Richmond International Raceway…Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) heads to Richmond International Raceway for the Blue Ox 100, the fifth race of the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) season. After a short break, TSM will look to add to the success they obtained at Greenville-Pickens Speedway during their most recent trip to the racetrack. TSM won the 21 Means 21 Pole award with Ben Rhodes at Greenville-Pickens, marking four-straight poles for the team in 2014. Rhodes went on to visit victory lane in the event, capturing the first win for TSM in the NKNPSE in 2014. This weekend marks a return visit for some of TSM’s drivers to Richmond International Raceway: Ben Rhodes, Brandon Jones, Scott Heckert and Cameron Hayley have all made one career start at Richmond International Raceway, while it will mark Kaz Grala’s debut on the track in the NKNPSE.
Kaz Grala…Grala is coming off a career-best finish of seventh at Greenville-Pickens and will look to build upon that heading into his first NKNPSE start at Richmond International Raceway. Grala led his first career laps at Greenville-Pickens and has made gains each week as the season has progressed. He will look to continue that trend at Richmond International Raceway. Although he does not have any NKNPSE experience at the 0.75-mile oval, Grala has laps at the track, running in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown in 2013. Grala heads into the Blue Ox 100 sitting seventh in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings.
Kaz Grala on Richmond International Raceway:
“We are coming off of our best qualifying effort and our best race this season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. With our recent success, I am ready to get back into the No. 31 OzLINK Chevrolet at Richmond. I feel we will be at less of an experience disadvantage going into the weekend than in previous races this season, due to my previous experience at Richmond in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown. I’m excited to get to another big track with Turner Scott Motorsports, especially after having a few weeks off.”
Brandon Jones…Jones heads into the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway looking to get his 2014 NKNPSE season back on track after a 23rd-place finish at Greenville-Pickens. The 17-year-old has one-career start at Richmond, which came in 2013 with TSM. Jones qualified sixth for the race, but was forced to retire early after suffering an engine failure eight laps into the event. Jones will look to improve upon that finish this weekend with his No. 33 Wolfpack Energy Serivces team. Jones comes into the Blue Ox 100 sitting 11th in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings.
Brandon Jones on Richmond International Raceway:
“We’ve had an up-and-down start to the season so far in 2014, but I’m excited to get things back on track this weekend in our No. 33 Wolfpack Energy Services Chevy. The entire team has been working hard to build us fast racecars each race this season, and I don’t think anything will be different at Richmond International Raceway. Hopefully we can find our way back into the top five and compete for our first win.”
Scott Heckert…Heckert heads into Richmond International Raceway coming off a 17th-place finish at Greenville-Pickens in the NKNPSE’s most recent race. Heckert has one career start at Richmond International Raceway, coming in 2013 where he finished 28th. However, this weekend marks Heckert’s first start at Richmond with TSM. Heckert looks to use the knowledge gained in his previous race at Richmond and bring home a solid finish. Heckert comes into the Blue Ox 100 sitting 20th in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings.
Scott Heckert on Richmond International Raceway:
“It feels like an entire season has gone by since our last race, and I’m ready to get back in the racecar. We’ve had our ups and downs this year so far, but we have been fast at all the bigger tracks this season, so I am looking for us to be quick and up front all race.”
Ben Rhodes…Rhodes is coming off his first-career NKNPSE victory at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. The NASCAR Next driver has put together a solid season to start off the 2014 campaign, compiling three 21 Means 21 Pole awards along with the win at Greenville-Pickens. Rhodes looks to continue that success as TSM heads into Richmond International Raceway this upcoming weekend. Rhodes raced at Richmond International Raceway one year ago for TSM, while completing a limited schedule, and brought home a 35th-place finish following an engine failure. The 17-year-old will utilize that experience as he heads to Richmond International Raceway for a second time. Rhodes comes into the Blue Ox 100 leading the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings by seven points.
Ben Rhodes on Richmond International Raceway:
“I’m really excited to be heading back to Richmond International Raceway. Richmond is one of my favorite tracks due to the feeling that it creates, and the racing that takes place. The combination of my experience at Richmond and winning my last K&N race has really boosted the confidence of the entire No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Team heading into the race weekend.”
Cameron Hayley…Hayley comes into the Blue Ox 100 with quite a bit of momentum. Hayley was able to lead laps and run up towards the front at Greenville-Pickens, closing out his night with a third-place finish. Hayley comes into Richmond looking to build upon his first-career start in the NKNPSE, which came at Richmond International Raceway in 2013 where he finished 32nd. Hayley hopes to use the knowledge gained in 2013 to capture his third top-10 finish of 2014. The 17-year-old currently sits fourth in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings.
Cameron Hayley on Richmond International Raceway:
“Richmond is one of the few tracks on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule that I have raced on before, and I am definitely ready to get back to the track. We haven’t had the luck we needed to win races yet this season, but we have had a fast car at every race. I think we have a really good game plan heading into the weekend, and our No. 98 Cabinets by Hayley Chevy should be at the top of the board by the end of the race.”
TSM PR
- Newgarden Finds Peace by Setting Pace in Barber Practice - April 26, 2024
- Kokomo Grand PrixView! USAC Midget Season Begins Sat-Sun - April 26, 2024
- Abel Gets Big Jump on Field in Barber Practice - April 26, 2024