Story by: Jason Cunningham, NASCAR
Photo by: Getty Images for NASCAR
Yet another wildly-competitive NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season is going to come down to the wire as the inaugural Classic 3 Championship presented by RCR Racing Museum on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway will determine who will wear the 2012 crown.
Three men will enter “The Rock” with a chance at their first NASCAR championship. And while we don’t yet know who will leave with the hardware, we do know it will be a first-time titlist.
Corey LaJoie is in the catbird’s seat with a six-point lead on Kyle Larson while Brett Moffitt remains in the mix, 16 points out. All three have had their turn atop the standings over the course of the season’s last four months, but only one will hoist the trophy on Saturday.
Adding to the suspense is that this will be the first stand-alone event in series history at Rockingham. The hardware had been handed out at Dover (Del.) International Speedway – a place the series has visited a host of times through the years – from 2007-11, but the famed mile at Rockingham will provide a new challenge for the championship contenders in 2012.
In addition to having that slim six-point lead, North Carolina native LaJoie also has the most prior experience at Rockingham with three touring Late Model wins there in recent seasons. All three of those appearances resulted in a trip to Victory Lane, something he’s also done in three of his last four K&N Pro Series East starts this year.
But the contenders should not be overlooked. Larson, the only rookie of the group, has been impressive in the speedway races in his first year in stock cars after coming east from California and open-wheel competition. He won at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in late September and has an average finish of 3.6 in five races at tracks .75 miles or larger.
| Category | Corey LaJoie | Kyle Larson | Brett Moffitt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 504 | 498 | 488 |
| Wins | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| Top 5s | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Top 10s | 9 | 11 | 10 |
| Laps Led | 385 | 64 | 768 |
| Laps Completed | 1,716 | 1,856 | 1,800 |
| Season Avg. Fin. At Speedways (.75-mile or larger) | 4.2 | 3.6 | 9 |
| Career Avg. Fin. At Speedways | 9 | 3.6 | 5.8 |
| Career Wins At Speedways | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Moffitt is also a formidable foe for both LaJoie and Larson despite the larger deficit. In his fourth full-time season in the series, Moffitt has 21 speedway starts that have resulted in five victories and nearly a top-five average finish. The points leader for four races in the second half of the season, Moffitt is the most consistent front-runner in the series, having led laps in all but four of the 13 events to date. The Iowan has led the most laps in each of the last two races only to see LaJoie wind up in Victory Lane, the second time at Moffitt’s expense.
It will likely take more than experience, or speed, or momentum to bring it all home on Saturday at Rockingham, however. Moffitt was in championship contention and leading the race at Dover a year ago before he suffered a cut tire with four laps to go, which sealed the title for Max Gresham. This year he’ll be seeking redemption – on multiple fronts – while LaJoie and Larson hope to strike gold in their first title chase.
ROCKINGHAM RACE NOTES
LaJoie Looking for More History: A winner of three of the last four events, Corey LaJoie will look to make some more history in the season finale at Rockingham Speedway. LaJoie joined select company last Saturday at Greenville Pickens Speedway when he became just the sixth driver in the 26-year history of NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competition to win as many as five races in a season. With a win at Rockingham he would join Brad Leighton – six in 1999 – and Ricky Craven – 10 in 1991 – atop the single-season wins lists. Only one of the previous five drivers to gain five wins in a season and not win the championship, Tracy Gordon in 2000.
Rookie Title Also on the Line: Kyle Larson’s focus will undoubtedly be on the overall K&N Pro Series East championship, but he’ll also hope to hold off his Rev Racing teammate Bryan Ortiz for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year crown. The pair have been 1-2 in rookie points nearly the entire season, and entering Rockingham Larson will carry a five-point lead on Ortiz.
Pressley Back Behind the Wheel: After competing in seven of 12 events in 2011, Coleman Pressley moved from behind the wheel to atop the pit box as a crew chief for X Team Racing, a position he has held since. The 2012 finale at Rockingham, however, will provide an opportunity to return to the seat. Pressley will attempt to make his first K&N Pro Series East start of the season in the No. 15 X Team Racing Toyota.
Potential Series Debuts: The Rockingham pre-entry list includes four drivers that will attempt to make their K&N Pro Series East debut: Formula 2 driver Jack Clarke from England in the No. 14 X Team Racing Toyota, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model standout Frank Deiny Jr. in the No. 44 Chevrolet, Noel Dowler of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in the No. 57 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet and dirt Late Model driver Tyler Reddick in the No. 98 Curb Racing Chevrolet.
FAST FACTS
The Race: The inaugural Classic 3 Championship pres. by RCR Racing Museum will be the first stand-alone event in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history at Rockingham Speedway and the final event of the 2012 season.
The Procedure: The maximum starting field will be 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 starting positions will be based on two-lap time trials and the remaining four will be filled through the provisional process. The race will be 100 laps (100 miles) with a 10 minute break at or near the conclusion of Lap 50.
The Track: Rockingham is a one-mile asphalt oval with 22 degrees of banking in Turns 1 & 2 and 25 degrees in Turns 3 & 4. The facility opened in 1965 and held NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series races until 2004. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series contested its inaugural event at the track this past April.
Series History: The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competed in combination with the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Rockingham six times from 1987-92. Dana Patten registered the highest finish among the K&N Pro Series East competitors in those events, 10th overall in the 1989 race that was won by Nationwide Series driver Rob Moroso.
HOME TRACKS: McCaskill Earns North Carolina Title
Deac McCaskill captured the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series state championship in North Carolina thanks to his efforts at Southern National Raceway Park in 2012. McCaskill out-distanced Tim Brown, who competed at Bowman Gray Stadium, by just 34 points for his first state crown. McCaskill finished eighth nationally after also gaining points at South Boston (Va.) Speedway.
LAST TIME OUT: Greenville
The most recent NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race, the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140, was held on Oct. 27 at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway. Here are some highlights:
• Corey LaJoie nabbed his series-leading fifth win of the season, and second in a row, when he bested Brett Moffitt on a green-white-checkered finish.
• The win propelled LaJoie to the points lead for the first time in his career. He leads Kyle Larson – who finished fourth – by six points entering the season finale.
• LaJoie became the first driver since Joey Logano in 2007 to win five races in a season.
• Moffitt once again led a race-high 144 laps before LaJoie led the final two of the event.
• Jesse Little (third) and Sam Hunt (seventh) recorded the best finishes of their rookie seasons.
• The race was rescheduled from its original date of Sept. 3, which was postponed by rain.
NEXT TIME OUT: Night of Champions, UNOH Battle Highlight Postseason Schedule
Before the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returns to the track next spring, there are two major events on the offseason schedule. The 26th NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will be crowned as part of the NASCAR Night of Champions Awards banquet, which will include ceremonies for the seven NASCAR touring series on Saturday, Dec. 8 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach will then take place Feb. 18-19 on a temporary .4-mile oval on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway as part of 2013 Speedweeks. By virtue of wins through the K&N Pro Series East’s first 13 events Cale Conley, Chase Elliott, Corey LaJoie, Kyle Larson, Brett Moffitt and Darrell Wallace Jr. have locked-in starting positions for the 150-lap exhibition K&N Pro Series East-West combination race on Feb. 19.
