Virginia Road Course To Test Championship Contenders

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 Four races, four different winners. Could a fifth be in the cards Saturday?

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returns to VIRginia International Raceway for the Biscuitville 125, and the 17-turn, 2.250-mile road course promises to throw the championship contenders for a loop.

Kyle Benjamin looks to maintain his championship lead. The NASCAR Next driver was originally planning on running a partial schedule, but a strong start — four top-six finishes in four starts and first place in points — changed that. The 18-year-old from Easley, South Carolina, is coming off a runner-up finish at Bristol Motor Speedway and holds a three-point lead over Justin Haley and a nine-point edge on his Ranier Racing with MDM teammate Spencer Davis. In 22 career K&N Pro starts, Benjamin has run just one road course; he finished 14th at Watkins Glen International.

VIR is one of three road course on the 14-race K&N Pro East slate this year, joined by Watkins Glen and New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Haley, 16, led six laps at VIR last year before finishing fifth. Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Davis, 17, will be making his first series road course start this weekend. If either falters, Haley’s teammate Tyler Dippel is within striking distance of first, trailed closely by veteran drivers Kaz Grala and Ronnie Bassett Jr.

Defending race winner Sergio Pena and Grala look to lead the field based on their road-course experience. Pena is making his first start of the season, while Grala has finished fifth and second in his previous two races at VIR and is seeking his first series victory.

Of the 24 cars entered at VIR, only five drivers (Dippel, Haley, Pena, Collin Cabre and Noah Gragson) have previously won in the K&N Pro Series. In fact, the four different winners this year all four celebrated their first career K&N Pro East win, and three of them have been Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidates. 

NASCAR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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