single-post - Dylan Presnell Racing

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — When NASCAR announced plans last fall for the inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach to be held during Speedweeks 2013 at Daytona International Speedway as a showcase event for the touring and weekly series, a smile came across the face of Sevier County High School student Dylan Presnell.

Presnell has competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East over the last two seasons, running 11 of the 14 events in 2012 and finishing 15th in the point standings.

The 17-year-old Presnell’s looking forward getting to race at “The World Center of Racing” on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 18-19. The Battle at the Beach will feature three NASCAR-sanctioned 150-lap events for the Whelen Modified, K&N Pro Series and Whelen All-American Series competitors on a .4-mile oval along the Daytona Superstretch on the backside of the track.

Presnell will chauffeur the AmericanMountainRentals.com, Amtrol, Clearwater Drilling Co., Extreme Vinyl Graphics sponsored No. 37 Chevrolet for Jeff Spraker Racing in the Battle at the Beach.

“Having grown up watching exciting NASCAR racing during Speedweeks from Daytona International Speedway on television, and to now be able strap in a race car and get to compete at the legendary track, it’s a very exciting deal,” said Presnell from his East Tennessee Smoky Mountains home. “It’s really like a dream come true. I’m like every other race car driver across the United States who began either racing in go-karts or a Legend car before moving behind the wheel of a Late Model, our dreams when we started out racing was to hopefully one day get the opportunity to drive a race car at Daytona. Just to be a part of Speedweeks racing in the month of February at Daytona International Speedway is very cool. You’ve got every NASCAR division (Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series) in action, and now with the Battle at the Beach you’ll have the Whelen Modified, K&N Pro Series and Whelen All-American Series racing.

“Even though we won’t be running on the big track, it’s still going to be just an unbelievable experience to be racing in a NASCAR race at Daytona. While all of our regular season K&N Pro Series races are televised on tape delay on SPEED, the exposure we’re going to receive with live television coverage for the Battle at the Beach is huge. I’m excited for all my sponsors who help allow me to race that they’re going get to see their car racing at Daytona on live TV. Plus for family and friends back home who won’t get to be in Daytona to watch the race in person, it’s going to be a cool deal for them to get see me race on SPEED.”

For Presnell and all competitors, this inaugural event will see everybody entering on equal terms.

“A lot of tracks we race at, those who have competitive laps previously will generally have an advantage over a first-time competitor,” Presnell said. “But this race at Daytona, when practice begins on Monday we’ll all be getting onto the track to run laps for the first time together. Nobody will have an advantage over you.

“For fans who like close, short-track racing action – then I’m sure they’ll enjoy watching us race on a .4-mile flat track. Practice will be very important to help us get our cars dialed in for the heat races we’ll be running. You’ll have to really get up on the wheel and drive the car in the heat race, because you’ll have to finish in a transfer spot to advance on to the 150-lap main event.”

The Battle at the Beach will receive live flag-to-flag coverage on SPEED, Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90. Coverage will begin each night at 7 p.m. ET.

NASCARHomeTracks.com – the official NASCAR.com site for the touring and weekly series – will host live streaming video of the practice rounds and heat races throughout each day leading up to the main events. Coverage will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday and 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

A top lineup of motorsports broadcasters who have covered NASCAR racing for many years will be on hand to call action in the UNOH Battle at the Beach from Daytona. For SPEED, that lineup includes:

Monday: Bob Dillner (play-by-play) and Hermie Sadler (analyst) will be in the booth, with Ray Dunlap as the pit reporter.

Tuesday: Mike Joy (play-by-play) and Larry McReynolds (analyst) in the booth for the Whelen Modified race, and Rick Allen (play-by-play) and Phil Parsons (analyst) in the booth for the K&N Pro Series race. Bob Dillner will be the pit reporter for both races.

For MRN, Kyle Rickey and Alex Hayden will be in the booth, with Steve Post covering the action in the turns. Pit reporters will be Woody Cain and Buddy Long.

To contact Ken Presnell at Presnell Motorsports, located at 1868 Newport Highway in Sevierville, Tenn., call (865) 654-9586. To keep up with Dylan Presnell’s racing visit his website at www.DylanPresnell.com or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/DylanPresnell