eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

Justin Melillo
eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

After 84 laps, including four extra for an overtime finish, Revere Massachusetts’ Femi Olatunbosun crossed the line first in a three-wide battle against Garrett Manes and Steven Wilson to score his first career eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series victory in his 19th attempt.

Olatunbosun, now driving for Clint Bowyer Racing, held the lead off of Turn 4. Manes, in the No. 31 for Elliott Sadler Esports, turned to his outside to side draft.

As that happened, Stewart-Haas eSports’ Wilson kept with Olatunbosun and then made the move to the apron. The trio came across the line with Manes 0.009 seconds behind and Wilson 0.011 seconds behind.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

As long as he can stay in the Top 20 and there are no more than nine other winners, Olatunbosun should qualify for his first eNASCAR iRacing playoff field with the victory. Olatunbosun becomes the 59th different winner in series history.

“What a way to start off the year, right?” Olatunbosun said post-race on the broadcast. “I don’t even know what to say. There is just so much happening… I’m just so happy.”

The result is also Olatunbosun’s first career Top 5 finish and only his second career Top 10, the first coming last season in his rookie year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the next track on the 2022 schedule.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

“THE ROAD TO $300,000 STARTS AGAIN”

Following an off-season like no other, the top eNASCAR drivers returned on Tuesday night ready to get to work on another 18-race schedule.

Returning champions, like the defending series champion Keegan Leahy, 2020 champ Nick Ottinger, and Mr. 4-Time himself, Ray Alfalla, all hoped to leave Daytona with the best result possible to put towards another title run.

Others that have been close to titles before, names like Bobby Zalenski, Logan Clampitt, Jimmy Mullis and Mitchell deJong, all had the same thought in their mind. In fact, most if not all of the drivers just wanted to make it out of virtual Daytona alive.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

Ottinger took the pole position, and for the most part, he and another champion of the series, Michael Conti, controlled the first half of the race.

Unfortunately for Conti’s new teammate at JR Motorsports, Briar LaPradd, he wouldn’t make it too far into his debut.

On lap 6, LaPradd got into the back of both of the eRacr teammates and triggered a multi-car incident, ending the night for many and crippling the efforts of others. The wreck-filled theme would continue through the night.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

SURVIVAL MODE

Towards the mid-section of the race, Team Conti drivers continued to control the pack. At halfway, just past lap 40, pit stops began. On the exit, calamity struck.

The William Byron eSports teammates of Nick Ottinger and Logan Clampitt got hooked onto one another, and many hopefuls were taken out again. Clampitt was pretty much done, Ottinger was hurt bad, and the defending champion Leahy was missing virtual pieces.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

The trend continued on. XSET’s Casey Kirwan wasn’t able to get in line and wound up getting himself turned off of Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bobby Zalenski. When the dust settled, there were new faces at the top of the charts, and most of them were from the Deadzone Racing alliance.

Kollin Keister, part of the new Charlotte Phoenix team, had control for a while. At one point or another, both Olatunbosun and Malik Ray wound up leading the multiple lines.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

A wreck involving Derek Justis and Kaden Honeycutt bunched up the field again. On the next restart, Ottinger was involved in another, this time collecting Brian Mercurio.

With three laps to go, Ray held the lead and Olatunbosun was alongside.

TURNING POINT

On the second to last restart, the outside lane was able to form a lot better than the inside. As Ray fell into the clutches of the pack, Olatunbosun started to pull away. Just before they could get the white flag, however, disaster struck for Ray and others. The race would head into eNASCAR overtime.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

Coming to the white flag, Graham Bowlin got turned by his own teammate Keister, but the wreck was off of the racing surface, so the race took the white flag to finish it out green. Just before Turn 1, Alfalla got hooked and the field began to thin out at the front.

It was a three car breakaway for the lead. Olatunbosun had it, Manes wanted it, and Wilson was waiting in the wings to pounce at an opportunity. Off of Turn 4, Manes went high. He made contact with Olatunbosun and the pair slowed down.

