Self claims NASCAR K&N Pro Series victory

NEWTON - Michael Self stood in victory lane touted as one of the budding talents of NASCAR on Friday afternoon.

By the end of Friday night, he stood in victory lane as a race champion.

Self raced to a green-white-checker finish to win the NASCAR K&N Pro Series Casey General Stores 150 at Iowa Speedway. It was his second win of the season and fifth in last 14 series starts.

Self was one of 13 members of the 2013 NASCAR Next program class, spotlighting the future stars of the sports top national series. He dominated the last half of the race, taking control after the mandatory stoppage after the 75th lap. Self was ninth in the K&N race at Iowa Speedway last August, winning the K&N Pro Series West title last season.

Brett Moffitt, who won this race two years ago, led part of the race, but finished third in a race filled with a track-record 11 cautions. it was Moffitt's 23rd podium finish in 53 career starts. He has placed in the top-five four times in six starts this season. He has finished in the top-five in all but one of his seven K&N Pro Series starts at Iowa.

"A lot of good racing that's for sure," Moffitt said.

Moffitt was far from satisfied with a third-place finish. He strives to come away with a win in front of numerous family, friends and fans pulling for him.

"Being here at Iowa Speedway, this was probably one of the hardest third-place finishes I've ever had," said Moffitt, who has struggled to get his first win this season. "That's what's been so frustrating on top of all the pressure I put on myself when I come here."

Dylan Kwasniewski, 18, of Las Vegas, placed second. Greg Pursley and 16-year-old Ben Rhodes rounded out the top-five.

"I don't know if anyone could have caught Michael," Kwasniewski said. "He was good."

Moffitt, Kwasniewski and Rhodes were also selected as part of this year's NASCAR Next class.

"It shows they made the right picks," Moffitt said about the selected class.