Dillon Bassett and the No. 44 Bassett Racing team returned to K&N Pro Series East competition this weekend at Stafford Speedway with something to prove. In their last outing, Bassett powered his No. 44 ComServe Verizon / Bassett Gutters Toyota Camry from 21^st through the field to the third position before a multi-car incident relegated him to a less-than-ideal finishing position. But he knew the car had speed and proved it on Friday night, advancing 15 positions throughout a 150-lap race to finish in the second position.

The 19-year-old was dominant throughout the Stafford 150. Rolling off the grid in the 17th-position, he began to pass car after car on a tear through the field. By Lap 92, he was leading the field and remained the leader as the laps wound down. Following a late race incident, Bassett was poised for a win as the green flag flew on a green-white-checker finish. Unfortunately, a competitor passed him on the final restart and Bassett finished the race in the second position.

“It was a great day at Stafford Speedway,” said Bassett. “We had another chance to win and just came up short following the green-white-checker. I want to thank my crew chief Nathan Kennedy and all of the guys at Bassett Racing and Precision Performance Motorsports. I have no doubt that a win is inevitable this season and we continue to prove that week in and week out.”

The No. 44 Bassett Racing team has achieved some remarkable stats since tragedy befell the team in May. In the past two races, Bassett has passed more cars than the entire K&N Pro Series East field put together. This second-place finish also marks Bassett’s best-finish of the 2016 season, has increased his laps-led total to 59, and moved him into the Top-10 driver points’ standings, proving that out of hardship comes success.

Catch all of the action of the Stafford 150 on NBCSN this Thursday, June 23^rd at 5:00 p.m. ET.