Graham Bowlin takes the checkers in the Esports Racing League All Star Race
Wednesday night was supposed to be the fifth round of the Esports Racing League’s Premier Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into the real world plans, and ERL’s founder, Anthony Alfredo, decided to change it up for this week’s event.
Instead of Round Five, it turned into All-Star Night at the virtual Iowa Speedway. Alfredo gathered a slew of real world racers, such as himself, Josh Berry, Christian Eckes, Tyler Ankrum, and Ty Gibbs.
Alfredo also invited some of the best that eNASCAR has to offer, with Ray Alfalla, Zack Novak, Nick Ottinger, Blake Reynolds, and a handful of others currently competing at the top level of NASCAR eSports on the iRacing platform.
Mix them all together with the top drivers in the Esports Racing League, and a 36 car field was made, battling it out at the 7/8th mile oval.
Graham Bowlin was the victor on Wednesday night after a full three attempts at overtime, and an added 17 laps to the original 100 lap distance.
“That was a long back half of the race,” Bowlin said to Podium eSports in the virtual victory lane. “I wish it had gone more green, but I’ll take a win any way I can get it.”
Bowlin led every single lap on Wednesday evening, holding off charges from Alfalla, Reynolds, and Novak throughout the event.
There were 12 cautions for 56 laps, the majority of them coming in the final half of the event.
To most viewers tuning into the event, many might consider the race as a classic short track brawl.The race had it’s share of green flag racing, but it also had it’s share of yellow fever.
Only three drivers in the Top 30 finishers walked away without any incident points, and that group consisted of the pros, Reynolds, Novak, and Ottinger.
RACE RESULTS:
- 18 – Graham A. Bowlin
- 2 – Ray Alfalla
- 3 – Blake Reynolds
- 90 – Zack Novak
- 88 – Josh Berry
- 17 – Braxton DeWeese
- 25 – Nick Ottinger
- 19 – Christian Eckes
- 81 – Max Mclaughlin
- 11 – Tyler Ankrum
- 13 – John Midgett
- 8 – Jean-Philippe Bergeron
- 34 – Nic Kesler
- 24 – Brandon McKissic
- 44 – Lucas Cram
- 35 – Ty Gibbs3
- 21 – Anthony Alfredo
- 22 – Steve Durham
- 98 – Alek Chamberlin
- 39 – Todd Smith
- 57 – Alexander Krahnke
- 33 – Roger Gregory
- 6 – Rajah Caruth
- 36 – Nick Olsen
- 32 – Darin Mock
- 4 – Colby Wells
- 12 – Greg Maconi
- 46 – Jimmy Mullis
- 30 – Jeffrey Maconi
- 9 – Nicholas Hughes2
- 47 – Jeremy R Allen
- 5 – Matt Bussa
- 31 – Sammy L Smith
- 75 – Jose Solis Jr
- 20 – Harrison Burton
- 29 – Landon Huffman
Shoot! Finally worked my way back up to the top ten after crashing in qualifying and starting in the back but got collected in one of the last wrecks. Had to settle for a top 20 finish. Great showing for the @ERLracing All-Star race. Thank you to everyone who competed! pic.twitter.com/CSSnTFsugk
— Anthony Alfredo (@anthonyalfredo) March 19, 2020
