#NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Qualifying Rained Out

 Practice Speeds Set Line-Up

Saturday's schedule had to be adjusted due to an overnight rain which soaked the track at Pocono Raceway.  Therefore, the lineup for the 'Pocono Mountains 150' will be set by practice speeds. Rookie William Byron will start on the pole.

 

POS.	Car #	Driver
1	9	William Byron
2	8	John Hunter Nemechek
3	41	Ben Rhodes
4	29	Tyler Reddick
5	4	Christopher Bell
6	2	Austin Hill
7	17	Timothy Peters
8	51	Cody Coughlin
9	33	Ben Kennedy
10	13	Cameron Hayley
11	21	Johnny Sauter
12	23	Spencer Gallagher
13	5	John Wes Townley
14	19	Daniel Hemric
15	11	Brett Moffitt
16	0	Cole Custer
17	98	Rico Abreu
18	66	Jordan Anderson
19	86	Brandon Brown
20	88	Matt Crafton
21	22	Austin Wayne Self
22	49	Reed Sorenson
23	44	Tommy Joe Martins
24	71	Carlos Contreras
25	59	Kyle Martel
26	7	Todd Peck
27	63	Norm Benning
28	6	Sean Corr
29	28	Ryan Ellis
30	50	Travis Kvapil
31	1	Jennifer Jo Cobb
32	10	Caleb Roark

Welcome back John Wes Townley.  Townley missed a couple of races while receiving treatment for a possible concussion.  

Congratulations once again to Cameron Hayley on the birth of his daughter, Blakely Elizabeth Hayley.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

• Next Race: Pocono Mountains 150
• Distance: 150 miles (60 laps)
• The Place: Pocono Raceway
• The Date: Saturday, July 30
• The Time: 1 p.m. ET
• TV: NBCSN, 12:30 p.m. ET
• Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

#NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Cameron Hayley Productive

Cameron Hayley’s  last couple of #NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Races proved productive. His sixth place finish in Kentucky and seventh place at the Eldora Speedway dirt track moved him back up in to the top-ten of the series championship points standings.

Last Wednesday the driver of the No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra, made his second start at Eldora Speedway  in Wednesday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby. Hayley started the unique, 150-lap, three segment race, from the 20th position, ran as high as fourth, and overcame an accident early, and a flat tire late in the race, to finish a track-best seventh in the 4th annual event.

"It was an up and down kind of night for our Cabinets by Hayley team. We were pretty decent rolling on the top, then we got in a wreck, we overcame that, and then got in a rut, popped a bead, and had a right rear (tire) go down. A top-10 finish though, wow, I couldn't be more proud of that result." Hayley recapped.

Just a few days later the busy young driver welcomed a new fan, his eight pound eight-ounce daughter, Blakely Elizabeth Hayley into the world.

Congratulations to Cameron,
his family and team. 

 

First night over and she slept for 5 hours straight and 4 hours straight! She is amazing and let Mom and Dad sleep! pic.twitter.com/UPT98laQ9H

— Cameron Hayley (@CameronNHayley) July 23, 2016

Wild Wednesday #NASCAR Racing In Eldora

Eldora's Qualifying and Race Formats Explained

William Byron, driver of the #9 Liberty University Toyota, during practice.(Sean Gardner/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Eldora's qualifying and race formats differ from the knockout qualifying seen weekly in the NASCAR Camping World Truck series. Below is a guide to how it works.

At Eldora, two-lap, single-truck qualifying determines the starting position for the qualifying races (five in total). A random draw determines the qualifying order with the fastest qualifier earning the Keystone Light Pole Award.

Each of the five qualifying races last 10 laps each with only green-flag laps counting. The top-five trucks in the two-lap qualifying will start on the pole for their respective qualifying races. The lineups for the qualifying races are filled based on qualifying speeds (sixth competes in the first qualifying race, seventh in the second, eighth in the third, etc.)

The top-five trucks from each qualifying race will transfer to the race. Upon completion of the qualifying races, 25 trucks will earn spots in the Aspen Dental Dirt Derby.

When the five qualifying races are completed, there will be a last-chance qualifying race. The lineup will be based on finishing position from the qualifying races and the race will be 15 laps with only green flag laps counted. The top-two finishers transfer to the race where they will start in positions 26-27.

