Trans-Am champ Ernie Francis Jr. set for NASCAR K&N race

Ernie Francis Jr.,

Ernie Francis Jr., the top winner in the history of the Trans-Am Series, is getting another taste of NASCAR this weekend in New Jersey.

Francis, a four-time Trams-Am Series champion and member of NASCAR's 2018 Drive for Diversity class, will join Rev Racing for the first road course race of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 16. It will make for Francis' second NASCAR start, as he finished 39th in the Xfinity Series race at Road America in 2017.

Francis will pilot the No. 42 Pro-Systems Inc./NTI Toyota. He will join teammates Chase Cabre, Ryan Vargas and Ruben Garcia Jr., who most recently clinched his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East victory at Memphis International Raceway. All Rev Racing drivers will return to action this Saturday at New Jersey Motorsports Park on June 16 for the JustDrive.com 125.

“I am extremely excited to make my first K&N East Series start at the upcoming NJMP race," said Francis. “Coming from an extensive road racing background has me feeling very positive for a good result for the Rev Racing team."

Although a rookie to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, Francis is no newcomer to New Jersey Motorsports Park. In 2017, he won the Trans-Am 100 at New Jersey Motorsport Park. It was his eighth win of the season and it clinched the TA class championship for him with two races remaining.

At the age of 16, Francis became the youngest Trans-Am Series champion, and at 19 years old in 2017 Francis became the youngest TA class champion and the winningest driver in 50 years of the series. Francis, with 32 career Trans-Am wins, has four podium finishes and two wins in the first five races of the Trams-Am Series this season. AutoWeek