Kwasniewski wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway

Dylan Kwasniewski made the leap from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West to East with relative ease. He won the K&N Pro Series East season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kwasniewski won the K&N Pro Series West championship last year driving for Gene Price Motorsports.
He made the switch to the East Series and is now racing for Scott Turner Motorsports.
The 17-year-old from Las Vegas led 96 laps of the DRIVE4COPD 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.
Go to the K&N website for more on Kwasniewski and his win at Bristol.

Photo: Dylan Kwasniewski won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Photos from the Auto Club 400

Kyle Busch wins NASCAR Auto Club 400 in Fontana

 

Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. He also won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Auto Club Speedway. It was the first NASCAR Cup win for Joe Gibbs Racing at the track. Busch was the first driver in a Toyota to win a Sprint Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second followed by Kurt Busch in third.

Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano crashed on the last lap of the race. Both drivers were battling for the lead in the final laps of the race. Hamlin hit the infield wall hard and broke his back. He will be out of the race car for several weeks.

 

NASCAR drivers to watch in the Auto Club 400

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will be at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana this weekend for its one and only stop in Southern California.

Danica-mania has died down a little since the Daytona 500 last month when she won the pole and finished in the top 10.

That has been Danica Patrick’s best race so far this season. She crashed at Phoenix International Raceway the following weekend. She was 33^rd at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks after Daytona.

She was 28^th and five laps off the lead lap in Sunday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.

She has cooled off tremendously since Daytona.

Here is a look at the drivers who are hot coming into the Auto Club 400 in Fontana on Sunday.

Kasey Kahne: He won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol and was second in the race in Vegas. Neither track compares to Fontana though. Auto Club Speedway in a wide-open 2-mile oval. Bristol is one of NASCAR’s tiniest tracks, a half-mile bullring. Vegas is a 1.5-mile oval, a tad smaller than the Fontana track.

In Kahne’s favor, though, is his history at Fontana. He won the Cup race at Auto Club Speedway in September of 2006 and had a ninth-place finish in 2010.

Those were before his Hendrick Motorsports days. Still, he is the hottest driver entering the Fontana weekend. His second season with Hendrick didn’t start off so well either. He was 36^th at Daytona and 19^th at Phoenix.

“Since Las Vegas, the test day went really well,” Kahne said after winning at Bristol on Sunday. “I thought we learned some things there, were able to put a really good weekend together, and again this weekend.”

With the win in Bristol, coupled with his runner-up finish in Las Vegas, Kahne is in seventh place in the Sprint Cup Series standings after four races.

“We’ve gained a lot of spots here in the last two weeks and feel really good about where we’re at, where our team’s at,” Kahne said. “There was a lot that went on during the off‑season to get a little bit better. I felt like each one of us needed to get a touch better. So far it’s all paying off. The guys are doing an awesome job.”

Brad Keselowski: The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has yet to finish outside of the top five in the first four races.

He was third at Bristol on Sunday. He won the pole and finished in third place at Las Vegas the previous race. He posted a pair of fourth-place finishes at Daytona and Phoenix. He holds a nine-point lead over Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Sprint Cup Series standings after the first four races.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: He has four top 10s in the first four races of the year and probably should have won the race at Las Vegas. He led the most laps, but came in fifth place.

His best finish came at Daytona, where he was the runner-up to Jimmie Johnson. Junior is coming off a sixth-place finish at Bristol.

Carl Edwards: He won the Cup race at Phoenix and was fifth at Las Vegas. His only real setback came at Daytona with a 33^rd-place finish.

He comes into the race at Fontana in eighth place in the Sprint Cup Series standings and is coming off an 18^th-place finish at Bristol.

Matt Kenseth: He won the Cup race at Las Vegas, but has been very inconsistent in the other three races. He was seventh in Phoenix, but 35^th at Bristol and 37^th at Daytona.

Still, he is another driver with a successful record at Auto Club Speedway. He also has a new team. Perhaps Joe Gibbs Racing equipment combined with Kenseth’s experience can produce a winning weekend.

…

On a more local NASCAR note, Canyon High graduate Greg Pursley won the K&N Pro Series West season opener at Phoenix International Raceway.

The 2011 Pro Series West champion was part of a 1-2 finish for Gene Price Motorsports at the race in Phoenix. Pursley’s teammate, Cameron Hayley, a teenager from Canada, was second in the Phoenix race.

Photo: Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on Friday in Fontana, Calif. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Pursley wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener

Greg Pursley looks like he has regained his championship form.
He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at Phoenix International Raceway. Pursley won the West Series championship in 2011, but was the runner-up to his Gene Price Motorsports teammate, 17-year-old Dylan Kwasniewski, last year.
Pursley has another teen-age teammate this year. Cameron Hayley, a 16-year-old from Canada, was second in the race at Phoenix.
Pursley led 56 laps in the Talking Stick Resort 60 and set the track record in qualifying.
Go to the K&N website for more on the West Series race from Phoenix.