The 28th-31st starting positions go to the highest-ranking eligible trucks in owner points that have not already earned a starting position through qualifying.

The 32nd starting position goes to the most recent eligible past series champion; if position is not filled by an eligible champion, it will be assigned based upon owner points.

The race will be 150 laps divided into three segments of 40, 50 and 60 laps with competition cautions at the breaks on Lap 40 and Lap 90. Caution laps will not count during the competition cautions and positions cannot be improved on pit road.

Teams are not required to pit during the competition cautions. Those teams that do not elect to pit may remain on the track and start in front of the pitting teams.

There is no caution clock for the Eldora race. 

Cameron Hayley, driver of the #13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota, drives during practice
for the 4th Annual Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway
on July 19, 2016 in Rossburg, Ohio. (Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 20:

ON TRACK: ELDORA

• — 5:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying
• — 7 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series First Qualifying Race (10 laps)
• — 7:09 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Second Qualifying Race (10 laps)
• — 7:18 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Third Qualifying Race (10 laps)
• — 7:27 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fourth Qualifying Race (10 laps)
• — 7:36 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fifth Qualifying Race (10 laps)
• — 8:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Last Chance Qualifying Race (15 laps)
• — 9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby (150 laps/40-50-60, 75 miles)

Barrett Jackson Auction West Palm Beach, Florida

Auction Sales Exceed $23.2 Million

As the Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes, we will be attending all the 2016 events.

The second Barrett Jackson auction of the 2016 schedule was held on April 8-10 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, FL. Although this is the only collectors’ car auction on the East Coast, this auction was much smaller than the Scottsdale, Arizona event. However, that is to be expected considering that Barrett Jackson is headquartered in Scottsdale.

Nevertheless, there was still plenty to see and do. I complained about the security staff at the first auction (in Scottsdale). Therefore I must first communicate how much friendlier and more helpful all the staff were here in Florida. We were treated with kindness and respect everywhere we went. They even provided a free shuttle service from the parking lot to the gate.

The Barrett Jackson Auctions offers so much more than just remarkable automobiles for sale. Don’t get me wrong, you could have wandered the Florida Fairgrounds acreage and spend most of the day admiring the over seven hundred extraordinary vehicles on display.

However, there are also lots of merchants and an Automobilia Auction that will capture your imagination and empty your wallet!!! The Automobilia top seller was an extremely rare 1935 Wayne model 40 showcase gas pump restored in Mobil Oil regalia. It sold for $23,500; just a tad outside of our budget.

Also Movie Star William Shatner and Country Music Legend Zac Brown were in attendance to bring star power to event – however, I did not see either.

On the other hand, we did locate a ride and drive opportunity that was on site. After we signed the release forms and blew into a breathalyzer; we enjoyed the Ford Fan Experience with a ride in both the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R and the 2016 Ford Focus RS.

Wow - what a wild ride the Fords provided. Look at the smile on my face after a hot lap in the 2016 Ford Focus RS. The acceleration and handling were both amazing. 

I really enjoyed talking to Matt at the SimCraft display. We discussed how SimCraft has helped racers like Simon Pagenaud with their race competition prep. 

My favorite auction car was the Amphicar 770. While I had heard about this car, I had never seen one. Fully restored, this Amphicar boasted it was ready to be enjoyed on both the open road and water! While you would not win any speed contests, Amphicars have crossed the English Channel in twenty foot seas!

Of course, you know that I would look for anything NASCAR. I stumbled onto Camping World Truck Racer, Cameron Hayley as he manned his father’s ‘Cabinets By Hayley’ display. 

Here I am in front of the 1996 Brickyard 500 Pace Car. Jeff Gordon won the pole position for the race, while Dale Jarrett won. What a great piece of NASCAR ephemeras.

Over $23.2 million in sales were generated during the three days of the auction and the attendance surged to over 65,000. There was so much to see and do and learn.

NASCAR Race Mom learned that Barrett-Jackson waives all fees on vehicles auctioned for charity. This means that one hundred percent of the hammer price goes directly to the philanthropic organizations! A total of $1,050,000 was raised for charity in West Palm Beach. Way to Be Barrett Jackson – See you in Connecticut*.

*Barrett-Jackson will host its inaugural Northeast Auction at Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino on June 23-25, 2016.

