Via NASCAR Media

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule will kick off on the dirt of Las Vegas and culminate on the big stage in Phoenix, with a challenging mix of tracks in between that will test the top drivers and teams throughout the west.

The 14-race schedule will visit 13 different tracks in nine states from February to November. It will include two combination races with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and three companion races with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

“This is one of the most dynamic and diverse schedules we’ve had, and it’s going to be a lot of fun for fans of the series to watch their favorite drivers compete at a variety of venues,” said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR managing director for regional racing. “You have a tremendous mix of a dirt track, road course, historic bullrings and speedways that is sure to produce an exciting season.”

The 66th season of the series, which traces its roots back to the Pacific Coast Late Model Series, will kickoff with a distinct old school feel: racing stock cars on dirt. The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host the Star Nursery 100 on Thursday, Feb. 28, as part of the track’s Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube NASCAR race weekend.

The inaugural Star Nursery 100 was won by eventual ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion Sheldon Creed and was the first NASCAR K&N Pro Series race on a dirt track since 1979.

The 2019 titlist will be crowned in a much-anticipated return to ISM Raceway as part of the track’s NASCAR Playoff weekend in November. The 1-mile track recently completed a $178 million renovation project and hosts the penultimate round of the NASCAR national series playoffs.

The K&N Pro Series West last ran in Phoenix in 2015, when Todd Gilliland scored his first career NASCAR win as a prelude to back-to-back West title campaigns. The track was also the site of 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano’s first NASCAR win in 2007 as well as Ryan Blaney’s first NASCAR win in 2011.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will also return to another popular stop: Irwindale Speedway, on Saturday, March 30. The graduated banking on the half-mile speedway outside of Los Angeles has produced thrilling racing since it first opened in 1999; it has hosted 26 events between 1999-2011, and from 2014-17.

Other schedule highlights include:

Tucson Speedway in Arizona will again host twin 100-lap features, on Saturday, May 11. Kody Vanderwal scored the underdog sweep in the inaugural 2018 event.
The series will race on the road course at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, June 22, as part of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekend. Will Rodgers scored the win over a trio of Cup drivers in 2018.

Twice the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will go head-to-head with its East counterparts. The first is the annual stop at Iowa Speedway, on Friday, July 26, and the second as part of a doubleheader with the INDYCAR Series on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Gateway Motorsports Park, just outside of St. Louis.

The series will make its traditional summer visits to Colorado National Speedway (Saturday, June 8), Washington's Evergreen Speedway (Saturday, Aug. 17) and Oregon's Douglas County Speedway. Colorado has hosted the West series each of the last 12 seasons. Evergreen has held 56 races since 1965, including the last eight seasons. Douglas has held 16 West races, bringing the series to the fairgrounds each of the last three years.

Idaho's Meridian Speedway will bring the series back for the fifth consecutive year on Sept. 28, a run that included Hailie Deegan's historic first NASCAR win in 2018. It's followed by back-to-back California dates - first at the tight quarter-mile of All American Speedway in Roseville on Saturday, Oct. 12, and then the high-speed half-mile of Kern County Raceway Park in Bakersfield on Saturday, Oct. 26. All American has been part of the West series every season since 2008, while Kern will be hosting its 10th race since it opened in 2013.

Contact:
Jason Christley
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications
(386) 310-6094
jchristley@nascar.com

2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Schedule
Date, Track, Location, Laps
Thurs., Feb. 28 Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nev. 100
Sat., March 30 Irwindale Speedway Irwindale, Calif. 150
Sat., May 11 Tucson Speedway *Tucson, Ariz. 100s*
Sat, June 8 Colorado National Speedway Dacono, Colo. 175
Sat, June 22 Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, Calif. 64
Sat, June 29 Douglas County Speedway Roseburg, Ore. 150
Fri., July 26 Iowa Speedway Newton, Iowa 150
Sat., Aug. 17 Evergreen Speedway Monroe, Wash. 175
Sat., Aug. 24 Gateway Motorsports Park Madison, Ill. 120
Sat., Sept. 28 Meridian Speedway Meridian, Idaho 208
Sat., Oct. 12 All American Speedway Roseville, Calif. 150
Sat., Oct. 26 Kern County Raceway Park Bakersfield, Calif. 175
Sat., Nov. 9 ISM Raceway Avondale, Ariz. 100

* Twin 100-lap championship points races
Schedule subject to change

Will Rodgers celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday. (Photo Courtesy Nigel Kinrade)

Via NASCAR Media

Sonoma, Calif. - Will Rodgers has been the driver to beat in recent NASCAR K&N Pro Series roadcourse events. Rodgers continued that trend with a victory in the Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway.

The 23-year-old NASCAR Next driver dominated the race leading 35 laps from pole position. It was the fourth road course race win in a row for Rodgers between starts in both the NASCAR K&N East and West series.

