Wednesday
Alex Kennedy Obtains Career-Best Finish at Dover International Speedway
Press Release“Successful Return to NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Racing”
Kennedy took to the one-mile concrete track on Thursday for two practice sessions. He posted a 21st fastest practice time of 25.523 seconds (141.049 mph) during the first practice. He improved him time in final practice laying down the 17th quickest lap of 25.010 seconds (143.942 mph). During practice, the No. 37 developed a tire rub. With more experience under his belt, Kennedy radioed to the crew and came in to resolve the problem. He took the track early Friday morning for qualifying and posted a lap of 24.461 seconds (147.173 mph), enough for the 18th starting spot.
Shortly after NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying, Kennedy crossed the starting line for the Sunoco 150 in the ninth row. Knowing he had 150 laps to make something happen, the Aztec, N.M., native focused on his racecar. Six cautions throughout the first 100 laps allowed the team to make multiple pit stops to adjust the car and try to fix a tight condition.
By lap 80, he worked the no. 37 Spraker Racing Chevrolet into the 10th position. By the eighth caution on lap 146, Kennedy sat in seventh but saw a good lead from the cars behind him go away as the caution bunched up the field. Two quick cautions in the final laps brought on a green-white-checkered condition. As the field took the green flag, Kennedy got into the wall coming off of turn four as the white flag came out. After the unfortunately timed caution, he settled for a Dover International Speedway career-best 11th place finish.
“All in all, we came out of it pretty well,” commented Kennedy. “The whole team worked hard on the car. We would have had a top-10 finish, but the caution really hurt us. I had to restart on the inside, and I ended up losing some spots and wound up 11th.”
“It was nice to be able come back and use my experiences this year and apply them to the K&N car,” the 18-year-old continued. “I think running in the NASCAR Nationwide Series helped me learn about making sure you make it to the finish. It was nice to hear that the team noticed my maturing in the racecar. My car chief Scott commented that he was impressed that I brought the car in before wrecking it when I had a tire rub in practice. It’s nice to see that my hard work is paying off. The Nationwide experience helped me save my car too. It helped me learn that I can give up some spots on lap 20, 30 or 40 and get them back at the end because I saved my car.”
Following the good finish at Dover, Kennedy jetted to Memphis, Tenn., where he was honored with the 2010 Presidential Award at The Dream Factory National Convention. Kennedy has partnered with The Dream Factory since 2007, and they were highlighted on the 2009 No. 37 Spraker Racing entry. The Dream Factory is the second-largest children’s wish-granting organization in the United States and granted over 25,000 dreams since its inception in 1980. For more information about The Dream Factory, visit www.dreamfactoryinc.org.
- Activ8 Communications Press Release
Article Tags: Alex Kennedy, Dover (Del.) International Speedway, NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NKNPSE, NNS, No. 37 Spraker Racing Enterprises Chevrolet, No. 37 The Dream Factory Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS, Sunoco 150, The Dream Factory National Convention
