Westborough's Kaz Grala Earns First Top 5 Finish In NASCAR K&N Pro Series

BOSTON (CBS) -- A local teenager had a big finish on the race track over the weekend.

15-year-old Kaz Grala, the youngest driver competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, earned his first top-five finish on Saturday, placing fifth in the Visit Hampton 175 at Langley Speedway in Virginia.

Grala, an honor student from Worcester Academy and Westborough native, had to settle for an 18th place starting position, but was able to patiently and methodically move his way through the field during the race.

"I didn't qualify as well as I wanted to, but since the race was 175 laps, I knew I'd have the time to battle my way to the front," Grala said in a release. "I ran conservatively on a late-race long run to save my tires and then began charging towards the front with about 30 (laps) to go."

WATCH: At Just 15, Kaz Grala A Rising Star In Motorsports

Saturday was Grala's fourth top-ten finish of the season and a career best so far in the NASCAR K&N Series.

"With five laps to go, I was in the eighth position for a restart. I fought my way past three more cars on the outside with a photo finish for fifth place," Grala explained. "It feels amazing to get my first top-five finish - especially in a race that started out so challenging."

With Saturday's finish, Grala now sits 10th in the NKNPSE Driver Point Standings.

Grala will have two weeks off before a he gets a bit of a homecoming. He'll next race in the Granite State 100 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Friday, July 11th.

MORE SPORTS COVERAGE FROM CBS BOSTON