Five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers entered the race yet they were unable to compete with Rodgers during the weekend. Besides winning the race and pole, Rodgers was also the fastest in practice.

“I knew we would have a great car prepared by Jefferson-Pitts Racing” Rodgers noted. “We had a great piece and made very minor adjustments, my crew chief Jeff (Jefferson) definitely had the right ideas in mind and it helped us obviously stay first in practice, get the pole and then here we are in Victory Lane.”

The first five-minute break on lap 21 saw Rodgers race leader over NASCAR Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers William Byron, Daniel Suarez and Aric Almirola. Seven cars chose not to pit including Almirola who moved to the lead. Business picked up as the fastest cars in the field had to maneuver through traffic to retain their previous positions.

Rodgers and Suarez thrilled fans as both drivers were able to enter the top five after the restart. Suarez moved by Almirola on lap 39. The second break on lap 41 it was Suarez leading over Almirola, Rodgers, Erik Jones and Byron.

The restart saw Almirola take advantage of Suarez and move back to the lead. The race was decided on lap 50 when Rodgers was able to drive under Almirola in turn 11. Rodgers went the rest of the way unchallenged and at the finish his margin of victory was 4.420 seconds.

Almirola took second with Byron placing third. Suarez was fourth and Ryan Partridge fifth. Partridge's top five finish allowed him to take over the championship lead by a singl point over his teammate Derek Kraus who finished in the eighth position. Jones, Hailie Deegan, Derek Thorn, Cole Keatts and Derek Kraus finished out the top 10.

NBCSN will broadcast the Carneros 200 on Thursday, June 28th at 6:00 PM EST.

It will be a quick turnaround for the series as the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will be racing Saturday, June 30 at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Ore for the Clint Newell Toyota 150 presented by NAPA Auto Parts.

NOTES:
The win marks eight straight road course wins for Jefferson-Pitts Racing.
After a career best qualifying effort of third, Hailie Deegan finished seventh.
Derek Thorn entered the race as the series points leader. He was able to recover from a late race incident to finish eighth.
After fighting for fourth with Suarez, Cole Rouse went around in turn 11 on lap 61. He finished 12th

NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST-Carneros 200 Results
Saturday
At Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, Calif.
Lap length: 1.99 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (1) Will Rodgers, Solvang, Calif., Ford, 64 laps, 58.482 mph.
2. (5) Aric Almirola, Tampa, Fla., Ford, 64.
3. (2) William Byron, Charlotte, N.C., Chevrolet, 64.
4. (6) Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico, Toyota, 64.
5. (4) Ryan Partridge, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Ford, 64.
6. (13) Erik Jones, Byron, MI, Toyota, 64.
7. (3) Hailie Deegan, Temecula, Calif., Toyota, 64.
8. (9) Derek Thorn, Lakeport, Calif., Ford, 64.
9. (16) Cole Keatts, Lewiston, Idaho, Ford, 64.
10. (8) Derek Kraus, Stratford, Wisc., Toyota, 64.
11. (11) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif, Chevrolet, 64.
12. (14) Cole Rouse, Fort Smith, Ark., Toyota, 64.
13. (18) Tom Klauer, Reno, Nev., Chevrolet, 64.
14. (26) Rodd Kneeland, Sonoma, Calif., Chevrolet, 63.
15. (20) Jesse Iwuji, Carrolton, Texas, Chevrolet, 63.
16. (24) Rich DeLong III, Santa Clarita, Calif., Chevrolet, 63.
17. (10) Kody Vanderwal, LaSalle, Colo, Ford, 56, engine.
18. (12) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 46, clutch.
19. (15) Todd Souza, Aromas, Calif., Toyota, 45, engine.
20. (25) Trevor Huddleston, Agoura Hills, Calif., Ford, 44, electrical.
21. (17) Travis Milburn, Eagle, Idaho, Chevrolet, 39, electrical.
22. (19) Carlos Vieira, Atwater, Calif., Ford, 31, accident.
23. (23) Hollis Thackeray, Gridley, Calif., Toyota, 17, transmission.
24. (7) Alex Bowman, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 10, engine.
25. (21) Takuma Koga, Nagoya, Japan, Chevrolet, 9, accident.
26. (22) Matt Levin, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 1, accident.

Race Statistics
Time of Race: 2 hours 10 minutes 40 seconds
Margin of Victory: 4.420 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: W.Rodgers (90.591 mph, 79.081 seconds)
Caution Flags: 5 for 17 laps.
Lead Changes: 6 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: W. Rodgers 1-21; A. Almirola 22; C. Rouse 23; A. Almirola 24-39; D. Suarez 40-44; A. Almirola 45-50; W. Rodgers 51-64.
Standings: 1. R. Partridge, 254; 2. D. Thorn, 253; 3. D. Kraus, 237; 4. C. Rouse, 232; 5. H. Deegan, 225; 6. K. Vanderwal, 219; 7. T. Huddleston, 213; 8. M. Levin, 185; 9. W. Rodgers, 181; 10. T. Souza, 179.

