Kotska Outlasts the Field in Tire-Shredding Showdown

Andrew Kotska emerged victorious in a grueling 175-lap battle at Iowa Speedway, capturing Round 23 of the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series with a masterclass in tire management and strategic pacing. The short track’s abrasive surface and mixed grip levels put a premium on patience, and Kotska delivered with a calculated performance that saw him edge out a hard-charging Josh Robinson by just two-tenths of a second at the line. The race was broadcast live on the Virtual Grip Network, with commentators John Heyn and Zach Chapman detailing the treacherous conditions drivers faced all night long.

From the drop of the green flag, it was clear that Iowa wasn’t going to be kind. The newly repaved turns one and two gave plenty of grip on the bottom line, but the rest of the track—including a notoriously bumpy front stretch—demanded absolute precision. Drivers were warned early that turn four would bite anyone too eager on the throttle, and that prediction came true for more than one competitor.

An early yellow forced everyone to rethink their tire strategy. With only a limited number of fresh sets available, drivers like Andrew Medlin and Tom Ogle gambled on taking tires early, while others, including Kotska and Daniel Hill, focused on the long game. As green-flag laps ticked by, tire degradation quickly became the story of the night. Most drivers reported major falloff after just 30 to 40 laps, turning every stint into a balancing act between raw speed and tire longevity. Broadcast insights highlighted how different racing lines—particularly running the bottom versus the top—could wear out either the right front or right rear more aggressively, giving drivers yet another variable to manage in real time.

As the race entered its final stretch, the drama only intensified. Josh Robinson, known for squeezing maximum life out of his tires, began closing the gap to the lead. With no late cautions to reset the field, the leaders were forced to wrestle their cars to the finish on worn-out rubber. Daniel Hill, who had been saving tires all race long, clawed his way into third place with a steady drive, while Tom Ogle, out of fresh sets entirely, managed to bring it home in fifth thanks to clean driving and well-timed pit stops.

The final laps were heart-stopping. Kotska, hanging on with everything he had, confessed in his post-race interview that his right front tire was down to just 1% when he crossed the finish line. It was the perfect mix of aggression and control, and it earned him one of the most satisfying wins of the season. “I had to keep adjusting my pace based on the gaps behind me,” he said. “If they were close, I pushed. If not, I backed off. I had nothing left when it ended.”

With the win, Kotska adds a major highlight to his season, conquering one of the toughest tire tracks on the schedule. The series now turns its attention to the flowing road course at Watkins Glen, where the challenge shifts from managing wear to mastering rhythm, curbing, and braking zones. If Iowa was about endurance and discipline, next week promises a different kind of chaos—one that the OBRL grid seems more than ready for.