ROAR! - Weekly Racing Magazine - August 13, 2020

INTO THE GREAT UNKNOWN BOBBY LABONTE IS BACK, BOYS!

REUSE BROTHERS RACING THE TALLADEGA FAMILY LEGACY

DRIVERS TAKE ON THE DAYTONA ROAD COURSE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CUP HISTORY

COKE IRACING SERIES’ MASTERING THE VIRTUAL DAYTONA

IN THE HOT SEAT DENNY DOESN’T LIKE NOT WINNING

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BOBBY LABONTE ANNOUNCES RETURN TO RACING In this week’s episode of Out of the Groove, host and creator Eric Estepp takes us through all of the biggest stories in NASCAR happening this week, including the bombshell announcement that the legendary Bobby Labonte will be returning to stock racing.

But first, Eric takes us through the up-anddown world of motorsports sponsorships, with several new businesses becoming involved in NASCAR. Multi-year deals were announced with both teams, like Hendrick’s 0 0 4

new roster of long-term deals, as well as driver deals, like Bubba Wallace’s new deal with sportswear.

But of course the biggest story was the announcement that Bobby Labonte will return to stock car racing as part of Tony Stewart’s upcoming SRX TV show. Eric takes us through the details announced for the show so far, and gives us a glimpse into who else might be joining the ranks. Chase Elliot maybe? You’ll have to watch the episode and find out!

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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5 THINGS TO WATCH

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THINGS TO WATCH AT DAYTONA In a typical season, the NASCAR Cup Series makes two trips to Daytona International Speedway. This year, it will be three, thanks to Sunday’s first ever running of the Go Bowling 235 At The DAYTONA Road Course. NASCAR added the 14-turn, 3.57-mile layout to the 2020 schedule to fill the void left by Watkins Glen International, which had to be punted from the schedule because of concerns related to COVID-19. Following are five things to watch for in what figures to be perhaps the most intriguing, unpredictable race of the season.

BY JA RED TURNER

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

5 THINGS TO WATCH

5

CHANGES TO QUALIFYING PROCEDURES

B

eginning this weekend and continuing through the end of the season, the NASCAR Cup Series’ starting grid and pit selection order will no longer be set based on a random draw as it has been for the vast majority of the events in 2020. Instead, the lineup will be determined by three competition-based performance metrics: a driver’s position in owner points, his finishing position from the most recent race and his fastest lap from the most recent race. While the three metrics will be averaged to establish the starting lineup, the metrics are not weighted equally; points position will be weighted at 35 percent while finishing position and fastest lap from the last race will be weighted at 50 and 15 percent, respectively. “The random draw has served us well during the return to racing, but it is important that starting lineups are based on performance as we approach the playoffs,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition.

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

5 THINGS TO WATCH

4

HISTORY LESSONS & HISTORY IN THE MAKING

T

his weekend is one of historical significance, as it will mark the NASCAR Cup Series’ first visit to Daytona’s road course. However, the iconic layout boasts a unique place in motorsports history, having been home to the prestigious Rolex 24 At DAYTONA — North America’s premier sports car race — since 1962. Sunday’s race also won’t be the first time that some type of NASCAR vehicles have toured the iconic layout. In the late 1960s, the NASCAR Grand Touring Division competed on the Daytona road course in smaller, stock-type cars. NASCAR Grand American cars later became a fixture of the early ‘70s, while NASCAR Modifieds raced here in the mid to latter part of the decade. Noted winners in those divisions included the likes of Pete Hamilton, Buck Baker, Jim Paschal, Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip. The now-extinct International Race of Champions (IROC) series actually had its first race at Daytona in 1974, with Mark Donohue winning on the road course in a Porsche.

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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DRIVERS WHO’VE DONE THEIR HOMEWORK

W

hile no NASCAR Cup Series competitor will have the opportunity to turn an actual lap on Daytona’s road course until race time, don’t think that drivers are passively sitting by and planning to go into the weekend blindly. Rather, they are using all of the resources at their disposal to become acquainted with the challenging 14-turn, 3.57mile layout. Among those doing everything possible to prepare is rookie Cole Custer, who has practically made the Ford simulator his second home in recent days. “I’ve probably been in the simulator five or six hours practicing the Daytona road course,” Custer said. “We’ve obviously had to sort through some stuff to get it as realistic as we think we can.

From there, it’s trying to get me better. … There’s a lot of stuff to be done since we are going to a brand new track layout, and we need to make sure we’ve hit everything so we are 100 percent when we show up.”

