Still wondering what could have been for Rette Jones Racing (RJR) driver Tyler Dippel (@Tyler_Dippel) after Mother Nature soaked Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway two weeks ago in a rain-shortened race, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKPSE) driver is now steering his concentration towards Saturday night’s WhosYourDriver.org Twin 100s.
In the series’ return to the historic South Boston (Va.) Speedway, drivers will compete in two separate races – with both events offering maximum championship points towards the 14-race season.
Dippel, the Wallkill, New York native hopes to hone his short track skills and potential make history and earn his second and third career NKSPSE victories this weekend.
“I’m looking forward to this new challenge at South Boston this weekend,” said Dippel, driver of the No. 30 TYCAR Trenchless Technologies Ford Fusion.
“Essentially, we’ll be competing in race four and five on Saturday night and it’s an opportunity for us to earn some valuable points. I’ve never been to South Boston in a K&N car, but we tested there last week and I’ve raced Late Models there, so it all helps. I like what we found in the test and hope we can apply most of that this weekend.”
Feeling that Mother Nature drenched an opportunity to earn his second top-10 finish of the season in the Zombie Auto 125, Dippel is hoping he can finish what he started at South Boston – even if he knows he’ll have to exercise a different strategies for the two races.
“We started really good at Bristol, fought through some changes during the race and had a plan to attack when the rain came and they wound up calling the race,” Dippel explained. “I was kinda disappointed. I really felt like we were going to make a charge. What we learned there – we hope will have some impact on Saturday at South Boston.”
With group qualifying setting the tone for his starting position for the first Twin 100 race, Dippel knows the execution of contending for his first win of the season circles around starting up front and staying there.
Still, Dippel and Rette know they can’t afford to have any setbacks in the first race that could possibly plague them in the second race.
“No doubt these twin races are going to set up varying game plans,” Dippel explained. “For us, we’ll take things as it comes, but we definitely want to be up front so we can earn some points and hopefully get a good start for the second race.”
While his finishing positon in the first event won’t determine his placement for the second race, Dippel thinks that with the fastest lap from the first race setting the tone on where you’ll start in the second Twin 100s, he must push the needle, but stay conservative too.
“100 laps go by in a hurry,” he said. “I want to be able to go out there and post a fast lap and then see what happens from there. “I expect the track to change a bunch from the first race to the second race. Whoever can stay ahead of the curve could be in contention for the win in the second race. I want it to be us.”
Rette Jones Racing co-owner and crew chief Rette believes Dippel’s dirt track mentality will benefit their program Saturday night.
“First, I’m proud of Tyler for not giving up at Bristol, despite the rain,” he said. “If not for the rain, no doubt we felt like we had a car capable of finishing inside the top-10. As for this weekend, I’m feeling really good after the test last week. Also, these twin races are a lot like dirt races. You race then you stop and race again. Hopefully, that mentality is an extra boost for us and we contend for two wins on Saturday night.”
Through three races this season, Dippel sits eighth in the championship standings, 38 points behind leader Harrison Burton.
In 17 career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts, Dippel, 17, has earned one victory (Mobile Speedway, 2016), achieved two top-five and nine top-10 finishes. The teenager has also 124 laps led in event competition.
The WhosYourDriver.org Twin 100s (100 laps / 40 miles) is the fourth and fifth of 14 races on the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule. Practice begins for the one-day show on Sat., May 6 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Group qualifying is set for later in the day at 4:00 p.m. The first race will take the green flag just after 7:00 p.m., with the second race set to roll at approximately 9:30 p.m. The event will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on NBC Sports Network with an air date on Thurs., May 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Meet Tyler: Dippel will meet and greet race fans during the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East autograph session on Sat., May 6 from 5:40 p.m. on the frontstretch at South Boston (Va.) Speedway alongside his No. 30 TYCAR Trenchless Technologies Ford Fusion.
Contest Galore: Dippel’s team Rette Jones Racing is holding weekly social media contests to give away NASCAR K&N Pro Series East garage passes to join Dippel and the team on the sidelines.
“Like” the Tyler Dippel Racing and Rette Jones Racing’s page on Facebook to find out more and spread the message for multiple chances to win in 2017.
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