OBRL CUP SERIES S8 R4 Recap

09 March 2025
OBRL Presented by VCTRYLNSPRTS | Season 8 | Round 4
YesterYear Cup Series | Phoenix Raceway

On Sunday, March 9th, the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series took on Phoenix Raceway for the fourth round of season 8. With the championship battle still in its early stages, Josh Robinson came into the night holding a 9-point lead over Jerry Isaacs, while the ever-competitive field looked to gain ground in the standings. Dan Hill put down the fastest qualifying lap of the night at 27.495 seconds, securing the pole position. However, an EOL penalty shuffled the front row, moving Tom Ogle into the top spot alongside Robinson for the green flag.

Right from the start, the race proved to be more chaotic than what we’ve seen from these drivers in previous rounds. Phoenix Raceway’s unique layout and tight racing conditions kept the field on edge, and early trouble found last week’s COTA winner, Cortney Nelson, who was caught in an unfortunate incident, sustaining heavy damage that would hinder his performance for the remainder of the event. The first half of the race was plagued by frequent cautions, with drivers struggling to find rhythm in the stop-and-go pace. With the field constantly bunched up on restarts, aggressive moves became risky, leading to even more yellow flags. The saying “cautions breed cautions” proved true as drivers fought to maintain track position while avoiding the ever-present danger of mid-pack chaos.

Despite the rough start, Ogle showed early dominance, setting a strong pace while the leaders settled into a single-file groove, content to let the laps tick away. However, the flurry of cautions created a mix of pit strategies. Some drivers opted to pit early for fresh tires, banking on long green-flag runs later in the race, while others gambled on staying out, anticipating more cautions that would keep tire wear in check. The strategy calls began to shake up the running order, with positions constantly changing depending on track position and pit timing.

The defining moment of the race came under caution on lap 89 when Andrew Kotska made a perfectly timed pit stop, executing flawlessly to rejoin the track in the lead for the restart on lap 92. This proved to be the advantage he needed. As the second half of the race transitioned into longer green-flag runs, Kotska settled into a smooth rhythm, making it difficult for the rest of the field to challenge him. Robinson, running in second, worked to close the gap, but Kotska maintained his composure and pace, ensuring that the defending points leader never got close enough to mount a serious attack.

As the laps wound down and the checkered flag neared, it became clear that Robinson wasn’t going to have enough speed to chase Kotska down. In the end, Kotska claimed his first victory of the season with a well-executed race, while Robinson secured second place, extending his championship lead to 28 points over Ogle, who finished fourth. With momentum shifting and the points battle taking shape, the series now heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway for round five on Sunday, March 16th. The action will go live at 8:00 PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!