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K&N Catch-Up: What We Learned At All American

www.arcaracing.com October 14, 2019

ROSEVILLE, Calif. — For the second year in a row, a first-time winner emerged at Roseville.

A third-generation driver broke through to Victory Lane, although some feathers were ruffled along the way, and two drivers had impressive comebacks from what seemed at one point like catastrophic days.

Here is everything we learned from the NAPA Auto Parts/ENEOS 150 at All American Speedway.

NAPA Auto Parts/ENEOS 150: Results | Race Recap | Photo Gallery | Video

Jubilance For Jagger

In his first K&N Pro Series start, Jagger Jones fell one lap short of winning.

He had to settle for second behind Hailie Deegan at the Las Vegas Dirt Track after lapped traffic impacted the finish, but was able to hold her off at All American Speedway en route to claiming his first career checkered flag.

“It feels awesome,” Jones told NASCAR.com. “Just how close we‘ve gotten, I‘ve been close multiple times from the first race we did to this last one, to finally get the first one just feels so special, so awesome. This is what racer‘s live for.”

After the runner-up result at Las Vegas, Jones had finishes of fourth, fourth, sixth and seventh. The performance was there. And after 11 races of learning in full-bodied stock cars, he aced the test in Roseville.

“The speed we‘ve had, all the opportunities we‘ve had, how close we‘ve gotten. It wasn‘t just one time, it was multiple times,” he said. “I never really doubted. It was more when the first win is going to come, not if.”

Saturday marked the first time the No. 6 Sunrise Ford/XYO/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford was back in Victory Lane for Bob Bruncati since defending champion Derek Thorn won at Evergreen Speedway in Washington last season. Jones’ teammate, Trevor Huddleston, has won twice this season (Irwindale and Evergreen).

Tempers Still Flaring

Feuds have popped up left and right throughout the 2019 season. And Saturday night was no different, as a prior rivalry that seemed to have simmered down was reignited.

While running second, Hailie Deegan was spun by Jones in Turns 3 and 4. NASCAR didn’t throw the caution flag for the incident, so as the No. 19 NAPA Power Premium Plus/Monster Toyota scrambled back around, she was scored last, two car lengths ahead of race leader Derek Kraus.

Deegan, who has made contact on the final lap in each of her three career victories, shared her perspective on the contact she felt was a bit ill-timed.

“When it comes to contact, I‘m all for it when it‘s green/white/checkered, end of the race, at least mid-race on,” Deegan told NASCAR.com. “But when it‘s 10-20 laps (in), you can give and take some room. I guess I came down a little bit because I guess I was up high trying to pass Derek (Kraus) on the outside, I decided to come down, my spotter told me clear, I guess I had some room, but in the end, this type of racing, people struggle to give and take.”

Deegan also reflected on her racing style while going through the incident with Jones, saying she “100 percent” struggles to give and take, but it seems like everybody else does, too.

“I think things need to wait a little bit later in the race,” she said. “That‘s the problem we‘re having, even from my perspective. I need to get better at it, everyone else needs to get better at it. I gave room to people early trying to come through the field.”

Jones, who has gotten into a couple run-ins with Deegan this season, saw the contact as completely unintentional and hard racing from his perspective.

“I don‘t know why — she just completely left the door open,” Jones said. “I wasn‘t even going to drive it in there hard, but then I got hit from the right rear quarter by the No. 13 (Todd Souza). Nothing major, just racing, so I went right to the bottom. I mean, no hard feelings, I think it was just a racing deal. Her spotter might have told her clear or whatever. It definitely wasn‘t intentional. I understand she‘s mad she spun out. But I don‘t think I was the one to blame.”

Deegan believes she could have challenged for the victory if she didn’t burn up her tires coming back through the field for 115+ laps. After being quickest in both practice sessions and sitting on the pole for the 150-lap event, her confidence was high.

And remains that. But with two races left in the season and the championship a long shot, she’s “just going for wins” at Kern County Raceway Park and ISM Raceway to close out the year.

As Jones pulled into Victory Lane post-race, Deegan walked over to his window and “voiced (her) opinion” on the contact. As for how the Bill McAnally Racing driver races the Sunrise Ford Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender for the two races remaining, Deegan left it open to interpretation.

“When it comes to Jagger, I‘d say I run people how they run me,” she said. “It comes and goes. I moved him for a win, I didn‘t take him out, but I definitely gave one of those (bumps) to move him up the track just a little bit. I didn‘t clean him out. You get what you give.”

Deegan JonesHailie Deegan has some words for race winner Jagger Jones in Victory Lane following Saturday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at All American Speedway in Roseville, California. (NASCAR)

Kraus’ Rebound

After taking the lead from Deegan on the initial start, Derek Kraus led the opening 54 laps and seemed to be on his way to another victory, all but securing the 2019 championship.

But on Lap 54, the No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts/Curb Records Toyota suffered a flat right rear tire as he worked by the lapped car of Takuma Koga and was forced to pit road for repairs.

Kraus fell one lap down and didn’t get back on the lead lap until 28 laps remained. When the final restart occurred, he bobbed and weaved through the field and wound up crossing the finish line in fourth, a successful day considering the circumstances.

“The team helped me a lot to stay calm,” he told NASCAR.com. “It was a good race overall. Sucks that we had a flat right rear while leading. It was frustrating when that happened. And I knew we had a really good car, we drove all the way up to what would‘ve been fourth on the track after the end go that long green flag run we had. It just sucks that stuff happened like this. We‘ll just move into Kern, had a good points day I guess, take the positives out of it.”

The top five result was his ninth of the season, and helped his 40-point championship lead remain stagnant heading into his best statistical track: Kern County.

“We got two more,” he said with a smile when asked about his championship hopes. “Kern which is a really good track for me, so hopefully we can do good there, have a good finish there. I really want to get Bill (McAnally) his 100th win. This kind of puts a damper on it, we got two more races and we gotta win out.”

2019 K&N Pro Series West Standings

Notes

  • Trevor Huddleston earned his second third-place finish in a row and remains second in the championship standings, 40 points behind Kraus.
  • Brittney Zamora finished sixth after running as high as second.
  • Local racer Derrick Doering came home ninth in his first career K&N West event. Dylan Garner came home 12th, 11 laps down after sustaining damage earlier in the race.
  • Jack Wood only completed 18 laps before retiring early due to a transmission issue.

Jagger Jones Car Wwl Roseville 101219