After a wild race, the has taken a step towards the playoffs, with an all-new field of potential champions.
Photo Credit: Matt Bussa
The regular season of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series 2021 has concluded and we are now ready to experience some of that sweet playoff action we so vividly remember from last year.
After a hard-fought and action-packed 100 laps at Michigan International Speedway it was a do-or-die hero move from Matt Bussa that allowed him to pass four cars near the end and secure his first win of the season, thereby punching his ticket for the playoff express for the first time since 2018.
What a finish in the @LogitechG Challenge 100 from Michigan! 🏁@mbussa75 finds victory lane after major drama on the final lap! pic.twitter.com/qZ58vWNqK0
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) August 18, 2021
Some tough luck for the current champion Nick Ottinger meant he would experience a power cut that would crush his hopes of a title defence this year.
Unreal luck this year for our team. Power knocked out while running 2nd. Unbelievable.
— Nick Ottinger (@NickOttinger) August 18, 2021
Four-time champion Ray Alfalla has also missed his chance to go for five. After a horrendous start to the season the most decorated eNASCAR driver bounced back impressively, securing a win and a couple of good runs.
P8. We started in the back, made our way to the lead, got spun from the lead, and came back to race for the win. Think we passed about 384 cars. Gave it my all, but not good enough. Hope y’all enjoyed the show!@RowdyEnergy | @realVRS pic.twitter.com/sjcg4Kunup
— Ray Alfalla (@rayalfalla) August 18, 2021
The last race at Michigan was another great showcase of his skills as he had seemed down and out before making a comeback later in the race.
Four-time is spun from the lead!@RayAlfalla‘s playoff hopes take a major hit: https://t.co/pKBfkfP9Yu pic.twitter.com/ObyZuMNYUf
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 18, 2021
Playoffs ahead
With some legends missing the playoffs and an additional two spots thanks to a change in format, there is room for other talent to fill out the ranks. The grid for this year’s eNASCAR championship fight is as follows:
- Mitchell deJong
- Graham A. Bowlin
- Keegan Leahy
- Michael Conti
- Bobby Zalenski
- Logan Clampitt
- Jimmy Mullis
- Vicente Salas
- Bob Bryant
- Matt Bussa
Some familiar names are present. Besides the always dangerous Keegan Leahy, last year’s playoff contenders Bobby Zalenski, Jimmy Mullis, and Michael Conti are repeat customers.
The biggest name aside from them has to be road course master Mitchell deJong. The American sim racer has made an immediate impact by crushing the streak of road course dominance from Bobby Zalenski this year. Coanda Simsport’s own has shown perseverance and grit to claim the first place of all drivers in the regular season.
The field will be at Darlington for the first race of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing playoffs in two weeks. So stay tuned for what promises to be a hell of a playoff run for this year’s title!
Who are you most excited for in the Playoffs? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!