The 2022 Lionheart Speedway Series in iRacing continues as round 8 visits Michigan. Here we have the race report for this great series.
The Lionheart Speedway Series recently visited Michigan in iRacing, round 8 of the series geared up for high speed and fast pace action, the Next Level Racing Michigan 200 had the stage set.
Written by Darren B of simrace247.com
Top 5 In Qualifying
- #8 Taylor: 32.456
- #89 Degroot: +0.001
- #11 Hassert: +0.004
- #00 Rigney: +0.012
- #40 Herrick: +0.017
Another solid grid and line up as 36 cars are ready to race for the Next Level Racing Michigan 200, green flag lets go! A clean start by all as they rocket around this fast track, Degroot takes the lead, this has got a vibe of high speed and adrenaline, with 100 laps awaiting. Taylor and Degroot jostle for the lead, fowler is in P3 and applies pressure. everywhere you look, the drivers are still really close to eachother, and no one has made a breakaway as the fast train keeps on rolling, what a sight to see.
10 laps have clicked by, Branch has moved up 8 places to P5 and the top 15 is covered by 2 seconds, the draft is key to staying in contention. As soon as you start to mix it up by going for positions, you will lose the draft and drop back, this is a race of patience. The car of Wood is going slow as he gets bumped in the side and has an off track excursion, Musslemann has hit the wall in a separate incident, Sanders gets collected, we remain green. Fowler takes the lead and Branch is up to P4.
Lap 20 Top 10
- Fowler
- Taylor
- Degroot
- Branch
- Hacker
- Hassert
- Rigney
- Herrick
- Beard
- Showen
Team Simrace247 driver Nunez is having a great race so far, he is in P15. Some drivers have opted to enter the pits on lap 23, the strategy is a mixed bag that many drivers adopt. Fowler, Taylor and Degroot have opened up a gap to Hacker in P4, now we start to see some packs form. The pace out front is relentless, it’s on a knife edge, who has a great setup that can take it to the limit? Taylor pits in at the end of lap 31, and Fowler boxes at the end of lap 32. Now we see the big shuffle as many enter at the end of lap 33, Goodman goes into the back of Hacker in pit entry road, after he decided to drop into the pit late, and could not get it slowed down. After the pit stops are made we see a big change in the top 10 after the leaderboard re-asserts itself.
Lap 40 Top 10
- Fowler
- Taylor
- Degroot
- Rigney
- Coogan
- Nunez
- Forsythe
- Gibson
- Malone
- Carter
As we can see, the top 10 has some different drivers in it after the pit stops were made, Nunez, Coogan, Forsythe, Gibson, Malone and Carter all had perfect stops. Fowler continues to lead out front with a 3 second lead, he has got the hammer down, Nunez is all over Coogan fighting for P5. Forsythe is with them, and they are working well as a unit with the draft to catch Rigney in 4th, This is great driving from the trio. Lap 47 brings out the first yellow of the race, King is hard into the wall, many come into the pits under yellow.
lap 51 gets us back to green flag racing once again, these are tense times as the cars are all bunched up together, the top 7 have bolted and do not want to get caught up with the rest of the field. Degroot takes the lead, and Fowler responds. The pack behind is fantastic, 3 wide racing for P8. The leading group of 7 is covered by 0.8 with Malone in P8 2 seconds behind.
Degroot & Fowler Collide
Lap 70 and the front runners collect each other and spin out, that is one of those moments called racing, I do not think there was any intent. Wow what a moment in the race, both drivers were doing exceptionally well up to that point, many come down pit road while the yellow is out. Coogan exits pit road ahead of Taylor, we are in for a big race to the finish. Lap 74 gets us back to green flag racing.
Lap 75 Top 10
- Coogan
- Forsythe
- Taylor
- Nunez
- Wagner
- Oster
- Malone
- Hassert
- Hawkins
- Herrick
Coogan, Forsythe and Taylor, 3 wide, the stage is set for a great showdown, what a sight, what a race. Forsythe takes the lead, and Taylor is on his gearbox. Nunez goes for third, Come on Luis, Vamos! Coogan up to second, Nunez takes P2. What great driving from these racers, Nunez takes the lead. 20 to go and the yellow is out Malone and Wagner make contact. Back to green flag racing with 16 to go, Coogan goes for the lead, Nunez takes it back, its on! the car of Gabe Wood flys across the grass after being hit, he maintains and we remain green. Coogan moves up to P1, Taylor up to second, Nunez P3. The top 4 have broken away from Hassert in P5 and the rest of the field. 10 to go and the yellow is out, carnage. When you have a pack of drivers running 4 wide, its going to end in tears. Showen rides up the track in Andrew Wood who is then sent spinning, collecting Goodman, Gallas and Watson.
Back to green flag racing with 6 to go, Hassert gets a black flag for jumping the restart and hitting the back of Nunez, the car of Nunez is fine but dropped him back a bit of the top 3, the charge is on. Taylor and Coogan exchange for the lead, yellow flag, a wreck further down the pack. That’s a wrap, yellow to the finish line, who gets it?
Victory In The Next Level Racing Michigan 200
After a great race throughout it came down to the fine margin of who was leading before the yellow flag, Shane Coogan has won the Next Level Racing Michigan 200. Speaking in HyperX victory lane ” Its feels great and amazing to win in such a competitive league with so many great drivers”.
ROUND 8 – Michigan International Speedway
Finish | Team | Driver | Class | Start | Laps | Interval | Laps Led | Inc | Pts | Bonuses/Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #29-Team RaceVerse Sunset |  Shane Coogan | DW12 | 11 | 100 | – | 12 | 0 | 62 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 2 | #72-4D Sim Racing |  Craig Forsythe | DW12 | 28 | 100 | -0.387 | 2 | 0 | 57 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 3 | #8-Graafix LC Mad Werx | Matt Taylor | DW12 | 1 | 100 | -0.558 | 29 | 0 | 53 | (+1) Start on overall pole (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 4 | #14-Team SimRace247 | Luis Gonzalez Nunez | DW12 | 21 | 100 | -0.719 | 9 | 0 | 49 | (+1) Led a lap (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 5 | #9-Factory Backed Motorsports | Jacob Oster | DW12 | 22 | 100 | -1.347 | 0 | 0 | 46 | (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 6 | #00-Synergy Motorsports Black | Mike Rigney | DW12 | 4 | 100 | -1.775 | 0 | 0 | 44 | (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 7 | #25-Transcendent Motorsports | Vern Hawkins III | DW12 | 31 | 100 | -2.194 | 0 | 0 | 42 | (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 8 | #28-Powerslide Motorsports | Joe Branch | DW12 | 13 | 100 | -2.751 | 0 | 0 | 40 | (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
| 9 | #69-Independent | Trevor Malone | DW12 | 19 | 100 | -3.108 | 0 | 8 | 37 | |
| 10 | #23-Synergy Motorsports | Dean Moll | DW12 | 23 | 100 | -3.668 | 0 | 0 | 36 | (+1) 0 or less Incidents |
