William Byron once again found success in the NASCAR Pro Invitational iRacing Series, winning at Dover.
It had come down to a late race restart, and with four fresh tires, Byron passed Timmy Hill in the closing laps to take home the win.
“It was a lot of fun today,” Byron said. “There was a lot of cautions so I just had to kind of pace myself. It was hard to predict when we were going to get a longer run so it’s hard to know what to do with the tires in terms of how much to save. My help there, Nick, Matt Holden, did a great job of really kind of leaving the strategy up to them as far as what tires to take. I think four tires at the end was the right call to be aggressive. Just thankful for their support and ready to get back to our normal racing here soon.”
Ross Chastain led the field down to the green early on, but it would be short lived as Parker Kligerman would take over the lead.
An early caution would fly when Daniel Suarez’s No. 96 would get loose off Turn 2, sending the Toyota into the inside wall. The car would slide up the racetrack into the back half of the field, collecting Matt DiBenedetto, Kevin Harvick, and Chad Finchum.
Denny Hamlin would lead on the restart, with Kligerman right behind him. For Kligerman, he would find trouble as Hill would hit the No. 77 coming into Turn 1. Kligerman’s Toyota would hit the outside wall, collecting Kyle Busch.
Byron would lead on the restart, but a yellow would fly on Lap 42 when Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Erik Jones would make contact, sending them crashing down the backstretch.
Garrett Smithley would lead due to a two tire stop. However, William Byron would power his way around the No. 51, immediately taking the first position.
Kurt Busch would find his troubles after battling Joey Logano. The No. 1 would check up off Turn 2, but would get hit from behind, sending the Monster Energy Chevy into the inside wall. Others behind would crash trying to check up, triggering a massive pileup.
Smithley would be the leader on the restart, with the Hendrick cars of Alex Bowman, Jimmie Johnson, and Byron in hot pursuit.
Logano would have a close shave with the inside wall as the No. 22 would get loose off Turn 4, nearly sending his Ford into the barrier.
Hill would march his way towards the runner-up spot, while Chastain would begin to pressure Johnson for fourth. The No. 6 would muscle his way forwards, as Johnson’s car would begin to fade.
J.J. Yeley’s motor would blow up, and many drivers would slam into the No. 52 trying to avoid the slow car. Multiple cars would slam into each other checking up, eventually hitting the slow Yeley. As a result another yellow would fly.
Hill would beat Byron off pit lane, putting the No. 66 up front on the restart
Johnson would hit the inside wall off Turn 4 shortly afterwards. The Ally Bank Chevy would slide up into Chris Buescher’s path, also collecting Kligerman in the process and bringing out another caution flag.
Hill and Byron would lead the field down to the green, and the two would try and pull a gap on the rest of the field.
John Hunter Nemechek would begin to move his way forwards as he would climb to the third position.
With 51 laps to go Byron would take the lead from Hill off Turn 4. The No. 24 had set up the No. 66 off Turn 2, and with the momentum he had, he went down the inside of Hill’s Toyota, taking the top spot.
A few laps later Suarez and Bowman would collide off Turn 4. Logano, Kyle Busch, and Austin Dillon would get swept up as Suarez’s No. 96 would slide down the track.
Byron would have a big jump on the restart over Hill, while third on back would tussle for position with 37 to go.
More carnage ensued as Regan Smith and Ty Dillon would crash on the frontstretch, bunching the field up yet again.
The No. 24 would continue to lead on the restart, but as Byron neared the 15 to go mark, another yellow would fly as Nemechek and Hamlin would make contact off Turn 4, sending the No. 11 Fedex Toyota into the outside wall. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kurt Busch, and Michael McDowell would have damage in the crash.
With varying strategies, Hill would lead on the final restart with two tires. Landon Cassill would try and block Byron, but the No. 89 would slide up the track and into the wall. Chastain would get swept up, but no caution would fly.
The four tires would kick in as Byron would pass Hill for the lead with seven laps to go. Christopher Bell would take over the second spot. However it wouldn’t be enough as the No. 24 would take the checkered flag at Dover.
Results:
- William Byron
- Christopher Bell
- Timmy Hill
- Erik Jones
- Michael McDowell
- Denny Hamlin
- Ryan Blaney
- Alex Bowman
- Garrett Smithley
- Aric Almirola
- Brennan Poole
- Cole Custer
- Bobby Labonte
- Joey Logano
- Kyle Busch
- Kurt Busch
- Ross Chastain – Disconnected
- Kevin Harvick
- J.J. Yeley
- Corey LaJoie – Disconnected
- Landon Cassill
- Chad Finchum
- Austin Dillon
- Joey Gase
- Tyler Reddick
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- John Hunter Nemechek – Disconnected
- Jimmie Johnson – Disconnected
- Ryan Preece – Disconnected
- Daniel Suarez – Disconnected
- Regan Smith
- Ty Dillon – Disconnected
- Brad Keselowski – Disconnected
- Parker Kligerman – Disconnected
- Chris Buescher – Disconnected
- Matt DiBenedetto – Disconnected
