ES: South Boston: Series pre-event notes

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 31, 2010) - Following last week's season-opener, the 2010 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season will continue with the South Boston 150 at South Boston (Va.) Speedway on Saturday, April 3.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East's appearance at South Boston will be part of a doubleheader with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour.

At South Boston Speedway:

History

* Has played host to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in each of the previous three seasons.

* Held 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and 35 NASCAR Nationwide Series races from 1960-2000.

* Has also played host to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours.

* Became a NASCAR-sanctioned track in 1960.

* Opened in 1957 as a quarter-mile dirt oval ... Expanded to .375 miles and was paved in 1962 ... Was further expanded to its current .4-mile layout in 1994. Notebook

* The NKNPS East debuted at South Boston Speedway in 2007.

* Each of the three previous events has produced a different pole and race winner.

* Matt Kobyluck captured the inaugural NKNPS East race at South Boston in 2007 while hometown favorite Peyton Sellers was the runner-up and Joey Logano finished third ... Sellers' qualifying run that day still stands as the best lap in the three events held at the track.

* In last year's race, rookies Ryan Truex and Brett Moffitt captured the pole award and checkered flag, respectively ... Truex finished third for his first career top-five, and started a streak of seven-straight podium finishes that propelled him to the NKNPS East championship.

South Boston Speedway Data
Race Date: 4/3/10
East Race: #2 of 10
Track Layout: .4-mile oval
Banking: 12 degrees in the turns, 10 degrees in the straightaways
Race Length: 150 laps/60 miles

Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Ryan Truex (89.021 mph, 16.176 seconds)
2009 race winner: Brett Moffitt (63.830 mph, 56.24)
Track qualifying record: Peyton Sellers (92.424 mph, 15.582 seconds, 6-2-07)

Race Winners at South Boston
June 2, 2007 ... Matt Kobyluck
May 31, 2008 ... Brian Ickler
May 30, 2009 ... Brett Moffitt

Pole Winners at South Boston
June 2, 2007 ... Peyton Sellers
May 31, 2008 ... Ricky Carmichael
May 30, 2009 ... Ryan Truex

Up to Speed:

* K&N Engineering, Inc. came on board during the offseason to serve as the series' title sponsor, replacing Camping World ... NASCAR and the Riverside, Calif.-based company has a seven-year agreement for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

* New to the 2010 NKNPS East schedule is the inaugural stand-alone race for the series at Martinsville Speedway, the first trip to Gresham Motorsports Park and a return to Lee USA Speedway for the first time since 2004.

* There are at least 12 teams that plan to run the full 2010 season that did not compete at all, or only in a limited schedule, a year ago ... Conversely, of the 13 cars that ran the full 2009 season, only two do not have current plans to compete for the championship again this year.

* In the 2010 season-opener at Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway on March 27, Darrell Wallace Jr. took the checkered flag to become the youngest driver to win a race in NKNPS East history, as well as the first African-American victor ... Cole Whitt earned the 21 Means 21 Pole Award presented by Coors Light ... Both accomplished their feats in their inaugural series appearance.

* Seven of the top 10 finishers in the opener at Greenville Pickens were rookies ... Of the 30 starters in the race, 16 were registered to compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.

Selected Driver Highlights: Jake Crum (No. 01 Chevrolet)

* Made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut at Greenville Pickens Speedway on March 27 and finished 28th after fuel pump failure.

* Won the prestigious Bailey's 300 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series race at Martinsville Speedway in 2009.

* Was the 2008 UARA champion.

Ty Dillon (No. 3 Chevrolet)

* Made NKNPS East debut in 2009 with three starts and finished with top 10s at South Boston Speedway and Adirondack International Speedway.

* Is a development driver for Richard Childress Racing ... Is the grandson of Richard Childress, son of RCR Vice President of Competition Mike Dillon and younger brother of 2008 NKNPS East Sunoco Rookie of the Year Austin Dillon.

* Racing background is primarily on dirt.

* Finished 18th in the opener at GPS.

Zach Germain (No. 24 Toyota)

* Made NKNPS East debut at GPS last week and finished 10th after starting 30th to earn the Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award.

* Ran a Late Model at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway in 2009.

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors out of the Germain Racing garage.

* Is the son of Steve Germain, co-owner of Germain Racing.

Ryan Gifford (No. 2 Chevrolet)

* Finished fourth last week at GPS to register his fourth top-five effort in five career starts.

* Debuted in the NKNPS East in 2009 in four starts with top fives at SBS, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June) and Dover International Speedway.

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors out of the Revolution Racing garage in 2010 as part of the Drive for Diversity program ... Is a development driver for RCR.

* Was the South Boston 150 runner-up in 2009.

Max Gresham (No. 18 Toyota)

* Debuted in the NKNPS East in 2009 with three starts that included top 10s at SBS and NHMS (September) as he split time in the JGR No. 18 with Matt DiBenedetto ... Also finished third in the NKNPS West race at Iowa Speedway.

* Will compete for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors as a teammate to Brett Moffitt at Joe Gibbs Racing.

