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 International Speedway for the Drive Sober 150 on Friday, Sept. 26. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers at the track:
Dover Race Setup
• Ben Rhodes clinched his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship after a fourth-place effort at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina the last time out. It was the second consecutive title for Turner Scott Motorsports.
• Defending race-winner Austin Hill is the only driver on the entry list with a previous win at Dover.
• Eddie MacDonald will attempt to make his 13th start at the Monster Mile. He leads all drivers with three top fives and four top 10s in his previous starts at Dover.
• Cameron Hayley enters the event with a 19-point cushion for the second spot in the standings, but just 27 points separate third from ninth in the championship standings.
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 13 previous stand-alone NKNPS East races at Dover.
• Of those 13 previous events, there have been 12 different race winners and 11 different pole winners, with qualifying cancelled one year.
• Of the 12 previous winners, only Brett Moffitt has won twice.
• Of the 11 previous pole winners, only Darrell Wallace Jr. has two.
Dover International Speedway
Race: #16 of 16
Track Layout: One-mile concrete oval
• Race Length: 150 laps (150 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
• Banking/Straights: Nine degrees
Qualifying/Race Data
2013 Race Winner: Austin Hill
2013 Pole Winner: Cale Conley
Qualifying Record: Matt DiBenedetto (23.201 seconds, 155.166 mph, 9/25/09)
ACTIVE SERIES CAREER LEADERS:
Wins
1. Eddie MacDonald … 7
2. Dale Quarterley … 6
3. Ben Rhodes … 5
Poles
1. Ben Rhodes … 5
2. Dale Quarterley … 4
3. Scott Heckert … 3
Top Fives
1. Eddie MacDonald … 33
2. Dale Quarterley … 31
3. Ryan Gifford … 16
Top 10s
1. Eddie MacDonald … 88
2. Dale Quarterley … 68
3. Ryan Gifford … 25
Laps Completed
1. Eddie MacDonald … 23,219
2. Dale Quarterley … 18,941
3. John Salemi … 8,804
Laps Led
1. Ben Rhodes … 757
2. Dale Quarterley … 706
3. Eddie MacDonald … 674
Selected Driver Information:
Cole Custer (No. 00 NAPA Auto Parts/Haas Automation Toyota)
• Has four wins, four poles, eight top fives and 10 top 10s in 24 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series starts (includes one win, two poles, one top five and two top 10s in four K&N Pro Series West starts).
• Won the K&N Pro Series West season-opening event in Phoenix and the K&N Pro Series East event at Richmond this year.
• Won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 20.
• Finished 14th in this event last season.
• Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Jay Beasley (No. 42 Toyota Racing Development Toyota)
• Has two top fives and four top 10s in 15 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Occupies the 13th position in the season standings.
• Will make his Dover debut in the Drive Sober 150 on Friday.
• Finished season-best fourth at Iowa Speedway on May 17.
Mackena Bell (No. 21 Special Smiles Pediatric Dentistry Toyota)
• Has two top fives and five top 10s in 35 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Ranks 15th in the season standings.
• Finished 19th in her only start at Dover (2013).
Nick Drake (No. 15 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
• Has four top fives and eight top 10s in 15 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Ranks ninth in the championship standings.
• Finished season-best second at Iowa Speedway on May 17.
• Collected first series top-five finish (4th) on Feb. 18 at Daytona International Speedway.
• Finished third in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 2014 season opener at Phoenix International Raceway.
• Will make his Dover debut in the Drive Sober 150
Gray Gaulding (No. 20 Krispy Kreme Chevrolet)
• Has two poles, seven top fives and 16 top 10s in 29 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Sits fourth in points
• Recorded a season-best finish of second on March 15 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
• Became the youngest pole winner in NKNPS East history (15 years, 2 months, 15 days) in April 2013 at Richmond.
• Became the youngest race winner in NKNPS West history (15 years, 8 months, 30 days) in November 2013 at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway.
• Became the youngest pole winner in NKNPS West history (15 years, 8 months, 16 days) in October 2013 at Kern County Raceway Park.
• Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on March 30 at Martinsville Speedway.
• Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Ryan Gifford (No. 2 UTI/NASCAR Technical Institute Toyota)
• Has one win, one pole, 16 top fives and 25 top 10s in 69 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Best career finish at Dover was second in 2009.
• Finished 28th in this event last season and has one top five, two top 10s and an average finish of 14.2 in five career Dover starts.
• Recorded a top-10 finish in his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on August 3, 2013 at Iowa Speedway.
• Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Kaz Grala (No. 31 NETTTS Chevrolet)
• Has three top fives and nine top 10s in 15 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Occupies the sixth spot in the season standings.
• Finished a season-best fourth at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8.
• Will make his Dover debut in the Drive Sober 150.
• Is the K&N Pro Series East’s youngest full-time competitor at 15 years of age.
Cameron Hayley (No. 98 Cabinets By Hayley Chevrolet)
• Has one pole, seven top fives and nine top 10s in 16 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Sits second in the championship standings with a 19-point lead over the third-place driver.
• Had a season-best finish of second in the season opener at New Smyrna Speedway, Langley Speedway, Columbus Motor Speedway, Virginia International Raceway and Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Has a win, six poles, 19 top fives and 26 top 10s in 34 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts.
• Was championship runner-up to Derek Thorn last season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
• Is the youngest (15 years, 23 days) driver to start K&N West race in August 2011.
• Took over Turner Scott Motorsports car that Dylan Kwasniewski drove to the K&N East championship in 2013.
• Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on Aug. 31, 2014 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
• Is an alumnus of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Scott Heckert (No. 34 Project Lifesaver Chevrolet)
• Earned his first career victory at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8. Followed that up with a victory at Virginia International Raceway on Aug. 16.
