Hailie Deegan led the charge for Bill McAnally Racing in the Procore 200 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West event at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday.
The 17-year-old NASCAR Next driver from Temecula, California turned the fast lap in qualifying with her No. 19 Monster Energy/NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry to win her second pole award of the year and then fought through a rough and tumble race to finish eighth, behind a cluster of drivers from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR XFINITY Series, and a couple of road-racers.
The race did not go as well for her BMR teammates. Derek Kraus, also a 17-year-old NASCAR Next driver, started seventh in the No. 16 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry. He was battling to get into the top five, when he coasted to the pits with fuel pump issues on Lap 18. He returned to competition three laps down and spent much of the remaining race working to get back on the lead lap – only to get caught up in an incident and sent off course on the final circuit. He finished 19th.
In making her first series start at Sonoma, Brittney Zamora qualified her No. 99 NAPA Belts & Hose/ ENEOS Toyota Camry in 24th. She gained spots in the first 10 laps, before being sidelined with electrical trouble and being credited with a 29th-place finish.
Lawless Alan, in the No. 12 AUTOParkit Toyota Camry, made his series debut in a fourth BMR entry. He qualified 13th and battled for a top-10 spot through much of the race, before ending up in a tire barrier two laps from the finish. The 19-year-old from Southern California ended up 24th.
After leading the 31-car field to the green, Deegan dropped back in the early stages of the race – appearing content to pace herself and run inside the top 10. She was successful in avoiding the carnage that led to three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, to come home eighth.
Despite his misfortune at Sonoma, Kraus was able to hold onto the lead in the championship standings. He and his BMR teammate, Deegan, remain 1-2 in points – separated by just one marker. Kraus of Stratford, Wisconsin has two wins, three top-five, and five top-10 finishes in six starts this year.
Deegan, meanwhile, has two victories, two poles, four top-five, and five top-10 finishes in six starts.
Zamora – a 20-year- old series rookie from Kennewick, Washington – is second in rookie points and sixth in the overall standings. She has one pole, three top-five and four top-10 finishes in just six series starts.
BMR treated NAPA guests to a VIP experience at Sonoma, with a special tour of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series garage area and a meet-and-greet with the BMR drivers.
The Sonoma race, won by Noah Gragson, will be televised to a national audience on NBCSN on June 27 at 3 p.m. PT.
The next event on the K&N West schedule will be the Clint Newell Auto Group/Toyota 150 presented by ENEOS and NAPA AUTO PARTS at Douglas County Speedway in Roseburg, Oregon on Saturday, June 29.
BMR PR