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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DRIVERS WITH REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE

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hile no driver in the field this weekend has ever raced on the Daytona road course in a stock car, more than one active NASCAR Cup Series driver has run laps here in a sports car.

Cup regulars who have previously competed in the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA include Jimmie Johnson and brothers Kyle and Kurt Busch — all former Cup champs. The most recent Rolex participant was Kyle Busch, who finished ninth out of 18 entries in the GTD class in January 2020.

“I’m looking forward to the Daytona road course race,” said Busch, who was impressive behind the wheel of his AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus sports car. “It’s something different for us. I obviously have experience there running in the Rolex 24 this year. It’s good that I am familiar with the course layout, but those cars I raced back in January are much different than our Cup cars, so the handling and feel will be much different this time around.”

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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THE GREAT UNKNOWN

S

unday’s race on the Daytona road course wasn’t in the cards when the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule was unveiled. In fact, it wasn’t until July 8 that NASCAR announced its three national series would be heading to Daytona this weekend.

With NASCAR continuing its no-practice and no-qualifying policy, that means no Cup driver will make a lap on the real-life course before the green flag waves. With so many unknowns, there’s no telling what could happen. “I think me leading everybody into Turn 1 at Daytona could be interesting, because I have no freaking clue where I’m going as we go down there,” said Kevin Harvick, who should start from the pole based on NASCAR’s newly revised criteria for setting the starting grid. “Most everybody in the field is the same way. We’ll prepare the best that we can and hope that we can make it around the first lap with all the wheels still headed in the right direction.”

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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RECAPPING JIMMIE JOHNSON’S NASCAR CAREER

■■ Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus celebrated back to back championships in 2007.

BACK TO BACK JIMMIE JOHNSON’S CAREER WAS ALREADY LOOKING LEGENDARY IN 2007

BY JA RED TURNER

W

inning a NASCAR Cup Series championship is a major accomplishment. Winning back-to-back Cup titles is a rarer and even more prestigious feat.

Jimmie Johnson managed to join this elite club in 2007, becoming the first driver to capture consecutive crowns at NASCAR’s premier level since fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon in 1997 and 1998.

The best part of all, perhaps, for Johnson was that he didn’t have to sweat too much entering the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.Coming into the race atop the standings with a healthy 86-point cushion over Gordon, Johnson needed to finish only 18th or better to have the assurance of leaving South Florida with his second championship trophy in hand.

But in true Johnson fashion, he opted not to play it entirely safe; he won the pole, led the race’s opening lap and went on to finish seventh — more than good enough to take care of business where the championship was concerned. His final margin of victory over Gordon was 77 points.

Johnson finished the season with a career-high 10 wins, including four during the 10-race playoff stretch. Those playoff triumphs came

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

in succession in the four races leading up to Homestead, all but putting the championship battle on ice heading into the final weekend.

“We’re just really hitting our stride,” Johnson said. “I think that we have a lot of good years ahead of us, and we’ll be fighting for more championships and certainly winning more races as the years go by, and hopefully be a three-time champion in the near future.”

Previously, Johnson’s careerhigh for wins in a single season was eight — recorded in 2004.

“Jimmie’s just getting better and better, phenomenal,” team owner Rick Hendrick said. “He’s as determined as anybody I’ve ever seen sit down in a race car.

I don’t see anything that’s going to slow Jimmie down. I hope that we can keep it together.

We can do some phenomenal things in the future.”

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IN THE HOT SEAT

IN THE HOT SEAT

Denny Hamlin

BY ROB TIONGSON

Throughout the season, Rob Tiongson interviews various drivers in the world of NASCAR. Today, he talks with Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner of the Daytona 500. ▶▶ You’re in the midst of another terrific season with five wins with four of your victories coming in races without practice and qualifying sessions.

What is it about the show-up-and-race weekends that really suits your driving style?

I’m not really sure. I think it’s just kind of how I prepare for each event. I feel like I do a good job of putting in the work that I need to do to make sure that I’m ready for the next race coming up. My crew chief (Chris Gabehart) does a great job of picking my brain on how we think we can be better at any given event when we go back.

I just think it’s our process that we really seem to strive right now. It doesn’t really fit my driving style other than the cars are driving well because of what Chris and myself are doing between events. ▶▶ While you’ve finished second at Pocono and Michigan, these were races that featured a doubleheader format during a unique season. How fun is it for you and your No. 11 FedEx Camry team to consistently be in position to slug it out with one of your Cup Series rivals like Kevin Harvick and his No. 4 Busch Ford Mustang team?

