Virginia's GRAND-AM

Virginia International Raceway played host to Round Two of the GRAND-AM iRacing.com Online Sports Car Series, the virtual-racing Championship open to members of the iRacing Motorsport Simulations service. Racing in near-perfect replicas of the Riley MKXX Daytona Prototype and the Ford Mustang FR500S, the 12 week mixed-class series will crown its overall and ten divisional Champions after visits to digital counterparts of some of the world’s most famous race circuits.

Daytona Prototypes
Following a pole-to-flag victory, his first in the GRAND-AM iRacing.com Online Sports Car Series so far this season, Kenneth O’Keefe leaps to the top of the overall and Division One standings on 387 points. The Canadian’s top score at the virtual-ViR came from his single outing in the Daytona Prototype, giving him a seven point advantage over Andras Kiraly in the championship. Kiraly, who claimed a brace of second place finishes during Week Two, holds a slender four point margin ahead of Matthijs Ottenhoff and Rudy Dewitt who occupy third and fourth respectively.

Chris Zijlstra’s 135 points for a top five finish was the third highest score of the week in Division Two, and enough to promote the European to the top of the divisional leader-board by 13 marks. After taking the highest divisional score of the week at Virginia, Martin Dube moves up to second in the division, just two digits in front of American Rygh Galloway.

The Daytona Prototypes were in their element at VIR.

By virtue of securing Division Three’s top points score in the Riley MkXX Daytona Prototype, Richard Hasenhuetl steps into divisional top spot, with 240 points to his name. Hasenhuetl’s new-found status at the top of the division was a result of a top five finish on iRacing’s rendition of the Virginia International Raceway, giving the German the advantage over Bram Van Der Stichelen and Christian Koch.

Jim Davey earned 103 points for a podium finish during Week Two, the top divisional score of the round, which was enough to promote the American to within a few marks of current leader, Stefan Plomitzer. Europe’s Plomitzer finds himself at the top of the standings for the second week running with 197 points to his name, a gap of five from second placed Scott Heckert.

Taking the accolade of Division Five’s highest scorer of the week, Massimiliano Biekar maintains his slender lead in the fight for divisional championship honours, albeit by an ‘improved’ margin. Heading into the second week of the season the Italian was carrying a single point advantage in the standings, which has now increased to 12 over the likes of Mike Nachtigal and Derrick Thomson as a result of his top five finish at VIR.

In Division Six, Janne Köykkä becomes the new ‘top dog’ following a trio of finishes in the top five during week two, giving the Finnish sim-racer the upper hand on Steve Groninga and Gary Cates, who are more than 20 points adrift in second and third respectively. With both drivers scoring top five finishes, and 91 points, Nico Verbelen and Thomas Hunihan leave VIR sharing the prestige of being Division Seven’s top points earners of the week.  However, it’s Verbelen who gained the most advantage, with the European now heading the Division as a result.

Divisions Eight and Nine see new names occupying the top of their leader-boards, with Bruce Perry (Eight) and Jeffrey Olivares (Nine) becoming respective heads of their Championship battles; whilst Marc Docteur continues to maintain his grasp at the sharp end of the tenth division.

Ford Mustang FR500S
It’s all change at the top of the GRAND-AM iRacing.com Online Sports Car Series Ford Mustang Class Championship, with the top position in the overall and Division One standings being filled with new a name following Round Two on the full Virginia International Raceway circuit. Although Jasper Groeneweg only secured 107 points for week two, over 50 marks off top scorers Brian Strodtbeck and Dave ‘The’ Hoffman, it was enough for the European to snatch the Championship lead from Dennis Grebe by a margin of 17.

Whilst Alexander Khalkin continues to lead the Division Two standings on 282 points, the Central-European can feel the hot, steaming breath of Tim Claessens on his neck, just 18 behind. Claessens secured a pole-to-flag victory to claim 155 points, the highest in his division, and lead the charge to catch the recently promoted Khalkin.

The Mustang drivers have to keep one eye on the road and the other on their mirrors.

Although Billy Smith III has maintained his Division Three lead over Lance Snyder following the visit to the virtual-Virginia, Gergo Panker looks set to be a name that will be beating on the divisional title door, as the GRAND-AM iRacing.com Online Sports Car Series progresses. The European who was making his first appearance in the championship this season, claimed a pair of podium finish to take 147 points, form that will see him climb from his current eleventh position.

In Division Four, David Sanders moves into the divisional lead, 10 points ahead of Patrick Lindsey, a double promotion that sees Jim Davey and Marc Bechmann ousted from the respective fist and second spots. As reward for taking Division Five’s highest points finish of the race, Tom Czarny steps into the divisional lead ahead of fellow American Mike Nachtigal, who dropped points due to the averaging of his four races.

Following a Ford Mustang FR500S class victory, his first of the season, Ryan Deady claims the honour of Division Six’s top points earner of the week, and new standings leader.  Leaving VIR with a bounty of 120 points, Shane Umbarger becomes the new leader of Division Seven, a massive 75 clear of Clark Duffy. As the GRAND-AM iRacing.com Online Sports Car Series heads to its next round at legendary Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, Evgeny M. Garanin (8), Michael Hogg (9) and Trevor Hill (10) continue to sit at the sharp end of their respective divisional championships.

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This Week in iRacing: November 12-18, 2024