DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports Race Preview: Daytona
January 28th, 2022 by Chris Leone
The DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports season returns to North America on Saturday with a return to the Daytona International Speedway road course. As always, the action can be seen live on eNASCAR.com/live and iRacing social media on Saturday at 12PM ET/17:00 GMT.
Last Week: Alon Day went back-to-back in International Series action last week at Circuit Zolder, leading the final 22 laps of the race and extending a massive lead over Simon Pilate to win his second event in a row. The former NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion was poised for a race-long battle with Tobias Dauenhauer, who finished runner-up to him the previous week at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, until Dauenhauer took mid-race contact and fell off the lead lap. Although Victor Barrales missed out on a podium spot by under half a second behind Paul Jouffreau, his fourth place finish allowed him to take the points lead, which he now holds by five over Day.
Last Season: Leonel Pernia conquered perhaps the most exciting race of the inaugural International season, leading before mid-race pit stops and making the winning pass on Barrales with six laps to go, in last July’s Daytona visit. That duo combined to lead 26 of the race’s 30 laps, while Pilate completed the podium to join Barrales as the only two drivers to finish in the top five in every race of the season.
Track Facts: While Daytona’s iconic road course is beloved in the world of sports car racing, having hosted a 24-hour race almost every winter since 1966, its use in the world of NASCAR is a recent development. As part of schedule adjustments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NASCAR announced that it would use the Daytona road course for the first time that August, working with iRacing to help determine the placement of an additional chicane to ensure that cars could compete safely. Chase Elliott won the first Cup Series race on the road course that year, while Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Christopher Bell swept the Clash and O’Reilly Auto Parts 253 on the layout last year.
Next Week: Following Daytona, the DBOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports concludes with a visit to Phoenix Raceway. The real-world home of NASCAR Championship Weekend for the Cup, Xfinity, and Camping World Truck Series will mark the first time since the season opener at Homestead that drivers have raced on an oval.
For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.