Other Related Post:

• #13 Camping World Truck Racer, Cameron Hayley
• Barrett-Jackson, Scottsdale, Arizona.
• Grand Prize Winner of the 2016 CRAFTSMAN Barrett-Jackson Auction Trips Sweepstakes!!!!!

#13 Camping World Truck Racer, Cameron Hayley

Talking advantage of an off racing weekend, I stumbled on to Camping World Truck Racer, Cameron Hayley at the 2016 West Palm Beach Barrett Jackson auction. Now if you were not a truck series fan (or an ex-teammate, like me) you might have just walked right by him. Cameron was manning his father’s ‘Cabinets By Hayley’  display.*

Hayley had grown a bit since I last spoke to him, and has been making a name for himself in the truck series. The Canadian first raced with the ThorSport team during the 2015 NCWTS season. With four top-fives and thirteen-top tens, Hayley ended his freshman season, sixth in the standings.

This season, the nineteen-year-old driver of the No 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra has finished 9th, 10th, and 11th in the first three races which is good enough to seat him fifth in the point standings.

Hayley is part of the four-truck powerhouse team for the 2016 season alongside teammates Matt Crafton in the No. 88, Rico Abreu in the No. 98 and Ben Rhodes in the No. 41.

When asked about his plans, Hayley explained, “of course I want to move up to Xfinity and then Sprint Cup, but we are still working on the sponsorship to make that happen.”

Keep your eye on the #13 Camping World Series Truck; NASCAR Race Mom predicts that Cameron will pick up his first series win very soon.

Get Social with Cameron Hayley

• Website

• Twitter = @CameronNHayley

• Facebook

.

Cameron led laps and battled for the lead with Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson. However, Hayley was shuffled back to twenty-second, with under thirty laps remain. Nevertheless he charged back to finish ninth.

*Since 2016 is Barrett-Jackson Auctions 45th Anniversary, in celebration, Cabinets By Hayley and Barrett-Jackson have teamed up to offer an Exclusive Commemorative 45th Anniversary Limited Edition cabinets series available only for a limited time. There will only be 45 sets produced and number 1 of 45 will be in the Barrett-Jackson Showroom for years to come. Numbers 2 through 5 were available and on display at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale from Jan 23 to Jan 31 2016. The forty additional sets are available to order in the configuration and color of your choice and all sets will come with a Signed Certificate of Authenticity.

NEXT RACE: Toyota Tundra 250, May 6, 8:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Hayley's Truck Series Debut Set For Canadian Tire Motorsports Park

Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) is pleased to announce that Cameron Hayley will compete in three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) races this season in the No. 32 Cabinets by Hayley Chevrolet Silverado, beginning at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park on August 31. A Calgary, Alberta native, Hayley is currently competing full time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) for TSM and has claimed one pole award, six top-five finishes and currently sits second in the Driver Point Standings.

18-year-old Hayley made his karting debut at the age of seven and ran a partial NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule in 2011, where he was the youngest driver to compete in the series, scoring an impressive second-place finish in his series debut. After a solid full-time rookie season in the K&N Pro Series West in 2012, Hayley finished his 2013 season with one win, six poles and a second-place finish in the Driver Point Standings. Hayley continued to impress on and off the track and was named a NASCAR Next member in 2012, a select group chosen by the sanctioning body that spotlights NASCAR's rising stars.

“I’m really excited to make my NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut. It’s always been a dream of mine to run in one of NASCAR’s top-three series, and I can’t believe I’m finally getting the chance to live that dream. I feel privileged to work with such an accomplished team that has had so much success in the series. Turner Scott Motorsports has great equipment and great resources, both of which I plan to take full advantage of in this learning process. I can’t wait to get on track in the No. 32 Cabinets by Hayley truck. Having my first Truck Series start in a place I consider ‘home’ is everything I could’ve ever hoped for.”

Hayley will be under the direction of two-time NCWTS championship-winning crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. for his three events. In 2013, Hillman directed the No. 4 truck and claimed one victory, seven pole awards and finished the season in fifth place in the NCWTS standings. Hillman and Hayley will team up for the following races:

• 8/31, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park
• 9/20, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
• 10/31, Texas Motor Speedway

“We’re really looking forward to seeing Cameron Hayley in the No. 32 truck for these three races,” said TSM co-owner Harry Scott Jr. “It’s been a pleasure to watch Cameron this year, and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Cameron has proven to be a great representation of our organization and we expect to see great things out of him in the future.”

