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2023 eNASCAR Coca-Cola champion Steven Wilson has started the 2025 season with a victory at iRacing’s Daytona International Speedway.
The result was far from a foregone conclusion, however, as the gap between first and second was a scant 0.039s at the line – Wilson just beating reining champion Parker White.
In the early running, it looked as if Logan Clampitt would be in contention for victory, but the pole-sitters race faded away after getting caught up in an early incident that brought out the first caution.
The eRACR driver was slide-swiped by a loose Dylan Duval who in turn had received a tap from Blaze Crawford. The #7 and #50 were among the others to be caught up in the aftermath.
Several visited pitroad, leaving Willson in the #77 leading for the first time ahead of Daniel Faulkingham who immediately took first place at the resumption.
On lap 28 a spin for Ryan Luza and Bobby Zalenski threatened another caution, but the race stayed green, separating the field and creating a 14-car leading pack.
At the halfway mark, Briar LaPradd led Faulkinghamm, who remained in touch with the lead until the final lap. Three laps later, 12 of the top 14 all pitted.
This was followed swiftly by a big wreck for Michael Cosey Jr on the frontstretch. No one else was collected, but the caution finally flew – a relief for those running long or trying to catch up with the leading pack.
Three laps after the resumption, Wilson made an audacious move, slinging by then-leader Dylan Ault on the outside, before diving down low and into the lead.
22 to go, and Faulkingham was back to the lead in the outside lane, with team-mate Eddie Kerner working with him. Eventually, Wilson gave up on the inside lane and managed to split the two Six Karma Mustangs, with White biding his time in fourth.
As the laps ticked by, Casey Kirwan had worked his way to the front, pulling off aggressive defensive moves between the high and low lanes.
However, with just four laps remaining, another caution flew as Blaze Crawford, Blake McCandless and Briar LaPradd tripped over each other.
This pushed the race into overtime and with the end in sight, Kirwan was tapped by Tyler Garey. The Coca-Cola car got out of shape, was saved, but the loss of momentum was devastating.
Connor Yeroschak in the #40 headed the pack onto the white flag lap. Faulkingham was pushed ahead by Wilson through Turn 1.
White then pushed Wilson ahead of Faulkingham for the lead through the outside of Turn 3, mild contact on the way through robbing the #39 a chance of victory.
Malik Ray and Zack Novak closed in at the end, but it was Wilson followed by White while behind, a multi-car pileup involving #7, #24, #21 (plus others) concluded the event.
eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series 2025 Round 1 Daytona International Speedway results
- Steven Wilson #77 – 80 laps
- Parker White #95 +0.039
- Malik Ray #1 +0.109
- Zack Noval #2 +0.117
- Tucker Minter #97 +0.493
- Casey Kirwan #24 +0.527
- Femi Olatunbosun #7 +0.535
- Jordy Lopez #89 +0.557
- Dylan Ault #47 +0.561
- Jimmy Mullis #29 +0.621
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