It’s fun. I definitely don’t like not winning. But we’re competitive. We’ve given ourselves a shot here these last few weeks. We’ve been right there in contention in every race. Certainly, that’s encouraging. I just feel like I need to tighten up a few things on my end to be a little bit better. I think we’ll be right there where we need to be.

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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16 WILLIAM BYRON

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17 ERIK JONES

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18 JIMMIE JOHNSON

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19 TYLER REDDICK

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20 CHRISTOPHER BELL

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21 BUBBA WALLACE

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22 MICHAEL MCDOWELL

376

23 CHRIS BUESCHER

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24 RICKY STENHOUSE JR.

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27 TY DILLON

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28 MATT KENSETH

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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BRANDON JONES

523

6

JUSTIN HALEY

636

7

ROSS CHASTAIN

708

8

JUSTIN ALLGAIER

598

9

MICHAEL ANNETT

543

10 RYAN SIEG

436

11 RILEY HERBST

424

12 BRANDON BROWN

403

13 JEREMY CLEMENTS

350

14 MYATT SNIDER

330

15 ALEX LABBE

323

16 JOSH WILLIAMS

317

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

WINS

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ZANE SMITH

386

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MATT CRAFTON

342

5

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340

6

BEN RHODES

385

7

CHRISTIAN ECKES

379

8

BRETT MOFFITT

375

9

DEREK KRAUS

330

10 TODD GILLILAND

329

11 TYLER ANKRUM

300

12 TANNER GRAY

270

13 JOHNNY SAUTER

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14 RAPHAEL LESSARD

247

15 STEWART FRIESEN

226

16 TY MAJESKI

216

17 AUSTIN SELF

166

18 CODIE ROHRBAUGH

151

19 TATE FOGLEMAN

150

20 CORY ROPER

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21 JORDAN ANDERSON

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22 SPENCER BOYD

143

23 SPENCER DAVIS

157

24 NATALIE DECKER

92

25 CLAY GREENFIELD

92

26 ANGELA RUCH

84

27 RYAN TRUEX

79

28 CHASE PURDY

78

29 TIMMY HILL

76

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74

31 PARKER KLIGERMAN

71

32 KORBIN FORRISTER

68

33 JENNIFER COBB

64

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020 5/15/2020 8:30:21 AM

OWNER SPOTLIGHT

REUSE BROTHERS CONTINUE FAMILY LEGACY IN NASCAR

BY RON TIONGSON

O

ne of incredible aspects about motorsports is the prospects of weekend warriors who live out their dreams, even if it’s like a cup of coffee.

For Roger and Bobby Reuse of Birmingham, Ala., their primary focus may be with their business specializing in the automation and HVAC control solutions.

During their leisure time, the Reuse brothers enjoy dropping their hammer, such as the case this Sunday afternoon for the Sunoco 159 at Daytona International Speedway’s road course.

Certainly, the brothers’ passion for racing stemmed from their childhood experiences at Talladega Superspeedway.

“We grew up going to Talladega with our parents,” Roger said, “They would do scoring for NASCAR and this allowed us to run around in the infield and play with other kids behind the pits. Probably were playing with drivers’

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kids and didn’t even know it. Being from Alabama, you had the Alabama Gang on TV and the radio every week.”

For younger brother Bobby, those early racing memories proved as important as the time focused on their business.

“Kicking around in the dirt at Talladega at ages four or five, I didn’t know what was going on,” Bobby said. “One day, you get older and you stop playing, and you peer through on the fence. My dream became to race NASCAR for a living but come home during the week and help Dad with the family business.

“It worked out the opposite, but I don’t think I would change it if I could. My brother and I spent more time with our father both in racing and the family business in his short 62 years than most spend with their father living to be 94.”

Their father’s wisdom and sage resonated with the brothers throughout their lives, even

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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OWNER SPOTLIGHT if it meant learning through trial by fire.

“It was the value of knowing how to work on the cars,” Bobby recalled. “Many times, it was just the three of us working on them. Even as young as 11, I can remember him showing us how to do certain things on his cars. If I made a mistake, he would say, “That’s how you learn, son.’”

In the case of Roger, he recalls how his father instilled the importance of education and maximizing on any given situation.

“When I was racing in the NASCAR Dash series in the ‘80s, we did not have a lot of money to race,” Roger said.