Be sure to tune in on Sunday, August 31 as Hayley makes his NCWTS debut at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Live coverage of the Chevrolet Silverado 250 begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT on FOX Sports 1.

Cameron Hayley, second in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East points standings,
will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut on Aug. 31. Getty Images

Pena Back In Victory Lane #nascar #kneast

Sergio Pena found his way back to Victory Lane. 

Sergio Pena celebrates in Victory Lane after getting the NASCAR
K&N Pro Series East win in the JEGS 150 at Columbus (Ohio)
Motor Speedway.  (Kirk Irwin/Getty Images for NASCAR)

The 21-year-old from Winchester, Va., held off the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East field following a late caution at Columbus Motor Speedway to win the JEGS 150 presented by Germain Toyota.

It is the third win of the season for Rev Racing and the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. It is also the third win in four years for Rev Racing at Columbus, following wins by Darrell Wallace Jr. (2011) and Daniel Suarez (2013).

It is Pena's fourth career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win and first since 2011, when he won three times. Pena took the lead from Cameron Hayley on Lap 120 and then held off Hayley's challenges over the closing laps. A caution with 10 to go gave Hayley one more shot, but Pena was able to power his way to the victory.

Hayley settled for second, followed by championship points leader Ben Rhodes. Jesse Little and Pena's Rev Racing teammate Ryan Gifford were fourth and fifth, respectively.

Rookies Ross Chastain, Nick Drake and Kaz Grala were sixth through eighth, and Brennan Newberry was ninth. Scott Heckert, who won the 21 Means 21 Pole Award earlier in the day, finished 10th.

The JEGS 150 presented by Germain Toyota will air on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, July 27 at 10 a.m.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return to action at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 1 for the second showdown of the season with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.


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Daniel Suárez earns Second Career #KNEAST Win Hayley Nabs New Smyrna Pole

Cameron Hayley won the Pole and Finished 2nd at New Smyrna 150 presented by JEGS at New Smyrna Speedway. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Cameron Hayley won the Pole and Finished 2nd at New Smyrna 150
presented by JEGS at New Smyrna Speedway. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Cameron Hayley in just his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start won the 21 Means 21 presented by Coors Brewing Company Pole Award in qualifying on Sunday for the New Smyrna 150 presented by JEGS at New Smyrna Speedway.

Daniel Suarez picked up the win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season
opener on Sunday at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

However, the Monterrey, Mexico, driver Daniel Suárez held off Cameron Hayley in an exciting door-to-door battle of NASCAR's rising stars to win the New Smyrna 150 presented by JEGS Sunday night at New Smyrna Speedway. The race was the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season opener and the inaugural visit to the banked half-mile.

Driving for Rev Racing and NASCAR's Drive for Diversity, the 22-year-old Suárez picked up his second career victory and gave Rev Racing its 13th win since 2010.

“The car was really good tonight on the long runs,” said the victor. “It was really awesome on the high line in Turns 1 and 2.”

One Of Closest Four-WayChampionship Battles In Series History

Derek Thorn won his first NASCAR title
in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images-NASCAR)

The 2013 season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West featured one of the closest four-way battles for the championship in the history of the series, with Derek Thorn capturing the title by six points over Cameron Hayley, Greg Pursley and Michael Self.

In his final year of a two-year stint driving car owner Bob Bruncati’s No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford, Thorn had a textbook season in winning his first NASCAR championship.

The 27-year-old Californian jumped out front in the championship standings early and built on that lead with consistent finishes. Thorn – who was originally from Lakeport, but now resides in Bakersfield – carried that margin through the season to clinch the title in the final race of the year.

As a side note, the final points for the top two drivers in 2013 mirrored the points of the top two drivers the previous year. Thorn won the 2013 series championship by six points over Hayley – 622 to 616. In 2012, Dylan Kwasniewski had won the championship by six points over Pursley – 622 to 616.