Photo: Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener at Phoenix International Raceway. It was the third West Series win of his NASCAR career at Phoenix. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Hayley wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series UNOH Battle of the Beach race

Cameron Hayley had quite a debut for his new team in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
Hayley, who took over as driver of the team at Gene Price Motorsports that won the K&N Pro Series West championship in 2012, won the UNOH Battle of the Beach race at Daytona International Speedway.
The teenager from Canada was making his first start for Gene Price Motorsports. He survived a crash-filled race and passed another teenager on the last lap to win the race.
Gray Gaulding was second, followed by Brian Ortiz in third.
Go to the K&N website for more on the K&N Pro Series UNOH Battle of the Beach race.

Photo: Cameron Hayley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series UNOH Battle of the Beach race in his debut with Gene Price Motorsports. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)

NASCAR teenager takes on K&N Pro Series

Gray Gaulding, a teenage rookie taking his first steps in NASCAR, is off to a great start.
He was second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series UNOH Battle of the Beach at Daytona International Speedway.
He followed with a top 10 finish at Phoenix International Raceway in the K&N Pro Series West.
He will be racing the entire K&N Pro Series East schedule starting at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend.
Go to the K&N website for more on Gaulding.

Photo: Gray Gaulding was the highest-finishing rookie in both NASCAR K&N Pro Series races this season.

Irwindale Speedway re-opens April 6, partners with Kern County Raceway Park

The Irwindale Speedway racing schedule for 2013 was released with seven divisions, 15 nights and a partnership with the Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield.
The auto racing season will open on April 6 with four classes of stock cars and a demolition derby. NASCAR Super Late Models will highlight the re-opening night of the race track. Late Models, Super Stocks and Mini Stocks will also race on April 6.
Race trucks, Legends cars and skid plate cars will also race at Irwindale. Figure eight, trailer races and Lucas Oil Modified cars are also on the the Irwindale Speedway schedule.
The season ends Oct. 26 with the night of destruction.

Here is a look at the schedule:

Larson wins his first NASCAR K&N East Series championship

Kyle Larson won his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship in the season finale at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina.
Sixteen-year-old rookie Tyler Reddick won his first East Series race in his first start in the series.
Larson finished in sixth place at Rockingham, but it was high enough to secure the East Series championship.
He made it through a last-lap crash that took out Brett Moffitt, one of the East Series championship contenders.
Corey LaJoie was also in championship contention and finished in second place, but fell a little short of the title.
Go to the K&N website for more on the East Series race at Rockingham.

Photo: Kyle Larson won his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship after a sixth-place finish at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Kwasniewski becomes youngest driver to win NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship

Dylan Kwasniewski is the youngest driver to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship. He was the runner-up at the season finale at Phoenix International Raceway and finished six points ahead of Greg Pursley, his teammate at Gene Price Motorsports.
Pursley was in search of his second West Series championship in a row.
Michael Self won the race at Phoenix, his third of the season.
Go to the K&N website for more on the race at Phoenix International Raceway.

Photo: Dylan Kwasniewski won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship, the first of his career. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Thorn wins West Series race in New Mexico

Derek Thorn won his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at NAPA Speedway in New Mexico on a night when a pair of rookies stole the spotlight.
Dallas Montes was the runner-up in his West Series debut. Hannah Newhouse, a 15-year-old making her West Series debut, was sixth.
Thorn started seventh and worked his way to the lead holding off Montes and Eric Holmes in a green-white-checkered flag finish in the NAPA Auto Parts 150.
Greg Pursley was eighth and leads the West Series standings by 13 points over teammate Dylan Kwasniewski.
Go to the K&N website for more on the West Series race from Albuquerque, N.M.

Photo: Derek Thorn won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at NAPA Speedway in New Mexico. (Credit: Getty Images for NASCAR)

Pursley pads West Series lead in Portland

Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Portland International Raceway and extended his lead in the West Series standings.
Pursley won his fourth race of the season. The reigning West Series champion has a 15-point lead over his Gene Price Motorsports teammate Dylan Kwasniewski.
Michael Self was second, his fifth top 10 in the past six races. Three-time West Series champion Eric Holmes was third.
Go to the K&N website for more on the race from Portland International Raceway.

Photo: Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Portland International Raceway. (Credit: Craig Mitchell Dyer/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Corey LaJoie rises to the top in Iowa

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East dominated the race at Iowa Speedway taking nine of the top 10 spots in the Pork Be Inspired 150.
Corey LaJoie was the top of the class, winning the race, his third of the K&N Pro Series season.
LaJoie led the last 10 laps of the race and finished ahead of rookie Kyle Larson. Sergio Pena was third.
Brett Moffitt, the leader in the East Series standings, was fifth. Cale Conley won the pole and finished seventh. Travis Pastrana was sixth.
Michael Self was the highest-finishing driver from the West Series in ninth place.
Go to the K&N website for more on the race from Iowa Speedway.

