It seems like an eternity since Young’s Motorsports and their young driver Reid Wilson have competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
That eternity though will come to an end this upcoming Monday when the duo returns to competition and sets their sights on Monday’s ComServe Wireless 150 at Dominion (Va.) Raceway aboard the No. 66 TruNorth Warranty Programs / MDA Summer Camp Chevrolet.
“It’s only been two months, but it feels like two years,” said Wilson who plans to compete in his third career K&N Pro Series East race on Memorial Day. “The break has been good for us though.
“We’ve been able to work a lot on our No. 66 TruNorth Warranty Programs / MDA Summer Camp Chevrolet and get it ready for this weekend. Andrew (Abbott, crew chief) has some good ideas on what to unload with, so I can’t wait to get there and start rolling.”
Wilson, the former X-1R Pro Cup Series standout has every right to be excited about getting back to the race track. In his most recent race at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway on Easter weekend, Wilson stormed into the spotlight with a career-best sixth place finish in the Kevin Whitaker 150 on March 26.
But, it was more than just his finish that had his competitors yakking, it was Young’s relentless effort in his second career start.
After qualifying 10th, Wilson gutted throughout the race at a track where passing is at a premium, not to mention extremely difficult – but forced his way through the field and simply ran out of laps to make a dent at the top-five competitors. Even with a cautiously-aggressive driving style, Wilson earned respect from his peers, something he’s wanted from day one.
“The Young’s Motorsports team is giving me equipment that I can compete with and we proved that at Greenville-Pickens,” Wilson explained. “It’s only one race, but it was a huge step for us in the right direction and we have the confidence that we can pick up where we left off this weekend at Dominion Raceway. To have a lot of people come up and congratulate us since Greenville has really meant a lot.”
Indeed, the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team has a lot to look forward to this weekend. Not knowing anything about the tight Dominion (Va.) Raceway, the team knows that they are in the same circumstances as their competitors with the track being a new fixture on the circuit.
“It’s a new track, so the playing field should be pretty equal,” added Wilson. “NASCAR has given the opportunity for a lot of practice on Saturday with an open test day and then some time on Sunday to dial the car in. That will be extremely beneficial. I expect the race to be similar to any other short track – where qualifying and staying up front will be important and of course – being around for the end. Something I feel like we’ve done great as a team has been able to adjust our No. 66 TruNorth Warranty Programs / MDA Summer Camp Chevrolet to the track conditions. I think you’ll see more of the same at Dominion.”
Young’s Motorsports team manager and owner Tyler Young says having Wilson around in the shop has not only brought the K&N team closer together – but also a contagious wave of energy.
“Reid has been awesome in the shop,” said Young, a full-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver. “He’s eager to learn and more than willing to give his two-cents about what we should do to make the car better. His input has made our K&N team better. We had a sixth our last time out at Greenville. It sure would be great to leave Dominion on Monday with another strong run.”
Continuing his support of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), Wilson will host kids from the Richmond MDA who suffer from neuromuscular diseases.
Before Wilson treks north for Virginia, he’ll attend Speed Street on Thursday, May 26 in uptown Charlotte where he’ll sign autographs from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
The ComServe Wireless 150 (150 laps / 60 miles) is the sixth of 14 races on the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule. Practice is set for Sunday, May 29 from 3:30 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. A final practice session has been etched in from 4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Qualifying is set for later in the day at 7:00 p.m. The event will take the green flag the next day after 3:00 p.m. (ET). The event will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on NBC Sports Network on Thursday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
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