Cameron Hayley Has A Great Year

Cameron Hayley Motorsports - NASCAR Champions breakfast - Charlotte, N.C
(Driver Haley is standing on the left; Driver Greg Pursley is
sitting on left; Team Owner Gene Price is sitting in the middle)

Born July 21, 1996, seventeen-year-old Cameron Hayley’s 2013 season was productive. He finished second in the K&N Pro Series West and captured the Most Popular Driver title along the way.

“Racing is my life. When I am not on the track I am always thinking about it. Ever since I was little and I got my first go-kart, I have been living, breathing and eating race cars.” (Cameron Hayley’s Website)

Career Highlights

• Won NASCAR K&N Pro Series portion of inaugural UNOH Battle At The Beach in 2013.
• Finished second in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut at 15 years of age.
• Youngest driver to compete in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (15 years 23 days at Montana 8/13/11).
• K&N Pro Series West WINS: 1 – Roseville (2013)
• K&N Pro Series West POLES: 6 – Stockton, Lebanon, Sonoma, Iowa, Monroe, Spokane (2013)

CHAMPION PROFILE: Derek Thorn

Derek Thorn - the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 2013 Champion
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

Thorn Captures Title In Second Full Season Of K&N West Competition 

Derek Thorn and the Sunrise Ford Racing team set a goal for themselves early in 2013. Fifteen races later their goal was accomplished, with Thorn winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship.

“Our whole goal in 2013 was the championship,” said the tall, soft-spoken 27-year-old Californian – who won the title in just his second full season of series competition. “We sat down and had a long talk about it in March, before we came to Phoenix the first time. We just happened to put together an awesome season for ourselves. We weren’t always the fastest; but we were a model of consistency and we always put together good solid strong runs – and to win a championship, that’s exactly what we had to do.”

Thorn drove car owner Bob Bruncati’s No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford to three wins, three poles, 12 top-fives and 14 top-10s. He scored his first career road course win with a victory at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway in June. He also had wins on two short tracks – Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway in May and Colorado National Speedway in Dacono in July. He won Coors Light Pole awards at Colorado; NAPA Speedway in Albuquerque, N.M.; and All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.

Thorn – who was originally from Lakeport, but now resides in Bakersfield – jumped out front in the championship standings early in the season. He built on his lead with top-five finishes through the first 10 events of the schedule. Thorn maintained his advantage in points with three runner-up finishes within a four-race span late in the year, enough to carry him through to the title despite an uncharacteristic 15th-place finish in the season finale. He held on to clinch the championship by a six-point margin over Cameron Hayley.

The strategy of the Sunrise Ford team this season was simply to approach each race one by one, according to Thorn.

“We took it one race at a time,” he said. “It’s taking the good with the bad. You have those weekends where your car is awesome and you can run up front, lead laps and not have to worry about running with anybody else. And then there’s those weekends where you’re running fourth, fifth, sixth place and you’re just making the most of what you’ve got. On weekends where we weren’t the best, we were able to keep a cool head and make the most out of it and salvage a few extra points out of a bad day.”

This year’s championship comes as Thorn wraps up his second year of a two-year deal driving for Bruncati.

“It’s definitely a good way to cap off a two-year stint we had with Bob Bruncati and the No. 6 team,” Thorn said. “I can’t thank Bob and Maureen Bruncati (enough) for giving me the opportunity to drive the (No.) 6 for two years like they did. Bill Sedgwick, the crew chief, and all these guys on the team have really, really worked hard to get us in the position to win the championship.

“This championship is by far an all-time high,” Thorn said. “I’ve been trying to cherish every moment.”

In 36 starts since making his series debut in 2011, Thorn has five career wins, four poles, 26 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes. His initial success came in the pre-season NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in January of 2011, where he won the pole and finished eighth. He ran a limited schedule of six series events that season, including three after joining the Sunrise Ford Racing team late in the year.

Thorn began his racing career competing in Winged Outlaw Karts in Northern California, where he won two titles. He won a track championship racing street stocks at his hometown track of Lakeport Speedway in 2002 and then raced in the Modified division there in 2003 and 2004. Thorn moved on to compete in the North State Challenge Series in 2005 and 2006 and the ASA Late Model Challenge in 2007 and 2008. He also raced in six NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races in 2008, with a top-five finish at Music City. After returning to the West Coast, he began racing in the SRL Spears Southwest Tour Series in 2010 and won a title in that series a couple of years later. 

