After a two-week hiatus, Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM) returned to action in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) on Friday night at Iowa Speedway. The Pork Be Inspired 150 was the second of two combination NKNPSE and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races at the 0.875-mile oval this season. TSM fielded five entries for the race, full-time competitors Austin Dyne, Dylan Kwasniewski and Kenzie Ruston along with part-time competitors Brandon Jones and Ben Rhodes. Ruston led the way for TSM, finishing fifth in the NKNPSE and seventh overall, with Rhodes eighth in the NKNPSE and 10th overall, Kwasniewski finished ninth in the NKNPSE and 12th overall, while Jones and Dyne got caught up in an accident and finished 19th in the NKNPSE, 29th overall, and 21st in the NKNPSE, 31st overall, respectively.
Kenzie Ruston’s day started off well at Iowa Speedway as she qualified in the 10th position for the Pork Be Inspired 150. She battled her way up to the sixth position during the first segment before bringing her No. 34 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet down pit road in the eighth position for the halfway break. During the break, her TSM crew changed four tires and made adjustments for the final segment. Ruston was able to maintain a top-10 position throughout the final segment in her No. 34 AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet and brought her car home in the seventh position overall, placing her fifth in the NKNPSE.
“The car was great all night at Iowa Speedway,” said Ruston. “In the first segment I worked on getting all of the track position I could so we would have a good starting spot for the second segment. My team at Turner Scott Motorsports did a great job of preparing the car and making adjustments during the break. We had several late-race restarts and were able to bring the No. 34 AuccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet home in seventh. So overall it was a very good night for my AccuDoc Solutions team.”
Making his fourth career NKNPSE start this past weekend at Iowa Speedway, Ben Rhodes qualified his No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevy 15th to start the 150-lap race. The NASCAR Next driver wasted no time working his way to front, finding himself in the 2nd position at the two-thirds mark of the East-West event. Rhodes would hold onto his top-5 position until having a tire issue on the restart at lap 108 causing him to drop to the back of the pack. Rhodes would rebound from the tire issue andhang on to finish 10th overall in the event, and eight in the NKNPSE. This finish marked Rhodes third top-10 finish in his first four starts in the series.
“I would like to thank my Turner Scott Motorsports team for all the hard work they put into the Alpha Energy Solutions Chevy this weekend,” said Rhodes. “The car felt like we had a tire going down after the restart late in the race and we just couldn’t drive it like we did at the beginning. We stayed on the track and our Turner Scott Motorsports Chevy eventually came to us. I am looking forward to making my next East Series start at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in September.”
Dylan Kwasniewski and his Rockstar Energy/Royal Purple team returned to Iowa Speedway, after finishing second overall and being credited with the NKNPSE win in the June event there. Kwasniewski led the first practice session and placed 14th in final practice before qualifying seventh for the 150-lap race. Kwasniewski moved into the top five by the second lap but fell back to seventh before the mid-race break. In the second half of the race, Kwasniewski battled a loose-handling race car, slipping back to 12th overall by the race’s conclusion, placing him ninth in the NKNPSE and allowing him to maintain his top spot in the points.
“This wasn’t our best night,” stated Kwasniewski. “We started the weekend off well, but our car just wouldn’t turn in the corners, especially in the second half of the race. I still have to thank my Turner Scott Motorsports team for all the hard work and thank Rockstar and Royal Purple for their support. Despite not having the night we wanted, we still only lost two points from our lead in the standings, so I’m happy about that. We’re looking forward to going road-course racing at VIR in a few weeks.”
Brandon Jones also made his second start at Iowa Speedway in the Pork Be Inspired 150. After qualifying 22nd for the 150-lap event, Jones spent the early part of the race working his way through the field. By lap 43, he had moved his No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet into the 14th position and on lap 59 he worked his way into the 13th position. At the halfway break, Jones was in the 13th position and received four tires, fuel and a tear-off. On lap 98, Jones was battling for position when he made contact with another competitor. Unfortunately, the contact sent Jones and his No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet to the garage for the remainder of the race. He ultimately finished the race in 29th, and 19th in the NKNPSE.
“We had a good night going in the Rheem Chevrolet,” said Jones. “We started in the 22nd position and were very methodical about working our way through the field. We came in for the break and had a good restart position, but unfortunately we ended up wrecking and one of my teammates got caught up in it. I just can’t thank the guys back in the Turner Scott Motorsports K&N shop enough for all of the hard work they put into this Rheem Chevrolet.”
Austin Dyne qualified 31st for the race at Iowa Speedway, having most recently raced at the 0.875-mile track previously in June. Dyne quickly worked his way through the field, finding himself in the 19th position at the halfway break. During the break Dyne’s No.99 KMC Wheels team changed 4 tires, added fuel and made adjustments to his TSM Chevy. After the restart, Dyne held onto his top-20 position until Lap 98 when he was involved in a multi-car accident. The KMC Wheels Chevy suffered irreparable damage and Dyne was credited with a 31st place finish overall, which placed him 21st in the NKNPSE.
“Tonight was a tough night for this KMC Wheels team here at Iowa,” said Dyne. “We got caught up in an accident after the break that ended our night early. It’s a shame because this KMC Wheels Chevy was really dialed in and we were making our way to the front. I’ve got to thank my Turner Scott Motorsports team for the hard work; we’re all looking forward to getting back on the track in a few weeks at VIR.”
TSM will return to action in the NKNPSE at Virginia International Raceway for the Biscuitville 125 on Saturday, August 24. TSM’s three full-time entries, Dyne, Kwasniewski and Ruston, will compete in the event.
TSM PR