* Accident relegated him to 23rd at GPS in the 2010 opener.

Matt Kobyluck (No. 40 Chevrolet)

* The 2008 NKNPS East champion.

* Has seven poles, 16 wins and 91 top 10s in 169 career NKNPS East starts ... Has won at 11 different tracks.

* The 2007 winner at SBS ... Has an average finish of sixth in three previous starts at the track.

* Finished 15th in the opener at GPS.

Jody Lavender (No. 88 Chevrolet)

* Has 13 top 10s in 24 career NKNPS East starts.

* Registered best career finish of second at GPS in 2009, and tied that in the 2010 opener.

* Finished fourth in points in 2009, but had a mathematical shot at the title entering the final week.

* Finished fourth at SBS last year.

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Chevrolet)

* Has six wins, two poles and 49 top 10s in 122 career NKNPS East starts.

* Was the 2009 championship runner-up, just 34 points behind titlist Ryan Truex, which marked the fifth-closest championship margin in series history.

* Finished fourth at SBS in 2008 and ninth in 2009.

* Came home 16th last week at GPS.

Brett Moffitt (No. 20 Toyota)

* Has two wins, one pole and nine top 10s in 12 career NKNPS East starts.

* Finished third in overall points and second in the rookie standings in 2009.

* Became youngest driver in NKNPS East history - surpassing Joey Logano - to earn a pole last year at GPS.

* Competes as a teammate to Max Gresham in 2010 for JGR after running for Andy Santerre Motorsports last year before Santerre moved to Revolution Racing.

* Earned his first career win in 2009 at SBS.

Miguel Paludo (No. 77 Toyota)

* Will attempt to make his NKNPS East debut at SBS ... Car is out of the Germain Racing shop.

* Was champion of the 2009 Porsche GT3 Cup in Brazil in 2009.

* First experience behind the wheel in the United States came last fall when he tested a NCWTS truck for Red Horse Racing at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway along with Nelson Piquet.

Sergio Pena (No. 4 Chevrolet)

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors out of the Revolution Racing garage in 2010 as part of the Drive for Diversity program.

* Made NKNPS debut in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown ... Won the pole, led 54 laps and finished as runner-up to Joey Logano in the prestigious post-season exhibition.

* Competed in Late Models at Shenandoah Speedway and Motor Mile Speedway in 2009.

* Finished 27th in the opener after he was involved in multiple accidents.

Derek Ramstrom (No. 35 Chevrolet)

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2010 ... Debuted in 2009 with three starts.

* Is the defending Super Late Model champion at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.

* Finished sixth in the opener at GPS.

D.J. Shaw (No. 60 Chevrolet)

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.

* Made NKNPS East debut in 2009 with a pair of starts, both at NHMS.

* Raced in select PASS North, PASS South and ACT races in 2009.

* Is the son of 1994 NKNPS East Champion Dale Shaw, who is crew chief of the No. 60.

* Finished fifth in the opener at GPS.

Andrew Smith (No. 37 Chevrolet)

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2010.

* Winner of the 2009 "Hump's Heroes" challenge ... Has a decorated Legends career out of his home state of Georgia.

* Made NKNPS East debut in the 2010 opener at GPS ... Crossed the line second, but was penalized to last place after post-race technical violations.

Kevin Swindell (No. 9 Chevrolet)

* Has two top fives in six career NKNPS East starts ... Best finish of third at NHMS in June, 2009.

* Competed primarily in the USAC Sprint and Midget divisions in 2009 ... Won the 2010 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.

* Is the son of three-time National Sprint Car Champion Sammy Swindell.

* Finished 22nd after multiple accidents in the opener at GPS.

Ryan Truex (No. 00 Toyota)

* The 2009 NKNPS East titlist ... Has three wins, two poles and eight top 10s in 13 career starts.

* Is a development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing ... Is scheduled to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Gateway International Raceway on July 17.

* Father, Martin Sr., and brother, Martin Jr., also have NKNPS East career wins.

* Earned the pole and registered his first career top-five finish (third) at SBS in 2009.

* Led a race-high 127 laps in the opener at GPS, but two late incidents relegated him to 14th.

Darrell Wallace Jr. (No. 6 Chevrolet)

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors out of the Revolution Racing garage in 2010 as part of the Drive for Diversity program ... Is a JGR development driver.

* Raced Late Models in the Carolinas in 2007-08 and in UARA in 2009.

* Debuted in the NKNPS East last week at GPS with a win ... Became the youngest race winner in series history at 16 year, five months and 19 days, which surpassed Brett Moffitt's mark set last year at SBS ... Also became the first African-American driver to win in the series 24-year history.

Cole Whitt (No. 84 Toyota)

* Is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors as a Red Bull Racing development driver.

* Has a decorated career in USAC, highlighted by a national Midget title in 2008 ... Led in national feature event points in 2009 ... Was second in the 2010 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals to fellow NKNPS East rookie Kevin Swindell.

* Earned the pole and finished third in his NKNPS East debut last week at GPS.

-source: nascar