NASCAR President Mike Helton presents Derek Thorn with the championship trophy
(Getty Images for NASCAR)

Thorn will be honored as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion for 2013 during the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards ceremony in the Crown Ballroom of the Charlotte (N.C) Convention Center inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Saturday, Dec. 14. The awards ceremony is slated to be streamed live online in three languages – English French and Spanish – at www.nascarhometracks.com.

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Derek Thorn - K&N Pro Series West Champion

Derek Thorn talks about his 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.

Thorn Snags K&N Pro Series West Title

Gaulding Gets Record-Setting Phoenix Victory

Gray Gaulding celebrates his first career win in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series
with a victory at Phoenix International Raceway. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Gray Gaulding won the Casino Arizona 50 on Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway, but Derek Thorn was the man of the night.

Thorn, from Lakeport, Calif., earned his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship with a 15th-place finish which was enough to hold off a trio of contenders. Thorn carried a 16-point advantage over 2011 series champion Greg Pursley into the night with Cameron Hayley and Michael Self right there, as well.

Gaulding got the win when Cole Custer spun in Turns 3 and 4 on the white-flag lap after some slight contact. It’s the first career victory for the 15-year-old out of Colonial Heights, Va., who becomes the youngest race winner in K&N West history at 15 years, 8 months and 30 days. He eclipses the mark of 16 years and 2 months established by Dylan Kwasniewski in Aug. 2011.

Fellow NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competitor and 2013 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Jesse Little crossed the line in second followed by Hayley in third. David Mayhew was fourth followed by Brandon McReynolds in fifth.

Custer recovered to finish sixth while Kelly Admiraal, Brett Thompson, Self and Cuzick completed the top 10.

The race was red flagged on the initial start after several cars got tangled on the frontstretch causing a lengthy cleanup.

The Casino Arizona 50 is slated to air on FS2 on Nov. 17 at 11a.m. ET.

Derek Thorn celebrates his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship, Saturday
at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Thorn and NASCAR’s other 2013 touring champions will be honored at the NASCAR Night of Champions Touring Awards ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

By Shon Sbarra, NASCAR

Must Not Miss K&N Pro Series West Season Finale

Cole Custer wins the pole position in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
qualifying for the Casino Arizona 50. (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Cole Custer may have taken the “21 means 21” pole award; however, if you are a true K&N Pro Series West fan, your eyes will be on the Gene Price and Bob Bruncati Drivers today after the NASCAR Nationwide Race. The Casino Arizona 50 set for a 5 p.m. MT green flag.

Cole Custer, who usually contests in the K&N Pro Series East picked up where he left off in practice and earned the pole position in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Phoenix International Raceway event earlier today.

The field takes the green flag for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West season opener
at Phoenix International Raceway in March. The series returns to PIR to close out its
2013 with the Casino Arizona 50. (Getty Images for NASCA)

However, four drivers remain in contention for the championship in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West; in one of the closest four-way battles in series history, just 30 points separate the top four drivers in the championship standings!

Second-year driver Derek Thorn, who pilots a Bruncati machine, leads, with a 16-point margin over series veteran Greg Pursley. Cameron Hayley is third in the standings, 18 points out of the lead – while Michael Self is fourth, still with a mathematical shot at the title. Pursley and Hayley race for Gene Price.

Here is how the series leaders qualified

• 2-Cameron Hayley in the #24 Cabinets by Hayley/GPM Ford
• 3-Michael Self in the #21 RCR/Golden Gate Meat Co. Chevrolet
• 9- Greg Pursley in the #26 GPM/Star Nursery/Real Water Ford
• 12- Derek Thorn in the #6 Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford

If you want to “watch” this battle live, click here  to follow via “LIVE: K&N West Season Finale At Phoenix.” NASCAR Race Mom is pleasantly surprised at how comprehensive this coverage has become.

This K&N Pro Series West season finale promises to be a thrilling display of NASCAR drama. It is just a shame that this race is a mere 50 laps in duration.

**Kudos to NASCAR for extending an additional spot to the field to accommodate the 31 entries into the event. 

NKNPS West Phoenix 11/9/13 Qualifying

The championship picture for the top four going for the championship.

If none of the four win...

Derek Thorn needs to finish 11th or better to clinch the title.

