PRACTICE: Custer Speeds to Top
2-Time K&N Pro East Winner Fastest At Dover
DOVER, Del. – Rookie Cole Custer used a late run to post the fastest time Thursday over the two NASCAR K&N Pro Series East practice sessions at Dover International Speedway.
The 15-year-old Custer, who won earlier this season at Iowa Speedway and last week at New Hampshire International Speedway, had a time of 23.526 seconds around the high-banked mile for a speed of 153.022 mph. It came in the 37th of 38 laps he ran in the second 1 hour, 10 minute session for Friday’s Drive Sober 150.
Fellow rookie Austin Hill was second fastest at 23.739 (151.649).
Delaware native C.J. Faison was fastest in the first practice with a lap of 23.768 (151.464), which was good for third overall.
Gray Gaulding and points leader Dylan Kwasniewski were fourth and fifth, respectively. Twelve of the top 13 times were posted in the second session.
Kennedy was sixth overall, followed by Kyle Benjamin, Justin Boston, Ben Rhodes and Matt Tifft. Benjamin is making his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut.
Kwasniewski enters the weekend – the second-to-last race of the season – with a 23-point lead over Brett Moffitt. Moffitt, a two-time winner at Dover, was 18th fastest in first practice and 27th in second.
Qualifying for the Drive Sober 150 will be 10 a.m. Friday, with the green flag at 4:45 p.m.
PRACTICE RESULTS
NKNPS East Dover 9/27/13 Practice
Submitted by jchristley on September 26, 2013 – 3:20pm
FINAL PRACTICE
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 00 Cole Custer * Smith Transport/Haas Automation Chevrolet 23.526 153.022 37 38
2 13 Austin Hill * Don Rich Ford/A & D Welding Ford 23.739 151.649 30 30 0.213
3 20 Gray Gaulding * Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota 23.78 151.388 28 29 0.254
4 98 Dylan Kwasniewski Rockstar Energy Drink/Royal Purple Chevrolet 23.801 151.254 5 34 0.275
5 2 Ryan Gifford Sunoco Racing Fuel Toyota 23.848 150.956 21 22 0.322
6 39 C J Faison Little Caesars Pizza Chevrolet 23.882 150.741 24 31 0.356
7 96 Ben Kennedy Delaware Office of Highway Safety Chevrolet 23.907 150.584 49 49 0.381
8 52 Kyle Benjamin * Federated Auto Parts/Rain Eater Dodge 23.923 150.483 46 47 0.397
9 25 Justin Boston * ZLOOP Electronic Recycling Toyota 23.968 150.2 55 55 0.442
10 41 Ben Rhodes * Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 23.982 150.113 18 19 0.456
11 89 Matt Tifft * DOC 360 Chevrolet 24.022 149.863 12 23 0.496
12 97 Jesse Little * NASCAR Technical Institute Chevrolet 24.045 149.719 27 37 0.519
13 26 Dylan Presnell Amtrol/American Mountain Rentals Chevrolet 24.063 149.607 2 50 0.537
14 47 Cale Conley TAIT / PMC Toyota 24.113 149.297 34 34 0.587
15 51 Michael McGuire * Woods Towing & Transportation Toyota 24.13 149.192 9 10 0.604
16 33 Brandon Jones * Rheem Chevrolet 24.141 149.124 43 43 0.615
17 34 Kenzie Ruston * AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 24.178 148.896 32 33 0.652
18 4 Bryan Ortiz Rev Racing Toyota 24.179 148.89 27 27 0.653
19 18 Sam Hunt Drive Technology Toyota 24.184 148.859 34 34 0.658
20 28 Brandon McReynolds * McReynolds Incorporated Chevrolet 24.191 148.816 19 27 0.665
21 72 Scott Heckert * Project Lifesaver Chevrolet 24.206 148.723 25 31 0.68
22 6 Daniel Suárez Visit Acapulco Toyota 24.237 148.533 39 40 0.711
23 37 Sergio Pena Legends Gear & Trans/Spraker Racing Chevrolet 24.299 148.154 32 39 0.773
24 21 Mackena Bell * Toyota Racing Development Toyota 24.356 147.808 34 35 0.83
25 31 Trey Hutchens * MilitaryWarriors.org/Impact Gel Chevrolet 24.364 147.759 34 43 0.838
26 99 Austin Dyne KMC Wheels Chevrolet 24.412 147.468 43 43 0.886
27 11 Brett Moffitt Gunma Toyopet Toyota 24.47 147.119 7 26 0.944
