Brandon Jones Gets First NASCAR K&N Pro Series Trophy at Iowa Speedway Autolite Iridium XP 150

Iowa Speedway once again proved to be anyone’s game as there have been 11 winners in 11 NASCAR K&N Pro Series races in Newton, Iowa

The drivers from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East dominated the race again. The Autolite Iridium XP 150 at Iowa Speedway pit the drivers from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West against each other. The K&N Pro Series East drivers took the top eight spots in the race.

Brandon Jones drove his number 33 Wolfpack Energy Services Chevrolet Impala to the lead on lap 142 winning by a mere .338 seconds over Kenzie Ruston

Jones took the lead from Sergio Pena late in the race. He passed Pena on lap 142 of the Autolite Iridium XP 150. Jones led only nine laps in the race.

“That was pretty crazy, the last few laps there,” Jones said. “These cars are so hard to win in and it was extremely hard to pass all night, I felt. So to get a win on one of the bigger tracks is pretty cool.”

There have been 11 winners in 11 NASCAR K&N Pro Series races at Iowa Speedway. Joey Logano, Chase Elliott and Corey LaJoie are among the first-time winners at Iowa Speedway in the K&N Pro Series. Jones won his first race in his 20th career start.

Kenzie Ruston, in the number 96 Ben Kennedy Racing Chevrolet, was the runner up at the Autolite Iridium XP 150 posting her best career finish and the highest series finish for a female driver

He was the runner-up at Five Flags Speedway in Florida and came in third place at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida this year.

Ruston posted the best finish of her career in the K&N Pro Series. She was the runner-up. She has two third-place finishes in her career in the K&N Pro Series. Her latest third-place effort came at Langley Speedway in Virginia.

Cole Custer won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway in 2013 and despite leading the most Autolite Iridium XP 150 laps, Custer would come in for a third place finish

No other woman driver has finished higher than third in the K&N Pro Series.

“I thought we were a little bit better than Brandon was, catching up to him a bit there at the end,” said Ruston about her late-race push for the lead. “We were there and I feel like all we’ve done is improve. I feel like a win is coming soon.”

Cole Custer, who won the K&N Pro Series race at Iowa Speedway in August of 2013, was third. He led a race-high 65 laps. He took the lead from Pena on lap 76 and was out front until lap 140.

“I drove a bit too deep in those final laps and got too loose,” said Custer. “We lost four spots and ended up finishing third, but I think we could have won.”

Brandon Jones and his Turner Scott Motorsports pit crew celebrate Jones’ first NASCAR K&N Pro Series win in the Autolite Iridium XP 150 at Iowa Speedway

Jesse Little won the pole and led the first 24 laps of the race. Brodie Kostecki took the lead from Little on lap 25 and was out front until lap 49. Ben Rhodes passed Kostecki for the lead on lap 50 and held it for 24 laps.

All three drivers made pit lane mistakes at the halfway mark and it cost them later in the race. Rhodes, the leader in the K&N Pro Series East standings, was seventh, Little was 12th and Kostecki was 15th.

Legendary NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace, seen here with Iowa Speedway president Jimmy Small, designed the Iowa Speedway track located at 3333 Rusty Wallace Dr Newton, Iowa

Rhodes managed to extend his lead in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East standings. He is 71 points ahead of Cameron Hayley.

Pursley, the leader in the K&N Pro Series West standings, was credited with a win as the highest-finishing driver from the West Series. He was ninth.

Pursley has a 34-point lead over Dylan Lupton in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West standings.

David Mayhew finished in 10th place. Mayhew and Pursley were the only two drivers from the K&N Pro Series West in the top 10.

The next race for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East is the Bully Hill Vineyards 125 at Watkins Glen International in New York on Aug. 8.

The next race for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West is the NAPA Auto Parts/Toyota 150 at Evergreen Speedway in Washington on Aug. 16.