Hattori Racing Enterprises had a dominating day at Iowa Speedway for the Graham Tire 150 on Saturday, May 19, 2012. Hometown hero, Brett Moffitt won his second consecutive pole position and dominated the 150-lap event until contact after a restart with a rookie driver at lap 143. Moffitt held on to finish 5th.
Brett Moffitt, driver of the #11 Castle Packs Power Toyota Camry earned his second Coors 21 Pole position in a row by setting the fast time of 23.829 for qualifying. He was the first car to qualify and was never bumped from the pole.
“The car was real good in qualifying,” Grimes, IA native, Moffitt stated. “We were fast in practice, but I was not at all happy with the way the car was handling. I was real tight and just couldn’t get through the corners. But just like at Richmond, my guys worked their guts out and gave me a fast car for the race.”
Moffitt’s teammate, Sergio Pena, driver of the #1 UTI Toyota Camry ran the second fastest lap in qualifying, but started third due two cars running the exact same speed, Pena was lower in the point standings.
“We ran the second fastest lap being the third out to qualify,” the 19-year old Pena explained. “My car was real good in both practices and I was sure we had a shot at the pole.”
The Hattori Racing Enterprises Camry’s raced first and second the early stages of the race. Pena fought a tight handling race car but Moffitt was dominant in his performance, leading the first 143 laps.
“My guys really pulled it out,” Moffitt said. “I was quick in practice, but my car was not good. Even at the end of practice I didn’t think we had a top-5 car, but Dave (crew chief, Dave McCarty) got into his bag of tricks and really put an awesome car under me.” Moffitt continues, “I could go anywhere on the track I wanted to, it was such a great car.”
McCarty had good things to say about Moffitt. “I told him I would take a little credit for the pole at Richmond, but this pole was all him. He drove a perfect lap for qualifying and a perfect race. I am nothing but proud of him regardless of the outcome of the race.”
Pena raced I the top seven all night. He fought a tight race car most of the night but was content with his finish.
“Our car was tight,” Pena commented. “I kept trying different lines on the race track to help it roll through the center but it was just too tight. At the half-way break we made some adjustments and it was better the second half, but the longer I ran the tighter I got.”
“I am proud of both Brett and Sergio and all our the HRE crew members.,” stated HRE owner, Shige Hattori. “This is only our fourth race as an organization and we have been in contention to win three of the first four races. We continue to improve as an organization every week and are competing with teams with more resources and experience and winning. I expect nothing but the best for the rest of the season.”
“Andy Santerre, four-time K&N Pro Series East Champion and HRE team manager concurs, “Brett was dominant. He had a neutral race car and his times through the entire race were two to three tenths faster than the rest of the field. We had the restart late in the race and Brett hadn’t had to push the car to that point and when he did it was a little tight. The #47 (Cale Conley) and the #9 (Chase Elliott) were hustling hard to keep up with us on that restart. The #47 was able to get under us and we ran side by side for a couple laps, but the #47 overdrove it getting into turn one and washed up into Brett and put him to the wall. I really don’t know how Brett held on to 5th but that just shows his car control and driving ability. He ran an awesome race and he has nothing to hang his head about.”
Both drivers moved up in the point standings. Pena moved from 19th to 11th, only six points out of 10th and Moffitt moved from sixth into second position.
Hattori Racing and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series head to historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC on Saturday June 2nd for the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150.
[adrotate block=”3″]