Michael Conti delivered an outstanding performance in the 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, breaking his losing streak of 2 years.
Photo credit: iRacing
The final round before the 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Grand Finals took place on the Texas Motor Speedway this Tuesday, October 27. It was the last chance for the participants to prove their skill and collect valuable points for the finals which are scheduled at Homestead-Miami Speedway next Monday, November 2.
23-year-old Michael Conti from the USA managed to cross the finish line first. His victory secured himself a spot for the race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and gives him a chance to claim the title once again. Conti took home the crown in the 2014 eNASCAR Series and is now determined to have a comeback.
The top four at Texas Motor Speedway
- 🥇 Michael Conti
- 🥈 Brad Davies (-0.261)
- 🥉 Bobby Zalenski (-0.384)
- 🏅 Logan Clampitt (-0.844)
For Conti, this victory was extremely meaningful, as he revealed in the post-race interview in the stream: “I have never been this excited to win a race before. I mean I won a championship, but it was monotone. This was crazy, it was the most intense season by far.”
The talented driver shared his joy on Twitter as well. Despite his abilities, Conti suffered from a streak of 37 races over the past two years without a win, but now he was able to finally claim that first place finish again.
I’ve been waiting 2 years to post one of these, and tonight’s the night! Hell yeah! We’re going to @HomesteadMiami!
— MikeConti5 (@MikeConti5) October 28, 2020
Heck of a job by @Adam_Benefiel83 on the box tonight as well. Strategy and adjustments were on-point. @JRMotorsports I @DaleJr I @chadwheeler88 I @NASCAR pic.twitter.com/cfg9ocIhK0
Crashing right before the finish line
While the race was not only exciting for the winner himself, the viewers witnessed a spectacular round with many unexpected turns and events. In the final lap, a neck-and-neck race between several racers occurred. But right before the finish line, there was contact and a car spun out of control. Conti took the opportunity and navigated past the carnage, securing the victory in the last tense seconds.
.@MikeConti5 entered virtual @TXMotorSpeedway needing a win to advance to the Championship 4.
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 28, 2020
And he delivered in a BIG way.
Relive the final lap from tonight’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race, presented by @Goodyear. pic.twitter.com/jhjgUf4HL7
Luza qualifies despite heartbreaking mistake
Two of the potential tournament favorites were involved in an unfortunate crash in lap 69. Legendary four-time eNASCAR champion Ray Alfalla and 2017 winner Ryan Michael Luza collided during green flag stops. Both drivers finished the race on the lower end of the standings. Luza revealed on Twitter that he was heartbroken by this mistake, as he was convinced he had blown his chance for the Grand Finals.
However, the Williams driver scored enough points in the previous rounds to secure his spot and when seeing the carnage of his opponents in the final lap, the standings changed in his favor.
No words can describe what happened tonight. I was heartbroken in the middle of the race near tears at my own mistake that I knew cost me my spot in the championship 4.
— Ryan Luza (@RyanLuza) October 28, 2020
Then I was actually brought to tears when somehow we made it in due to the last lap carnage.
Unbelievable. https://t.co/p30VR06wsU
The Grand Final is waiting
The four fastest drivers battled their way through 19 races to compete against each other in the Season Finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 2. An impressive prize pool of $300,000 lies ahead, with $100,000 being awarded to the champion. These four racers will race for fame and fortune next week:
- Michael Conti
- Ryan Luza
- Nick Ottinger
- Bobby Zalenski
The Grand Finals will be aired on the official YouTube channel of iRacing, their Twitch channel, and on the Facebook channel of eNASCAR.
One of these drivers is going to win $100,000 next week.
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) October 28, 2020
Who’s your pick to become the 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Champion?? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/fuYIUVhgIb
What do you think, which of the four heroes will be able to claim the trophy? Tell us on Twitter at @overtake_gg!
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