Binder Scores 100% at Langley

After the wide open spaces of PIR, the iSCS returned to the short track environment with a visit to Langley Speedway.

Last season the iRacing.com Sprint Car Series featured the introduction of Langley Speedway to the schedule. A flat track featuring six degrees of banking and a very slippery surface for the sprints, only those with the proper mixture of practice, speed and talent can tame this .395 mile oval. While last season’s inaugural events were overshadowed by a seemingly inept flagman, drivers looked forward to the week’s races, as they were back to familiar short-track grounds.

Hot off of Week 1, five-time iSCS champion Alan Binder posted the fastest qualifying time of the week with a 14.337s fast lap. Right behind him was up-and-coming iSCS star Steve Linder with his qualifying lap of 14.372s. A total of 64 drivers entered into the week’s five online races. One thing was for certain – the red and yellow flames of Binder’s Beast were sure to lead the field to the green flag and be a contender all week long.

The week started with a bang involving David Muse (13) and Joey Mclaughlin (11).

The first green flag fell on Tuesday as a large 16 car field roared into Turn One, following Binder and Linder. However, on that same lap, the caution flag came out as the result of a pileup including Daniel Muse, Joey Mclaughlin, Marcus Dean, and Eddie Walczyk. When the field gathered itself up again and went back to action, Binder began to pull away from his pursuers. As the laps wound down, Linder found himself in a close battle for second place with series veterans Joe Quinn and PJ Stergios. When the checkered flag waved, it was Binder taking the win, and chalking up yet another impressive statistic – his 100th win in the sprint cars. Linder held-off his challengers to score second place, half a second behind Binder. Quinn rounded-out the podium with his third place ahead of Stergios and Garry Loney.

Thursday produced a split as the iSCS returned to Langley for Round Two. The top split featured the highest SOF rating of the week (3067) and featured a show of great driving and sportsmanship all the way through, as the race went caution-free for all 50 laps. Leading flag-to-flag was Binder once again, capturing his second win of the week after fighting-off the mean machine of Stergios. Steve Linder scored another podium finish with his third place result, while Vinnie Sansone crossed the finish line in fourth ahead of Michael Clement.

Binder kept Stergios at bay en route to the second of this three wins at Langley.

Finishing eighth place on Thursday, Fred Lampela exited the race advertising a new exercise program. “Had some good close racing with Garry and Leila [Wilson] towards the end; hardest eighth I have ever earned. [S]weat pouring off my head, sawing on the wheel trying to keep it going in the right direction… [It] was real work.”

In the second split of the night, Douglas Berryman led all 50 laps that were marred by three caution flags to take home the win. Joey Mclaughlin crossed the finish line very close behind Berryman for second place, and James Lamb scored his first podium finish of the week in third. Matt Berndt finished in fourth, and Brett Waldrep completed the top five.

“Hardest eighth I have ever earned. [S]weat pouring off my head, sawing on the wheel trying to keep it going in the right direction…” — Fred Lampela

Sunday brought two more races into the week’s standings. In the highest SOF race of the day, Fred Lampela raced to catch-up to polesitter Steve Linder for 11 laps. The unexpected happened when Linder lost control in Turn 2, spinning into the infield grass and relinquishing the lead to Lampela. Linder was able to save his machine from damage, and continued on to catch back up to Lampela. With one lap to go, Jonathan Sykes2 spun and brought out the caution, ending the race under the yellow with Lampela in first place. Linder finished second, and Berryman completed the podium with his third place. Anthony Roselli and Michael Willard2 rounded out the top five respectively.

Lampela finished-off his week with a win on Sunday.

The last race of the week produced another dominating performance by Binder’s Beast as he led all 50 laps and held-off Berryman yet again to take his third victory of the week. Aleksi Elomaa, Randal Robinson, and Glenn Cray completed the top five respectively.

Binder leads the championship standings over a fast crowd including Stergios, Linder, Lampela, and Elomaa. Will he continue to remain undefeated this season as the sprints roll into Iowa for Week 3? Stay tuned for the iSCS update on iRN!

iRacing.com Sprint Car Series Championship Standings
1. Alan Binder (346)
2. PJ Stergios (-38)
3. Steve Linder (-45)
4. Fred Lampela (-100)
5. Aleksi Elomaa (-108)

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