Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Winners and losers from virtual Richmond Raceway

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series - Toyota Owners 150

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - APRIL 19: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) (Editors note: This image was computer generated in-game) Christopher Bell, driver of the #95 Procore Chevrolet, flips after contact with Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Advance Auto Parts Ford, during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Toyota Owners 150at Richmond Raceway on April 19, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Getty Images

William Byron — The Hendrick Motorsports driver won his second Pro Invitational Series race in a row. Had Timmy Hill not done a bump-and-run at virtual Texas, it could have been three in a row for Byron.

Timmy Hill — Scores runner-up finish at virtual Richmond. Unlike virtual Texas, Hill did not get to the rear bumper of Byron this time. Even so, in four Pro Invitational Series races, Hill has finished third, first, third and second.

Parker Kligerman — His third-place finish was his first top five in the Pro Invitational Series.

Landon Cassill — He was not originally one of those invited to compete in Sunday’s Pro Invitational Series race but after some issues were raised, organizers added a last-chance qualifying race for four drivers to advance to the main event. Cassill came through the qualifying race and then went on to finish fourth in the main event.

Kyle Busch — He continues to adapt quickly to sim racing and scored his first top-five finish in the Pro Invitational Series on Sunday.


LOSERS

Drivers in incidents — With no fast reset, anyone in a crash Sunday had to go to pit road for extended repairs before returning to the race. In some cases, that was multiple minutes (and multiple laps). If this is for fun, wouldn’t it make sense to allow drivers at least one fast reset per race? With the series heading to a virtual Talladega next weekend, probably would be a good idea to allow drivers at least one fast reset for that event. William Byron suggested Sunday that drivers should have a couple of fast resets for Talladega.

Christopher Bell — Talk about bad luck. Bell opened the real Cup season by finishing no better than 21st in the first four races and had an average finish of 29.0 before that type of racing was paused. In the four Pro Invitational iRacing Series run, Bell has finished no better than 12th and has an average finish of 24.0, matching his finish in Sunday’s race. This from a driver who has been very involved in iRacing for a number of years.

Matt DiBenedetto and Ryan Preece — Multiple incidents led iRacing officials to removing DiBenedetto from the race. DiBenedetto said that things started when Ryan Preece came down on him and Preece spun after the contact. Preece then spun DiBenedetto, according to DiBenedetto, because of the earlier contact. DiBendetto said he then paid Preece back and wrecked Preece. That’s when iRacing officials removed DiBenedetto from the race.