Greg Pursley will need to finish 16 positions ahead of Thorn.

Cameron Hayley will need to finish 19 positions ahead of Thorn.

Michael Self will need to win and have Thorn finished 28th or worse.

NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Phoenix News & Notes

Four K&N Pro Series West Drivers Remain In Championship Contention

Derek Thorn

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 4, 2013) – Four drivers remain in contention for the championship as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads to Arizona this week to decide the title in the season finale at Phoenix International Raceway with the Casino Arizona 50 on Saturday, Nov. 9.

In one of the closest four-way battles in series history, just 30 points separate the top four drivers in the championship standings.

Second-year driver Derek Thorn leads, with a 16-point margin over series veteran Greg Pursley. Cameron Hayley is third in the standings, 18 points out of the lead – while Michael Self is fourth, still with a mathematical shot at the title.

Thorn of Lakeport, Calif., can capture the crown in the Bob Bruncati-owned No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford by finishing 11th or better, regardless where the other three contenders finish. In five series starts at PIR, Thorn has four top-five finishes – with a best finish of third in 2011.

Greg Pursley stands second in Championship

Expect a strong challenge from Pursley, however. The 2011 series champion has maintained momentum in the last half of the season, scoring four wins in the past seven races in the No. 26 GPM/Star Nursery/Real Water Ford. Pursley – a former Southern Californian who now calls Parker, Ariz., home – has three wins, four poles and seven top-fives in 10 starts at the one-mile venue that he considers his home track.

Hayley, meanwhile, has a series leading average finish of 4.57 in 14 races this year in the No. 24 Cabinets By Hayley/GPM Ford. The 17-year-old from Calgary, Alberta has two top fives in four Phoenix starts – including a runner-up in the season opener to Pursley, his teammate at Gene Price Motorsports. Hayley and Pursley have swapped spots back and forth between second and third in points three times in the past three races.

While Self has a lot of ground to make up, trailing the leader by 30 points; he still has a shot at the crown if the top three falter. The Park City, Utah driver – who won the season finale at Phoenix a year ago – will be in car owner Jim Offenbach’s familiar No. 21 RCR/Golden Gate Meat Chevrolet.

The Phoenix race is the 15th and final event in 2013 for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, as the West’s oldest stock car circuit wraps up its 60th season.

Pursley Charges To Victory At Kern

Pursley Wins Inaugural NASCAR
K&N Pro Series West Race
At New Bakersfield Track

The Pursleys with their newest
K&N Pro Series West Trophy

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Oct. 26, 2013) – Greg Pursley won the NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Kern County Raceway Park on Saturday to claim the victory in the inaugural NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at the new high-banked, half-mile track that opened earlier this year.

It marked the fifth win of the season for the 2011 series champion and his 18th career series victory.

Pursley moved to the lead just before the midway point and ran a fierce pace in the final laps to hold off a strong challenge from Michael Self to win by .178 seconds. Conserving early was part of his strategy for the race, Pursley said.

“When we got the race going, I hung out for a little bit and saved the tires as much as I could,” he said. “And once we got out front, I tried to save as much as I could.”

But he turned up the wick in the closing laps, as he was challenged for the lead.

“The (car No.) 21 was coming on pretty hard there at the end,” Pursley said. “We had a yellow flag with about 20 to go. I had to put down about 20 qualifying laps and he was right there. He gave me a great race.”

For Pursley, who early in his career was a regular competitor in the late model division at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield before its closure, winning the first series race at the new track had extra meaning. In addition, it was a special win for some of his crew.

“It’s a hometown win for my crew chief Jerry Pitts and a couple of our guys,” said Pursley – who raced out of Newhall, south of Bakersfield, for much of his career. “It’s a real emotional win. I won a lot of races at the old Mesa Marin track and I’m happy to be the inaugural winner at Kern County Raceway.”

Self trailed Pursley to the finish, with Eric Holmes close behind. David Mayhew and Cameron Hayley rounded out the top five.

Championship points leader Derek Thorn, who started on the outside of the front row and led the initial lap of the race, faded in the closing stages of the event and finished sixth. He was followed by Dylan Lupton, Shane Golobic, Matt Tifft and Jason Fensler.

