Cody Hodgson: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
Iowa Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
Cody Hodgson of Escalon, Calif., will compete in the Pork ‘Be Inspired’ 175 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, on Saturday, May 21 – a combination race for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. Hodgson enters the fourth race of the season sitting 10th in the East Series standings, and the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender is looking for his second Top-10 finish of the season. Iowa — a sister track to Richmond International Raceway, where the series last competed – represents the largest track Hodgson has ever raced on at .875-miles.
THE FACTS
WHO: Cody Hodgson, Escalon, Calif.
TEAM: Dave Davis Motorsports No. 03 Ocala Gran Prix Chevrolet
CREW CHIEF: Lonnie Rush, Mooresville, N.C.
BEST CAREER IOWA SPEEDWAY FINISH: N/A
LAST RACE AT IOWA SPEEDWAY: N/A
WHAT: NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Pork ‘Be Inspired’ 175
WHERE: Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa (.875-mile D-oval)
WHEN: 8 p.m., Saturday, May 21
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East
LAST RACE: Blue Ox 100, Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Va. (19th)
NEXT RACE: June 4, Bowman Gray 150, Bowman Gray Stadium, Winston-Salem, N.C. (.25-mile oval)
CURRENT POINTS POSITION: 10th
DID YOU KNOW?
Cody Hodgson finished 19th at Richmond in his first career race on a track larger than a half-mile in length.
Cody Hodgson and three-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion Eric Holmes share the hometown of Escalon, Calif., and the combination race at Iowa marks the first time they’ve competed against one another in K&N Pro Series cars.
Dave Davis Motorsports finished ninth overall in this event last season with driver Kevin Swindell after qualifying 19th.
Cody Hodgson lives with team owner Dave Davis during the week, working at the shop during the day and competing on the weekends.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
CODY HODGSON, Driver of the No. 03 Ocala Gran Prix Chevrolet, On racing at Iowa Speedway this weekend: “The team has learned some things they tried at Richmond didn’t really work. At the end of the race at Richmond, we struggled with a really, really loose car. I was just hanging on for dear life with what I had.
We’re going to do some stuff a little differently this week, and they’re really confident that we’re going to have a good car. If they’re confident, then I’m confident. The track is similar to Richmond, but it’s a lot faster, there’s more banking and it’s easier on the driver. The banking’s not so progressive. The radius of the turns is a lot different, and the banking is a lot different. I’m looking forward to it.”
On racing against fellow Escalon, Calif., native Eric Holmes at Iowa: “It’s kind of funny, because we’re like the two biggest drivers moving up out of Escalon. It’s kind of cool that we’re going to be racing head-to-head against one another. I’ve been following him for the last 10 or 15 years. When I was a kid, he was someone that I really looked up to, so this will be a lot of fun.”
On sitting 10th in the overall standings after three races: “I’m definitely happy with that. I was a little stressed out at Richmond, to be honest. It wasn’t the result I’d hoped for – we ran really well in South Boston, and we knew we could have been a Top-5 car there, but at Richmond all throughout the day we were struggling to get the car in the Top-10 (on speed). I was a little frustrated.
“But we learned a lot with the car, and we’re in the Top-10 in points now. That made me feel really good. That was a relief. Hopefully, we can just keep doing what we’re doing and keep getting better.”
UP NEXT
The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East heads the tiny bullring at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C., for the Bowman Gray 150 on Saturday, June 4… The race will be the debut for the series at the unique track best-known now as the setting for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series weekly Modified wars on the History Channel series “Madhouse” in 2009.
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