• Has two wins, three poles, five top fives and nine top 10s in 29 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Is tenth in the season standings.
• Finished 23rd at Dover last season.
Austin Hill (No. 22 A&D Welding/Don Rich Ford Ford)
• Has two wins, seven top fives and 11 top 10s in 22 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Ranks 7th in championship standings after 15 races.
• Has nine top 10s in his last 14 series starts with six of those being top-five finishes.
• Won the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 from Greenville Pickens Speedway the last time out.
• Is the defending race winner.
• Member of 2014-15 NASCAR Next class.
Brandon Jones (No. 33 Richard Childress Museum Chevrolet)
• Has one win, five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes in 22 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Holds down the third position in points, 19 points behind Cameron Hayley for the second spot
• Recorded first series win in Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1
• Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut last August at Bristol.
Jesse Little (No. 97 NASCAR Technical Institute Chevrolet)
• Recorded first career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 11. Has one win, one pole, 10 top fives and 18 top 10s in 35 career NKNPS East races.
• Finished fifth in last year’s event. Has one top five and one top 10 in two career Dover starts.
• Won his first series pole award at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1.
• Owns the fifth position in the championship standings.
• Was 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year for the K&N Pro Series East and finished ninth in championship standings.
• Made K&N Pro Series West, in which his father, Chad, was the 1987 champion, debut last November at Phoenix.
• Member of 2014-15 NASCAR Next class.
Sergio Peña (No. 4 Toyota Racing Development Toyota)
• Has four wins, nine top fives and 24 top 10s in 54 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Is ranked 14th in the points standings.
• His best Dover finish was eighth in 2010. In four career starts, he has one top 10 and an average finish of 16.5.
• Earned his first victory of the season and third 2014 win for Rev Racing at Columbus Motor Speedway on July 19.
• Is an alumnus of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport, and a current member of Rev Racing and Drive for Diversity.
Ben Rhodes (No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet)
• Has five wins, five poles, 13 top fives and 18 top 10s in 22 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Clinched the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship and 2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year award.
• Finished 26th in his Dover debut last season
• Has five wins and nine podium finishes his last 13 events.
• Scored first career win on March 22 at Greenville. Most recent win came at Langley.
• Made NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on March 30 at Martinsville and finished eighth.
• Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Kenzie Ruston (No. 96 The Delaware Office of Highway Safety Chevrolet)
• Has seven top fives and 13 top 10s in 29 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Ranks eighth in the championship driver standings.
• Her runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1 was her best career finish and the highest finish by a female in series history.
• Is a member of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Daniel Suárez (No. 6 Rev Racing Toyota)
• Has three wins, 12 top fives and 22 top 10s in 42 career K&N Pro Series East starts.
• Won the first two races of the year at New Smyrna Speedway and Daytona International Speedway.
• Made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Richmond on April 25.
• Will run full-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2015 with Joe Gibbs Racing.
• Also runs full-time in the NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series and is in fifth place in the championship standings.
• Is an alumnus of the NASCAR Next program that spotlights young talent in the sport.
Up To Speed:
• The 2014 season is the 28th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
• The 2014 schedule features 16 races at 14 different tracks across 10 states.
• Daniel Suárez opened the season with a narrow victory over Cameron Hayley, who won his first K&N East pole, at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway.
• Suárez won at Daytona for his second straight series victory to become just the second driver in series history to win the first two races of the season. Sean Caisse in 2006 is the other. Ben Rhodes picked up his first series career pole award.
• Eddie MacDonald snapped a 53-race winless streak at Bristol. Rhodes started from the pole and led 130 of 132 laps.
• Rhodes started from the pole for the third consecutive race and picked up his first series win after leading a race-high 106 laps at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
• Cole Custer started from the outside pole position and won at Richmond International Raceway after passing Bill McAnally Racing teammate and pole sitter Nick Drake with 51 laps remaining.
• Rhodes picked up his second win of the season and led a race-high 115 laps at Iowa Speedway. Brodie Kostecki led the race’s first 35 laps after earning his first series career pole award.
• At Bowman Gray, Rhodes collected his second straight win after his fourth start from the pole.
• Gray Gaulding sat on the pole at Five Flags Speedway last time out, but it was Rhodes who once again stole the show with his third consecutive win.
• Rhodes overtook teammate and pole winner Scott Heckert in the early going at Langley Speedway, holding on for his fourth win in a row
• Jesse Little avoided a late lap accident that claimed the two race leaders, driving past them for hist first career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
• Sergio Pena survived a late restart at Columbus Motor Speedway, holding off Cameron Hayley in the final laps to record his first series win of the year and first victory since 2011, giving the Drive for Diversity driver four career victories.
• Brandon Jones became the 11th different winner in 11 meetings at Iowa between the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West. Kenzie Ruston, who started the race from the 16th position, finished second and became the highest finishing female in series history.
• Scott Heckert took the lead from Andrew Ranger and Cole Custer on a green-white-checkered restart to capture his first career win and the seventh victory for Turner Scott Motorsports in 13 events this season.
• After beating out Andrew Ranger and Cole Custer for his first series win, Scott Heckert returned to Victory Lane one week later in the Biscuitville 125 at Virginia International Raceway. Heckert took the lead from Turner Scott Motorsport Teammate Cameron Hayley to score his second-consecutive victory and second on a road course.
• Ben Rhodes clinched the 2014 K&N Pro Series East championship and Sunoco Rookie of the Year title with his fourth-place finish in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 at Greenville Pickens Speedway. Austin Hill won the race, his second career victory in the series.
Sources: John Tejeda, NASCAR PR