Gray Gaulding captured the spotlight earlier in the day at KCRP as he won the 21 Means 21 Pole Award by Coors Brewing Co., and in doing so set the record for the youngest pole winner in the series at 15 years eight months 16 days. Gaulding – who also holds the record as the youngest pole winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he ran the full season this year – led 60 laps early, but had his night end early when he punctured a tire and hit the wall on Lap 112.

With the win, Pursley moved back to second in the standings – 16 points behind Thorn with one race remaining to decide the 2013 championship. Thorn has 593 over Pursley’s 577. Pursley's teammate Hayley is 18 behind Thorn with 575 points . Self is fourth with 563, while Lupton is fifth with 506. Completing the top 10 in points are Carl Harr, Daryl Harr, Taylor Cuzick, Eric Holmes and Giles Thornton.

The NAPA Auto Parts 150 marked the return of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West to Bakersfield, an area rich in West Coast racing history, after Mesa Marin Raceway closed in 2005.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will wrap up its 2013 schedule with the Casino Arizona 50 at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 9.

NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST-NAPA Auto Parts 150 Results

At Kern County Raceway Park - Bakersfield, Calif.

Lap length: 0.5 miles

(Start position in parentheses)

1. (3) Greg Pursley, Newhall, CA, Ford, 150 laps, 63.589 mph.
2. (7) Michael Self, Park City, UT, Chevrolet, 150.
3. (6) Eric Holmes, Escalon, CA, Toyota, 150.
4. (4) David Mayhew, Atascadero, CA, Chevrolet, 150.
5. (5) Cameron Hayley, Calgary, AB, Canada, Ford, 150.
6. (2) Derek Thorn, Lakeport, CA, Ford, 150.
7. (11) Dylan Lupton, Wilton, Calif., Ford, 150.
8. (16) Shane Golobic, Fremont, Calif., Toyota, 150.
9. (12) Matt Tifft, Hinckley, Ohio, Chevrolet, 150.
10. (13) Jason Fensler, Wilton, Calif., Chevrolet, 150.
11. (18) Daryl Harr, Edmonton, AB, Canada, Chevrolet, 150.
12. (14) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford, 149.
13. (8) Chase Briscoe, Mitchell, Ind., Toyota, 149.
14. (20) Luis Tyrrell, Brisbane, Calif., Chevrolet, 148.
15. (19) Carlos Vieira, Atwater, Calif., Toyota, 148.
16. (25) Travis Milburn, Eagle, Idaho, Toyota, 147.
17. (17) Bobby Runyan, Jr., Denair, Calif., Chevrolet, 146.
18. (27) Jack Chisholm, Cranbrook, B.C. Canada, Ford, 143.
19. (28) Scott Ivie, San Ramon, Calif., Ford, 142.
20. (23) Carl Harr, Edmonton, AB, Canada, Chevrolet, 133.
21. (1) Gray Gaulding, Colonial Heights, Va., Toyota, 111, accident.
22. (10) Dallas Montes, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 108, accident.
23. (9) Taylor Cuzick, Tolleson, Ariz., Ford, 97, oil line.
24. (21) John Wood, Eagle, ID, Toyota, 87, clutch.
25. (15) Giles Thornton, Whitefish, Mont., Toyota, 63, accident.
26. (22) A. Giannone, Colorado Sprgs, Colo., Toyota, 48, oil leak.
27. (26) Jim Weiler, Sonoma, Calif., Ford, 47, power steering.
28. (24) Rich DeLong, III, Santa Clarita, Calif., Ford, 11, accident.

Race Statistics:

Time of Race: 1 hour 10 minutes 46 seconds

Margin of Victory: .178 seconds

Fastest Qualifier: G.Gaulding * (100.514 mph, 17.908 seconds)

Caution Flags: 4 for 24 laps.

Lead Changes: 5 among 3 drivers.

Lap Leaders: G. Gaulding-grid; D. Thorn 1; G. Gaulding 2-56; G. Pursley 57; G. Gaulding 58-61; G. Pursley 62-150.

Standings: 1. D. Thorn, 593; 2. G. Pursley, 577; 3. C. Hayley, 575; 4. M. Self, 563; 5. D. Lupton, 506; 6. C. Harr, 444; 7. D. Harr, 443; 8. T. Cuzick, 441; 9. E. Holmes, 418; 10. G. Thornton, 413.