PORTLAND, Ore — – NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Rookie driver Austin Dyne piloted his William Rast Sunrise Racing Ford from a 7th place starting position, to a solid 10th place finish at the NAPA Auto Parts Salute To The Troops 125 on Sunday at Portland International Raceway. In doing so, Dyne has taken over the lead in the Sunoco Rookie Championship, with only 3 races remaining on the schedule.
“My goal coming into this weekend was to drive smart and concentrate on collecting the Sunoco Rookie lead. Winning the Sunoco Rookie Championship has been my goal since taking the first green flag of the season, and it feels great to be on top at this point in the schedule. I could have taken a few more chances at the end of the race, but it was getting really crazy out there, and I didn’t want to risk the rookie points we had gained today. And at that point of the race, the entire right side of my car was already caved in from someone trying to force their way through the bus stop turn, but as usual Bob Bruncati and my Sunrise Ford team gave me a car that held together and ran strong to the finish despite all that damage. Said Dyne”. “
“Austin did a great job for us today, he was fast, but also drove a really intelligent race, picking his spots to be aggressive, but also knowing when to be patient. Patience pays off in Championships” stated Bruncati.
The NAPA Auto Parts Salute to the Troops 125 will air on SPEED on Sept. 6 at 3 p.m. ET.
The next event on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West schedule is at NAPA Speedway in Sandia, N.M, on Sept. 29.
