By Nick Graziano
CONCORD, NC – March 29, 2020 – Drivers say iRacing is not real life, but it’s the closest thing to it. They proved why Sunday night during the second round of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car iRacing Invitational on DIRTVision.
With $1,000 only handed to the winner, a field of 50 racers was whittled down to 20 of the best Sprint Car and dirt racing drivers, who held nothing back around The (virtual) Dirt Track at Charlotte.
They didn’t care how much wear and tear they were putting on their iRacing rigs. They didn’t care about feelings. They put everything into winning. And they put on an endorphin infused show.
Jock Goodyer, of Tasmania, Australia, and prominent Sprint Car driver in Australia’s World Series Sprintcar Championship, put on a relentless charge to win his iRacing Invitational debut.
“It’s obviously cool,” Goodyer said about his win. “With all of these race fans at home, we’re all fighting this virus, it’s cool to win such a big race on iRacing. Just puts a little bit of a show on for people at home.”
The experienced iRacer claimed the Cometic Gaskets Quick Time award and then went on to win Drydene Heat 1. That placed him on the pole for the 35-lap NOS Energy Drink Feature, surrounded by a hoard of talent.
NASCAR stars Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe lined up second and fourth, respectively. Kevin Swindell started third, and first round Invitational winner Logan Seavey was fifth.
Goodyer got the jump on them all at the start of the Feature, with Swindell and Bell battling side-by-side for second a few car lengths back. As they charged down the backstretch Swindell and Bell made contact, sending Bell into the Turn Three wall and back out into the field.
With no caution thrown, Goodyer continue to lead running the high side, but Swindell was closing around the bottom.
By Lap 3, Swindell slid by Goodyer for the lead, and Seavey did the same a lap later to take second.
The three drivers became inseparable as the race progressed. On a restart at the halfway point of the race, Swindell got sideways in Turn Three, allowing Goodyer and Seavey to get by. Goodyer threw a slider past Seavey and Swindell in the same corner to take the lead, but Seavey had the better run off Turn Four and took the top spot before they reached the flag stand.
Their shuffle dance was far from over. The next time around, Swindell tried his own slider into Turn Three, but didn’t have enough to clear Goodyer and Seavey for the lead and the trio raced down the front stretch three-wide.
Goodyer then powered his way ahead of Seavey for the lead into Turn One. However, Seavey threw a slide job back at him the next turn to reclaim the top spot with about 10 laps to go.
With Swindell fading behind, it was the two experienced iRacers, battling side-by-side down the front stretch, once again. They banged wheels, once. Twice. Three times all the way into Turn One before the caution came out.
While the caution gave drivers and fans a chance to catch their breath, the drivers’ adrenaline was still at the redline. On the restart with seven laps to go, Goodyer ran Seavey down, with a big run off the high side of Turn Four. As Goodyer looked to make the pass underneath Seavey into Turn One, he made contact with Seavey’s #19 car and turned him into the wall.
“I seen him come out of Turn Four and he got a bit squirrelly and a bit out of shape, and obviously, once he did that, I went to pass him and slide him,” Goodyer said. “He, obviously, went to cover and it was too late. I had already committed. That’s just how I seen it. Other people might see it differently.”
After the race, Seavey took to Twitter and said, “Well that one was rough. Leading late and after about the third attempt (Jock Goodyer) finally got me. Hopefully he can help me out with my virtual chiropractor bill with that money.”
Goodyer went on the claim the win with no challenger from behind. However, the cars behind him were having their own all-out brawl for second. With two laps to go, Tony Gualda, David Gravel and Michael Faccinto traded slide jobs each corner, arguing who would be the runner up.
Faccinto hit the wall coming to the white flag, leaving Gualda and Gravel to finish the war. Gualda ended up second with the most impressive run of the night, working his way from the Drydene E-Main into the Feature.
“Had a tough Heat Race, just a racing deal there,” Gualda said. “Then just trucked through the E and the D and then the C up to the [Morton Buildings Last Chance Showdown] and got rolling in the [Feature]. We were good.”
Gravel was the top finishing World of Outlaws driver in third. He finished sixth in the first Invitational race at Volusia Speedway Park and then had to fight his way up through the field in Sunday night’s Feature after getting spun early.
“What a roller coaster ride,” Gravel said. “Man was I mad when I got spun early on. I think I started around 17th or 15th and was inside the top 10 and then thought my race was over. But cautions went my way. There were enough wrecks that I missed. We had a really strong car.”
Austin McCarl’s fourth-place finish makes him the only driver to finish inside the top-five in both Invitationals. And Max McLaughlin, driving the Stenhouse Jr.-Marshall Racing #17 NOS Energy Drink car, rounded out the top-five, after not qualifying for the last Invitational.
iRacing may only be virtual, but the drivers still bring the same level of intensity and passion to every event as if it were real. And like any race, they’re all already asking when the next one will be.
