Series PR Report
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule that features 14 races at 12 different short tracks and speedways across the eastern United States.
The 26th season of K&N Pro Series East competition will see NASCAR’s top developmental division visit 10 states, and will be highlighted by three additions to the calendar: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Raceway Park in Clearfield, Pa., and Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway.
“The NASCAR K&N Pro Series continues to establish itself as a desired destination for developing talent and the schedule has been designed with that in mind.” said George Silbermann, NASCAR Vice President of Regional & Touring Series. “With a diverse mix of historic short tracks and speedway companion events with the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, the 2012 calendar will provide competitors with the experience they need to further their careers.”
The 2012 season will commence with the inaugural K&N Pro Series East event at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, on March 17 as part of the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend. It will be the third event in series history in the Volunteer State.
Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway is back on the schedule with both spring and fall dates for the second year in a row. The first race at the venerable half-mile is slated for March 31 with a return engagement on Sept. 3 during Labor Day weekend.
Iowa Speedway has also added a second date for 2012. The sixth edition of the traditional spring combination event with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West returns to the schedule on May 19 and it will be complemented with a second combo race on Aug. 3. Both events at Iowa will be held in conjunction with the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
In addition to Bristol and the two Iowa races, the K&N Pro Series East will have three more companion events in 2012 with NASCAR’s national series. The East will return to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on April 26, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., on Sept. 22, and Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Sept. 28.
The July 14 date at Raceway Park will mark the third time the K&N Pro Series East has visited the central Pennsylvania facility, and first since 1988. The reconfigured facility now features a .625-mile layout.
The 2012 season will conclude with the inaugural stand-alone race in K&N Pro Series East history at Rockingham. It will be the series’ first visit to the high-banked mile, since the East competed in combination with the Nationwide Series at “The Rock” six times from 1987-92.
Additional 2012 schedule notes:
• In addition to Richmond, three other facilities that welcomed the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East for the first time in 2011 have returned to the schedule. Historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., is slated for June 2, Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., returns for a June 23 race and Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway’s event will be July 21.
• Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., is on the calendar for the third year in a row with a June 9 race date.
• The event at New Hampshire moves from a Friday in recent seasons to Saturday as part of a doubleheader with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
• The Rockingham date will be a doubleheader with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.
• Bristol, Clearfield and Rockingham will bring the total of tracks in which the K&N Pro Series East has held stand-alone races to 43 since competition began in 1987.
• All 14 events will be contested directly in – or in the coverage area of – the top 100 media markets in the nation.
2012 Schedule:
| DATE | RACE/VENUE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17 | NKNPS East Bristol 3/17/12 Bristol Motor Speedway |
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| Mar 31 | NKNPS East Greenville 3/31/12 Greenville Pickens Speedway |
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| Apr 26 | NKNPS East Richmond 4/26/12 Richmond International Raceway |
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| May 19 | NKNPS East Iowa 5/19/12 Iowa Speedway |
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| Jun 2 | NKNPS East Bowman Gray 6/2/112 Bowman Gray Stadium |
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| Jun 9 | NKNPS East Gresham 6/9/12 Gresham Motorsports Park |
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| Jun 23 | NKNPS East Langley 6/23/11 Langley Speedway |
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| Jul 14 | NKNPS East Raceway Park 7/14/12 Raceway Park (PA) |
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| Jul 21 | NKNPS East Columbus 7/21/12 Columbus Motor Speedway |
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| Aug 3 | NKNPS East Iowa 8/3/12 Iowa Speedway |
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| Sep 3 | NKNPS East Greenville 9/3/12 Greenville Pickens Speedway |
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| Sep 22 | NKNPS East New Hampshire 9/22/12 New Hampshire Motor Speedway |
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| Sep 28 | NKNPS East Dover 9/28/12 Dover International Speedway |
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| Nov 3 | NKNPS East Rockingham 11/3/12 Rockingham Speedway |
