New Smyrna Speedway…The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) kicks off the 2015 season this weekend at New Smyrna Speedway with the Hart to Heart Breast Cancer Foundation 150, marking the first race for the newly-formed HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks (HSMJM). Series veteran Scott Heckert leads the charge for HSMJM this season with four rookies, Rico Abreu, William Byron, J.J. Haley and Dalton Sargeant rounding out the 2015 stable of drivers for the new organization.
No. 5 J.J. Haley…Haley enters the 2015 season looking to build upon the success he achieved across multiple platforms in 2014. The Indiana native is competing on a full-time basis for HSMJM in 2015 and will run for Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 5 Braun Auto Chevrolet. The 15-year-old made four starts throughout the NASCAR K&N Pro Series (East and West) last year, bringing home a best finish of seventh at Dover International Raceway. Although this will be Haley’s first NKNPSE race at New Smyrna Speedway, he recently competed there in the Pete Orr Memorial 100, starting the race 15th and bringing home a third-place finish. In 2015, Haley’s No. 5 team will be led by 2014 NKNPSE Champion Crew Chief Mark McFarland, who captured five victories and six poles with Ben Rhodes in 16 starts last season.
J.J. Haley on racing at New Smyrna Speedway:
“I’m really looking forward to getting on track at New Smyrna Speedway. I can’t wait to begin working with Mark McFarland and the great team at HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks. I think we are going to have a lot of speed in the No. 5 Braun Auto Chevy at New Smyrna and hope to run up front all weekend long. I am so thankful to everyone at Braun Auto along with Harry Scott and Justin Marks for allowing me this great opportunity.”
No. 9 William Byron…Byron enters 2015 coming off the heels of a strong 2014 season across multiple platforms. Byron looks for more of the same success in 2015, as the 17-year-old competes for Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet. The Hart to Heart Breast Cancer Foundation 150 at New Smyrna marks Byron’s first career start in the NKNPSE. Although this marks the first start in the NKNPSE at New Smyrna for Byron, the North Carolina native ran the Pete Orr Memorial earlier this month to gain experience for his NKNPSE debut. Byron’s No. 9 Chevrolet will be led by Kevin Bellicourt, also a member of the NKNPSE championship-winning team last season. After serving as a car chief last year, this season marks Bellicourt’s first year as a crew chief in the NKNPSE.
William Byron on racing at New Smyrna Speedway:
“I feel like I’m prepared for my first K&N race and now it’s just a matter of getting in the No. 9 Liberty University car. I have confidence in myself and in the team I’m going to be working with this year. I have a great group of guys at HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks that are going to lead me in the right direction and make my transition seamless. I think running a super late model race at New Smyrna last month and being able to look at the notes before qualifying and the actual race on Sunday will be a big help. The HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks team is strong, and I know it’s going be a ton of fun this weekend. I’m excited to have the support of Liberty University again this season and look forward to representing them in the K&N Series.”
No. 34 Scott Heckert…Heckert is the only driver in the HSMJM lineup who has previously competed in the NKNPSE on a full-time basis. In 2014, Heckert raced for Turner Scott Motorsports in the NKNPSE compiling two wins and three poles en-route to an eight-place finish in the final Driver Point Standings. The 21-year-old looks to build upon a great 2014 campaign by starting the season on a high note with his No. 34 Project Lifesaver Chevrolet. In 2014, Heckert’s only career start at New Smyrna Speedway in the NKNPSE, he brought home a 21st-place finish following some late-race contact. The Connecticut native looks to turn the tide and make a run for the NKNPSE Championship with a strong finish in the season opener this time around. The 2015 season brings a familiar face to the crew chief role for Heckert, as Fuz Burgdoff moves to HSMJM to lead the No. 34 team.
Scott Heckert on returning to the NKNPSE and racing at New Smyrna Speedway:
“It’s great to be back with the same group of the guys we raced with a year ago as Fuz and a lot of our crew moved over to HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks. Knowing the chemistry we already have together, I know our team is very strong and feel that we can be competing for wins all season long. New Smyrna is a great place to start the 2015 season. It was a great race a year ago and it’s a privilege to come back for the second time. I can’t thank everyone at HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks enough for their hard work throughout the offseason; I’m ready to get this season started.”
No. 51 Dalton Sargeant…Sargeant joins three of the other drivers in the HSMJM stable, competing for not only the NKNPSE Championship but also Rookie of the Year honors in 2015. Sargeant is coming off a runner-up finish in the 2014 Snowball Derby along with a strong showing at New Smyrna Speedway earlier this season in the Pete Orr Memorial. The 16-year-old looks to build on that momentum heading into the 2015 season, a season that marks just the second year in stock cars for the Boca Raton native. Sargeant looks to start the season strong at New Smyrna Speedway, as he makes his first career start in the NKNPSE in the No. 51 Galt Chevrolet. In 2015, the No. 51 Chevrolet will be led by Kris Bowen, a proven winner in the NKNPSE who has compiled two victories and two poles over 37 races.
Dalton Sargeant on running for Rookie of the Year and racing at New Smyrna:
“I’m really looking forward to New Smyrna Speedway, in fact I’ve been counting down the days since we were in victory lane there three weeks ago for the Pete Orr Memorial. This being my first-ever start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, it is undoubtedly the biggest race of my career and there’s pressure to perform. I know I have the best equipment and the best people behind me as a member of the HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks team, so it’s up to me to make it happen on the race track. I love the track, I love being home and competing in South Florida, I love my friends and family being in attendance, so I really can’t wait to bring our recent momentum into this prestigious NASCAR racing series for the first time on Saturday for practice.”
No. 98 Rico Abreu…Abreu begins his 2015 NKNPSE campaign with little experience in stock cars but a whole lot of momentum after earning the win at the Chili Bowl Nationals last month. The California native’s sole stock-car start came in January at the Pete Orr Memorial at New Smyrna Speedway, where he finished 13th. Despite his lack of stock-car experience, after winning 26 open-wheel races in 2014, Abreu is prepared to compete full time in 2015 for not only Rookie of the Year honors but also the NKNPSE championship. Abreu’s No. 98 GoPro Motorplex/AccuDoc Solutions team will be led by Mardy Lindley. Lindley was the crew chief on Dylan Kwasniewski’s 2013 NKNPSE championship team and led Cameron Hayley to a second-place finish in the overall standings last season.
Rico Abreu on running for Rookie of the Year and the 2015 outlook:
“I’m looking forward to getting into the No. 98 K&N car for the first time this weekend and am thankful for the opportunity to race for HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks. Since the Chili Bowl, everything has moved really quickly and I was able to get a few test sessions and a race in with Mardy and the team. I feel like already we’ve greatly improved from the first time I got in the late model until now. It’s going to be a busy Speedweeks for us for sure with the K&N race and seven late model races, but all of that seat time and on-track experience does nothing but help us prepare for this season.”
The Hart to Heart Breast Cancer Foundation 150 takes place on February 15 at 7:30 p.m. EST. You can follow the live leaderboard on NASCARHomeTracks.com during the event and catch the race itself on February 19 at 10:30 p.m. EST on NBCSN.
HScott Motorsports PR
- Heart of America 200 results from Kansas Speedway - May 4, 2024
- Toyota Racing – NCS Kansas Quotes – Christopher Bell – 05.04.24 - May 4, 2024
- Ford Performance – NCS Kansas Qualifying - May 4, 2024