BRISTOL, Tenn. – Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates development driver Dylan Kwasniewski will remain in the No. 97 Obaika Racing Chevrolet for the next two NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Road America, CATCHFENCE.com has confirmed.
Kwasniewski, a two-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series champion (one in West, one in East) earned the additional races after an impressive performance last weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in his 2015 XFINITY Series debut.
Despite being out of the car since the season-finale last November at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway, Kwasniewski quickly came up to speed in the car owned by Nigeria businessman Victor Obaika. Immediately from his opening laps of practice, Kwasniewski hustled the No. 97 Vroom Brands Chevrolet to lap times that initially put the still new XFINITY Series team inside the top-10.
Settling for 15th overall, the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team was encouraged by the Las Vegas, Nevada’s performance. He qualified 18th, and raced towards a top-10 finish, before ignition issues thwarted any hopes of a strong finish.
Kwasniewski couldn’t predict the mechanical hiccup that left him 34th in the rundown, but his overall weekend pace and ability to take a mid-pack XFINITY Series team and flash them into the spotlight around some of the series’ most sounded operations definitely earned him this added opportunity.
Remaining under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, the lack of sponsorship has kept Kwasniewski idle this year, but the NASCAR Next alum remains focused on returning to XFINITY Series competition full-time in 2016.
“Patience has definitely a big thing that I’ve learned a lot while sitting at home,” added Kwasniewski who holds a best XFINITY finish of eighth, twice last season at Daytona and Mid-Ohio (2014) respectively. “I’ve just been waiting to get back in a car. I’m still under contract with Chip Ganassi Racing, so I’m at the shop full-time with those guys, I’m training with the pit crew. I’m just eager to get back into the car and kinda just get back in the swing of things”
“We’ve definitely been focused on ’16. Of course, you want to race anytime you can, but you gotta pick and choose the opportunities. You gotta make sure if you do find funding, you put it in the right place. You gotta be smart about. We don’t wanna go out there and waste our opportunity on just a couple races. You gotta take your time with it. We’re definitely planning on 2016 trying to get there on track and be a regular again.”
Kwasniewski has two starts in Bristol’s “Thunder Valley” with a best finish of 15th last April, after starting 11th.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