RELATED: FROM DRIVER IRACING SETUPS TO FAN DIRTVISION SETUPS, SOCIAL MEDIA WAS BUZZING DURING SUNDAY NIGHT’S IRACING INVITATIONAL
UP NEXT
For a few of the drivers in the Sprint Car Invitational, their next race will be Monday, March 30, for the inaugural World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model iRacing Invitational. Drivers like Kyle Larson, Logan Schuchart and 2019 World of Outlaws Late Model champion Brandon Sheppard are doing the double and competing in both Series.
You can watch the $1,000-to-win, winner takes all, Late Model event at 7 p.m. (ET) on DIRTVision.com.
The broadcast is included with your DIRTVision FastPass subscription at no extra charge, or available on a pay-per-view basis for just $9.99. Follow @dirtvision and @iracing on Twitter for the latest news and action.
RESULTS
NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 laps) — 1. 22-Jock Goodyer [1][$1,000]; 2. 99-Tony Gualda [20]; 3. 41-David Gravel [15]; 4. 7-Austin McCarl [12]; 5. 17-Max McLaughlin [8]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey2 [16]; 7. 10-Joe Kata [9]; 8. 5-Chase Briscoe [4]; 9. 37-Michael Faccinto [7]; 10. 32-Corey Gordon [6]; 11. 39-Kevin Swindell [3]; 12. 24-Chase D Johnson [13]; 13. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [18]; 14. 47-Eric Riggins [14]; 15. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [19]; 16. 19-Logan Seavey [5]; 17. 2-Carson Macedo [17]; 18. 55-Robert Kendall2 [10]; 19. 73-Brett Michalski [11]; 20. 21-Christopher Bell [2]. Lap leaders: Jock Goodyer 1-2, 23, 30-35; Kevin Swindell 3-21; Logan Seavey 22, 24-29. KSE Hard Charger: Tony Gualda +18.
Racing Electronics Qualifying — 1. 22-Jock Goodyer [12.43]; 2. 88-Trent Ivey2 [12.434]; 3. 39-Kevin Swindell [12.437]; 4. 5-Chase Briscoe [12.438]; 5. 19-Logan Seavey [12.442]; 6. 32-Corey Gordon [12.449]; 7. 21-Christopher Bell [12.466]; 8. 17-Max Mclaughlin [12.482]; 9. 47-Eric Riggins [12.485]; 10. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [12.507]; 11. 73-Brett Michalski [12.519]; 12. 37-Michael Faccinto [12.523]; 13. 46-Michael Bauer5 [12.535]; 14. 10-Joe Kata [12.536]; 15. 55-Robert Kendall2 [12.542]; 16. 14-Parker Price-Miller [12.551]; 17. 91-Cale Thomas [12.553]; 18. 24-Chase D Johnson [12.557]; 19. 5-Jamie Ball [12.559]; 20. 17-Bill Balog [12.561]; 21. 57-Kyle Larson [12.561]; 22. 7-Austin McCarl [12.561]; 23. 21-Brian Brown7 [12.566]; 24. 555-Christopher Hile [12.578]; 25. 41-David Gravel [12.58]; 26. 2-Carson Macedo [12.58]; 27. 87-Ryan Bernal [12.584]; 28. 1-Logan Schuchart [12.585]; 29. 23-Seth Bergman [12.589]; 30. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [12.59]; 31. 9-Kyle Schuett [12.608]; 32. 35-Mike Mahaney [12.609]; 33. 12-Ashton Winger3 [12.638]; 34. 99-Tony Gualda [12.653]; 35. 77-WJ Johnson [12.659]; 36. 13-Paul McMahan [12.66]; 37. 97-Max Stambaugh [12.665]; 38. 7-Tyler Courtney [12.717]; 39. 44-Anthony Perrego [12.742]; 40. 48-Danny Dietrich [12.746]; 41. 66-Matt Cosner [12.759]; 42. 69-Lance Dewease [12.768]; 43. 1-Randy Hannagan [12.777]; 44. 35-Hunter Schuerenberg [12.822]; 45. 5-Brandon Sheppard [12.863]; 46. 71-Cruz Pedregon [13.734]; 47. 16-Chris Andrews [15.557]; 48. 29-Kerry Madsen [NT].
Drydene Heat 1 (8 laps) — Top 3 transferred — 1. 22-Jock Goodyer [1]; 2. 32-Corey Gordon [2]; 3. 73-Brett Michalski [3]; 4. 2-Carson Macedo [6]; 5. 14-Parker Price-Miller [4]; 6. 57-Kyle Larson [5]; 7. 9-Kyle Schuett [7]; 8. 66-Matt Cosner [9]; 9. 71-Cruz Pedregon [10]; 10. 13-Paul McMahan [8].
