Darrell Wallace Jr. will be the next driver up in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series pipeline to the top levels of NASCAR racing when he pulls double duty at Iowa Speedway by competing in both the Graham Tire 150 and Pioneer Hi-Bred 250.
Fellow NASCAR K&N Pro Series East competitor Ryan Blaney has set the bar high with a top-10 performance in his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Richmond International Raceway on April 26, and now it will be Wallace's turn to make the step up at Iowa for his first NASCAR Nationwide start.
Wallace, a Joe Gibbs Racing development driver from Concord, N.C., has more than justified the opportunity to advance to the next level with his stellar record in two-plus years competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, NASCAR's top development division. He's recorded six wins, 11 top fives and 19 top 10s in just 25 East starts. A consistent front-runner, Wallace has led one lap for every six he's completed.
The 2010 Sunoco Rookie of the Year, Wallace finished third and second in the championship standings the two previous years driving for Rev Racing. A member of JGR's development stable since 2009, it was NASCAR's Drive for Diversity initiative that gave Wallace his first break in the touring ranks, and this week he'll have his first shot at the national level in the Nationwide Series.
While many have come from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West ranks to the top levels of NASCAR, few have had the first-time success that Blaney found at Richmond. The second-generation racer who will also pull double duty at Iowa, Blaney finished seventh in the Virginia 529 College Savings 250, which marked the best NASCAR Nationwide debut since Joey Logano - a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East alum - crossed the line sixth at Dover International Speedway in 2008. Only Logano and Kyle Busch, second at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2003, have had a better debut than Blaney.
Not only will Wallace hope to follow the same path to success as Blaney and his JGR teammate Logano, but other K&N Pro Series drivers such as Austin Dillon and David Mayhew have found success stepping to the next levels - specifically at Iowa - thanks to the previous experience that the series provided them at the .875-mile speedway. The 2008 K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year, Dillon's first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory came at Iowa in 2010 and he finished 10th in last May's NASCAR Nationwide race there while the K&N Pro Series West standout Mayhew made his Nationwide Series debut last August at Iowa and also finished 10th.
With their track records, look for Wallace and Blaney to contend not only for the Graham Tire 150 checkers, but to also lean on their K&N Pro Series experience from Saturday to fuel successful runs on Sunday as they take on the regulars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series' Pioneer Hi-Bred 250.
Entry List:
1 Sergio Pena, Winchester, Va. NASCAR Technical Institute/UTI Toyota Shigeaki Hattori Matt Goslant
2 Ryan Gifford, Winchester, Tenn. Universal Technical Institute/NTI Toyota Max Siegel Dennis Connor
03 Dylan Kwasniewski, Las Vegas, Nev. Rockstar/Royal Purple Ford Gene Price Jeff Jefferson
4 Bryan Ortiz, Bayamon, Puerto Rico * Toyota Racing Development Toyota Max Siegel Mardy Lindley
5 Dylan Hutchison, Fair Oaks, Calif. * Bay Bio Diesel Chevrolet Charlie Silva Tom Wicks
6 Derek Thorn, Lakeport, Calif. Sunrise Ford/Lucas Oil/Eibach Ford Bob Bruncati Bill Sedgwicki
07 Corey LaJoie, Concord, N.C. Sims Metal Management Ford Randy LaJoie Ron Otto
7 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass. Grimm Construction Chevrolet Rob Grimm Rollie Lachance
8 Jorge Arteaga, Aguascalientes, Mexico * Rev Racing Toyota Max Siegel Mark Green
9 Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga. Aaron's/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Bill Elliott Lance McGrew
