NEW SMYRNA, Fla. – A year after coming up just short at New Smyrna Speedway, Ronnie Bassett, Jr. walked away with the Jet Tools 150 Sunday night for his first career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory.
In his 40th career start, Bassett led the final 42 laps – the first laps he’s led in the series – and out-distanced runner-up Zane Smith by 3.563 seconds.
Bassett started seventh and by lap 108 had moved the No. 04 Ford to the front. He used a strong restart to pass his brother Dillon Bassett for the race lead.
“I was just watching the restarts,” said Ronnie Bassett, “and I picked a spot in the two lines, and I went after it, and I guess my brother spun his tires a little bit.”
Bassett finished third at New Smyrna last season and is the only driver that was entered into Sunday’s race that has competed in all four series visits to the Florida half-mile.
“We work extremely hard to make these race cars good every weekend,” Ronnie Bassett said. “We’ve had some good runs. We’ve finished second, third, fourth and fifth, but we’ve just never been able to capture the deal, and tonight, I guess was our night and we were able to get it done.”
Smith, making his NASCAR K&N Pro Series debut, was fastest overall in practice but had to start his No. 43 Toyota in the 25th position after his qualifying run was disallowed for an infraction.
“The car was good,” Smith said. “Still mad at myself for the qualifying deal, but I cannot thank everyone enough for all they did getting this thing on rails, and I really think if we were able to start up front, it’d be a different story.”
Derek Kraus finished in third, with polesitter Harrison Burton in fourth and Travis Cope in fifth.
Reid Wilson, Hunter Baize, Chase Purdy, Todd Gilliland and Dawsonville, Georgia’s Spencer Davis rounded out the top ten.
Gilliland, the defending race winner, blew a tire on lap 103 while leading. Davis, who qualified second, was penalized on the opening lap for jumping the race’s initial start. Dillon Bassett led a race-high 79 laps but finished 24th after being involved in a late-race accident.
Up next on the schedule for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East is the Kevin Whitaker 150 at South Carolina’s Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Saturday, April 8.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
New Smyrna Speedway – New Smyrna Beach, FL
Jet Tools 150 – Feb. 20, 2017
| Fin | Str | Car | Driver | Team | Laps | Points | B/Points | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 04 | Ronnie Bassett, Jr. | Bassett Gutters and More Chevrolet | 150 | 47 | 4 | Running |
| 2 | 26 | 43 | Zane Smith * | Diamondback Towing Toyota | 150 | 42 | Running | |
| 3 | 6 | 99 | Derek Kraus * | Carlyle Tools Toyota | 150 | 41 | Running | |
| 4 | 1 | 12 | Harrison Burton | Dex Imaging Toyota | 150 | 41 | 1 | Running |
| 5 | 18 | 31 | Travis Cope * | Whelen Engineering/Best Line Chevrolet | 150 | 39 | Running | |
| 6 | 10 | 66 | Reid Wilson * | TruNorth Warranty Programs Chevrolet | 150 | 38 | Running | |
| 7 | 14 | 13 | Hunter Baize | Ecowater/KAT Sports Chevrolet | 150 | 37 | Running | |
| 8 | 11 | 17 | Chase Purdy * | Bama Buggies Toyota | 150 | 36 | Running | |
| 9 | 5 | 16 | Todd Gilliland | NAPA Auto Parts Toyota | 150 | 36 | 1 | Running |
| 10 | 2 | 96 | Spencer Davis | Davis Poultry/Driven Motorsports Toyota | 150 | 34 | Running | |
| 11 | 16 | 23 | Caleb Holman | www.soldbyjackiemorgan.com Chevrolet | 150 | 33 | Running | |
| 12 | 9 | 4 | Chase Cabre * | Eibach Springs Toyota | 150 | 32 | Running | |
| 13 | 13 | 41 | Vinnie Miller * | MasterMfgInc.com Toyota | 150 | 31 | Running | |
| 14 | 20 | 20 | Anthony Sergi * | MJS Concrete Toyota | 150 | 30 | Running | |
| 15 | 19 | 14 | Trey Hutchens | Hutchens Motorsports Chevrolet | 150 | 29 | Running | |
| 16 | 25 | 6 | Ruben Garcia Jr. | UTI/NTI Toyota | 148 | 28 | Running | |
| 17 | 23 | 38 | Salvatore Iovino | Shakeaway Shakes/Twin Peaks Restaurants | 148 | 27 | Running | |
| 18 | 17 | 42 | Jay Beasley | Max Siegel, Inc. Toyota | 146 | 26 | Engine | |
| 19 | 4 | 40 | Sheldon Creed * | A.M. Ortega/United Rentals Toyota | 145 | 25 | Running | |
| 20 | 21 | 39 | Amber Balcaen * | Shead Racing/Glen McLeod & So Ltd./Winner’s Circle | 144 | 24 | Running | |
| 21 | 24 | 36 | Jesse Iwuji | Red List Group/Lights Out/Rabbit Coffee Chevrolet | 144 | 23 | Running | |
| 22 | 12 | 2 | Collin Cabre | UTI/NTI Toyota | 136 | 22 | Axle | |
| 23 | 8 | 30 | Tyler Dippel | Tycar Ford | 122 | 21 | Accident | |
| 24 | 3 | 44 | Dillon Bassett | Bassett Gutters and More Ford | 121 | 22 | 2 | Accident |
| 25 | 15 | 49 | John Holleman, IV | Midway Mobile Storage Ford | 115 | 19 | Accident | |
| 26 | 22 | 9 | Enrique Baca * | PEAK/Telmex Chevrolet | 115 | 18 | Accident | |
| 27 | 27 | 5 | Luis Rodriguez, Jr. * | PEAK Chevrolet | 97 | 17 | Running |
RACE STATISTICS
Fastest Qualifier: Harrison Burton, Time: 18.348 Seconds, Speed: 94.179 mph
Time of Race: 1 hrs., 9 mins, 11 secs Average Speed: 62.443 mph Margin of Victory: 3.563 Seconds
Caution Flags: Laps 25-29 (#38 Spin – No FP); 45-49 (#39 Spin Turn 4 – FP #36); 76-79 (Break – FP #38); 103-107 (#16 Turn 1 – FP #38); 116-120 (#36, #38, #49, #9 Backstretch – FP #16); 122-125 (#44, #30, #2, #36 – Turn 1 – No FP). 6 for 28 laps.
Lap Leaders: Harrison Burton 1-8, Dillon Bassett 9-80, Todd Gilliland 81-101, Dillon Bassett 102-108, Ronnie Bassett, Jr. 109-150.
Total Laps Led: Dillon Bassett 79, Ronnie Bassett, Jr. 42, Todd Gilliland 21, Harrison Burton 8. 4 changes involving 4 drivers.
Top 10 Driver Points: Ronnie Bassett, Jr. 47, Zane Smith * 42, Derek Kraus * 41, Harrison Burton 41, Travis Cope * 39, Reid Wilson * 38, Hunter Baize 37, Chase Purdy * 36, Todd Gilliland 36, Spencer Davis 34
* Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/2/503904/bassett-breaks-through-for-first-kn-pro-east-victory