Dart Machinery Heat 2 (8 laps) — Top 3 transferred — 1. 21-Christopher Bell [2]; 2. 37-Michael Faccinto [3]; 3. 7-Austin McCarl [5]; 4. 88-Trent Ivey2 [1]; 5. 35-Mike Mahaney [7]; 6. 87-Ryan Bernal [6]; 7. 97-Max Stambaugh [8]; 8. 91-Cale Thomas [4]; 9. 16-Chris Andrews [10]; 10. 69-Lance Dewease [9].
Comp Cams Heat 3 (8 laps) — Top 3 transferred — 1. 39-Kevin Swindell [1]; 2. 17-Max Mclaughlin [2]; 3. 24-Chase D Johnson [4]; 4. 21-Brian Brown7 [5]; 5. 12-Ashton Winger3 [7]; 6. 7-Tyler Courtney [8]; 7. 46-Michael Bauer5 [3]; 8. 29-Kerry Madsen [10]; 9. 1-Randy Hannagan [9]; 10. 1 [Logan Schuchart [6].
Hoosier Racing Tire Heat 4 (8 laps) — Top 3 transferred — 1. 5-Chase Briscoe [1]; 2. 10-Joe Kata [3]; 3. 47-Eric Riggins [2]; 4. 5-Jamie Ball [4]; 5. 555-Christopher Hile [5]; 6. 23-Seth Bergman [6]; 7. 44-Anthony Perrego [8]; 8. 35-Hunter Schuerenberg [9]; 9. 99-Tony Gualda [7].
ARP Fasteners Heat 5 (8 laps) — Top 3 transferred — 1. 19-Logan Seavey [1]; 2. 55-Robert Kendall2 [3]; 3. 41-David Gravel [5]; 4. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [6]; 5. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [2]; 6. 77-WJ Johnson [7]; 7. 17-Bill Balog [4]; 8. 5-Brandon Sheppard [9]; 9. 48-Danny Dietrich [8].
EZ-GO & Drydene E-Main (10 laps) — Top 6 transferred — 1. 91-Cale Thomas [1]; 2. 1-Randy Hannagan [7]; 3. 99-Tony Gualda [8]; 4. 1-Logan Schuchart [12]; 5. 16-Chris Andrews [6]; 6. 5-Brandon Sheppard [4]; 7. 69-Lance Dewease [11]; 8. 35-Hunter Schuerenberg [3]; 9. 71-Cruz Pedregon [5]; 10. 13-Paul McMahan [10]; 11. 29-Kerry Madsen [2]; 12. 48-Danny Dietrich [9].
FVP Batteries D-Main (12 laps) — Top 6 transferred — 1. 46-Michael Bauer5 [4]; 2. 99-Tony Gualda [10]; 3. 9-Kyle Schuett [2]; 4. 1-Randy Hannagan [9]; 5. 66-Matt Cosner [7]; 6. 17-Bill Balog [6]; 7. 91-Cale Thomas [8]; 8. 77-WJ Johnson [1]; 9. 1-Logan Schuchart [11]; 10. 44-Anthony Perrego [5]; 11. 5-Brandon Sheppard [13]; 12. 97-Max Stambaugh [3]; 13. 16-Chris Andrews [12].
VP Racing Fuels C-Main (14 laps) — Top 6 transferred — 1. 57-Kyle Larson [4]; 2. 555-Christopher Hile [2]; 3. 12-Ashton Winger3 [1]; 4. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [3]; 5. 17-Bill Balog [13]; 6. 99-Tony Gualda [9]; 7. 1-Randy Hannagan [11]; 8. 23-Seth Bergman [7]; 9. 9-Kyle Schuett [10]; 10. 7-Tyler Courtney [6]; 11. 46-Michael Bauer5 [8]; 12. 87-Ryan Bernal [5]; 13. 66-Matt Cosner [12].
Morton Buildings Last Chance Showdown (16 laps) — Top 5 transferred — 1. 88-Trent Ivey2 [2]; 2. 2-Carson Macedo [1]; 3. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [11]; 4. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [5]; 5. 99-Tony Gualda [13]; 6. 57-Kyle Larson [8]; 7. 35-Mike Mahaney [7]; 8. 14-Parker Price-Miller [6]; 9. 12-Ashton Winger3 [10]; 10. 21-Brian Brown7 [3]; 11. 17-Bill Balog [12]; 12. 5-Jamie Ball [4]; 13. 555-Christopher Hile [9].