10 Ryan Blaney, High Point, N.C. * SealWrap/Heavy Duty Toyota Dave Blaney Trent Owens
11 Brett Moffitt, Grimes, Iowa Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota Shigeaki Hattori Dave McCarty
12 Jorge Contreras, Jr., Naucalpan, Mexico * Grupo Cedva/Champion Racing Oil Dodge Lori Williams Jerry Babb
14 Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico Telcel/Finsa/Roca Aero Toyota Geraldo Rodrigues Coleman Pressley
15 Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif. Bay Bio Diesel Chevrolet Jack Sellers Tony Caputo
16 Duarte Ferreira, Luanda, Angola * LS Sports/Sonangol Toyota Geraldo Rodrigues Jamie Jones
17 David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif. MMI Services/Ron's Rear Ends Chevrolet Steve McGowan Marc Lungren
18 Darrell Wallace, Jr., Concord, N.C. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota J.D. Gibbs Bryant Frazier
20 Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Bill McAnally Ty Joiner
21 Michael Self, Park City, Utah Golden Gate Meat/RCR Chevrolet Jim Offenbach Steve Portenga
22 Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho Century Boatland Chevrolet John Gomez Craig Raudman
23 Sam Hunt, Midlothian, Va. * Oakley Tank Lines/Bruster's Dodge Rick Gdovic Rick Gdovic
24 Cameron Hayley, Calgary, Alberta * Sponsor TBA Toyota Bill McAnally Mario Isola
26 Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif. Gene Price Motorsports/Star Nursery Ford Gene Price Jerry Pitts
31 Jimmy Weller, Hubbard, Ohio * Integrated Metal Products Toyota Jim Weller Joe Williams
36 John Wood, Eagle, Idaho Pegasus Transport & Towing Ford Randy Keckley Harold Holly
37 TBA Texas Roadhouse/Spraker Racing Toyota Jeff Spraker Dinky Torbett
39 CJ Faison, Seaford, Del. * Generation Rescue Chevrolet Ronald Faison Brandon Butler
41 Daryl Harr, Edmonton, Alberta i World Connect Chevrolet Daryl Harr Mike Brown
42 Taylor Cuzick, Tolleson, Ariz. * Freightliner of Arizona Ford Jamee Price Chuck Carruthers
44 Ronnie Jay, Victoria, British Columbia * Cooks/Holleran's Perf. Toyota Bob Wood Mark Romero
46 Brandon Gdovic, Yorktown, Va. Aquis Communications/ComServe Dodge Rick Gdovic Todd Loshe
47 Cale Conley, Vienna, W.Va. PMC/Health Bridge Imaging Toyota Yale Conley David Hyder
49 Scott Saunders, Brisbane, Australia * Inox Lube/Piston Energy Drinks Dodge Jennifer McDonald Mark Durgin
51 Carlos Iaconelli, San Paulo, Brazil * Power One Capital Toyota Geraldo Rodrigues Mark McFarland
52 Ryan Philpott, Tracy, Calif. Philpott Race Cars Ford Dwayne Koski Chuck Dozier
61 Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho RTTI/Jerome Truck Serv. Chevrolet Rich Thompson Will Harris
62 Andrew Smith, Pooler, Ga. Octane/SavannahPawn.com Chevrolet Edwin Smith David Ifft
69 Kyle Larson, Elk Grove, Calif. * Rev Racing Toyota Max Siegel Randy Goss
71 Carl Harr, Edmonton, Alberta WestWorld Computers Chevrolet Carl Harr Bernie Klingenberg
72 Josh Reaume, Redlands, Calif. * Colonial Countertops Ford Greg Rayl Greg Rayl
83 Dylan Presnell, Sevierville, Tenn. * American Mountain Rentals/Amtrol Toyota Joe Coulter Kris Bowen
90 Chris Evans, Portland, Ore. * GASS Toyota Bill McAnally
91 Austin Dyne, Malibu, Calif. * William Rast/Sunrise Ford/Lucas Ford Bob Bruncati Roger Bracken
96 Ben Kennedy, Daytona Beach, Fla. Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet Robert Johnson Mike Fritts
97 Jesse Little, Sherrils Ford, N.C. * Hurst Mtspts/Team Little Racing Chevrolet Jason Little Travis Sharp
98 Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz. Curb Records/Celebrity Fight Night Chevrolet Mike Curb Eddie Dickerson
99 Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, Md. * Boost Mobile Toyota Michael Waltrip Mike Greci
NKNPS Iowa 5/19/12 Schedule
Friday
9:30 a.m. Haulers enter
11 a.m. Registration opens
12:30 p.m. Garage opens
6 p.m. Garage & Registration close
Saturday
9 a.m. Garage & Registration open
11:05 a.m. Practice
1 p.m. Final Practice
3 p.m. Autograph Session
4:30 p.m. Drivers Meeting
5:10 p.m. Qualifying
6 p.m. Registration closes
7 p.m. Race (150 LAPS, 131.25 MILES)