28 71 Eddie MacDonald Grimm Const./National MS Society Chevrolet 24.471 147.113 61 62 0.945
29 4 Ronnie Bassett, Jr. * Jerry Hunt Auto Sales/Rheem Toyota 24.521 146.813 2 32 0.995
30 32 Dale Quarterly Van Dyk/Bollegraaf Chevrolet 24.646 146.068 23 29 1.12
31 46 Brandon Gdovic WindStax.com/Aquis Communications Toyota 24.804 145.138 27 27 1.278
32 77 Austin Wayne Self * AM Technical Solutions Dodge 24.912 144.509 40 55 1.386
33 63 John Salemi Envirotek Toyota 24.939 144.352 11 31 1.413
34 91 J. C. Stout Once Again Nut Butter/Hart’s Ins. Chevrolet 24.954 144.265 15 24 1.428
35 0 Rafael Vallina * Jarritos Mineragua Toyota 25.314 142.214 38 44 1.788
36 44 Akinori Ogata * ENEOS Motor Oil Toyota 25.708 140.034 24 41 2.182
FIRST PRACTICE
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 39 C J Faison Little Caesars Pizza Chevrolet 23.768 151.464 20 21
2 97 Jesse Little * NASCAR Technical Institute Chevrolet 24.081 149.495 25 35 0.313
3 26 Dylan Presnell Amtrol/American Mountain Rentals Chevrolet 24.112 149.303 32 33 0.344
4 41 Ben Rhodes * Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 24.166 148.970 26 31 0.398
5 13 Austin Hill * Don Rich Ford/A & D Welding Ford 24.201 148.754 39 45 0.433
6 98 Dylan Kwasniewski Rockstar Energy Drink/Royal Purple Chevrolet 24.240 148.515 18 36 0.472
7 2 Ryan Gifford Sunoco Racing Fuel Toyota 24.263 148.374 23 24 0.495
8 96 Ben Kennedy Delaware Office of Highway Safety Chevrolet 24.304 148.124 15 36 0.536
9 89 Matt Tifft * DOC 360 Chevrolet 24.308 148.099 16 34 0.540
10 37 Sergio Pena Legends Gear & Trans/Spraker Racing Chevrolet 24.319 148.032 14 14 0.551
11 00 Cole Custer * Smith Transport/Haas Automation Chevrolet 24.340 147.905 49 51 0.572
12 20 Gray Gaulding * Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Toyota 24.384 147.638 11 44 0.616
13 33 Brandon Jones * Rheem Chevrolet 24.419 147.426 38 39 0.651
14 51 Michael McGuire * Woods Towing & Transportation Toyota 24.421 147.414 12 13 0.653
15 47 Cale Conley TAIT / PMC Toyota 24.435 147.330 33 42 0.667
16 52 Kyle Benjamin * Federated Auto Parts/Rain Eater Dodge 24.472 147.107 7 29 0.704
17 72 Scott Heckert * Project Lifesaver Chevrolet 24.517 146.837 27 27 0.749
18 11 Brett Moffitt Gunma Toyopet Toyota 24.536 146.723 9 9 0.768
19 28 Brandon McReynolds * McReynolds Incorporated Chevrolet 24.565 146.550 8 13 0.797
20 4 Bryan Ortiz Rev Racing Toyota 24.588 146.413 15 21 0.820
21 34 Kenzie Ruston * AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet 24.594 146.377 30 47 0.826
22 18 Sam Hunt Drive Technology Toyota 24.601 146.336 8 25 0.833
23 4 Ronnie Bassett, Jr. * Jerry Hunt Auto Sales/Rheem Toyota 24.626 146.187 22 22 0.858
24 71 Eddie MacDonald Grimm Const./National MS Society Chevrolet 24.704 145.725 20 29 0.936
25 32 Dale Quarterly Van Dyk/Bollegraaf Chevrolet 24.707 145.708 14 21 0.939
26 25 Justin Boston * ZLOOP Electronic Recycling Toyota 24.727 145.590 32 41 0.959
27 99 Austin Dyne KMC Wheels Chevrolet 24.801 145.155 48 50 1.033
28 21 Mackena Bell * Toyota Racing Development Toyota 24.844 144.904 26 27 1.076
29 77 Austin Wayne Self * AM Technical Solutions Dodge 24.912 144.509 46 47 1.144
30 6 Daniel Suárez Visit Acapulco Toyota 24.944 144.323 7 7 1.176
31 31 Trey Hutchens * MilitaryWarriors.org/Impact Gel Chevrolet 25.279 142.411 36 45 1.511
32 91 J. C. Stout Once Again Nut Butter/Hart’s Ins. Chevrolet 25.336 142.090 8 13 1.568
33 46 Brandon Gdovic WindStax.com/Aquis Communications Toyota 25.602 140.614 4 19 1.834
34 0 Rafael Vallina * Jarritos Mineragua Toyota 25.789 139.594 29 30 2.021
35 44 Akinori Ogata * ENEOS Motor Oil Toyota 25.921 138.884 9 11 2.153
* Denotes Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
Sources: Jason Christley/NASCAR K&N Pro Series East PR