Wilson went low, but wound up running into the back of Olatunbosun’s No. 79, giving him the boost he needed. Wilson then took it to the apron where they finished three-wide. It was Olatunbosun by a nose on either side.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

NEXT UP: LAS VEGAS

In two weeks, the series returns for its second race of the season at the virtual Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Entering the event, Olatunbosun is all but locked into the 2022 eNASCAR Playoffs. On top of the Team Standings, Stewart-Haas eSports will look to hold on to their lead after their drivers Wilson and Dylan Duval finished third and seventh respectively.

Last season at Las Vegas, Ryan Luza took it to victory lane for his fourth career victory at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval. Jimmy Mullis and Corey Vincent also have wins at the track, but can anyone dethrone Luza as the king of the casino?

Tune in at 8:30 p.m. ET on 1st March to see it all unfold. The broadcast will be available at eNASCAR.com/live or on the iRacing Social Channels.

eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

RACE #1 – DAYTONA TOP 10 RESULTS

FINSTACAR #DRIVERTEAMINTERVALLEDPOINTS
11179Femi OlatunbosunClint Bowyer Racing84 LAPS1540
21731Garrett ManesElliott Sadler Esports+0.009035
32010Steven WilsonStewart-Haas eSports+0.011034
428Michael ContiJR Motorsports+0.1151833
52546Jimmy MullisRise eSports+0.207032
61315Blake ReynoldsJim Beaver eSports+0.219231
7941Dylan DuvalStewart-Haas eSports+0.253030
81243Kollin KeisterCharlotte Phoenix+0.6921829
9345Keegan Leahy23XI Racing+0.757028
103133Taylor HurstTeam Dillon eSports+0.883027
eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

POINTS AFTER RACE #1 – DAYTONA

POSCAR #DRIVERTEAMPOINTS
179Femi OlatunbosunClint Bowyer Racing1 WIN
231Garrett ManesElliott Sadler Esports35 pts
310Steven WilsonStewart-Haas eSports34 pts
48Michael ContiJR Motorsports33 pts
546Jimmy MullisRise eSports32 pts
615Blake ReynoldsJim Beaver eSports31 pts
741Dylan DuvalStewart-Haas eSports30 pts
843Kollin KeisterCharlotte Phoenix29 pts
945Keegan Leahy23XI Racing28 pts
1033Taylor HurstTeam Dillon eSports27 pts
eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

TEAM STANDINGS AFTER RACE #1 – DAYTONA

POSCAR #’sTEAMPOINTS
110 | 41Stewart-Haas eSports64 points
214 | 79Clint Bowyer Racing61 points
32 | 31Elliott Sadler Esports57 points
423 | 4523XI Racing53 points
54 | 95XSET42 points
643 | 48Charlotte Phoenix41 points
718 | 51Joe Gibbs Racing40 points
89 | 15Jim Beaver eSports38 points
98 | 88JR Motorsports34 points
105 | 46Rise eSports33 points
eNCCiS: Femi Olatunbosun opens 2022 season with three-wide photo finish win at Daytona

DAYTONA BOX SCORE:

  • Six cautions for 18 laps
  • 27 lead changes among seven drivers
  • Most laps led: No. 25 Nick Ottinger (23)
  • Fastest lap: No. 21 Garrett Lowe (Lap 59, 45.831 secs)
  • Rookie of the race: No. 6 Parker Retzlaff (13th place)

2022 ENASCAR COCA-COLA IRACING SERIES SCHEDULE

DateRace #TrackLaps
01-Feb-22~Clash~LA Coliseum25/50/120
15-Feb-221Daytona Int’l Speedway80
01-Mar-222Las Vegas Motor Speedway100
15-Mar-223Atlanta Motor Speedway100
29-Mar-224Richmond Raceway130
12-Apr-225Bristol Motor Speedway DIRT25/120
26-Apr-226Dover Motor Speedway120
10-May-227Kansas Speedway100
24-May-228Charlotte Motor Speedway100
31-May-229World Wide Technology Raceway120
21-Jun-2210Nashville Superspeedway100
05-Jul-2211Road America25
19-Jul-2212Pocono Raceway60
16-Aug-2213Watkins Glen Int’l35
30-Aug-2214Darlington Raceway120
13-Sep-22PO1 | 15Bristol Motor Speedway175
27-Sep-22PO2 | 16Talladega Superspeedway70
11-Oct-22PO3 | 17Homestead-Miami Speedway100
25-Oct-22C4F | 18Phoenix Raceway110
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