Gracin Raz Gains First K&N West Victory at All-American Speedway

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Gracin Raz at 9 pm ET on Monday, October 19, 2015 Photo - Lachlin Cunningham/Getty Images

Gracin Raz at 9 pm ET on Monday, October 19, 2015 Photo – Lachlin Cunningham/Getty Images

Gracin Raz is our guest on Fan4Racing Fan2Fan NASCAR & Race Talk on Monday, October 19, 2015 at 9 pm ET. Call 929-477-1790 or tweet @Fan4RacingSite or @Sal_Sigala with any questions or comments during our LIVE broadcast.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship title is about as close as any competition could ever hope with just one race left in their season. Rookie of the Year contender Gracin Raz, with Jefferson Pitts Racing made his presence known with a last lap pass for his first career victory at All-American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday night.

Earning the pole starting spot earlier in the day, Raz would end up vying for his first series victory with another K&N West competitor Alex Shutte, in contention to do the same. It was Raz and Shutte battling their way to the checkered flag on the last lap for first and second-place finishes.

Gaining the victory was not an easy task as on a restart late in the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150, 18-year-old Raz started third and had to power his way past Chris Eggleston, who took back the series points lead, with his eventual third-place finish. On the last lap Raz battled past Shutte as a late caution pushed the race to 152 laps. The first career victory for Raz came on his 14th series start.

Also in a tight competition, with just one race left in the season are the Rookie of the Year contenders. In second-place, just five points behind the Rookie of the Year points leader, Noah Gragson, Raz is also third in the driver point standings, again just five points away from second-place Gragson and nine points behind the points leader, Chris Eggleston.

The K&N West title and Rookie of the Year competition will come down the wire in the season finale at Phoenix International Raceway on November 12th with the top-five drivers all within reach. Fourth-place Ryan Partridge is just 12 points behind Eggleston and veteran David Mayhew is in fifth-place, 35 points behind the leader.

Watch the NBC Sports Network broadcast of the K&N West Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at All-American Speedway in Roseville on Thursday, October 22 at 7 pm ET.