OBRL CUP SERIES S8 R5 Recap

16 March 2025
OBRL Presented by VCTRYLNSPRTS | Season 8 | Round 5
YesterYear Cup Series | Las Vegas Motor Speedway

On Sunday, March 16th, the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series stormed into Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the fifth round of season 8. Defending champion Josh Robinson entered the night with a comfortable 28-point lead over Tom Ogle, despite still searching for his first win of the season. With four different winners in the opening four races, the playoff grid was already filling up, and another new face in Victory Lane would only add to the excitement. Dan Hill, one of those previous winners, put his speed on display in qualifying, securing the pole with Ogle lined up beside him on the front row.

The early laps were filled with short runs and quick cautions, prompting many drivers to take advantage of pit stops for small fuel top-offs, anticipating a strategy-heavy race. However, when the green flag waved again on lap 25, no one could have predicted it would be the last restart of the night. What followed was an incredible 125-lap green flag stretch that completely reshaped the race’s outcome.

At the front, Hill found himself under heavy pressure from Ogle as the two battled fiercely for the lead. Their intense fight slowed the overall pace, allowing the pack to stay bunched up and leading to thrilling three-wide battles deeper in the field. As things began to settle, it was Cortney Nelson who took control, using clean air to his advantage and stretching out a gap over the rest of the contenders.

But while Nelson was trying to build a comfortable lead, Andrew Kotska was methodically working his way through the pack. Running a different pit strategy and on fresher tires than those ahead of him, Kotska’s approach became more evident as the laps clicked away. Nelson, realizing the looming challenge, opted to pit on lap 65, not wanting to get caught off-sequence. The rest of the lead pack followed shortly after, handing the lead over to Kotska on lap 69.

Kotska, however, had one more ace up his sleeve. He stretched his fuel run all the way to lap 90, ensuring that he could make it to the end on just one more stop, while the majority of the field would still need an additional splash of fuel. Nelson, recognizing the trap he had fallen into, came back down pit road on lap 100, trying to salvage his race by banking on fresher tires for the closing laps.

That decision handed the lead back to Robinson, but Kotska was charging back through the field at an alarming rate. By the time Robinson finally had to pit, Kotska had already climbed to second, and with 41 laps remaining, he inherited the lead outright. From that point forward, his strategy played out to perfection. While others were forced to pit late, Kotska was able to manage his tires and fuel, maintaining a dominant gap all the way to the checkered flag.

With back-to-back wins in the YesterYear Racing Cup Series, Kotska is proving to be a major force in the championship picture. The OBRL returns to action next Sunday, March 23rd, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Catch all the racing live at 8:00 PM ET, only on the Virtual Grip Network!