PRACTICE: Fast Daytona for Rhodes
16-Year-Old Tops UNOH Battle At The Beach Charts
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ben Rhodes led the way in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East final UNOH Battle At The Beach practice on Tuesday at Daytona International Speedway.
Rhodes, a 16-year-old from Louisville, Ky., posted a fast time of 18.373 seconds which translates to 72.498 mph on the .37-mile short track situated on the Superstetch at the “World Center Of Racing.”
Rhodes is a member of the NASCAR Next program that is an industry initiative that spotlights young, talented drivers.
Rookie Nick Drake was second with a time of 18.504 seconds (71.984 mph) followed by Kenzie Ruston at 18.556 seconds (71.783 mph). Daniel Suárez – winner of Sunday’s season opener at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway – was fourth 18.565 seconds (71.748 mph) while Brodie Kostecki, another rookie, placed fifth with a time of 18.577 seconds (71.702 mph).
Gray Gaulding, Brandon Gdovic, Brandon McReynolds, Sergio Peña and Lee Pulliam rounded out the top-10 practice performers.
Ruston led the first session of the day followed by Suárez, Rhodes, Lee Pulliam and Cameron Hayley.
Two-lap qualifying is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET start and the UNOH Battle at the Beach is set to get underway at 7 p.m. with NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Whelen Southern Modified Tour race followed by the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at approximately 8:45 p.m.
NASCARHomeTracks.com will provide a live video stream of the qualifying.
Live race coverage on FOX Sports 2 will begin at 7 p.m. while radio coverage on the Motor Racing Network with live streaming MRN.com and SiriusXM NASCAR Ch. 90 gets underway at 6:45 p.m.
PRACTICE RESULTS
NKNPS East Daytona 2/18/14 Practice
Submitted by ssbarra on February 18, 2014 – 12:50pm
FINAL PRACTICE
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 41 Ben Rhodes * Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 18.373 72.498 18 31
2 15 Nick Drake * NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 18.504 71.984 42 42 0.131
3 96 Kenzie Ruston Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet 18.556 71.783 31 31 0.183
4 6 Daniel Suarez Sunoco Race Fuels Toyota 18.565 71.748 13 14 0.192
5 43 Brodie Kostecki * Arcoplate Toyota 18.577 71.702 26 39 0.204
6 20 Gray Gaulding Krispy Kreme Chevrolet 18.592 71.644 28 34 0.219
7 46 Brandon Gdovic American Messaging/Windstax.com Toyota 18.593 71.640 36 37 0.220
8 16 Brandon McReynolds NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 18.596 71.628 35 36 0.223
9 4 Sergio Pena UTI/NASCAR Technical Institiue Toyota 18.617 71.548 47 47 0.244
10 11 Lee Pulliam * Don Valley North Toyota Toyota 18.619 71.540 25 25 0.246
11 24 Brennan Newberry Qore24 Chevrolet 18.645 71.440 41 48 0.272
12 1 David Garbo, Jr. Garbo Lobster Toyota 18.690 71.268 6 34 0.317
13 31 Kaz Grala * OzLINK Chevrolet 18.716 71.169 35 36 0.343
14 34 Scott Heckert Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet 18.729 71.120 21 37 0.356
15 71 Eddie MacDonald Grimm Contracting Chevrolet 18.740 71.078 24 46 0.367
16 98 Cameron Hayley Cabinets by Hayley Chevrolet 18.749 71.044 20 48 0.376
17 21 Mackena Bell Special Smiles Toyota 18.770 70.964 51 51 0.397
