MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 10, 2017) – For the first time since 2009, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) returned to action on the 5/8-mile track at Thompson (Conn.) Speedway Motorsports Park on Saturday. MDM Motorsports fielded one car in the competition with driver Harrison Burton, who eventually went on to earn his fourth win of the 2017 NKNPSE season.
Burton and his No. 12 DEX Imaging team participated in the open test on Friday afternoon at Thompson Speedway where they were able to get a feel for the track and try different setups on the car. They gathered valuable information and were able to get the car where it needed to be for Saturday’s on-track action. Over the course of two practice sessions on Saturday, the team continued to fine tune the car and sat third on the speed chart after the completion of the final practice.
Burton started the Busch North Throwback 100 from the third position. He was shuffled back to fifth on the initial start, but quickly made his way back up to third and maintained that position for several laps. By the halfway point in the race, he had made the pass for second and continued to make gains on the first-place car of Todd Gilliland. With 25 laps remaining, Burton and Gilliland were side-by-side racing for several laps. Burton was finally able to clear Gilliland and the thrilling battle for the lead was over; Burton led the field and never looked back.
With his victory at Thompson Speedway, Burton has now scored four wins in the 2017 NKNPSE season and extended his Championship points lead to 22 over second-place contender, Gilliland.
Burton, driver of the DEX Imaging No. 12… This race marked Burton’s eighth NKNPSE start of the season – four of which he has went on to win. His three other wins have occurred at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, South Boston (Va.) Speedway and Memphis (Tenn.) International Raceway. He entered the weekend as the current NKNPSE Championship points leader and was able to widen the gap between himself and the second-place contender with his strong performance at Thompson Speedway. At the halfway mark of the season, Burton currently holds a 22-point lead in the standings.
Burton on Thompson Speedway: “It was an awesome race,” said Burton. “We had a great race car. We weren’t as good as we needed to be at the end of the test, so we came back today with a little bit of a different setup and it really took to the race track well. I’m really proud of my guys at MDM, they put a great racecar under me and made my job a heck of a lot easier. It’s tough to pass here with a dominate top lane, so really proud of my guys and proud to have a car that was able get around the 16 there in the end.”
The Busch North Throwback 100 will be broadcast on NBCSN on Thursday, July 13 at 7 p.m., ET.