Andrew Ranger Wins NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut
- Jul 7, 2010
He won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut on Saturday two weeks after he won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. Ranger passed Cole Whitt on lap 52 and led the final 14 laps of the race around the 1.53-mile Lime Rock Park road course. It was the first East Series win of the season for Ranger and his second top-five finish in four East Series races this season. "Overall it was a great weekend for us," Ranger said. "For the first time here at Lime Rock, the car was alright all weekend long. P1 in practice, P1 in qualifying - there you go, we won our second race this year."
Whitt finished second, the second runner-up finish for the rookie driver in six East Series races. It was Whitt's first visit to Lime Rock Park and his first NASCAR race on a road course. "We didn't do no schools and we didn't get to do any testing," Whitt said Saturday after the race. "Every lap you seen turned here today was my first on a road course other than in a shifter kart. I'm happy with how we ran, definitely. I know I probably don't show it. I'm kinda bummed out that we were so good and just once again come up short of a win." Ranger made contact with Whitt on a restart on lap 52. Whitt was knocked off the course and had to rally through the field to come in second place. "This is racing. I try hard," Ranger said. "With new tires, I came really fast in the corner. The car came really tight and I hit him in the side. It's my mistake. It happened to the 00 (Ryan Truex) car on the restart. This is racing and we won our second race." It was Whitt's third top-five finish of the season. "This championship's kind of slipped away from us," said Whitt, who's fifth in the East Series standings. "We're trying to go for wins and get what we can." Max Gresham finished third. It was his third top-five finish in six races of the East Series season. "We played some pit strategy and pitted really early so we could take our fuel and just be done with it for the day," Gresham said. "It worked out in the end. The Joe Gibbs Racing team put a great Toyota Camry underneath me and we just rode it out there until the end. It was a real fast car and it handled awesome." Truex, the leader in the East Series standings, finished fifth. It was his fifth top-five finish of the East Series season. He has a 43-point lead over Darrell Wallace Jr. after six races. Ranger led a race-high 29 laps. He won the pole and led the first nine laps of the race before getting passed by Whitt. Ranger led again for five laps, from laps 26-30, and took the lead for good on lap 52, when he passed Whitt and drove him off the course. "It's been great. I little bit tough restart," Ranger said. "I hit the 84 (Whitt). I think I almost put him in the wall. It's my mistake. I think I came a little bit too hard into the corner." The next East Series race is at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire on July 30. Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
