Concord, NC (Jun 17, 2014) We’ve reached the halfway milestone of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season and Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender Jay Beasley has found his stride. After a brief transition period to his first season competing in the NKNPSE, Beasley has torn-off the training wheels and settled into his rightful place as a contender in the series.
When asked whether he believes others drivers in the series are finally beginning to view him more as a contender and less as a rookie, Beasley stated, “The other drivers aren’t my concern. Some people will give you positive remarks and others will criticize, so I don’t pay attention to what other people think. I just try to do my best every time I’m out there and take it one lap at a time.”
Based on the results of his last three races, this sentiment has proven favorable for the young driver from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The initial storyline of the Pensacola 150 was centered around the weather, with an impeding thunderstorm threatening to postpone the race. The thunderstorm, however, proved to be short-lived and the lone practice resumed on a damp track. Nevertheless, drivers and crew chiefs alike were thrown a curve ball as the sun appeared just prior to qualifications, drying the track and forcing the drivers to qualify in conditions they had not practiced in.
Initially, Beasley had trouble adjusting to a dry track and found himself in a hole for Friday’s 150-lap competition after qualifying 17th. However, with some skillful maneuvering and quick shifting, he was able to take advantage of each of the 5 restarts and methodically pass one driver after another until finding a place in the top-10.
Sergio Peña also posted an impressive performance at Five Flags Speedway. After qualifying 11th, Peña was in prime position to add another top-10 to his résumé; and that’s exactly what he did. It was initially reported that Peña finished 16th. However, once the race had concluded, it was discovered that a collision during the actual competition had broken Peña’s transponder, giving the illusion that he had fallen a lap behind the rest of the pack, despite being in the thick of the action.
For a significant portion of the 150-lap race, Beasley, Peña, and Rev Racing teammate Mackena Bell found themselves battling one another for the final few positions in the top-10. Unfortunately, all three drivers weren’t able to hold on to their positions and Bell gave up one too many positions over the final few laps and took the checkered flag in 12th.
Ryan Gifford and Daniel Suarez were unable to finish the race after suffering from mechanical and tire issues.
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will resume competition this weekend with the Visit Hampton 175 at Hampton, Virginia’s Langley Speedway on Saturday, June 21.
ABOUT REV RACING: Headquartered in Concord, NC, Rev Racing, owned by Max Siegel, operates the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program, which is the industry’s leading developmental program for ethnic minorities and women drivers and pit crew members. For more information about Rev Racing visit https://revracing.net or follow us on Twitter @RevRacin.
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