DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 21, 2016) – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West heads back to Idaho’s Meridian Speedway Saturday for the NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208. Below is a look at the past performance of the series and selected driver highlights.
NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208 Race Setup:
• This will be the series third visit to the track. It’s race last year marked the return to the quarter-mile track after a 43-year absence.
• Todd Gilliland holds a 13-point lead over Ryan Partridge in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship point standings.
• The series has only visited two other quarter-mile tracks: California’s Orange Show Speedway and fellow Idaho track, Stateline Speedway.
At Meridian Speedway:
History:
• This will be the series third visit to Meridian Speedway.
• The K&N Pro Series West has had two winners at the quarter-mile oval – Ray Elder in 1972 and Noah Gragson last year.
Notebook:
• Both Meridian winners – Ray Elder and Noah Gragson – won the race from the pole.
• The most lead changes at the track occurred in last year’s NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208 with 15.
• Last year’s race saw the most cautions with 11, while the inaugural race in 1972 saw the fewest with only one.
• Dodge and Ford are the only manufactures to record wins at Meridian with the K&N Pro Series West.
Meridian Data:
Race: #13 out of 14
Race Date: Saturday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. MT
Track Layout: Quarter-mile paved oval
Race Length: 208 laps (52 miles)
Meridian Qualifying/Race Data:
2015 Winner: Noah Gragson
2015 Pole Sitter: Noah Gragson
1-Lap Qualifying Record: Noah Gragson, Ford, 13.017 seconds (69.140 mph), Sept. 5, 2015
208-Lap Race Record: Noah Gragson, Ford, 1 hour 19 minutes 16 seconds (39.361 mph), Sept. 5, 2015
Meridian Race Leaders:
Wins:
Ray Elder … 1
Noah Gragson … 1
Poles:
Ray Elder … 1
Noah Gragson … 1
Laps Completed:
Nine drivers … 208
Laps Led:
Noah Gragson … 176
Ray Elder … 100
James Bickford … 17
David Mayhew … 7
Ryan Partridge … 5
Brandon McReynolds … 3
Selected Driver Highlights:
Chris Eggleston (No. 50 NAPA Filters Toyota)
• Heads into the weekend ranked seventh in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West championship standings with two wins, seven top fives and eight top 10s.
• Finished fourth at Meridian last year after starting fifth.
• At this year’s two quarter-mile ovals – California’s Orange Show Speedway and Idaho’s Stateline Speedway – he finished first and third, respectively.
Todd Gilliland (No. 16 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota)
• Sits first in the championship standings headed into Meridian with five wins, 10 top fives and 11 top 10s.
• The NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208 will be his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut at Meridian Speedway.
• At Orange Show and Idaho this season, he finished fourth and first, respectively.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Noah Gragson (No. 7 SPEEDVEGAS/AlertID/Colliers International Ford)
• Is ranked third in the standings with two wins, seven top fives and 11 top 10s.
• Is the defending NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208 race winner.
• At the two other quarter-mile ovals this season, he’s finished third (Orange Show) and second (Stateline).
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Riley Herbst (No. 19 NAPA Power Premium Plus Alternators & Starters Toyota)
• Is ranked fifth in the standings with seven top fives and 10 top 10s.
• This will be his Meridian debut with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
• He finished 16th at Orange Show and seventh at Stateline this year.
Jesse Iwuji (No. 36 EXIDE Batteries/BuyInvengoRFID.com Chevrolet)
• Heads into the weekend ranked 10th in the standings with one top-10 finish.
• At Orange Show and Stateline this season he finished 10th and 18th, respectively.
Julia Landauer (No. 54 Curb Records Toyota)
• Is ranked sixth in the championship standings with five top fives and 11 top 10s.
• This will be her first K&N Pro Series West start at Meridian.
• She finished fifth at Orange Show and Stateline this season.
• Is a member of the 2016-17 NASCAR Next class.
Ryan Partridge (No. 9 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil Ford)
• Is second in the championship standings with two wins, nine top fives and 12 top 10s.
• Trails Gilliland by 13-points headed into the NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208.
• He finished sixth at Orange Show and 10th at Stateline this year.
Blaine Perkins (No. 21 Four Star Fruit Chevrolet)
• Is ninth in the championship standings with one top five and eight top 10s.
• This year at Orange Show and Stateline he finished ninth and 11th, respectively.
Gracin Raz (No. 27 Montana Tech Ford)
• Is ranked fourth in the standings with eight top fives and nine top 10s.
• This year at Orange Show and Stateline he finished second and fourth, respectively.
Cole Rouse (No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Eibach Springs/Lucas Oil Ford)
• Heads into the NAPA Auto Parts/Idaho 208 ranked eighth with three top fives and 10 top 10s.
• He finished 14th at Orange Show and sixth at Stateline this year.
Other Driver Notes:
• Nicole Behar will be making her third NASCAR K&N Pro Series West start of the year. In her two showings at Washington’s Evergreen Speedway and Oregon’s Douglas County Speedway, she finished ninth and 10th, respectively.
Up To Speed:
• The 2016 season is the 63rd for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West.
• The 2016 schedule features 14 races at 13 different tracks across eight states.
• Third-generation driver Todd Gilliland won the season opener at California’s Irwindale Speedway on March 19 after leading a total of 33 laps.
• Gilliland expanded his K&N Pro Series West streak to three after winning the second race of the season at California’s Kern County Raceway Park.
• Ryan Partridge collected his first win of the year at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway after leading 127 laps.
• Chris Eggleston, the defending NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, picked up his first win of 2016 after gaining the lead with nine laps to go at California’s Orange Show Speedway.
• Eggleston made it two-for-two after leading 102 laps at his home track, Colorado National Speedway.
• Chase Elliott scored the first road course victory of the year at California’s Sonoma Raceway after passing Noah Gragson with two laps to go.
• Todd Gilliland scored his third win of the year at Idaho’s Stateline Speedway after crossing the finish line .004 seconds in front of Gragson.
• Todd Gilliland won the K&N Pro Series combination event at Iowa Speedway to make it two-for-two and collect his four win of the season.
• Gilliland continued his win streak at Washington’s Evergreen Speedway after dominating the field and leading all 150 laps.
• Ryan Partridge put an end to Gilliland’s win streak after winning the Toyota/NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Oregon’s Douglas County Speedway. He led a total of 36 laps to take home his second victory of the season.
• Noah Gragson swept the doubleheader weekend at Utah Motorsports Park after making late race passes in both events to record his first wins of the year.
