Ryan Luza gave the Williams Formula 1 team’s Esports arm its first eNASCAR Coca Cola iRacing Series win at Homestead Miami Speedway.
Luza – who last won at Richmond last April and snapped a 343 day winless streak – wasn’t the star of Tuesday’s race early on, as Denny Hamlin Racing driver Keegan Leahy dominated most of the first half of the race having led from the start.
However, Luza took control as he jumped Leahy in a green flag pit window, and then maintained that lead through a caution on lap 64.
Following the caution, Bobby Zalenski became the closest contender, but Luza consolidated the lead with 30 laps to go and benefitted from the lack of a late caution to romp to victory.
Luza’s 13th win puts him one victory away from tying for the second most number of series wins with Nick Ottinger. Luza also became the second driver to win more than once at Homestead.
Team VRS driver Zalenski had to save fuel after a miscalculation due to running in clean air, and fell back to eighth at the finish, but he is the series points leader leaving the event.
Instead, it was Logan Clampitt who fought through from 30th at the start to take second, the Burton Kligerman Esports driver fending off a resurgent Leahy at the end. It was Clampitt’s best finish since 2018, despite a strong start to the 2020 season.
Garrett Lowe felt he had a car to win the race, but had to settle for fourth as he stayed out on the last caution meaning he was on older tyres. The Wood Brothers Racing driver took fourth, ahead of Letarte Esports entry Chris Shearburn.
Two major contenders were taken out as many drivers struggled to get onto pit road. Leahy’ team-mate Casey Kirwan was collected by Steve Sheehan of Kyle Larson Racing early in the race.
The championship moves on to Bristol for the first short track race of the season on March 31, where Kirwan is the defending winner.
