RICHMOND, Va. — After a tight battle at the front, Darrell Wallace Jr. wrestled the lead away from Max Gresham for the final time on Lap 79 and held on to win the inaugural Blue Ox 100 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond International Raceway.
Wallace, from Mobile, Ala., gained the third victory in just his 13th career start in the K&N Pro Series East. He took the lead from Gresham for the first time on Lap 55, and the two later swapped it following a restart on Lap 78, and for the decisive time on Lap 79.
Wallace pilots the No. 6 U.S. Army Toyota for Revolution Racing and Drive for Diversity. He gained two wins as a rookie in 2010, and has finished in the top 10 in all but three of his career starts.
Brett Moffitt wound up second with Corey LaJoie, Gresham and Alex Bowman in the top five. The rest of the top 10 was Jason Bowles, Michael Cherry, Ryan Blaney, Sergio Peña and Matt DiBenedetto.
With the win, Wallace now leads the season standings after three races by 26 points on teammate Peña. Wallace ended up leading a race-high 55 laps with Gresham the other 45.
The race was slowed by just two cautions. There was a 1:48 red flag delay for rain.
The K&N Pro Series East will next be in action when it is joined by the K&N Pro Series West in the annual East-West Challenge presented by Tompkins Industries at Iowa Speedway on May 21.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-Blue Ox 100 Unofficial Results
Thursday At Richmond International Raceway Richmond, Va.
Lap length: 0.75 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (2) Darrell Wallace, Jr., Mobile, Ala., Toyota, 100 laps
2. (5) Brett Moffitt, Grimes, Iowa, Toyota, 100
3. (21) Corey LaJoie, Concord, N.C., Ford, 100
4. (1) Max Gresham, Griffin, Ga., Toyota, 100
5. (4) Alex Bowman, Tucson, Ariz., Toyota, 100
6. (14) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Toyota, 100
7. (16) Michael Cherry, Valrico, Fla., Toyota, 100
8. (18) Ryan Blaney, High Point, N.C., Toyota, 100
9. (12) Sergio Peña, Winchester, Va., Toyota, 100
10. (10) Matt DiBenedetto, Grass Valley, Calif., Toyota, 100
11. (13) Coleman Pressley, Asheville, N.C., Toyota, 100
12. (7) Benny Gordon, DuBois, Pa., Chevrolet, 100
13. (24) Andrew Smith, Pooler, Ga., Chevrolet, 100
14. (11) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., Chevrolet, 100
15. (28) Brandon Haley, Lavonia, Ga., Ford, 100
16. (17) Brandon McReynolds, Mooresville, N.C., Chevrolet, 100
17. (20) Cale Conley, Vienna, W.Va., Chevrolet, 100
18. (8) Brandon Gdovic, Yorktown, Va., Dodge, 100
19. (15) Cody Hodgson, Escalon, Calif., Dodge, 100
20. (33) Daniel Suárez, Monterrey, Mexico, Dodge, 100
21. (22) Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet, 100
22. (3) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 100
23. (23) D.J. Shaw, Conway, N.H., Chevrolet, 100
24. (6) Chase Elliott, Dawsonville, Ga., Chevrolet, 100
25. (25) Tanner Whitten, Congerville, Ill., Chevrolet, 100
26. (30) Clay Campbell, Martinsville, Va., Chevrolet, 100
27. (19) Ben Kennedy, Daytona Beach, Fla., Chevrolet, 100
28. (37) Rick Gdovic, Pittsburgh, Pa., Dodge, 99
29. (27) Zach Germain, Bexley, Ohio, Toyota, 99
30. (29) Julian Albarracin, Bogata, Columbia, Chevrolet, 99
31. (9) Ryan Gifford, Winchester, Tenn., Toyota, 98
32. (32) CJ Faison, Felton, Del., Chevrolet, 97
33. (26) Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, Md., Toyota, 97
34. (35) Scott Bouley, Thomaston, Conn., Chevrolet, 96
35. (31) Tanner Berryhill, Tulsa, Okla., Chevrolet, 94
36. (34) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, 73, dnf
37. (38) Jerick Johnson, Faribault, Minn., Chevrolet, 20, dnf
38. (36) Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass., Chevrolet, 19, dnf