18 99 Patrick Staropoli * PEAK Toyota 18.816 70.791 10 48 0.443
19 97 Jesse Little Vanacore Homes/NTI Chevrolet 18.831 70.734 58 62 0.458
20 04 Ronnie Bassett Butler Trailers Mfg. Toyota 18.833 70.727 5 53 0.460
21 89 Cory Joyce * Kyros Ent 18.835 70.719 37 47 0.462
22 22 Austin Hill * A&D Welding Ford 18.841 70.697 24 39 0.468
23 33 Brandon Jones Wolfpack Energy Services Chevrolet 18.870 70.588 23 30 0.497
24 75 Nathan Russell * VSI Racing/Russell Stone Products Chevrolet 18.877 70.562 31 34 0.504
25 12 Beto Monteiro * Lenovo/Champion Oil Dodge 18.894 70.499 52 65 0.521
26 42 Jay Beasley * Toyota Racing Development Toyota 18.912 70.431 44 45 0.539
27 07 Clint King * Warehouse Design Chevrolet 18.980 70.179 29 35 0.607
28 2 Ryan Gifford Toyota Racing Development Toyota 19.196 69.389 30 43 0.823
29 18 Sam Hunt Paragon Energy Holdings Toyota 19.297 69.026 52 53 0.924
30 55 Jerry Dawson * EXIT Realty Chevrolet 19.529 68.206 8 31 1.156
FIRST PRACTICE
Pos No. Name Sponsor Best Tm Best Speed In Lap Laps Diff
1 96 Kenzie Ruston Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet 18.661 71.379 30 44
2 6 Daniel Suarez Sunoco Race Fuels Toyota 18.705 71.211 26 31 0.044
3 41 Ben Rhodes * Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 18.723 71.142 10 27 0.062
4 11 Lee Pulliam * Don Valley North Toyota Toyota 18.765 70.983 10 28 0.104
5 98 Cameron Hayley Cabinets by Hayley Chevrolet 18.829 70.742 7 35 0.168
6 1 David Garbo, Jr. Garbo Lobster Toyota 18.860 70.626 45 46 0.199
7 31 Kaz Grala * OzLINK Chevrolet 18.880 70.551 38 39 0.219
8 22 Austin Hill * A&D Welding Ford 18.888 70.521 26 35 0.227
9 15 Nick Drake * NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 18.899 70.480 48 48 0.238
10 20 Gray Gaulding Krispy Kreme Chevrolet 18.902 70.469 11 31 0.241
11 21 Mackena Bell Special Smiles Toyota 18.935 70.346 43 45 0.274
12 16 Brandon McReynolds NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 18.937 70.338 42 43 0.276
13 75 Nathan Russell * VSI Racing/Russell Stone Products Chevrolet 18.941 70.324 19 34 0.280
14 4 Sergio Pena UTI/NASCAR Technical Institiue Toyota 18.941 70.324 43 45 0.280
15 99 Patrick Staropoli * PEAK Toyota 18.954 70.275 43 44 0.293
16 43 Brodie Kostecki * Arcoplate Toyota 19.003 70.094 19 22 0.342
17 34 Scott Heckert Turner Scott Motorsports Chevrolet 19.017 70.043 17 43 0.356
18 46 Brandon Gdovic American Messaging/Windstax.com Toyota 19.024 70.017 43 55 0.363
19 97 Jesse Little Vanacore Homes/NTI Chevrolet 19.037 69.969 11 38 0.376
20 07 Clint King * Warehouse Design Chevrolet 19.052 69.914 31 42 0.391
21 42 Jay Beasley * Toyota Racing Development Toyota 19.062 69.877 45 50 0.401
22 04 Ronnie Bassett Butler Trailer Mfg. Toyota 19.095 69.756 20 37 0.434
23 24 Brennan Newberry Qore24 Chevrolet 19.133 69.618 28 28 0.472
24 12 Beto Monteiro * Lenovo/Champion Oil Dodge 19.174 69.469 17 38 0.513
25 2 Ryan Gifford Toyota Racing Development Toyota 19.185 69.429 52 53 0.524
26 71 Eddie MacDonald Grimm Contracting Chevrolet 19.219 69.306 27 31 0.558
27 33 Brandon Jones Wolfpack Energy Services Chevrolet 19.313 68.969 20 39 0.652
28 89 Cory Joyce * Kyros Entertainment Toyota 19.353 68.827 36 40 0.692
29 55 Jerry Dawson * EXIT Realty Chevrolet 19.679 67.686 12 37 1.018
30 18 Sam Hunt Paragon Energy Holdings Toyota 19.719 67.549 21 32 1.058
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
Sources: Shon Sbarra/NASCAR PR