“We were a family race team like most are that get started.

I wanted to go to North Carolina to live and race. But my father said, ‘I could send

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you to race in North Carolina for one year. If you stay here, we can keep racing for many years with that same money. You should get your college degree and make sure you have your future set financially.’”

Staying grounded but focused, the Reuse brothers maximize their opportunities each season. Along the way, they befriended Jordan Anderson, a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series.

“I met him in the garage area in Bristol in 2014,” Bobby recollected. “I met him and 60 seconds later, he looked at his watch and said, ‘I have to go to the driver’s meeting.’ Instead of running off, he looked at me and said, ‘Go with me.’ We became fast friends in that brief 45 minutes. As you know, that’s Jordan.

We get excited every time he runs well. So naturally, I want to go out and run well for him.”

The respect between the Reuse brothers and Anderson goes both ways. Anderson, who secured deals for the brothers to compete at Daytona, was quite complimentary about their

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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character and skills.

“Bobby and Roger Reuse are absolute salt of the earth people and have such a passion for the entire world of racing,” Anderson remarked. “Anyone I’ve ever met that knows these two brothers have nothing but great things to say and some even better stories to share. I got to first know Bobby back in 2015 when he first helped me as I was making my debut into the Xfinity Series at Bristol. We both hit it off and it started a friendship that I’ll forever be thankful for.

“He was one of the first guys I called when I was thinking about starting my own Truck Series team up. The valuable business advice and help he gave me was one of the main reasons our team was able to take that first jump and has continued to grow every year. Through their company, WCIparts.com, which was recently acquired by Alibireo Energy, Roger and Bobby have had their logos on our trucks in every race we’ve run since starting our team.”

While the brothers are competitive, they take pride with their efforts, whether it’s with their business or their focus in the NASCAR world.

“For many years, Bobby was part of the pit crew and usually my spotter,” Roger said. “When we got to start racing together, it has been really fun. Now, we race out of the same shop and we share the bills.

“So yes, I want to beat him, but I also do not want to wreck because I do not want to have to help fix his car and or mine. It is fun to get to experience this with him. The only thing missing is our Dad being there to see it.”

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

OFFICIAL NASCAR MEMBER’S CLUB Q&A

ORIGINAL NASCAR MEMBERS CLUB BRINGS YOUSE CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE

BY DA N GUT TENPL A N

J

ason Youse grew up watching NASCAR with his family every Sunday. His love for the sport grew into a lifelong fandom while watching Dale Earnhardt Sr., in the early 1990s.

“That became my normal Sunday routine,” Youse said. “I really got into Dale Sr. and stayed with Dale Jr. after that.”

Youse joined the Original NASCAR Members Club in 2016, and the membership fee paid massive dividends within a matter of months when Youse won Hot Pass entry to the Championship 4 race at Homestead. He saw Jimmie Johnson win his seventh championship.

“I didn’t really know what I’d get out of it, and we were really only in the club for three months at that point,” Youse said. “We had pit passes and shared the

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entire experience for a championship race. That was huge.

I got to be on the track for it.”

Youse remembers seeing Carl Edwards wreck as the new club member sat seemingly right on top of the action.

“It was really cool to be right there,” Youse said.

“No way I would have been there without the club membership. They have all types of experiences like that.”

Youse, a Parrish, Fla., resident, typically attends races at Daytona and Homestead. Now that there are no Earnhardts driving full-time rides in the Cup Series, he is in search of a new favorite driver.

“It’s such a toss-up,” Youse said. “I always appreciate Kyle Busch’s arrogance. I like Joey Logano because he’ll give it right back. I don’t necessarily have favorite drivers.

I can get with some of the personalities. Heck, what Clint Bowyer did during the iRacing was so much fun to watch.”

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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DRIVER Q&A

ALON DAY EXCITED FOR EURO SERIES SEASON

BY JOSEPH WOLK IN

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season is finally set to get going in early September. After an extended offseason, two-time champion Alon Day is ready to get behind the wheel of his new No. 24 car for PK Carsport, which is run by former champion Anthony Kumpen. Now, he’s two wins away from holding the Euro Series record for most wins. ▶ HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR THE SEASON TO START? “I haven’t driven for eight months already.

I’m so excited to go back and drive again. This is the only good thing I can do in life. We’re in constant contact all the time. We’re going to start pre-season testing soon. I left Caal Racing, the team I won 20 races with and two championships. Now, I’m with the team that was my biggest rival. I will need to adapt and it’s a new challenge. After five years in the same place, I thought it was time for a change in environment.”

