish was fourth in the 2013 opener at Bristol, where he earned the pole.
Brandon McReynolds (No. 28 McReynolds Incorporated Chevrolet)
• Has six top-10 finishes in 11 NKNPS East starts.
• Best career series finish was third at Dover in 2012. Also finished eighth there in 2011.
• Has two top 10s in three previous series starts this season.
Brett Moffitt (No. 11 Gunma Toyopet Toyota)
• Owner of nine wins, 10 poles, 24 podiums, 33 top fives and 44 top 10s in 59 career series starts.
• Ranks second in the season standings with five top fives and a series-high 10 top 10s in 12 outings.
• Is in the midst of a career-long winless drought, now at 18 races.
• Has two wins (2009, 2010), an average finish of 10th and 162 laps led in four previous starts at Dover.
• Has an average finish of 16th in his two NCWTS appearances this year.
Sergio Peña (No. 37 Legend Gear & Transmission/Spraker Racing Chevrolet)
• Has three wins and 19 top 10s in 37 career NKNPS East starts.
• This will be his second series appearance this season. Finished eight at Five Flags.
• Has an average finish of 15th and a best result of eighth (2010) in three previous Dover starts.
Dale Quarterley (No. 32 Van Dyk Baler Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, four poles and 67 top 10s in 156 career starts.
• Only previous appearance this season was a 22nd-place effort at Virginia International Raceway.
• Has a win (2004), six top 10s, an average finish of 11th and leads active drivers with 174 laps led at Dover.
Ben Rhodes (No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet)
• Rookie has five top 10s in six 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 Dover appearance. Has four top 10s in five previous races at national series tracks.
Kenzie Ruston (No. 34 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet)
• Has four top fives and six top 10s in 12 starts.
• Ranks seventh in the overall standings and third 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 Dover appearance. Has an average finish of 16th in five previous races at national series tracks.
Daniel Suárez (No. 6 Visit Acapulco Toyota)
• Has a win, seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 28 career NKNPS East starts.
• Ranks fifth in points with seven top 10s in 12 outings, highlighted by his first career victory at Columbus Motor Speedway. Has finished on the podium in five of the last six races.
• This will be his first Dover race. Has seven top 10s an average finish of 14th in 17 career combined East & West starts at national series tracks.
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.
• For the second time in three races Custer turned in a dominating performance as he won both the pole and the race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 21.
Sources: Jason Cunningham/NASCAR K&N Pro Series East PR