Keeping Pace: Nicole Behar continues to shine on NASCAR K&N Pro Series West

Nicole Behar still has a lot of intense racing to do this season.

The Otis Orchards teen will be at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West stop at Meridian Speedway just outside of Boise. The country’s top development circuit is making the last of three Northwest stops on Saturday.

One of the tightest championship battles in series history is taking place and there is a tight chase for the rookie of the year. Behar is in the mix for both.

With championship contenders Chris Eggelston and Ryan Partridge tied for the lead, Noah Gragson just six points behind the pair and his teammate Gracin Raz 12 points off the top of the charts, the final few races will provide an exciting finish to the year. Behar is just 40 points from a top 5 finish.

Gragson leads Raz by two points in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle with Partridge just four points behind Gragson. Alex Schutte and Behar round out the top 5.

Behar, like every driver in the field for Meridian’s race, will be making her first start on the Idaho quarter-mile. The series has not held an event at Meridian Speedway in 43 years. Additional practice sessions have been offered to the teams in preparation for the 208-lap main event.

“We have a good short-track program with our Custom Welding and Fabrication Toyota, but getting the chance to turn some additional laps will only help as we work to dial in for the race,” Behar said.

With only two races left after Meridian (Roseville, California and Phoenix), Behar knows every point will count to stay in contact with the championship leaders.

“Our goal was to run up front and chase the championship and the rookie title,” she said. “We can continue to move up in the points with good finishes and if we can keep the momentum up (eight top-10 finishes in 10 starts this season) the team and I believe we can gain more ground.”

I-90 Challenge a hit

Spokane County Raceway’s oval promoters – Rick Nelson, Joe Doellefeld and Joey Nelson – have been basking in the glow of the best event held in their first year operating the half-mile.

Despite the rough start to last Saturday’s weather, the race drew the facilities’ largest crowd and had the largest turnout of late model drivers in the region (31) except for Evergreen Speedway’s Summer Showdown. It also had an exciting finish with Tayler Riddle holding off Mead’s Shelby Thompson and Riddle’s older brother, Owen, for the win.

Drivers had rave reviews.

“I finished in sixth place and it was one of the coolest races I’ve ever run,” said Gracin Raz, who took time off from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West to compete at SCR. “This track is so much fun to race on and it is definitely one of my top-3 tracks to come to now that we’ve been here.”

Rick Nelson said that level of support gives the promoters a big boost.

“We have put a lot in the track and the I-90 Challenge was a big event for us. The fans stuck out the weather earlier in the day and then came out strong. We’re going to keep working to make this a great place to come out and enjoy racing.”