PIT BOX: Bragging Rights On The Line As K&N Pro Series Heads To Iowa

The summer is where the K&N Pro Series heats up.

This weekend, the circuit travels to Iowa Speedway for the Casey’s General Store 150, the seventh race of the East season and eighth of the West. This will be 17th combination race held at the midwest oval, and past winners include 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Cole Custer and last year’s Tyler Ankrum.

CASEY’S GENERAL STORE 150 AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

WHAT TO WATCH FOR:

At the midway point of the season for both series, championship battles are heating up. With more cars entered than usual due to the combination event, more points will be up for grabs. Conversely, more points can also be lost, and could wind up costly in the grand scheme of things.

Chase Cabre is looking to win his third consecutive event. The Rev Racing & NASCAR Drive for Diversity development driver has been on fire as of late, and has entered the championship picture, now sitting only six points back of leader Derek Kraus.

Bill McAnally Racing’s Kraus enters in the unique position of leading both the East and West championship races. In 2017, BMR’s Todd Gilliland was chasing both titles, too, and wound up in Victory Lane at Iowa. Kraus, however, hasn’t finished in the top 10 in either of his two previous starts at Iowa.

Kraus will be joined by BMR teammates Hailie Deegan and Brittney Zamora. Deegan’s race was cut short last season with 20 laps remaining due to a crash. Zamora, coming off a 13th-place finish at New Hampshire, will be making her first career start at Iowa.

The three BMR drivers, along with Kart Idaho Racing’s Travis Milburn, are listed on both the East and West entry lists, meaning they’ll score points for both series in the event.

DGR-Crosley, which fielded the car for Ankrum last year, has been among the quickest cars all of 2019, and there’s no reason to think that won’t continue in the midwest. DGR will have Sunoco Rookie of the Year contenders Tanner Gray and Drew Dollar as well as Ty Gibbs piloting their Toyotas. None of them have prior K&N starts at Iowa, but Gibbs finished fifth in the ARCA Menard’s Series event there this past weekend.

Sunrise Ford’s Jagger Jones is still searching for his first trip to K&N Victory Lane, while his teammate Trevor Huddleston has already at his home track of Irwindale Speedway. Beating the stars from both coasts would be impressive for the young Scottsdale, Arizona native.

Nicknamed “The Fastest Short Track On The Planet,” Iowa Speedway puts on some of the most entertaining racing in the country for stock cars. A worn out surface, multiple grooves and the hot midwest heat tend to come together for a race to remember.

RACE FACTS

RACE CENTER | ENTRY LIST

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The starting field for the Casey’s General Store 150 is limited to 28 starters, including provisional positions. The first 20 drivers will secure starting positions based on qualifying for the Casey’s General Store 150. The remaining eight spots will be awarded through the provisional process, with four provisionals going to K&N East teams and four to K&N West teams.

The Casey’s General Store 150 will be 150 laps (131.25 miles) and is to be run in three (3) segment with five (5) minute breaks at or near the conclusion of laps 50 and 100.

MEDIA CENTER:

NASCAR.com: Ryan Vargas to make NASCAR national series debut at Iowa

Hub City Times: Kraus takes third at New Hampshire

WWLP.com: Cabre dominates United Site Services 70 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at NHMS