Michael Self didn’t take the lead until late in Saturday’s NAPA Know How 125, but once he did, he checked out from the field en route to his second straight NASCAR K&N Pro Series West win at Brainerd International Raceway.
Self nursed home his car with a flat left rear tire and still was able to outdistance runner-up Derek Thorn by .952 seconds and more than 20 seconds ahead of third-place Greg Pursley.
The Park City, Utah, driver was able to avoid the issues that plagued his top challengers long enough to pick up his fourth career win. All of his victories have come in the last 13 races, beginning in last year’s inaugural visit to the 2.5-mile road course north of Minneapolis.
Self led the last 16 laps after passing Cameron Hayley on a restart. Hayley, who led twice for 10 laps, subsequently pitted for a flat tire. Andrew Ranger won the Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day but also spun because of a tire issue in the final laps as he was closing in on Self. And points leader Thorn led a race-high 24 laps but was unable to muster a challenge to Self in the end.
Rookie Dylan Lupton finished fourth and Hayley fifth.
Thorn maintained his points lead by eight over Hayley and nine over Pursley. Self is fourth — 15 behind Thorn and one ahead of Sergio Pena.
Dale Quarterley was sixth Saturday, followed by Taylor Cuzick, Dylan Hutchison, Pena and Ranger.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will next race on Friday, June 7 in the Casey’s General Store 150, the first of two combination races with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa.
NASCAR PR
