YesterYear Racing IROC Series | S1R1 | Daytona International Speedway
YesterYear Racing kicked off its highly anticipated International Race of Champions (IROC) series on February 18th at Daytona International Speedway, streaming live on Virtual Grip Network. This series aims to recreate the adrenaline-fueled excitement of the classic 1985 IROC, featuring the powerful iracing Cadillac CTS-V cars. Top champions from various leagues joined the fray, including OBRL, Red Light Racing (RLR), Bootleg Racing League (BRL), and YesterYear Racing (YYR).
Season 1 Round 1 dazzled fans with 15 elite drivers. J R Shepherd (BRL) thundered to pole position with Sean Foltz (OBRL) on his tail. Shepherd and Josh Robinson (OBRL) surged on the inside as the green flag waved, while Foltz and Brian Bianchi (YYR) mounted a fierce outside challenge. By Lap 2, Tom Ogle (OBRL) attempted a daring third line, showcasing the intense competition. The excitement peaked as they went three-wide at the finish line on Lap 4, with only fractions of a second separating them! A push from Lloyd Moore (OBRL) nudged him into the wall but miraculously did not cause a crash, although he lost crucial positions.
As the race unfolded, the drivers maintained heart-stopping three-wide action. On Lap 18, Robinson made a bold move, surging in front of Shepherd as Bianchi led the middle row. The middle line began to gain momentum, allowing Foltz to come alive in the mix. Pitting strategies on Lap 43 and subsequent green flag stops shuffled the deck, but soon Shepherd and Todd Liston (BRL) took charge, getting support from Jeffery Hardin (BRL) and Geoffery Souza (RLR), who quickly closed the gap.
With adrenaline pumping, Hardin leaped to the outside line on Lap 71, leading a fierce charge, but once again, Shepherd’s inside line fought back. The final laps saw intense trading of positions, with Shepherd slipping back as Liston made his move. It came down to a thrilling finish on the last lap; Hardin and Souza battled fiercely, bumping and trading paint as they raced to the line. Jeffery Hardin clinched the victory, with Geoffrey Souza just behind in a thrilling second and Brian Bianchi close behind in third.
This race was a true edge-of-your-seat spectacle, showcasing exhilarating three-wide racing and an electrifying finish! Don’t miss the next round on June 10th at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course at 8:30pm ET, only on VGN!
HIGHLIGHTS!
🏆Jeffery Hardin of BRL wins Season 1 Round 1 of YesterYear Racing IROC!
📈Geoffrey Souza (RLR) was the biggest mover of the race finishing 2nd after starting 13th!
🏁There were 23 lead changes with 6 leaders! J R Shepherd (BRL) led the most (36) followed by: Sean Foltz (OBRL) (13), Josh Robinson (OBRL) (13), Jeffery Hardin (BRL) (9), Brian Bianchi (YYR) (8), and Tom Ogle (OBRL) (1).
Virtual Grip Network 