The return of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West to Tucson (Arizona) Speedway for the NAPA AUTO PARTS / Wildcat 150 on Saturday is an important event for Bill McAnally Racing and both BMR drivers who are running the full series schedule.
The race marks a return to the .375-mile track that was a popular stop on the circuit in the 1990s and last hosted a series event in 2001.
BMR won the season opener at Tucson in 1999, en route to the team winning its first of five series championships.
“Tucson has always been a special place for us, dating back to the Winter Heat events,” said BMR President Bill McAnally. “We’re excited about going back. We want to add to the success we had there.”
BMR drivers Brandon McReynolds and Chris Eggleston are anxious to get to Tucson, as well.
Eggleston of Erie, Colorado has had a hot start to the season in the No. 99 NAPA Filters/H2O Fire Protection Toyota. The rookie driver is coming off a win at Irwindale (California) Speedway and knows if he can maintain that momentum it could propel him to first in the championship standings.
“We have momentum on our side, coming off a strong finish at Kern and a big win at Irwindale,” Eggleston said. “I feel like we’re just continuing to build as a team with everybody on the No. 99 NAPA Filters Toyota Bill McAnally Racing team.”
He also hopes to benefit from his experience in racing late models at Tucson.
“I’m super excited to go down to Tucson,” he said. “I’ve been there a couple of times. So I feel like that gives us a slight competitive advantage. That track seems to race a lot like Irwindale as far as the tire wear characteristics and a progressively banked race track. Hopefully, that plays into our favor and we can go out and contend for another win.”
McReynolds, meanwhile, is hoping to shake off the bad luck he’s encountered in the first two races and get his championship chase on track. The 23-year-old Mooresville, North Carolina driver has been fast in the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota, but mechanical gremlins have kept him from getting the finish to show it.
“We have had really good speed with our NAPA Toyota and that’s something that we can build off of,” McReynolds said. “I feel like we’re in a much better position than we were at the start of the year last year. We’ve been through some tough woes at the beginning, but I think we can build on that as a team as we go to Tucson.”
NAPA VIPs will get a special first-hand look at Tucson Speedway on Friday evening, as the BMR team takes them for a lap around the track in the NAPA two-seater race car. BMR will also host a special NAPA hospitality event for a large group of VIPs – with store owners, managers, customers and employees – at the track on Saturday.
The NAPA AUTO PARTS / Wildcat 150, which will be televised on NBCSN on May 7, is the third event on a 13-race schedule. It will be the 13th series visit to the Arizona track.
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