Elliott Has Career Best Day, Gresham Keeps Points Lead At Greenville NASCAR K&N Race

GREENVILLE, SC – After being postponed on Labor Day due to remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East returned Saturday to Greenville Pickens Speedway for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140.

18-year-old Sergio Peña of Winchester, Virginia dominated the event claiming his third win of the season. He qualified second and took the lead from pole winner Corey LaJoie on Lap 58 finishing 4.633 seconds ahead of runner-up Brett Moffitt, who won the season opener at Greenville.

Rookie Chase Elliott from Dawsonville, Georgia had his best career finish in third. Elliott also qualified third, his best career qualifying effort as well.

Elliott’s third-place finish was his third top-five in 10 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races this season, and it earned him his third Rookie of the Race award.

“I was really happy with the run we had,” Elliott said. “This was by far our best qualifying effort and best run all day. It was a full day of what we needed as a team.”

Griffin, Georgia’s Max Gresham maintained his points lead in the K&N championship standings with a fifth-place finish. There are only two races remaining in the season.

“We did what a championship team needs to do at a track that we haven’t run well at in the past,” said Gresham. “You have to come out on top. Finishing fifth at Greenville was big for us. We’re going to keep digging these next two races.”

Pooler, Georgia’s Andrew Smith finished the event in 15th.

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will run its second-to-last event of the season Friday, Sept. 23 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.