2019 NASCAR K&N East schedule includes familiar mix of standalone and companion events

NASCAR revealed the 2019 K&N Pro Series East schedule on Tuesday, and it’s largely familiar.

Bristol Motor Speedway now has two dates on the schedule as it replaces the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series race alongside the Cup Series in August. The tour will also return to "Thunder Valley" in April as has been the case for much of this decade.

The season will once again begin at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida, just 10 miles south of Daytona International Speedway, as part of the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing during Speedweeks. The high-banked half-mile has opened the K&N Pro Series East championship points season each of the past five years.

There will be 12 overall race weekends, with six of them in conjunction with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series or NASCAR Xfinity Series at Bristol, New Hampshire, Iowa, Watkins Glen, Bristol again and Dover.

"The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule features an itinerary of race tracks that really serve the drivers well to progress to the next level as well as an opportunity to perform in front of national series teams," said Brandon Thompson, NASCAR managing director for regional racing. "The Cup championship by Joey Logano this season was really a culmination of a wave of talent that started in the K&N Pro Series 10 years ago and has continued. We look forward to seeing the next crop of drivers prove themselves on the big stage clash with those who will become cornerstones in the series."

In addition to the spotlight provided by companion races, the series will also continue to feature historic short tracks from across the East Coast.

South Boston Speedway will host two 100-lap twin features on Saturday, May 4, the second consecutive year the venerable Virginia .400-mile track is the site of the championship points doubleheader. Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, which was an integral part of the old NASCAR Busch North Series — the predecessor to the current series — will host the third annual NASCAR Throwback on Saturday, June 15.

The 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion (Joey Logano), NASCAR Xfinity Series champion (Tyler Reddick) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion (Brett Moffitt) all scored their first NASCAR wins at the K&N Pro Series level.

Five of the last six NASCAR Xfinity Series champions trace their NASCAR roots to the K&N Pro Series.

The complete schedule can be found below.

Sun., Feb. 10    New Smyrna Speedway    New Smyrna, Fla.    175 laps
Sat., April 6    Bristol Motor Speedway    Bristol, Tenn.    150 laps
Sat., May 4    South Boston Speedway *    South Boston, Va.    Twin 100s
Sat, June 1    Memphis International Raceway    Millington, Tenn.    150 laps
Sat, June 15    Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park    Thompson, Conn.    100 laps
Sat, July 20    New Hampshire Motor Speedway    Loudon, N.H.    70 laps
Fri., July 26    Iowa Speedway    Newton, Iowa    150 laps
Fri., Aug. 2    Watkins Glen International    Watkins Glen, N.Y.    41 laps
Thur., Aug. 15    Bristol Motor Speedway    Bristol, Tenn.    150 laps
Sat., Aug. 24    Gateway Motorsports Park    Madison, Ill.    120 laps
Sat., Sept. 21    New Hampshire Motor Speedway    Loudon, N.H.    125 laps
Fri., Oct. 4    Dover International Speedway    Dover, Del.    125 laps

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