By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
As Ryan Luza found out at the virtual Richmond Raceway, it’s all about where you are on track at the right time.
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver first took the lead at the halfway point. Luza held the lead until a round of pit stops under caution with 50 laps to go in the scheduled distance. Under that caution, G2 eSports driver Jarl Teien opted to stay on track to take the lead.
The Williams eSports driver was then forced to battle Teien, pole sitter Jimmy Mullis, and Roush Fenway Racing’s Nathan Lyon. Frustratingly, a rash of cautions kept Luza at bay for the next 30 laps. He did everything he could without wrecking Teien to put the No. 53 in the lead.
The run on cautions subsided with 15 laps to go. That allowed Luza to close in and sweep by Teien. Before he could cruise away, another caution flag fell. As the race was dragged into not one, but two overtime finishes, Luza masterfully snuck away on every restart. When the checkered flag fell, he was 0.692 seconds ahead of Michael Conti.
“It wasn’t easy at all,” admitted Luza. “I can’t believe this one, I was going to be happy with a top-20 and just not getting wrecked. I made the right call, took two tires early and got up to 20th. We had tires for the really, really long run and then I was in the right spot at the right time.
“I was really fortunate getting through lapped traffic. Without it, there was no way I was getting up to third. I don’t know what the pit crew did on the stop from third to first, but that’s what won the race for us. Thanks to my virtual pit crew and everyone at Williams eSports that worked on this to get it done.”
The win moved Luza to second on chart for all-time wins in the series. That win came despite the veteran iRacer starting 37th. A two tire stop during the first caution vaulted Luza up to 20th on the running order. Over the next 80 laps, he picked his way up to third before taking the lead during a pit stop exchange.
Following Conti was Lyon, Bobby Zalenski who at one point faded to 30th, and hometown driver for Richmond Raceway eSports, Zack Novak in fifth. Rounding out the top-10 were Teien, Blake Reynolds, Malik Ray, Corey Vincent, and Graham Bowlin.
Richmond’s iRacing duo put on a strong performance. After Jimmy Mullis won the pole, he led the first 49 circuits. Just prior to halfway, Mullis and Novak worked their way to be in the top-two positions on track. Mullis was later caught up in an incident late in the race and finished 34th.
The race was filled with attrition as 16 cautions slowed the pace. A restart on lap 153 changed the complexion of the race. Christian Challiner was spun from inside the top-five as the field entered turn one. Challiner collected at least 10 cars, making the track look more like a junkyard. The wreck ultimately ended the chances for Challiner, Ashton Crowder, and Casey Kirwan.
The Finish
1. Ryan Luza [37], 2. Michael Conti [8], 3. Nathan Lyon [9], 4. Bobby Zalenski [2], 5. Zack Novak [11], 6. Jarl Teien [14], 7. Blake Reynolds [35], 8. Malik Ray [23], 9. Corey Vincent [38], 10. Graham Bowlin [5], 11. Steve Sheehan [28], 12. Logan Clampitt [3], 13. Matt Bussa [16], 14. Nick Ottinger [7], 15. Jake Nichols [31], 16. Phillip Diaz [27], 17. John Gorlinsky [39], 18. Alex McCollum [4], 19. Michael Guariglia [36], 20. Brian Schoenburg [24], 21. Bob Bryant [17], 22. Dylan Duval [26], 23. Keegan Leahy [18], 24. Brandon Kettelle [33], 25. Garrett Lowe [19], 26. Kollin Keister [6], 27. Chris Shearburn [13], 28. Santiago Tirres [20], 29. Justin Bolton [30], 30. Ray Alfalla [32], 31. Michael Guest [34], 32. Brad Davies [29], 33. Christian Challiner [12], 34. Jimmy Mullis [1], 35. Ashton Crowder [15], 36. Caine Cook [40], 37. Eric J. Smith [21], 38. Jeremy Allen [22], 39. Chris Overland [25], 40 Casey Kirwan [10].
Lead Changes: Seven among five drivers
Lap Leader(s): Jimmy Mullis 1-49, Logan Clampitt 50-88, Chris Overland 89-95, Jimmy Mullis 96-99, Ryan Luza 100-147, Jimmy Mullis 148, Jarl Teien 149-186, Ryan Luza 187-207
Laps Led: Ryan Luza 69, Jimmy Mullis 54, Logan Clampitt 39, Jarl Teien 38, Chris Overland 5
Hard Charger: Ryan Luza (+36)
Cautions: 16 for 77 laps
Margin of Victory: 0.692 seconds
Time of Race: 1 hour, 50 minutes, 36.447 seconds
Average Speed: 84.402
Pole Speed: Jimmy Mullis, 129.664 mph (20.823 seconds)
Strength of Field: 6,899 average iRating