PGRL S5 R1 Recap

23 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 1
Premier Series | Darlington Raceway

Scott Eckrich, racing for Loud Pedal Motorsports, emerged as the winner in the Alliance VR 200 at Darlington Raceway in the Pretty Good Racing League Premier Series presented by Alliance VR. Jake Silvia started on the pole alongside Jeff Ward, while Eckrich began the race in 22nd position.

Silvia and Ward engaged in an intense battle for the lead, with Silvia managing to hold onto the top spot as they entered lap 5. The race was punctuated by frequent caution periods, which made pit strategies less critical in the first half of the event.

Eckrich made a remarkable charge through the field, climbing 12 spots into the top 10 within just 30 laps of his run, demonstrating impressive speed and determination. Meanwhile, Michael Chrobok showcased a strong pace, maintaining the lead through the multiple restarts.

Colton Salek and Ward engaged in a thrilling battle for the lead, with Salek ultimately securing the 10 bonus stage points for leading at the halfway point. As the race progressed, tensions rose between Eckrich and Silvia, resulting in multiple instances of contact between them and heated exchanges over the radio.

Salek dominated the second half of the race, but in a bold and aggressive move, Eckrich made a daring dive low through turns 3 and 4, managing to get underneath Salek and take the white flag. Eckrich led the final lap as chaos ensued in the field, causing a shuffle in the running order as drivers scrambled to navigate through wrecked cars along the backstretch. Vincent Crow capitalized on the confusion, jumping from 6th to 2nd place, while Salek crossed the finish line in 3rd.

With his strong performance, Salek, racing for Norse Force Racing, took the points lead, holding a 5-point advantage over Jeff Ward. The next event in the series, the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 300, will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30th. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.