The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series is one of the greatest, from Chicago To New York, The Playoff Chase Heats Up.
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series continues to set headlines and quality races, the playoff chase from Chicago to New York is well worth checking out as the races and rivalry heats up.
Following the announcement that the NASCAR Cup Series has added the Chicago circuit for the 2023 season, the virtual world delivered a glimpse into the future. eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing gave drivers a battle on those exact Chi-Town streets in the virtual world last Tuesday evening (August 2, 2022) in the 2022 eNASCAR iRacing All-Star event.
The All-Star event allowed competitors to let their hair down in this non-points event, and all three-scheduled races delivered their exciting moments.
An action-packed night of competitiveness delivered the All-Star Open, a heat race with an invert, and the 16-lap main event. Steven Wilson (Steward-Haas Esports) took center stage after a triumphant win in the evening’s headliner race.
Wilson has notably won two races in the eNASCAR iRacing season of 2022 and is currently 3rd in the standings. His efforts on the Chicago circuit didn’t earn him any season points, but he walked away with bragging rights, four tickets to the NASCAR race of his choice, and an opportunity to seat a stock car in the NASCAR Racing Experience.
All-Star Open collisions, invert & main event winners
The latest NASCAR Cup Series addition to the 2023 season is the Chicago Street Circuit, and it will be the first ever street course for the real-life racing schedule of 2023. The track’s arrival stemmed from joint efforts between iRacing, NASCAR, and the City of Chicago, as the venue was laser scanned and added to the simulation last year.
In 2021, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debuted at the fictional Chicago course; a race won by James Davison. Last Tuesday, eNASCAR pros took to the streets of Chicago on the 12-corner circuit. Those who placed within the top five would advance to the All-Star Race.
Following a dramatic set of wrecks, Parker Retzlaff (RFK Racing) prevailed for the win. Dylan Duval (Steward-Haas Esports) and pole position placed Garrett Manes (Elliot Sadler Esports) looked to battle it out for first; however, after the two made contact on the final lap, Retzlaff stole first place.
Retzlaff, Blake Reynolds (Jim Beaver Esports), Brian Mercurio (LETARTE Esports), Manes, and Dylan Ault (LETARTE Esports) earned a top-five finish and advanced to the main event.
Before the highlight race of the evening, the invert race delivered eight more hopefuls into the All-Star Race. While Mitchell DeJong (23XI Racing) dominated the race, the battle for the 8th position and final spot into the main event is where the entertainment arrived.
Matt Bussa (Mode Motorsports) was the inverts successor, and he led the All-Star-Open in pole position. Despite losing his place, he surprisingly held onto the lead longer than anybody expected.
Steven Wilson battled to the wire to earn his victory in the 2022 eNASCAR iRacing All-Star race, but the Steward-Haas driver won’t be taking his eye off the real prize as the regular season returns.
Watkins Glen International Speedway
With only two races remaining in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, Wilson – 10 points away from first place Casey Kirwan (XSET) – will be looking to emulate his All-Star success on the New York simulated circuit of Watkins Glen International. Smart wagers from the New York sports betting scene will, however, look towards Graham A. Bowlin as an outsider bet. Bowlin managed to keep DeJong and Bobby Zalenski behind him in last year’s race, earning himself a place in the 2021 playoffs.
With so much at stake and a mere two races remaining for drivers to punch their ticket into the 2022 playoff grid, we should expect an intense race from start to finish. DeJong and Zalenski are notably two of the best drivers who haven’t won a race this season, as they’ll additionally be worth a shot on the sportsbooks betting odds.
Watkins Glen International will host the penultimate race of the regular season on August 16, before the season finale at Darlington takes place in four weeks. Nobody is safe inside the top ten as multiple playoff positions remain. The drama will be intensified in New York and Darlington before the four-race playoff series begins at Bristol Motor Speedway and ends at Phoenix Raceway in September and October.
