Schoenburg Breaking Free

With five weeks of racing in the NASCAR iRacing Class A Series (NiCAS) now complete, it’s Brian Schoenburg who continues to lead the online racing championship, with an even bigger points margin. The Californian secured the second highest tally of the week of 207 points, with a victory in his only race at the Bristol Motor Speedway, that now leaves Schoenburg 95 marks ahead of the chasing pack. Heading up the group of sim-racers following in Schoenburg’s wake, former series leader Justin Roberts appeared in the same event as the championship leader; but despite finishing just five tenths behind the incumbent ‘top dog’ in second position, the Virginias’ Club driver couldn’t match Schoenburg’s pace, reflected in the fact Roberts didn’t lead single lap of the race.

Thunder Valley played host to the NASCAR iRacing Class A Series.

Just 19 points behind Roberts, with 873 marks, Brandon Buchberger continues to maintain his third position in the championship, although the Illinois based online racer is seeing his lead over fourth diminish as the weeks roll by. Buchberger’s initial foray on the dizzying Bristol oval had secured the A Licensed driver a victory, for a relatively small 124 points, but a fourth place finish in a higher strength of field race later in the week, awarded him 174 marks. Hot on the heels of Buchberger, having secured the highest tally for the week, Jesse Atchison is now tantalizingly close to the Illinois club member, with a mere six points between them. Taking advantage of a high strength of field early in the week, Atchison claimed a pole-to-flag victory to earn the Atlantic Club member 212 points.

Having his worst points performance of his season so far, Sandeep Banerjee found himself losing ground on the main championship protagonists as the fifth week of racing in the NiCAS drew to a close. Whilst the NASCAR iRacing.com World Championship Series driver had secured his eventual 123 points from a victory, he missed out on scoring well at Bristol, when technical gremlins blighted Banerjee in the closing 12 laps of a race with a much tougher field. Unfortunately for Banerjee, the 149 points that Dustin McGrew received for a second place finish in his solitary event, were enough to reduce the gap between the pair to just 19.

A new name appearing in inRacingNews‘ NiCAS reports this week, is Nelson Rivera. The New Yorker has progressively eaked his way up to seventh in the standings table, and following his highest points haul of the season so far, Rivera is now surveying Pennsylvania Club’s McGrew who is 13 marks ahead.

Despite failing to make an appearance at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Week Five, Kyle Hadcock continues to occupy a top ten spot.  Hadcock has so far impressed in the NiCAS, but the New York-based driver has openly admitted in the past that his entry in the series would be limited to cameo appearances to help prepare him for the pinnacle online oval racing championship, the NiWCS. Whilst Hadcock’s absence was a great opportunity for Steve Sheehan to occupy eighth in the championship, the fellow New Yorker failed to grab his chance, after scoring just 97 points. Sheehan had a terrible start to the week, with his opening two races scoring the Pro Licensed racer an average of only of 29 marks. Although he was able to take 164 points with a subsequent victory, the damage of two bad finishes had already been inflicted.

Week Six of the NASCAR iRacing Class A Series heads to the arid desert of Phoenix International Raceway, a favorite amongst many of the championship drivers. Will Schoenburg be able to extend his lead even further, or do the likes of Roberts, Atchison and Buchberger have a reply to the Virginian…

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