MILLINGTON, Tenn. — Chase Cabre is finally a winner in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
In his 33rd career race, after two full seasons behind the wheel and three runner-up finishes, the Tampa, Florida native earned his first career victory in the Memphis 150.
Upon climbing out in Victory Lane at Tennessee’s Memphis International Raceway, Cabre struggled to comprehend what he’d accomplished after two plus years of trying.
“I’m so damn pumped up,” he said with an infectious smile. “It’s been a long time coming. Three years and coming up second a handful of times, it’s so good to come out on top. My crew gave me a good car, I’m really thankful for the opportunity. God’s a good man and finally brought us home a win today.”
Cabre became the eighth different driver from the NASCAR Drive For Diversity Driver Development Program to win a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race. He gave Rev Racing, which has fielded the competition team for the program since 2010, its 20th win.
The move that ultimately turned out to be the winning one came on the restart following the second scheduled break. Cabre dove inside of Sam Mayer, made contact with the No. 21, who subsequently shot up the track into polesitter Max McLaughlin.
Cabre didn’t look back from there, surviving one more restart and a charge from Ty Gibbs to earn the victory.
“I saw an opening and I’m not going to back out of that thing,” he said. “You gotta go for it. There’s no stopping. In this series, you can’t wait. I knew how hard it was to pass and I tried to make an opportunity when there was an opportunity. Stuck it in there, left the nose there, let them come down on it and came out on top. It is what it is, we’ll go onto the next one. But I’m going to celebrate right now.”
Gibbs finished runner-up for the second straight race, not to mention the second of his career. His DGR-Crosley teammate Tanner Gray came home third, with Mayer and Derek Kraus rounding out the top five.
McLaughlin, Drew Dollar, Todd Gilliland, Brittney Zamora and Parker Retzlaff, making his series debut, completed the top 10.
Kraus maintains the championship points lead by two over Sam Mayer, while Cabre moved into a tie for third with Gray. They’re both 12 back of Kraus.
The next K&N Pro Series West event will take place on Saturday, June 15 at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Memphis International Raceway – Memphis, TN
Memphis 150 – June 1, 2019
1. Chase Cabre
2. Ty Gibbs
3. Tanner Gray
4. Sam Mayer
5. Derek Kraus
6. Max McLaughlin
7. Drew Dollar
8. Todd Gilliland
9. Brittney Zamora
10. Parker Retzlaff
11. Colin Garrett
12. Ruben Garcia, Jr.
13. Brandon Oakley
14. Spencer Davis