Via NASCAR Media

This weekend's Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway just might feature the strongest field in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West in 2018. Besides the front-running teams of Bob Brucati's team and Bill McAnally's team, several Monster Energy NASCAR drivers will be racing in Saturday's race.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West's annual race at the Sonoma Raceway road course has been a sort of testing ground for less experienced Monstery Energy NASCAR drivers who have little experience racing at a road course. Past Cup winners include Brian Vickers (2006), Joey Logano (2011), Kyle Larson (2014) and Chase Elliott (2016).

The entry list for the Carneros 200 will feature a bevy of NASCAR Monstery Energy Cup Series drivers. Hendrick Motorsports teammates Alex Bowman and William Byron will be among those hoping to win. Two Joe Gibbs Racing drivers will also be competing as well in Erik Jones and Daniel Suarez. Veteran Cup driver Aric Almirola will also be racing Saturday.

20-year-old NASCAR Next driver Will Rodgers nearly won last year's K&N Pro Series West race at Sonoma. He finished runner-up to Kevin Harvick. Rodgers recently won at the New Jersey Motorsports Park road course in the K&N Pro Series East and has two previous road course victories.

Jim Inglebright is a veteran in the K&N Pro West series having run every Sonoma race since 2006. His last win came at Portland International Raceway in 2008. Cole Keatts is an established rally car driver. He made his K&N debut at New Jersey this past weekend. David Mayhew will also be a likely contender. The veteran driver has 10 West Series wins, including Sonoma in 2015.

Points leader Derek Thorn is the only other non-Cup driver to win at the Northern California track. He finished second in 2012 and won the 2013 event en route to the championship.

RACE FACTS

RACE CARNEROS 200
PLACE Sonoma Raceway
DATE Saturday, June 23
TIME 1:30 p.m. PT

TELEVISION
NBCSN, Thursday, June 28 – 6 p.m. ET

TRACK LAYOUT 1.990-mile road course

2017 WINNER Kevin Harvick
2017 POLE Will Rodgers

EVENT SCHEDULE
Friday — Garage opens: 9:45 a.m. PT; Final practice: 1:05-2:25 p.m.; Driver Autograph Session: 3-3:45 p.m.
Saturday — Garage opens: 8:30 a.m. PT; Group qualifying: 10:15 a.m.; Carneros 200: 1:30 p.m.

TWITTER @RaceSonoma
HASHTAG #Carneros200, #KNWest

CREW CHIEF HANDOUT: The maximum starting field is 40 cars, for each race, including provisionals.

Qualifying groups will be determined by each vehicle’s overall fastest single lap from the official practice sessions.

The first 36 cars will secure starting positions based on the qualifying session. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process.

Each group qualifying session will be five (5) minutes in duration and the fastest single lap speed of each vehicle will determine starting positions 1st through 36th. Adjustments or repairs may not be made on a vehicle after the vehicle enters the track to begin the qualifying session. Vehicles may not
return to the track or make any further qualifying laps unless directed to do so by a NASCAR Official or in the event of a caution. If a vehicle returns to pit road, the vehicle’s qualifying attempt is complete.

The CARNEROS 200 will be 64 laps (127.36 miles) to be run in three (3) segments. The five (5) minute breaks will occur at or near the conclusion of Laps 21 and 42. At the conclusion of the break, lead lap vehicles that elected to pit will line up – in the order they were running at the beginning of the break — behind the lead lap vehicles that elected not to pit in order of running.

The maximum tire allotment available for this event is as follows: Four (4) tires for practice, four (4) tires for qualifying and to begin the race, and four (4) additional tires for use during the race for a total of twelve (12) tires.

Via NASCAR PR

SONOMA, Calif. -- Kevin Harvick made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West return and he delivered.

The Bakersfield, California, native dominated the Carneros 200 at Sonoma Raceway. Harvick held off hard-charging Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in Will Rodgers, while the rest of the field was more than nine seconds back.

Harvick won the 1998 West championship on his way up the NASCAR ladder, which culminated in winning the 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship. He drove the No. 4 Fields Ford for Jefferson Pitts Racing to his eighth victory of his career in the K&N Pro West Series.

"It always feels good to win no matter what it is," said Harvick. "The main objective was to come have fun, shine a little light on the series and shine a little light on how much talent is in the series. This particular series did a lot for me and to come back and be a part of it, see the health of it and see the young guys racing was the main objective.

"It's always fun to race in front of your home state fans. It's been a long time since I raced in this particular series here, so it was a fun weekend."

Rodgers, a 22-year-old from Murrieta, California, won his first Coors Light Pole Award earlier in the day and brought his No. 7 Solvang Brewing Company Ford home in second place, his best finish of his 14 K&N Pro Series West starts.

