PIT STOP: BMR Back Up Front
By Jason Christley, NASCAR, April 30, 2014 – 7:00am
Weekend Info – Touring & Weekly Schedules, Links & Notes
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
• After a six-week break, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West will return to action for a busy May with three scheduled races, the first at Stockton (Calif.) 99 Speedway on Saturday, May 3. The Stockton 150 will be the 24th running of the K&N West at the venerable quarter-mile facility since 1966. Cameron Hayley won last year’s event, but a first-time Stockton winner will be celebrated this week as none of the 14 all-time victors there are currently active. NASCAR Next drivers Dylan Lupton and Brandon McReynolds will be in action. They trail series veteran and championship points leader Greg Pursley by six points after two races.
Cole Custer’s second win of the season gave Bill McAnally Racing three NASCAR K&N Pro Series wins already. BMR has runner-up finishes in each of the last year years since the series returned to Stockton.
• The 2014-15 NASCAR Next class was revealed last week at Richmond International Raceway. The new group has already compiled 21 NASCAR regional touring series wins and hopes to join a distinguished list of Next alumni that have compiled 10 national series victories in the last two years. Newcomers to the group include Custer, Rubén García Jr., Austin Hill, Erik Jones, Jesse Little, Lupton and McReynolds, while Gray Gaulding, Ryan Gifford, Ryan Preece, Ben Rhodes and Kenzie Ruston return to the program.
• NASCAR Next alum Daniel Suárez continued his winning ways in 2014 when he took the checkered flag Sunday at Autódromo Monterrey in NASCAR Mexico Toyota Series action. He has won three of four races in Toyota Series action this season to go along with his two victories in five NASCAR K&N Pro Series East starts.