CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Dec. 10, 2016) – It was the fourth time Doug Coby took the stage to accept a NASCAR championship ring. As the elder statesman on the stage, the Milford, Connecticut, driver took a moment to reflect.

“It seems like just yesterday I was standing right here giving a speech for my first championship and now here I am for number four,” said 37-year-old from Milford, Connecticut. “But a lot has changed in the five years since my first championship, and in fact it has been a great five years for all of the series champions.”

Coby was one of six drivers on stage Saturday night at the Charlotte Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame who received their NASCAR championship rings and trophies, culminating a memorable and exciting 2016 season.

Todd Gilliland (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) and Cayden Lapcevich (NASCAR Pinty’s Series) are the two youngest champions in the history of NASCAR’s touring or national series. Burt Myers (NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour) and Anthony Kumpen (NASCAR Whelen Euro Series) each collected their second NASCAR touring titles. And Justin Haley (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East) will look to follow in former teammate William Byron’s path of going from touring champion to being a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship contender.

Together, they represented six different paths – from around the world – taken to reach the North Carolina stage and accept one of the sport’s greatest honors. Family was a common theme throughout the nights.

“Winning a championship is a hard and long battle and you need a family that supports you,” said Kumpen, who also won the Whelen Euro title in 2014. The 38-years-old from Hasselt, Belgium, won a series-high five races, and he clinched his championship in front of his home crowd at Circuit Zolder and in front of his racing idol, Jeff Gordon.

A 16-years-old from Grimsby, Ontario, Lapcevich won the first three races of his career and was the only driver to finish in the top 10 in ever NASCAR Pinty’s Series race this season.

“Originally we weren’t supposed to run a whole year,” said Lapcevich. “Just me and my dad and a couple crew members. Our thinking was, ‘Let’s try and play this out.’ There’s so much great talent in Canada. When you’re up against the best, it really teaches you to dig deep and bring your best. After that, every weekend I wanted to race for the championship. So thankful I can live out my dream racing every week.”

Gilliland, the 16-years-old from Sherrills Ford, North Carolina, joined his grandfather Butch as a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion. His six victories matched the mark as the most in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West since Jimmy Insolo won nine in 1978.

And Burt Myers continued his family’s long history of success at North Carolina’s historic Bowman Gray Stadium with an eighth NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship. The 40-year-old from Walnut Cove, North Carolina, led the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour points the entire season en route to his second championship.

Coby became the first driver in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour’s modern era to win three straight titles, and he became just the fifth driver in NASCAR’s oldest division to win four or more titles. On the other end of the spectrum, Haley, a 17-years-old from Winamac, Indiana, broke through with his first championship season. He won twice to became the fourth consecutive driver for HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title. He’s also became the eighth straight teenager to win the K&N Pro Series East crown.

“Tonight is a celebration of remarkable achievements, and magical moments that occurred during the 2016 season but just as importantly, it’s also about the future of our sport,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of regional and touring series. “Daniel Suarez crossed this stage a few short years ago. Today, he’s the NASCAR XFINITY Series champion. He’s a hero in his home country and a great ambassador of the sport. But Dani is not an anomaly. These series routinely feature men and women, from many diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, who are not just competing but competing for wins.”

The championship car owners and crew chiefs were also recognized Saturday night.

There were plenty of other trophies handed out, too.

In addition to the championship awards, each series rookie of the year was honored. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award winners were Gilliland in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and Hunter Baize in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Matt Swanson in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and Kyle Bonsignore in the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. Lapcevich earned the Josten's Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Pinty's Series, and Alon Day was awarded the Junior "Jerome Sarran" Trophy by the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series as the series' top young driver.

The Most Popular Driver Awards for each series were also presented during the ceremony. The seven drivers honored with the award, which was voted on by the fans through NASCAR.com, were Austin Theriault (NASCAR K&N Pro Series East), Salvatore Iovino (NASCAR K&N Pro Series West), Melissa Fifield (NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour), Trey Hutchens (NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour), Jason Hathaway (NASCAR Pinty’s Series), and Day.

The top-10 drivers and car owners from each of NASCAR's touring series also were recognized during the gala.

The awards ceremony was streamed live online at NASCARHomeTracks.com – the official online home of NASCAR’s touring series – in English, French and Spanish.

Wenatchee, WA (December 10, 2016)–Technical officials with the Northwest Super Late Model Series have released the rulebook covering the 2017 season. Some adjustments were made to the points system and how drivers were awarded as such for participating in a “Happy Minutes” session, but otherwise no major changes were made in the competition aspect of the rulebook.

“The series had a good baseline of information to use while reviewing the rules used in the 2016 season. A goal from the start was to be sure the competition was solid, offered many options to the race teams so they could compete with the series week to week all while trying to keep costs down,” said Series Director, Jarrod Goodwin. “Evaluating data we collected during the 2016 season, we see that the rulebook used should continue with no major technical changes for 2017. We’ll take a look at the rulebook again at the completion of the 2017 season and evaluate if changes need to be made at that point.”

Questions regarding the 2017 rulebook can be directed to Goodwin or Technical Director, Dan Garber. To obtain a copy of the NWSLMS 2017 rulebook email the series at northwestsuperlatemodels@gmail.com

Up next for the NWSLMS will be next week’s release of the 2017 schedule followed by the Championship Banquet to be held January 14 at the Wenatchee Convention Center. For ticket information email George Wade at goewade95@hotmail.com or call (509) 663-8551.

