Race Preview: St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund iRX Sunshine State Showdown
April 17th, 2020 by Chris Leone
TUNE IN // 6PM ET // iRacing.com/live
The Subaru iRX All-Star Invitational presented by Yokohama returns to action tonight with a visit to Daytona International Speedway. The World Center of Racing hosted its first real-world rallycross event in 2014 and has been a staple of the iRacing Rallycross World Championship since its inception with multiple course layouts. Here’s a look at what to expect coming into the second round of the six-race season:
The Track: Daytona International Speedway’s short layout is based on the real-world track used in the 2016 season. The layout makes use of Daytona’s iconic road course typically used in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Unlike last week’s opener at Hell Lankebanen, Daytona’s Joker Lap is a shortcut designed to promote passing. Drivers have been posting lap times in the low 33-second range in practice.
Last Week: 2014 US Lites champion and X Games gold medalist Mitchell deJong swept qualifying, his heat, and the 10-lap final to win the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund iRX of Norway last Friday. Subaru Motorsports USA’s Scott Speed took second place after electing to take the Joker Lap on his first lap, while Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s Conner Martell completed the podium after an intense battle with Monster Energy RX Cartel’s Andreas Bakkerud.
Driver to Watch: It’s been a big week for Scott Speed, who kicked off the iRX season with a heat win and runner-up finish in Hell last Friday and joined FS1’s Wednesday Night iRacing earlier this week for their International Race of Champions special. The four-time US rallycross champion posted quick laps in the UMP Modified before making the switch to GTE racing at Lime Rock Park and outdueling Chase Briscoe for the victory. He’ll return to his familiar #41 Subaru WRX STI tonight, hoping to conquer a track where he scored a best finish of second in the real world in 2016.
Yokohama Pole Position Award: Mitchell deJong earned the first Yokohama Pole Position Award of the season in Hell with a lap of 37.125 seconds, earning a custom skateboard for his efforts, and will go for two in a row today at Daytona. The award was handcrafted in the US by Bear Walker, who makes custom and limited edition boards with carved out grip for better traction. Visit him at bearwalker.com or @bearwalkerofficial on Instagram.
Nitro Circus Star Car: The Nitro Circus Star Car returns for Daytona with Jim DeChamp behind the wheel, taking over for Trevor Piranha. DeChamp is an original Nitro Circus cast member and former mountain bike national champion who later became the first person to do a front flip on a dirt bike. Follow @nitrocircus and @jim_dechamp on Instagram for more from this week’s race!