"For some funny reason, I had a feeling as far back as four weeks ago that it was going to be me and Kevin coming into turn 11 on the last lap," Rodgers said. "And sure enough, there we were. He ran a really good race, I learned a lot from him. We were able to lead some laps there in the beginning. It doesn’t feel too bad to finish second today."

David Mayhew came home in third, followed by Michael Self and Derek Kraus in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Championship points leader Todd Gilliland, Blaine Perkins, Todd Souza, Sheldon Creed, Chris Eggleston and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup driver Daniel Suarez rounded out the top 10.

Gilliland leads Eggleston by 11 points. Kraus is third (56 behind Gilliland), while Rodgers is 12 points back of Kraus in fourth.

The Carneros 200 will air on NBCSN on Thursday, June 29 at 11 p.m. ET.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will return to the track on July 28 for the annual combination race with the K&N Pro East at Iowa Speedway.

Contact:
Brooke Franceschini
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications
(386) 631-6142
bfranceschini@nascar.com


NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST-CARNEROS "200" Results
Wednesday
At Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, CA
Lap length: 1.99 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (6) Kevin Harvick, Charlotte, NC, Chevrolet, 64 laps, 59.368 mph.
2. (1) Will Rodgers, Solvang, Calif., Ford, 64.
3. (5) David Mayhew, Atascadero, CA, Chevrolet, 64.
4. (2) Michael Self, Park City, UT, Ford, 64.
5. (16) Derek Kraus, Stratford, Wis., Toyota, 64.
6. (8) Todd Gilliland, Sherrils Ford, N.C., Toyota, 64.
7. (14) Blaine Perkins, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 64.
8. (11) Todd Souza, Watsonville, Calif., Toyota, 64.
9. (15) Sheldon Creed, El Cajon, Calif., Ford, 64.
10. (9) Chris Eggleston, Erie, Colo., Toyota, 64.
11. (7) Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico, Toyota, 64.
12. (20) Carlos Vieira, Atwater, Calif., Chevrolet, 64.
13. (19) Tim Spurgeon, Danville, CA, Chevrolet, 64.
14. (25) Matt Levin, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 64.
15. (24) Kody Vanderwal, LaSalle, Colo, Ford, 64.
16. (23) Scott Ivie, Mountain View, Calif., Toyota, 64.
17. (17) Dave Smith, Novato, Calif., Chevrolet, 64.
18. (13) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, CA, Ford, 64.
19. (31) Rodd Kneeland, Sonoma, Calif., Chevrolet, 64.
20. (18) Will Gallaher, Santa Rosa, Calif, Toyota, 64.
21. (26) Takuma Koga, Nagoya, Japan, Chevrolet, 63.
22. (27) Ron Norman, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 63.
23. (10) Julia Landauer, New York, N.Y., Ford, 63.
24. (22) Stafford Smith, Eagle, Idaho., Chevrolet, 60.
25. (29) Nicole Behar, Spokane, WA, Chevrolet, 55.
26. (3) Ryan Blaney, High Point, NC, Ford, 53, rear end.
27. (21) Rich DeLong III, Santa Clarita, Calif., Chevrolet, 38, transmission.
28. (4) Derek Thorn, Lakeport, CA, Toyota, 22, engine.
29. (30) John Wood, Eagle, ID, Ford, 16, drive line.
30. (12) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 10, electrical.
31. (28) Jesse Iwuji, Carrolton, Texas, Chevrolet, 8, oil line.
32. (32) Kevin O'Connell, Newport, Calif, Chevrolet, 0, did not start.

Race Statistics
Time of Race: 2 hours 8 minutes 43 seconds
Margin of Victory: .530 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: W.Rodgers * (91.906 mph, 77.949 seconds)
Caution Flags: 6 for 20 laps.
Lead Changes: 2 among 3 drivers.
Lap Leaders: W. Rodgers 1-26; M. Self 27-41; K. Harvick 42-64.
Standings: 1. T. Gilliland, 354; 2. C. Eggleston, 343; 3. D. Kraus, 298; 4. W. Rodgers,
286; 5. M. Self, 272; 6. K. Vanderwal, 272; 7. T. Souza, 266; 8. B. Perkins, 261; 9. N. Behar, 258; 10. M. Levin, 258.

Via NASCAR Media

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — All roads eventually wind their way back home.

For three Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers this weekend, it’s a road course that turns back towards where it all began: the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. NASCAR’s top developmental series heads to Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California, for the Carneros 200 on Saturday.

The 1998 K&N Pro Series West champion, Kevin Harvick, will join recent first-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series winner Ryan Blaney and current Monster Energy Series rookie Daniel Suarez in the field for the Carneros 200. All three drivers began their respective NASCAR careers at the K&N Pro Series level.

Harvick, the 2014 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, won at Sonoma during his K&N Pro Series West title-winning season. Suarez, a NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Mexico Series champion, has three career K&N Pro Series East wins to his credit, while Blaney — who recently won at Pocono — won his only career K&N Pro Series West start at Arizona’s Phoenix International Raceway in 2011.

“I’m going to be the old guy that shows up,” Harvick said recently. “I have fun when I go do those events… It’s a series that gave me several breaks and several opportunities to showcase what I did as a kid.”

Others to showcase their abilities on Saturday, includes current series points leader Todd Gilliland and his Bill McAnally Racing teammate Chris Eggleston, who sits second in the standings. Gilliland and Eggleston have combined to win all seven of the series’ races this season and both will be looking to redeem themselves after a rough 2016 Carneros 200 showing. Heading into Sonoma, Eggleston has won two straight races to close his deficit in the championship standings to just seven points at the midway point of the season.

RACE: Carneros 200
PLACE: Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, California
DATE: Saturday, June 24
TIME: 1:30 p.m., PT
TRACK LAYOUT: 1.99-mile, 12-turn road course
2016 WINNER: Chase Elliott
2016 POLE WINNER: Chase Elliott
EVENT SCHEDULE: Friday, June 23 – Garage opens: 10:45 a.m.; Practice: 2-3:20 p.m.; Driver Autograph Session: 4-4:45 p.m. Saturday, June 24 — Qualifying: 10:15 a.m.; Carneros 200: 1:30 p.m.
TRACK CONTACT: Diana Brennan, (707) 334-9822, DBrennan@sonomaraceway.com
TWITTER: @RaceSonoma
EVENT HASHTAG: #Carneros200
NASCAR IMC CONTACT: Brooke Franceschini, (386) 631-6142, bfranceschini@nascar.com

RACE CENTRAL LIVE: EVENT SCHEDULE & ENTRY LIST

FAST FACTS:
The Race: The Carneros 200 will be the eighth of 14 races on the 2017 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule.

The Procedure: The maximum starting field is 40 cars. The first 36 starting positions will be set by NASCAR Road Race-style group qualifying and the final four positions will be determined by the provisional process. The race is scheduled for 64 laps (204.966 kilometers/127.36 miles) and will have a five-minute midway break at or near the conclusion of Lap 40.

The Track: A 1.99-mile, 12-turn road course, Sonoma Raceway opened in 1968 as Sears Point International Raceway on 720 acres that was a dairy farm in the early 1900s. Since then then the facility has grown to 1,600 acres and hosts 340 days of racing activity each year.

The Records: The series’ qualifying record was established on June 21, 2014 by Kyle Larson at 92.794 mph (77.203 seconds). The 64-lap race record was set on June 19, 2010 by Andrew Ranger at 69.155 mph (1 hour, 50 minutes, 30 seconds).

Race Winners: There have been 18 different winners in the 38 races held all-time at Sonoma. Hershel McGriff (1983, 1985, 1987), Jim Insolo (1978, 1979, 1980) and Bill Schmitt (1981, 1988, 1989) lead the category with three wins each. Insolo is the only driver in series history to have won three straight races at Sonoma.

Pole Winners: A total of 20 drivers have qualified on the pole at Sonoma. McGriff leads with three poles at Sonoma, while Butch Gilliland, Jim Bown, Roy Smith and Tim Williamson each have two poles at the road course.

CARNEROS 200 NOTES:
Cup Runneth Over: Non-series regulars have enjoyed success at Sonoma in recent history. Four of the last six winners at Sonoma have been scored by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers, including Chase Elliott in last year’s event. Kyle Larson won the race in 2014, and Joey Logano and David Gilliland went back-to-back in 2011 and 2012.

In 2010, Andrew Ranger won for the first time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West competition at Sonoma. A multi-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion, Ranger also won a series road course race at Utah in 2013.

Familiar Turf: Will Rodgers could be primed for a breakthrough performance at Sonoma this weekend.

The driver who comes from a road racing background sits fifth in the current K&N Pro Series West standings with four top fives in seven races this season. He made his series debut at Sonoma in this race last year, and his best finishes in 2016 came in consecutive races at Utah Motorsports Campus where he finished seventh, twice.

Rodgers is a four-time Pirelli World Challenge Series winner and has several wins in Mazda spec automobiles.

One And Done: Of the 14 races on the 2017 schedule, Sonoma marks the only road course race of the season for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. No current full-time driver in the series has won at Sonoma. The last to do so was David Mayhew in 2015.

Madera, Ca. (1-31-17) – The 2017 dates have been set for the new West Coast Sportsman Series and it all kicks off at the Madera Speedway on April 8th. The series will compete three times on paved short track ovals, two times on road courses, as well as on dirt ovals.

The idea for the series is to take the out of date grand-national style race car and allow people to compete in a cost effective format that is focused on competitor comradery and fan pleasing, high quality racing action.

“We held a test race last fall with this new series and it turned out really well, so the next step is to run a short season with six to seven races in 2017. Having the series operate on paved ovals, dirt ovals and road courses really creates a place for veteran drivers to have fun, or for the up and coming driver to gain valuable experience” Kenny Shepherd.