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▶ HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS IT TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH MONSTER ENERGY THIS YEAR? “This is a top part of this year, being a Monster athlete. It’s a year of change, and the first year I signed with them is a mess in the world. I know how it’s going to look, and it’s going to be so cool. I dreamed about being in a Monster firesuit. You need to work harder for good things. There are a lot of new things this year that are really exciting for me, especially with the new team.”

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

ESPORTS

■■ Bobby Zalenski’s No. 83 of Team Virtual Racing School Does Burnouts after Daytona Victory

BOBBY ZALENSKI DOMINATES AT DAYTONA ROAD COURSE

BY ROB TIONGSON

C

onsidering all the unknowns for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series’ race at the Daytona International Speedway road course, there was a familiar sight in the top spot.

Whether it’s a road course or “roval,” 25-year-old Bobby Zalenski of Team Virtual Racing School takes to these circuits like Lewis Hamilton with Formula One’s winding venues.

Simply put, Zalenski proves quite unstoppable on these challenging tracks. While it was a change of scenery from his familiar, virtual playgrounds at Sonoma and the Charlotte ROVAL, Zalenski took the challenging Daytona road course with confidence.

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

Starting in the pole position, Zalenski’s only challenge was driving around lapped traffic. However, the Californian did not put a foot wrong in Round 13 of the season, even if it meant hugging those infamous “turtles.”

In a race in which caution periods were turned off, it translated into a 45-lap affair in which every driver had to be perfect. The slightest mistake or bobble that normally gets forgiven in eNASCAR races were greatly magnified on the 3.57-mile, 14-turn road course.

As the race progressed, four-time series champion Ray Alfalla tangled with G2Esports driver Jarl Teien, which sent the Norwegian racer for a slide in the bus stop.

While Teien’s promising race day was derailed, Brad Davies and John Gorlinsky steadily worked their way through the field. Respectively starting 34th and 37th on the

ESPORTS

START RUN STORE Start up with ease every time Store with confidence between use Run faster, cleaner, smoother

grid, both drivers made tremendous gains on Tuesday evening.

Although Davies and Gorlinsky weren’t in the picture for a top-10 finish, they capitalized on others’ mistakes to nab respectable top20 finishes.

Meanwhile, for those in the Playoff hunt, outside of Alfalla, it was a relatively clean day for Keegan Leahy, Ryan Luza, Michael Conti, Garrett Lowe, Nick Ottinger, Logan Clampitt, Graham Bowlin, and Jimmy Mullis.

Interestingly, the top-11 starters all remained inside the top-11 when the checkered flag waved. Undoubtedly, Tuesday night’s race was a great showcase for the best in the world of eNASCAR. Ultimately, Zalenski was simply too much on the Daytona road course, pulling away to a sparkling 18.89 second victory over Mullis.

After netting his sixth career win and his fifth on a road course, the versatile driver was quite ecstatic about his first win of the year.

“We got the job done again!” Zalenski tweeted. “Just super thankful to be on such a great team in Team Virtual Racing School and Coanda Simsport. Could not do it without them. Amazing to win the first race on this NASCAR road course at Daytona! Let’s keep this momentum rollin’.”

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Negotiating around lapped traffic like Captain Janeway with the Borg Collective, Zalenski’s incredible margin of victory was the largest in eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series history.

Moreover, Zalenski boosted himself up to the second position in the overall drivers’ standings, just two points behind series leader Keegan Leahy, with just four regular season races remaining before the allimportant postseason.

Not too far behind Leahy and Zalenski are Ryan Luza, Michael Conti, Garrett Lowe, Ray Alfalla, Nick Ottinger, Logan Clampitt, Jimmy Mullis, and Graham Bowling in the top-10 drivers’ points standings.

While Zalenski left his competitors in the dust, Jimmy Mullis, Nick Ottinger, Christian Challiner, Logan Clampitt, Corey Vincent, Michael Conti, Garrett Lowe, Keegan Leahy, and Zack Novak rounded out the top-10.

With Round 12 in the books, Zalenski and his title rivals prepare for Round 13 of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season as they take on the familiar superspeedway layout at the Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, August 25th, 2020, at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CT. NASCAR.com and iRacing’s Twitch channel will live stream the action.

ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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NASCAR DEFINED - HEY, REMEMBER 2020?

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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ROAR! WEEKLY RACING MAGAZINE: AUGUST 13, 2020

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