The Northwest Super Late Model Series Inc. is the premier regional touring Super Late Model series in the Pacific Northwest. The series has many valued sponsors including Hoosier Racing Tire, McGunegill Engine Performance, Port City Race Cars, AR Bodies, Joes Racing Products, Accelerated Graphics, Five Star Bodies, Longacre Racing Products, Wheel Chill, KRC Power Steering, Racers Against Child Abuse, Atomic Screenprinting and Embroidery, Franks Racing Radio, BLP, Jefferson Pitts Racing and Racing Dynamics. For more information on the series visit www.nwslmseries.com or on Facebook or Twitter. To contact the series please email northwestsuperlatemodels@gmail.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 8, 2016) – NASCAR fans have been thrilled in recent years by the achievements of the sport’s rising stars – from Joey Logano’s DAYTONA 500 win in 2015 to Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson joining him in the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Daniel Suarez won the NASCAR XFINITY Series championship this year and William Byron led the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in wins.

They all have one thing in common. They cut their teeth in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series before breaking into NASCAR’s national series.

With the announcement by NASCAR of the 2017 schedules for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West, fans across the United States will get to see up close the next wave of young drivers looking to make their impact.

The calendars for NASCAR’s top developmental series feature several can’t miss events to highlight those next superstars. The schedules cover 27 races, anchored by the annual combination race with the East and West at Iowa Speedway in July.

“The NASCAR K&N Pro Series have been an exceptional proving ground for our sport’s up-and-coming drivers,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of touring & weekly series. “The 2017 schedules for the East and West feature an assortment of tracks that will test the drivers and provide a platform to showcase their talents.”

The season will open with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at New Smyrna Speedway on Sunday, Feb. 19 as part of the Florida track’s 51st Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. The event will be part of a day that starts with Coors Light Pole Award Qualifying for the DAYTONA 500 at nearby Daytona International Speedway.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West begins its season with a unique four-race swing that parallels the NASCAR premiere series swing out West. The opening race will be at Tucson Speedway on Saturday, March 18, as the premiere and XFINITY Series visit Phoenix International Raceway. The West will then run at Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield, Calif., on Thursday, March 23, before racing in twin 100-lap features at Irwindale Speedway on Saturday, March 25. The premiere and XFINITY Series will be competing at nearby Auto Club Speedway that weekend.

Like their California counterpart, Virginia’s South Boston Speedway has a reputation in racing as a top-flight facility. Similarly, South Boston – which has undergone a multi-million dollar improvement process, including a track repave this offseason – will host twin 100-lap championship events for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East on Saturday May 6.

“The 2017 schedules are a perfect blend of short tracks, road courses and national series companion events, that really bring out the best in the competitors in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series,” said Jesse Spungin, chief marketing officer of K&N Engineering, Inc. “We are excited to be involved in the series and are looking forward to what the new year brings and seeing NASCAR’s next generation of drivers battling it out across the country.”

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will also make its first trips to Memphis International Raceway (June 3) and Berlin Raceway in Michigan (July 1); and will be featured in a throwback weekend at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 8. Thompson has held 27 K&N Pro East events, dating back to the series’ second year (1988) when it was the NASCAR Busch North Series.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will feature its 54th trip to Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash., on Saturday, Aug. 12 and a return to Washington’s Spokane Country Raceway on May 13. The series will crown its champion with a second trip to Kern on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Other highlights of the 2017 schedule include:
· The K&N Pro Series will be part of five companion weekends with the NASCAR national series, including road-course events for the East at New York’s Watkins Glen International (Aug. 4) and for the West at Sonoma Raceway in California (June 24). In addition to the combination race at Iowa, the K&N Pro East will also race at Bristol Motor Speedway (April 22), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 15) and complete the season at Dover International Speedway (Sept. 29).
· Leading up to the finale at the high-speed half-mile at Kern, K&N Pro Series West championship contenders will have to navigate a string of bullrings in the second half of the season, beginning with Evergreen before traveling to Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore. (Aug. 26), Idaho’s Meridian Speedway (Sept. 30) and All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif. (Oct. 14).
· The K&N Pro East will make its traditional spring stop at South Carolina’s Greenville Pickens Speedway. One of the oldest tracks in NASCAR, Greenville has proven to be a title test in recent years. The eventual series champion has won at Greenville in each of the last four seasons.
· Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino, Calif. (May 20), Colorado National Speedway (June 10) provide an early season test for the K&N Pro West, while the K&N Pro East will host its penultimate race of the season on the road course at New Jersey Motorsports Park (Sept. 16).

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series television broadcast schedule on NBCSN will be announced at a later date.

2017 NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST SCHEDULE
Date Track Location
3/18 Tucson Speedway Tucson, Ariz.
3/23 Kern County Raceway Park Bakersfield, Calif.
3/25 Irwindale Speedway* Irwindale, Calif.
3/25 Irwindale Speedway* Irwindale, Calif.
5/13 Spokane County Raceway Airway Heights, Wash.
5/20 Orange Show Speedway San Bernardino, Calif.
6/10 Colorado National Speedway Dacono, Colo.
6/24 Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, Calif.
7/28 Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa
8/12 Evergreen Speedway Monroe, Wash.
8/26 Douglas County Speedway Roseburg, Ore.
9/30 Meridian Speedway Meridian, Idaho
10/14 All American Speedway Roseville, Calif.
11/4 Kern County Raceway Park Bakersfield, Calif.

*Twin 100-lap features

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE