Brandon Jones Captures his First Win at K&N Series Iowa Combo

Photo - Getty Images

Photo – Getty Images

Brandon Jones Becomes 11th Different K&N Pro Series Winner at Iowa

Keeping the trend of new winners at Iowa Speedway on track, 17-year-old Brandon Jones, captured his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series win Friday night in the Autolite Iridium XP 150. In 11 K&N East and West combo events, the track has produced 11 different winners, some of which include, Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie and now Brandon Jones. Continue reading

NASCAR Autolite Iridium XP 150, Queretana 200, Strutmasters.com 199 Previews

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East And West Battle It Out In Iowa – Will Rhodes Make History?

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series heads to Newton, Iowa, for the second East/West combination event at Iowa Speedway.  Ben Rhodes won the first combination race in May, beating out fellow rookie Nick Drake for his second win of the season. Four races and three more victories later, Rhodes heads to the Autolite Iridium XP 150 with a chance to become the first driver to sweep both races at Iowa. With five wins, the 17-year-old NASCAR Next driver is also one victory away from tying Dylan Kwasniewski’s mark for most K&N Pro Series East wins in a season since NASCAR lowered the age limit from 18 in 2007. Continue reading

Erik Jones Earns Trip to Victory Lane at Iowa Speedway

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No one’s ever questioned the talent Erik Jones possesses.His luck?

That’s another matter entirely.

But Friday at Iowa Speedway, both skill and good fortune finally co-existed for the 18-year-old Kyle Busch Motorsports driver, who powered to his second career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series triumph in the American Ethanol 200.

“Glad we could get out and command the race and bring it home,” said Jones, who led 130 laps and held off a spirited charge from Brad Keselowski Racing’s Ryan Blaney, who settled for second.

He brought it home in one piece, too.

Jones, who runs a 12-race schedule, wrecked while leading late in the June 14 race at Gateway Motorsports Park outside of St. Louis.

He was running in the top-five when another truck sent him spinning on a late restart in the March 29 race at Martinsville.

“You really want to try to make your mark every time you get in (the truck),” Jones said. “It’s a tough industry and when you get in and you get turned around or something like that, it’s just really a bummer and it kind of takes that week and you have to throw it away. When you only get so many opportunities, it makes it really hard as a young guy.”

Not that he’s complaining.

His turn at the wheel of the No. 51 Toyota put the truck into victory lane for the sixth time this season — and the first time when owner Kyle Busch wasn’t driving.

“It was definitely fun,” Jones said. “I had a lot of fun — two young guys battling hard there for the win. Pretty hungry.”

It’s the second time Blaney’s snared a runner-up finish at Iowa Speedway this season.

He ran second to Sam Hornish Jr. in May’s Get to Know Newton 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

“We’re getting closer and closer to getting to victory lane,” said Blaney, who owns one win at Iowa, which came in 2012. “It’s just a matter of time.”

That description appeared àpropos to Friday’s race at times, as well.

Blaney, who excelled in long runs, could reel in Jones, but couldn’t stick a pass.

His best chance came with 16 laps remaining, but a side-by-side duel that went three-wide with the lapped truck of Justin Lofton didn’t provide enough daylight.

“I knew that was my best opportunity to try to get by him,” said Blaney, who notched his fifth top-five finish of the season. “We got really close. It almost sucked me around. Luckily we didn’t wreck right there. It was tight racing, but a good race and hopefully good for the fans.”

Matt Crafton earned third, with Joey Coulter and German Quiroga Jr. completing the top-five.

Crafton said lapped traffic was often perilous, so his podium finish was especially pleasing.

“My lord, some of these guys would go from the bottom to the top and back to the bottom,” said Crafton, who assumed the series points lead by two over Blaney while former leader Johnny Sauter limped in with an 18th-place finish. “It was absolutely insane, lapping some of them. I know they had their hands full, without a doubt.”

That’s not a problem for Jones, who battled his teammate Darrell Wallace Jr. for the lead early in the race before an ill-timed pit stop helped drop Wallace — the pole sitter — to 13th.

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Camping World Truck Series American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Preview

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Iowa Victory Lane Welcomes Newcomers

In its six-year history hosting the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Iowa Speedway has seen one repeat winner, Timothy Peters. With only three past winners including Peters, Ryan Blaney and Matt Crafton, expected to run Friday’s race, a new face in Victory Lane would be no surprise. Among those without wins are two drivers with the highest active driver ratings with multiple starts at the track, including Erik Jones at 107.4 and Johnny Sauter at 107.0. Continue reading

Scott Heckert Notches Career-Best K&N Finish at Iowa

Scott Heckert K&N Pro Series East driver w/Turner Scott Motor Sports Photo - Getty Images

Scott Heckert K&N Pro Series East driver w/Turner Scott Motor Sports Photo – Getty Images

Scott Heckert is our next guest on Fan4Racing Fan2Fan NASCAR & Race Talk on Monday, May 26, 2014 at 9 pm ET. Call 347-996-5176 during the LIVE broadcast to interact with Scott Heckert and our Fan4Racing Panel. 

 

Third-Place Run in Casey’s General Stores 150 Proves Heckert is a Threat

 

Speed had not been an issue in most of Scott Heckert’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts in 2014.  He had been quick in qualifying and had impressive top-10 qualifying runs on several occasions, but circumstances never quite went his way to have a threat to win come race time.  Putting together that “total package” effort for the first time this season on Saturday, May 17 at Iowa Speedway, Heckert was quickest in practice, qualified third and finished third to score his best-career NASCAR K&N Pro Series finish in the Casey’s General Stores 150.

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