Kyle Benjamin led all 140 laps in Monday’s Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 en route to his second NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory of year.
Benjamin was the car to beat throughout the day at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Easley, South Carolina. He led the final practice session and collected his fifth 21 Means 21 Pole Award.
This win was also about redemption for Benjamin, who finished runner-up to Justin Haley at Greenville in March after leading a total of 122 laps.
Benjamin’s victory helped close the gap in the series championship standings. He now trails Haley by 30 points with only two races remaining in the season.
Meanwhile, Dominique Van Wieringen battled her way to a third place finish to earn her best career finish in the K&N Pro Series East. Her top-three finish also earned her the title of the second best finishing female in the series. She sits behind Kenzie Ruston, who finished second at Iowa in 2014.
Brandon McReynolds finished second, while Ronnie Bassett, Jr. and Justin Haley rounded out the top five.
Dillon Bassett, John Holleman IV, Ruben Garcia Jr., Harrison Burton and Dawsonville, Georgia’s Spencer Davis completed the top 10.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be back in action Saturday, September 17 at New Jersey Motorsports Park for their final road course event of the season.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Greenville-Pickens Speedway – Easley, SC
Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 – Sept. 5, 2016
| Fin | Str | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Points | B/Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 40 | Kyle Benjamin | Ranier Racing with MDM Chevrolet | 140 | 48 | 5 | |
| 2 | 7 | 21 | Brandon McReynolds | Rocky Ridge Custom Trucks Chevrolet | 140 | 42 | ||
| 3 | 9 | 30 | Dominique Van Wieringen * | Durobyte Ford | 140 | 41 | ||
| 4 | 10 | 4 | Ronnie Bassett Jr. | Bassett Gutters Ford | 140 | 40 | ||
| 5 | 3 | 5 | Justin Haley | Braun Auto Chevrolet | 140 | 39 | ||
| 6 | 2 | 44 | Dillon Bassett | Bassett Gutters Ford | 140 | 38 | ||
| 7 | 6 | 49 | John Holleman IV * | Midway Mobile Storage Ford | 140 | 37 | ||
| 8 | 11 | 6 | Ruben Garcia Jr. * | L&M Ethanol Toyota | 140 | 36 | ||
| 9 | 8 | 12 | Harrison Burton * | DEX Imaging/Konica Minolta Toyota | 140 | 35 | ||
| 10 | 13 | 1 | Spencer Davis * | TBA Toyota | 140 | 34 | ||
| 11 | 4 | 38 | Tyler Dippel * | East West Marine/TyCar Chevrolet | 140 | 33 | ||
| 12 | 14 | 4 | Ali Kern * | Max Siegel, Inc. Toyota | 140 | 32 | ||
| 13 | 5 | 7 | Noah Gragson | SPEEDVEGAS/AlertID/Colliers Int’l Ford | 140 | 31 | ||
| 14 | 12 | 13 | Hunter Baize * | Bicycle Playing Cards/Pine Mountain Firelogs | 140 | 30 | ||
| 15 | 18 | 2 | Collin Cabre | UTI/NTI Toyota | 140 | 29 | ||
| 16 | 19 | 39 | Justin Fontaine | ProMATIC Automation Toyota | 139 | 28 | ||
| 17 | 21 | 46 | Brian Henderson * | BDL Motorsports/Verizon Toyota | 137 | 27 | ||
| 18 | 15 | 51 | Brandon Oakley * | Oakley Blacktop Chevrolet | 136 | 26 | ||
| 19 | 17 | 29 | Corey Deuser * | 5.0 Graphics Ford | 124 | 25 | ||
| 20 | 22 | 19 | Grant Winchester * | Spring Drug Chevrolet | 98 | 24 | Handling | |
| 21 | 16 | 43 | David Calabrese * | Diamondback Towing Ford | 41 | 23 | Transmission | |
| 22 | 20 | 42 | Enrique Baca * | Rev Racing Toyota | 0 | 22 | Oil Cooler | |
| 23 | 23 | 45 | John Gustafson * | Team Stange Chevrolet | 0 | 21 | Suspension |
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Kyle Benjamin, Time: 20.797 Seconds, Speed: 86.551 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 3 mins, 7 secs Average Speed: 66.543 mph Margin of Victory: 1.210 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 3-6 (#46 & #39 – Turn 1 & 2 – No FP); 71-75 (Break – FP #1); 99-102 (#38 Turn 4 – FP #13); 129-130 (#2 Turn 4 FP#39). 4 for 15 laps.
Lap Leaders: Kyle Benjamin 1-140.
Total Laps Led: Kyle Benjamin 140. 0 changes involving 1 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: Justin Haley 496, Kyle Benjamin 469, Tyler Dippel * 401, Hunter Baize * 400, Spencer Davis * 388, Noah Gragson 387, Collin Cabre 384, Austin Theriault 383, Harrison Burton * 377, John Holleman IV * 369
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
