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| getty/nascar |
Sixteen-year-old Dylan Kwasniewski is coming off his first career series win at Colorado National Speedway, where he became the youngest winner in the 57-year history of the series and also the youngest to win a pole.
Luis Martinez Jr. was a first-time winner in the previous event at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway. The 21-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., notched his second career series pole in that event.
Kwasniewski and Martinez will be in the spotlight as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads to Montana Raceway Park in Kalispell for the Toyota/TTC 150 presented by Miller Lite on Saturday, Aug. 13. The inaugural series race last year at the tight quarter-mile oval thrilled fans with more than 100 consecutive laps of green flag action that featured some three-wide racing.
Martinez is third in the championship standings, with 10 of 14 races complete. Kwasniewski leads the chase for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award and is seventh in the overall standings. Both were among nine young drivers who were highlighted by NASCAR earlier this year as “The Next 9” who represent the sport’s future.
While they each look for another win, Greg Pursley is continuing his quest for this year’s championship in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Pursley, who is Kwasniewski’s partner on the Gene Price Motorsports team, scored six wins in the first eight races.
Pursley has a commanding 253-point lead in the championship standings. The 43-year-old Southern California native who now lives in Parker, Ariz., won the Coors Light Pole in last year’s event at Montana. He led 18 laps, but was caught up in an incident late in the race.
Michael Waltrip is slated to make his fifth career start in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West at Montana.
Waltrip has one win series win, at Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., in 1997. He has two other top-five finishes in the series – a second-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in last year’s season finale and a third-place finish in the inaugural event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 1996.
Waltrip is the winner of two Daytona 500s (2001 & 2003), co-owner of Michael Waltrip Racing and a television commentator for Speed’s coverage of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
Two teens set for series debutTwo teenagers, Dylan Lupton and Cameron Hayley, are slated to make their debut in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West at Montana.
Lupton, 17, is from Wilton, Calif. He is third in the points standings for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Models at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, Calif. He is slated to drive the No. 07 entry for car owner Greg Rayl.
Hayley, who turned 15 last month, is from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He has raced go-karts, Baby Grand stock cars, Legends race cars and late model stock cars. He will be driving the No. 24 entry for Bill McAnally Racing.