ANTELOPE, California — Rookie driver Cameron Hayley and the No. 24 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota team recorded a sixth place finish at their first series race at Iowa Speedway May 19th.
"Brainerd will be the second road course race of my career and I am really looking forward to it."— Cameron Hayley
The No. 24 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota team began the weekend fight with a loose condition during the two practices sessions which ended up yielding them a starting position of 34th in the Graham Tire “150”. The race is the first of two series combination events that will be held at Iowa Speedway in 2012 and the seventh visit for the series to the 7/8-mile track in Newton, Iowa. The speedway opened in 2006 and hosted its first NASCAR K&N Pro Series race in 2007.
The first 25-laps saw Hayley climbing through the field gaining five positions by lap 11. He radioed in to the team from Bill McAnally Racing that the car was ‘tight in the center ‘off the corner and ‘loose off’. By the caution at lap 54, Hayley reported the car was ‘tight all around’ the track. The No.24 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota was in the top 20 by lap 61. There was a mandatory break in the race at lap 75. Cameron told his team he was putting the first 75 laps behind him and they should focus on the next. The race was just getting started and he was focused on the front of the field.
Hayley ran hard going into the second half of the race often with the field going three-wide. A caution came out with five laps to go. Hayley radioed in that he had a problem with a tire. He was called to pit row and the No. 24 team replaced a flat right side tire most likely acquired from running over debris on the track. Hayley would finish in sixth in the West Series. (The championship points are tallied separately for the East and the West Series. The highest finishing driver and owner are credited with a win regardless of their finishing position overall in the event.)
“This weekend in Iowa was a tough weekend but my team and I learned a lot from it,” said Hayley. “Right from the get go our Cabinets by Hayley Toyota was struggling and needed lots of work throughout the weekend. The No 24 team put in a massive effort and threw everything they had it but at the end of the day we just ran out of time and didn't have the Toyota Camry the way we would of had liked. Sometimes winning championships isn't about running well on good days, it's about making the most of a bad situation on the bad days and on Saturday my team showed that.”
Hayley is leading in the 2012 Sunoco Rookie of the Year points for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. He is also sixth in the chase for the Series championship.
The Graham Tire “150” is a 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series Combination race will be televised on SPEED Channel on Thursday May 31st at 3 pm EST. Please check your local listings.
The next event is May 26th at Brainerd International raceway. Brainerd International Raceway this season will host it’s first-ever NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race. The Brainerd “125” will highlight a speed-filled Memorial Day weekend. NASCAR hasn't held a race at BIR since 2004, when the NASCAR Elite Division came to town for a single race.
“Brainerd will be the second road course race of my career and I am really looking forward to it,” said Hayley. “Early in the season I had the chance to do a driving school with SNT Motorsports and Chris Cook at Infineon and that track really taught me some valuable lessons about racing a road course that I will bring to this weekend. We will have a fast car and we will be contending for that first win to become the youngest winner in the sport.”
For more information on Bill McAnally Racing and our race partners, please visit our website at www.BMRNAPA.com. Bill McAnally Racing is now on Facebook. Become a fan and stay up to date with the latest happenings with your favorite race teams. Also follow the team on @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter and @CameronHayley24.
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