For the second time this season, the worlds of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) and West (NKNPSW) tours will collide as one back at Iowa Speedway for Friday night’s running of the Autolite Iridium XP 150.
For NASCAR Next driver Dylan Lupton, not only is Friday night’s short track showdown an opportunity to shine again, but also an equal chance of steering his No. 9 Sunrise Ford / Go Pro / Lucas Oil Ford Fusion into victory lane.
“I look forward to going to Iowa Speedway this weekend,” said Lupton. “The competition is always there, due to it being an East and West combination race. The three races I’ve done there so far have gone alright. However, I’m carrying a lot of momentum into this weekend, so I believe we can and should be able to contend up front.”
On the heels of a season-high second-place finish in the most recent NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Colorado National Speedway, Lupton carries that momentum to the 0.875-mile oval in search of another top-five finish.
“Colorado went great,” explained Lupton. “I was a little nervous there this time because of how bad we struggled there last year. However, during practice we were able to find a very balance and stable setup for the car that I knew would be good on the long run. During the race we climbed from sixth to second and was battling for the win in the closing laps, but came up a little bit short. It was frustrating to not get the win, however, I am happy with our No. 9 Sunrise Ford / Go Pro / Lucas Oil Ford Fusion is fast at every track we go to this year.”
And a fast car is exactly what the 20-year old will need in order to compete at Iowa Speedway. In the first combination race of the year, Lupton qualified fifth and finished there, but the Wilton, California native notes he wants more.
“I think the key to success at Iowa is having a car that you can run consistent fast lap for 150 laps,” offered Lupton. “As much as handling is important though, so is track position. You can pass at Iowa Speedway, but you don’t want to find yourself digging out of a hole. Laps click off fast and I know that with the amount of good cars showing up this weekend, the race has the opportunity to be one of the best of the season. I just want our Sunrise Ford Racing team to be a part of it.”
Not only though will Lupton have to battle the best in the K&N Pro Series East, but he’s also still chasing a championship. The bigger picture. Undoubtedly, his performance at Colorado National Speedway allowed him to erase a few points from his deficit to now 25 points behind leader Greg Pursley, but in Lupton’s eyes – not enough.
“I believe we have been running really strong this year and that has allowed ourselves to be in a good position to fight for this championship,” sounded Lupton. “We have a little bit of points to make up, however, I think we can do it. We just have to be relentless.”
Though it’s not even the pressure of the championship that is weighing on Lupton’s mind, it’s also proving himself to some of the NASCAR Nationwide Series team owners who no doubt will be gleaming on Friday night’s contest looking for some of the sport’s future stars. For Lupton, his mind-set hasn’t changed, but he hopes to run well and impress.
“Friday night is a great opportunity to shine in front of the Nationwide teams,” Lupton explained. “We are in the process of talking to teams to move up next year in the Truck Series or Nationwide Series, so running good in front of these teams is key to helping build my name and reputation for what we hopes lies ahead for 2015.”
In addition to Sunrise Ford, Go Pro and Lucas Oil, Eibach Springs, Immersion Media, Capitl and Company will adorn their logos on his Ford Fusion this weekend at Colorado.
Entering Iowa, Lupton has 26 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West starts to his credit with one career victory at Evergreen Speedway (2013). During his NASCAR K&N tenure, Lupton has accumulated nine top-fives and 20 top-10 finishes. A third place qualifying effort at Lebanon I-44 Speedway (June 2013) is his best time trials effort to date. He has controlled the K&N field three times for 12 laps.
The Autolite Iridium XP 150 is set for Friday night August 1 from “America’s Place To Race.” The 150-lap (131.25-mile) feature is scheduled to take the green flag shortly after 8:00 p.m. (local). The race will be tape-delayed on FOX Sports 1 with an air date on Friday, August 8 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern.
Dylan Lupton PR
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