The 2017 West Coast Sportsman Series kicks off the season at the Madera Speedway on April 8th, then there is a TBA date for June, then the series heads North to Portland Oregon to hit the first road course in July from the 7th through the 9th, then the series hits its second paved oval at Redwood Acres Raceway on the Northern California Coast on August 5th, then the series heads to the rolling hills of Sonoma Raceway for the second road course race on September 16th and 17th, then the series heads back to Central California to hit the paved oval at the Madera Speedway on October 21st, then the final race of the season hits the dirt at the Stockton Dirt track on November 3rd.

The series is structured in a club manner with a group of car owners guiding the series via an owner representative. For more information about the rules and technical aspect of the series contact Mike Naake at info@naake.com. For information on scheduling, event organization and marketing opportunities contact Kenny Shepherd at kshepherd@racemadera.com.

West Coast Sportsman 2017 Schedule
4-8 Madera Speedway (Paved Oval)
6-3, or 6-10 TBA (dirt or paved oval)
7-7 to 7-9 Portland, Oregon (Road Course)
8-5 Redwood Acres Raceway (Paved Oval)
9-16 to 9-17 Sonoma Raceway (Road Course)
10-21 Madera Speedway (Paved Oval)
11-3 Stockton Dirt Track (Dirt Oval)

Via NASCAR Media

SONOMA, Calif. - Pole sitter Chase Elliott completed a daring pass of race leader Noah Gragson with three laps remaining to claim the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Chevys Fresh Mex 200 Saturday afternoon at California’s famed Sonoma Raceway.

Elliott had saved his tires throughout much of the race before he made his race-winning win with three laps to go to overtake Gragson, who was selected to the latest NASCAR Next class earlier this year.

Gragson had led a race-high 34 laps before losing the lead to Elliott. Gragson said he learned a great deal racing against someone the caliber of Elliott, a leading NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate.

“This was an experience of a lifetime to race against someone like Chase Elliott,” said Gragson. “I knew Chase probably had the best car, but I also knew I had a car that could win. I learned so much out there today. This will only help me become a better racer.”

Elliott said he hoped to apply the track time he was able to obtain today to Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350.

“I know tomorrow’s race will be a lot different strategy-wise, but hopefully I can capitalize upon the reps I received out there today,” said Elliott. “I realize tomorrow that tires will be more of a factor and it’s a longer race, but I think today can only help me.”

Gracin Raz turned in a strong performance, leading three times for 10 laps, to finish third. While Ryan Partridge and Riley Herbst finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Michael Shawhan, Tom Klauer, Scott Ivie, Carlos Vieira and Cole Rouse rounded out the top 10.

The race experienced a slow start, as there was a multi-car pileup when the Green Flag dropped that sent four cars to the garage. Two of those cars included K&N Pro Series West championship contenders and Bill McAnally Racing teammates, Todd Gilliland and Chris Eggleston. Once the race got underway, the drivers got a better feel for the track and settled in to put on an exciting show for the fans.

The Chevys Fresh Mex 200 will air on NBCSN Thursday, June 30 at 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will be back in action at Idaho’s Stateline Speedway for the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 on Saturday, July 9.

Contact:
Brooke Franceschini
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications
(386) 631-6142
bfranceschini@nascar.com

NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES WEST-Chevys Fresh Mex 200 Results
Saturday
At Sonoma Raceway
Sonoma, CA
Lap length: 1.99 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (1) Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, GA, Chevrolet, 64 laps, 64.732 mph.
2. (4) Noah Gragson, Las Vegas, NV, Ford, 64.
3. (7) Gracin Raz, Lake Oswego, Ore., Ford, 64.
4. (2) Ryan Partridge, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Ford, 64.
5. (10) Riley Herbst, Las Vegas, Nev., Toyota, 64.
6. (17) Michael Shawhan, Los Gatos, Calif., Chevrolet, 64.
7. (23) Tom Klauer, Reno, Nev., Chevrolet, 64.
8. (20) Scott Ivie, Mountain View, Calif., Toyota, 64.
9. (22) Carlos Vieira, Atwater, Calif., Chevrolet, 64.
10. (8) Cole Rouse, Fort Smith, Ark., Ford, 64.
11. (6) Julia Landauer, New York, N.Y., Toyota, 64.
12. (21) Tim Spurgeon, Danville, CA, Chevrolet, 64.
13. (26) Takuma Koga, Nagoya, Japan, Chevrolet, 64.
14. (24) Matt Levin, Tucson, Ariz., Ford, 64.
15. (27) Jesse Iwuji, Dallas, Texas, Toyota, 63.
16. (15) Todd Souza, Watsonville, Calif., Toyota, 63.
17. (9) Will Rodgers, Murrieta, Calif., Chevrolet, 62.
18. (29) Rodd Kneeland, Sonoma, Calif., Chevrolet, 62.
19. (16) James Bruncati, Glendora, Calif., Ford, 58, accident.
20. (30) Jack Sellers, Sacramento, CA, Chevrolet, 50, accident.
21. (19) Blaine Perkins, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 50.
22. (25) Ron Norman, Tucson, Ariz., Ford, 45, suspension.
23. (14) Brian Wong, Newport Beach, Calif., Chevrolet, 44, accident.
24. (5) Todd Gilliland, Sherrils Ford, N.C., Toyota, 41.
25. (13) Alex Schutte, Redding, Calif., Ford, 38, suspension.
26. (11) Chris Eggleston, Erie, Colo., Toyota, 34.
27. (31) Rich DeLong III, Santa Clarita, Calif., Chevrolet, 2, suspension.
28. (28) Stafford Smith, Eagle, Idaho., Chevrolet, 1, engine.
29. (18) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, CA, Ford, 0, accident.
30. (3) David Mayhew, Atascadero, CA, Chevrolet, 0, electrical.
31. (12) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 0, did not start.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 1 hour 58 minutes 3 seconds
Margin of Victory: 2.336 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: C.Elliott (91.974 mph, 77.892 seconds)
Caution Flags: 6 for 18 laps.
Lead Changes: 10 among 4 drivers.
Lap Leaders: C. Elliott 0; R. Partridge 1-7; C. Elliott 8-13; R. Partridge 14-17; G. Raz
18-25; N. Gragson 26-33; G. Raz 34; N. Gragson 35-41; G. Raz 42; N. Gragson 43-61; C.
Elliott 62-64.
Standings: 1. R. Partridge, 256; 2. T. Gilliland, 241; 3. C. Eggleston, 235; 4. N. Gragson, 231; 5. G. Raz, 222; 6. J. Landauer, 219; 7. C. Rouse, 215; 8. R. Herbst, 213; 9. R. Norman, 194; 10. M. Levin, 193.

Via NASCAR Media

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 22, 2016) – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will head to their first of three road courses of the season this weekend at California’s esteemed Sonoma Raceway. Below is a look at the past performance of the series and selected drivers.

Chevys Fresh Mex 200 Race Setup:
• Todd Gilliland heads into the weekend four points ahead of Chris Eggleston, who is coming off a win at Colorado National Speedway, and six points over Ryan Partridge.
• Noah Gragson trails in fourth and celebrated a victory in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East last weekend at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.
• David Mayhew, the defending race winner, will be making his second start of the season this weekend at the 1.99-mile road course.

At Sonoma Raceway:

History
• Sonoma has hosted two series races in 1978. In addition, the series participated in nine combination events with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at the Northern California road course between 1989 and 1997.
• The Sonoma track, located near the intersection of Highways 37 & 121, opened as Sears Point Raceway om 1968, with its inaugural event occurring on December 1, 1968. The road course was initially a 2.52-mile layout, but reconfigurations in 1998 and 2001 resulted in the current 1.99-mile design for NASCAR events.
• The track features more than 160 feet of elevation change from its highest to lowest points. The highest point at Turn 3a reaches 174 feet, while the lowest point at Turn 10 is just 14 feet.
• Seventeen different drivers have visited Victory Lane in series action at Sonoma. Hershel McGriff (1983, 1985 and 1987), Jim Insolo (1978, 1979 and 1980) and Bill Schmitt (1981, 1988 and 1989) – lead the list of winners, with three wins each.
• Other multiple victors at the historic road course include Butch Gilliland, who scored back-to-back win in 1996 and 1997, and his son, David Gilliland, who notched victories in 2007 and 2012, Jason Bowles made consecutive trips to the winner’s circle in 2008 and 2009.
• Of the 16 drivers who have won series events at Sonoma, 12 won NASCAR championships. Ten of those were NASCAR K&N Pro Series titles.

Notebook
• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers have won three of the past five competitions at Sonoma – Joey Logano in 2011, David Gilliland in 2012 and Kyle Larson in 2014. Chase Elliott is the sole NASCAR Sprint Cup driver slated to compete in the Chevys Fresh Mex 200.
• David Mayhew is the only previous race winner scheduled to compete with the series this weekend.
• Nineteen drivers have qualified on the pole. McGriff leads with three poles at Sonoma – Butch Gilliland, Jim Bown, Roy Smith and Tim Williamson each have two poles at the road course.
• Eight of the 26 series races were won from the pole position and seven were won by the driver who started second on the grid. Insolo came from the furthest back, charging from 19th to win in 1978.
• Last season’s race had three cautions for 13 laps.

