Connor Hall takes the checkers at Atlanta in Speed51 Elite Cup Series Pro Am Jam

Connor Hall was victorious on Sunday afternoon in the Speed51 Elite Cup Series Pro Am Jam at the virtual Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Hall led 69 laps en route to victory, taking the lead from Marcus Fruchtenicht for the final time with 26 laps to go.

There were nine cautions for 34 laps, the final one for the final stage break at lap 100.

“Once we got around the 20 to go mark, I kind of knew what I had saved,” Hall told Flatout Racing Network in the virtual victory lane. “I knew where everybody else kind of was, so I thought maybe I’d just pick it up a couple of tenths this lap, and with ten to go, we just maintained a good gap.”

With the suspensions, cancellations, and postponements of the real world action due to COVID-19, the virtual iRacing tracks were the next best thing on Sunday for many of the current and future stars of the sport.

“It was just so crucial to really, really, really save,” Hall said. “That was our game plan, we stuck to the game plan, and obviously it paid off.”

#51eSports: @connorhallweb wins the @S51eSports @EliteRacing_ Pro-Am Jam.

Watch the replay on demand: https://t.co/iNEMupHPS4

Stay tuned for tonight’s @KulwickiDDP Shootout at 7 PM ET

Read more: https://t.co/Xsjb6vQyc6@FlatoutLive / @iRacing pic.twitter.com/Lms9jSSnd0

— Speed51 (@speed51dotcom) March 15, 2020

 

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Carson Hocevar qualified in the same place he finished in last night’s Truck Series Pro Am, in the lead position, but issues at the start forced him to start the race from the pits.

The start of the race fell to Hall to dictate, and he went on to lead the first five laps before  Josh Robbin took control.

A few cautions fell during the first stage, eliminating hopeful drivers such as Ty Gibbs, Ryan Vargas, Coleman Pressley, and a handful of others.

At the end of the first stage, it was Corey Heim who took the virtual Green-Checkered flag, as he was able to hold off Hocevar in the closing laps.

Stage two took off, and it almost looked to be a repeat of the night prior, with Hocevar, Heim, and Ryan Kuhn up front once more.

Heim’s chances at victory slipped away after an incident late in the second stage with Justin Bonsignore. The damage was enough to end both of their races.

Hall was back in command, and went on to take the second stage, holding off Tyler Truex  in the process.

The third stage went caution free, but it didn’t go incident free. Truex was battling for the lead with just over 50 laps to go, but ended up in the inside wall with Sean Leasure. Truex wound up behind the wall from the damage.

As the race came down to the end, Hall had taken a commanding lead, and was able to hold it, taking the checkered flag.

Race Results:

1. 19 – Connor Hall
2. 21 – Ryan Kuhn
3. 82 – Marcus Fruchtenicht
4. 2 – Josh Robbin
5. 4 – Joshua Furr
6. 34 – Carson Hocevar
7. 45 – Kenny Kibbey
8. 36 – Brady Clarke
9. 31 – Gerald Campbell
10. 15 – Chad J Frankenfield
11. 6 – Austin Beers
12. 95 – Devon Rogers
13. 87 – Richard Hinds
14. 86 – Ethyn Reasoner
15. 44 – Michael Goodman2
16. 67 – Sean Leasure
17. 11 – Vincent Isabella
18. 28 – Cole V Cabre
19. 69 – Tyler Truex
20. 38 – Damien Leininger
21. 78 – Cory Heim
22. 51 – Justin Bonsignore
23. 27 – Chuck Sweeting
24. 29 – Andrew Rucker
25. 81 – Giovanni Bromante
26. 32 – Dustin Duerr
27. 84 – Lyle A Johnson
28. 12 – Bryce Bailey
29. 16 – Derrick Self
30. 43 – Daniel Dye
31. 04 – Caleb B Thompson
32. 20 – Ty Gibbs3
33. 26 – Ryan Vargas3
34. 37 – Ethan Birrel
35. 00 – Matt Shinoski
36. 79 – Tyler Dixon2
37. 48 – Tate Lightle
38. 46 – Leighton B Sibille
39. 18 – Joshua Personette
40. 35 – Shane DiMantova
41. 59 – Coleman Pressley
42. 33 – Logan Shea
43. 14 – Chase Cabre