Photo: Corey LaJoie won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway, his third of the season. (Credit: Iowa Speedway)

Pursley moves out front in Colorado

Greg Pursley made a move to repeat as the champion of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West after winning the race at Colorado National Speedway.
Pursley won his third race of the season and moved ahead of Gene Price Motorsports teammate Dylan Kwasniewski in the West Series standings.
Pursley won the race in a field that included two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip and Ben Kennedy from the K&N Pro Series East.
Derek Thorn was second, his seventh top-10 finish in 10 West Series races. Kwasniewski won the pole and finished third.
Go to the K&N website for more on the race from Colorado National Speedway.

Photo: Greg Pursley won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Colorado National Speedway and took over the lead in the West Series standings.(Credit: Marc Piscotty/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Conley makes most of race in Columbus

Cale Conley scored one of the biggest wins of his NASCAR career at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio.
Conley, a part-time driver in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, won the Jegs 150 leading every lap of the race.
He took the lead passing pole winner Ben Kennedy on the first lap. Conley won the first race of his NASCAR K&N Pro Series career.
It was his third top-five finish in four East Series races this year. He was second at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia and third at Iowa Speedway.
Brett Moffitt was second, followed by Darrell Wallace Jr. in third.
Go to the K&N website for more on the race from Columbus Motor Speedway.

Photo: Cale Conley won the first race of his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East career at Columbus Motor Speedway.(Credit: Jamie Sabau/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Eric Holmes wins 50th race for Bill McAnally Racing

Eric Holmes posted a milestone win for his owner, Bill McAnally, at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash.
Holmes won the 50th NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race for his boss' team, Bill McAnally Racing, taking the lead on lap 131 of the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150.
McAnally is second to Jack McCoy, who won 54 West Series races as an owner over his career.
Holmes won his first West Series race of the season and the 17th of his career. He is tied with two-time West Series champion Bill Sedgwick for eighth in career West Series wins.
Go to the K&N website for more on the West Series race from Evergreen Speedway.

Photo: Eric Holmes won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Evergreen Speedway, the 50th for team owner Bill McAnally and Bill McAnally Racing. (Credit: Stephen Brashear/Getty Images for NASCAR)

No lights, no problem for Moffitt in Pennsylvania

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East made its first visit to CNB Bank Raceway Park in Pennsylvania since 1988 and provided some unexpected drama.
The lights went out on the backstretch and delayed the race with three laps to go. Brett Moffitt won the Samuel 150, holding off rookie Kyle Larson over the the final three laps and a green-white-checkered flag finish.
It was the second K&N Pro Series East win of the season and the ninth of his career for Moffitt.
Larson posted his seventh top-10 finish in eight races.
Moffitt took over the lead in the East Series standings with the win. Larson moved into second place in the East Series standings.
Chase Elliott, who entered the race in Pennsylvania as the leader in the East Series standings, was 15th.
Go to the K&N website for more on the Samuel 150.

Photo: Brett Moffitt won the Samuel 150 at CNB Bank Raceway Park in Pennsylvania. (Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Gilliland wins West Series race at Sonoma

David Gilliland, a driver from Riverside, won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma on the same weekend his father, Butch Gilliland, was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.
Gilliland, a regular on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, won his second West Series race at Sonoma, matching his dad's two wins at the road course in Northern California.
David Gilliland was the crew chief for his dad in one of those wins at Sonoma.
Greg Pursley won the pole for the race in Sonoma and finished third. The reigning West Series champion cut into the lead of his Gene Price Motorsports teammate, Dylan Kwasniewski, who leads the West Series standings.
Derek Thorn finished second, his fifth top-five finish in eight West Series races this year.
Go to the K&N website for more on the West Series race from Sonoma.

Photo: David Gilliland leads the field at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

LaJoie Rallies For Second East Series Win

Corey LaJoie won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Langley Speedway in Virginia, his second in the past three races.
LaJoie passed for the lead on lap 165 in the Visit Hampton VA 175 and held on for the last 10 laps of the race. With the win, he is one point out of first place in the East Series standings after seven races.
Chase Elliott won the pole and set the track record in qualifying at Langley Speedway. His time of 16.400 seconds around the .4-mile oval broke the qualifying mark set by Coleman Pressley last year.
Brett Moffitt led race-high 115 laps and finished in second place. Elliott led the first 20 laps of the race at finished in third place.
Go to the K&N website for more on the East Series race from Langley Speedway.

Photo: Corey LaJoie won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Langley Speedway in Virginia. (Jason Smith/Pixelcrisp for NASCAR)

Rookie wins East Series race at Gresham

Rookie Kyle Larson won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia, taking advantage of a restart mistake by Cale Conley.
Larson, a driver from Elk Grove, Calif., won the first race of his East Series career. He took the lead from Conley on the final restart and held on over the last five laps of the race.
Conley, who won the pole and led the first 145 laps of the Slack Auto Parts 150, spun his tires on the final restart allowing Larson to pass for the lead.
Larson has three top-five finishes in six East Series starts this season.
Conley has made only three East Series starts and finished in the top five in two of those races.
Go to the K&N website for more on the East Series race from Gresham.

Photo: Rookie Kyle Larson won the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series race of this career at Gresham Motorsports Park in Georgia. (Credit: Kevin Lyles/NASCAR)