Sonoma Data:
Race: #6 of 14 overall
Race Date: Saturday, June 25th at 1 p.m. PT
Track Layout: 1.99-mile, 12-turn road course
Race Length: 64 laps (127.36 miles, 204.966 kilometers)

Sonoma Qualifying/Race Data:
2015 Race Winner: David Mayhew
2015 Pole Sitter: David Mayhew
1-Lap Qualifying Record: Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 77.203 seconds (92.794 mph), June 19, 2010.
64-Lap Race Record: Andrew Ranger, 1 hour 50 minutes and 30 seconds, 67.595 mph, June 19, 2010.

Sonoma Leaders:
Wins
Jim Insolo … 3
Hershel McGriff … 3
Bill Schmitt … 3
Jason Bowles … 2
Butch Gilliland … 2
David Gilliland … 2
11 different drivers … 1
(Jim Bown, Doug George, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, David Mayhew, Andrew Ranger, Jim Robinson, Roy Smith, Derek Thorn, Brian Vickers)

Poles
Hershel McGriff … 3
Jim Bown … 2
Butch Gilliland … 2
Roy Smith … 2
Tim Williamson … 2
15 different drivers … 1
(Bob Bondurant, Jason Bowles, Brandon Davis, Scott Gaylord, David Gilliland, Cameron Hayley, Eric Holmes, Ron Hornaday Jr., Kyle Larson, Patrick Long, David Mayhew, Greg Pursley, Bill Sedgwick, Glen Steurer and Brian Vickers)

Laps Led:
Rusty Wallace … 146
Hershel McGriff … 137
Mark Martin … 136
Bill Schmitt … 115
David Gilliland … 113
Roy Smith … 103

Selected Driver Highlights:
Johnny Borneman (No 61. Borneman Trucking/Rich Thompson Trucking Ford)
• Heads into the weekend ranked 15th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races after one top five and two top 10s in two starts.
• In nine starts at Sonoma, he’s earned one top five and 3 top 10s and led a total of five laps.
• His average start at the esteemed road course is 17.4, while his average finish is 17.2

Chris Eggleston (No. 50 NAPA Filters Toyota)
• Sits second in the standings, four points behind Gilliland, with two wins and five top fives.
• In his Sonoma debut last season, he finished 13th after starting 17th.

Todd Gilliland (No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
• Is first in the K&N Pro Series West standings with two victories and five top fives.
• This will be his first series’ road course start.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.

Noah Gragson (No. 7 SPEEDVEGAS/AlertID/Colliers International Ford)
• Is fourth in the series standings headed into the Chevys Fresh Mex 200 with two top fives and five top 10s.
• In his Sonoma debut last season, he finished seventh after starting 12th.
• In the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East road course event at VIRginia International Raceway this season, he led six laps.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.

Jim Inglebright (No. 1 Inglebright Motorsports Chevrolet)
• This will be his first K&N Pro Series West start of the season.
• In 11 starts at Sonoma, he’s recorded two top fives and five top 10s.

Scott Ivie (No. 47 MSI Development Toyota)
• The Chevys Fresh Mex 200 will be his 2016 K&N Pro Series West debut.
• In eight starts at the California road course, his best finish is 12th in 2010.
• His average start at Sonoma is 28.8, while his average finish is 23.2.

Julia Landauer (No. 54 Curb Records Toyota)
• Heads into the weekend ranked fifth in the standings with two top fives and five top 10s.
• This will be her first K&N Pro Series West road course start.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.

David Mayhew (No. 17 MMI Service Chevrolet)
• This will be his second K&N Pro Series West start of the season.
• He won last year’s event at Sonoma after leading the last four laps.
• In eight starts at Sonoma, he’s earned one win, three top fives and four top 10s and led a total of 13 laps.

Ryan Partridge (No. 9 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil Ford)
• Is third in the championship standings with one win, four top fives and five top 10s.
• In his first start at Sonoma last year, he finished fourth after starting seventh.

Gracin Raz (No. 27 Montana Tech Ford)
• Heads into the weekend ranked seventh in the standings with two top fives and three top 10s.
• In his Sonoma debut last year, he finished 12th after starting 21st.

National Series Driver:
Chase Elliott (No. 24 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet)
• This will be his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start since 2012.
• He will be making his Sonoma Raceway debut in both the K&N Pro Series West and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this weekend.
• In three K&N Pro Series West starts he’s collected two top fives.

Up To Speed:
• The 2016 season is the 63rd for the NASAR K&N Pro Series West.
• The 2016 schedule features 14 races at 13 different tracks across eight states.
• Third-generation driver Todd Gilliland won the season opener at California’s Irwindale Speedway on March 19 after leading a total of 33 laps.
• Gilliland expanded his K&N Pro Series West win streak to three after winning the second race of the season at California’s Kern County Raceway Park.
• Ryan Partridge collected his first win of the year at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway after leading 127 laps.
• Chris Eggleston, the defending NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, picked up his first win of 2016 after gaining the lead with nine laps to go at California’s Orange Show Speedway.
• Eggleston made it two-for-two after leading 102 laps at his home track, Colorado National Speedway.