Fresh off a solid performance on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, Jesse Little returns to North Carolina where he’ll challenge the stars of the K&N Pro Series East at the famed Bowman Gray Stadium.
This weekend’s NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 marks the seventh race in the season’s 16-race schedule for the K&N Pro Series East. Bowman Gray has hosted the series four times in its history with each event showcasing some of the best short-track racing in the country.
The tight confines of the Upper North Carolina track produce close door-to-door racing on the circuit. Its historic roots make Bowman Gray one-track drivers look forward to competing at during a career.
“We’ve been putting together a good season on the NASCR K&N Pro Series East and I’m excited to get back to Bowman Gray and keep the momentum up,” said the driver of the Mac’s Speed Shop Chevrolet. “Last season the team and I turned in one of our best performances and this weekend should be another strong run on the tight bullring.”
Having a strong front bumper and a car that turns on a dime is one of the keys to getting around this bullring and running up front, he added.
“When you unload at Bowman Gray as a driver you know that horsepower isn’t going to win the race. It’s very tight and you need a set-up that allows for tight racing. (Crew Chief) Kris Bowen will have our Mac’s Speed Shop Chevrolet ready for battle. We expect nothing less than a strong qualifying run and a top three finish.
“A good brake package from Performance Friction and the stability of our Penske Shocks will also be important to navigate through the flat corners at Bowman Gray.”
Bowen has confidence in the team’s ability to run with the best teams on the K&N series based on Little’s performance thus far in the season.
“Jesse and the team are really working hard each week to be at our best. The results are there and we’re in a fight for the (K&N Pro Series East) championship. There’s a lot of racing left in the season so getting out of Bowman Gray with a good finish will be important,” he said
Little has faith in the equipment Bowen is putting underneath him each week, the 17-year old added.
“Last week in Bakersfield (running on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West) we ran up front all day to finish fifth after grabbing a solid starting position in qualifying. Bowman Gray puts a premium on qualifying because passing is so tough there. We’ll concentrate on qualifying runs during some of our practice time to make sure we’re in the hunt again for another great finish.”
The race marks the second of three appearances of Mac’s Speed Shop on Little’s car this season.
Jesse Little PR
