Heckert Shows Road Course Prowess, Wins Second-Straight at Watkins Glen

 

Heckert entered the Bully Hill 125 looking to return to victory lane for the second time this season. The 21-year-old began the event in the third position and quickly showcased the speed behind the No. 34 Bully Hill Chevrolet, running inside the top five for the majority of the event. A late charge in the first half of the event saw Heckert overtake teammate and race leader J.J. Haley to bring the No. 34 to pit road as the race leader under the halfway break. The second half saw Heckert dominate, as the Connecticut native was out front for the rest of the event, leading a total of 22 laps to bring home his fourth-career NKNPSE Victory. This marks Heckert second-straight win at Watkins Glen and third straight in a road course event. Heckert sits second in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings, just 14 points behind HSMJM teammate William Byron heading into Motordrome Speedway next weekend.

 

“The race was actually really hectic, especially there in the earlier parts. A lot of cautions early on bunched up the field and made for some really exciting racing. We had a really strong Bully Hill Vineyards HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks Chevy. Once we got clear on those restarts we knew we had a fast car, so I just kept working hard to get clear of the traffic and hoped for a long green-flag run, which we had at the end. It was extra special to get to celebrate in Victory Lane with my sponsor, who also sponsored the race. I’m glad we could put on a good show for everyone at Bully Hill Vineyards.”

 

Sargeant entered the day at Watkins Glen looking to use his extensive road course expertise to his advantage, along with the momentum of a runner-up finish at Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West earlier this season. Sargeant started the event in the seventh position, and by lap 20 ran in the sixth position on the racetrack. At the halfway portion of the event, the No. 51 GALT Chevrolet sat in the fourth position and looked poised to make a run for the win in the race’s second half. Some late restarts saw Sargeant slip back a bit, due to line selection, however, the NASCAR Next driver showcased the speed of his Chevrolet and worked his way into the top three with two laps to go. Sargeant was able to get around HSMJM teammate J.J. Haley in the final laps and pick up the second position, where he would finish. Sargeant now sits fourth in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings heading into Motordrome Speedway next weekend.

 

“Overall, it was a really good effort by everyone at HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks. We couldn’t have asked for a much better day than for the team ending up in the top-three positions. So, really good overall, we just missed it a little bit there in qualifying and had to start further back than we wanted. Those cautions in the beginning of the race hurt us quite a bit, as we weren’t able to make up as many positions as we would’ve liked. However, we were able to come in at the halfway break and get the No. 51 GALT Chevy dialed in a little bit better, and we were able to move our way to the second position at the end of the race.”

 

Haley came into the event at Watkins Glen looking to continue his string of solid runs as of late in the NKNPSE. The day got started in the right way for the 16-year-old, as Haley qualified in the fourth position. Haley ran strong inside the top five, bidding his time and learning the racetrack. On lap 17, Haley restarted fourth but quickly made a move for the race lead and overtook the top position for the first time in his NKNPSE career. The driver of the No. 5 Braun Auto Chevrolet held the top spot for 12 circuits around the 2.45-mile road course. Haley’s HSMJM teammate Heckert was able to slip by the Indiana native just prior the halfway break at lap 30, which proved to be the winning pass. Haley was able to continue on in the second half, staying strong in the second position. Haley fell one spot on the race’s final lap to the third position, where he would finish. It marked Haley’s fourth-straight top-10 finish and second-straight top-five finish in the NKNPSE. Haley sits eighth in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings heading into Motordrome Speedway next weekend.

 

“We had a good day at Watkins Glen. I led my first few K&N East laps, so that was a cool moment for me. It just really didn’t play in our favor, as we didn’t quite have the car to beat Heckert, but I’m really happy with my HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks Braun team. We’ll take what we learned here to VIR later this month, and hopefully finish a few spots better there.”

 

Byron entered the weekend at Watkins Glen looking to maintain his points lead in just his second-career road course start, his first in the NKNPSE. The weekend got started in the right way for the driver of the No. 9 Liberty University Chevrolet as Byron qualified in the second position. As the race began, Byron was able to maintain the second position for the race’s opening laps, until some early restarts in the event saw Byron slip back just a bit, but still maintain a solid top-10 position. By the midway break in the race, Byron ran in the eighth position on the racetrack. Byron battled hard throughout the late restarts and was able to bring home a solid seventh-place finish in his first-career start at Watkins Glen. The NASCAR Next driver still leads the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings by 14 points heading into Motordrome Speedway next weekend.

 

“We had a solid day I think. There are still things I can learn in this road course racing, since this was just my second start. So far we’ve had good runs with a fifth and a seventh, but I’m happy to go back to an oval. We are pretty pumped about Motordrome Speedway next weekend. Hopefully we will bring another fast Liberty University HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks Chevy to that track too and be able to compete for the win.”

 

Abreu came into Watkins Glen looking to gain experience in the No. 98 GoPro Motorplex/AccuDoc Solutions/Curb Records Chevrolet, as this marked the 23-year-old’s first-career start on a road course. The day began with Abreu qualifying in the 18th position. As the race began, Abreu held strong around the top 15 looking to learn the racetrack more and advance his position as the race continued on. At the halfway portion of the race, Abreu ran in the 18th position. Some of the late restarts in the race’s second half allowed Abreu to advance through the field and move into the top 15, ultimately bringing home a solid 12th-place finish in his road course debut. Abreu sits sixth in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings heading into Motordrome Speedway next weekend.

 

“I was looking for a better finish today in my first road course start. We really struggled in the first half, but got a lot better the second half. Thanks to my HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks guys for never giving up on me. I enjoy every moment working with them.”

HScott Motorsports PR