Jake Matheson Dominates Watkins Glen Road Course Feature

The ISRA Tuned-Up Truck Series presented by Sim Gaming Expo made its highly anticipated transition from oval competition to road course finesse for Round 5, tackling the high-speed 46-lap feature at Watkins Glen International using the iconic NASCAR layout. Coming off a thrilling oval triumph at Chicagoland Speedway by Tony Blake Brewer, the 26-truck field faced the daunting challenge of taming top-heavy machinery through the elevation changes, high-speed S’s, the technical bus stop inner loop, and sweeping right-hand carousels of Upstate New York. In qualifying, Jake Matheson delivered a clutch final-second lap of 1:25.56 to snatch the pole position away from Ryan O’Donoghue. Championship points leader Vern Hawkins lined up third on the grid alongside Marc Cohn in fourth, while Daniel Ott and Connor Okrzesik occupied the third row. Mid-pack contenders like Matt Taylor, James Hodgson, Sam Crowe, and hard-charger Lionel Calisto—starting down in 22nd—prepared for a grueling event where track limits were relaxed and momentum was paramount.

As the green flag dropped, Jake Matheson launched cleanly into Turn 1 to lead the field up the hill, but the immediate chaos typical of short-chute road course starts unfolded rapidly behind him. Accordion braking into Turn 1 combined with tight side-by-side positioning through the S’s caused several trucks to stack up, culminating in contact between Matt Wagner and Jim Herrick heading toward the inner loop. In a rare twist for road course competition, the incident prompted an immediate full-course yellow on Lap 1. The three-lap caution window saw early pit activity, as drivers at the tail end—including Gabe Butler, Eric Lorey, Matt Wagner, and Lionel Calisto—opted to top off their fuel tanks to open up strategic options for the remainder of the 46-lap distance, while Jim Herrick executed quick repair work on pit road.

When green-flag racing resumed, Matheson commanded the restart from the front row while Connor Okrzesik made an aggressive early move to bypass points leader Vern Hawkins for third position, joining Matheson and O’Donoghue in a breakaway lead pack. Further back in the field, single-car incidents began to claim victims; Mark Murphy clipped the raised apex curb on the final corner, throwing his truck sideways into the outside wall and gathering up Albert Wiltzker in the process. Undeterred by the mid-pack scuffles, Lionel Calisto initiated his trademark hard-charging ascent through the order, picking off trucks with precise braking entries while Matt Taylor recovered steadily from his first-lap bottleneck.

As the race approached its midpoint, the lead contest transformed into a strategic game of chess centered on rear tire preservation and pit window timing. Connor Okrzesik continued his push, slipping past Ryan O’Donoghue into second place when O’Donoghue washed wide through the carousel. However, Okrzesik opted to short-pit around Lap 24, a decision that backfired when he emerged directly into heavy lapped traffic that compromised his out-lap pace. Vern Hawkins soon followed into pit lane, whereas race leader Jake Matheson demonstrated supreme long-run pace on heavily worn rear tires. Matheson extended his opening stint to Lap 28, laying down a blistering 1:24.44 in-lap before executing a seamless 14.72-second pit stop. Meanwhile, O’Donoghue attempted an overcut strategy by staying out to lead laps, but his gamble suffered a setback when he overshot his pit stall, losing three vital seconds during service. Okrzesik’s promising night ended in heartbreak shortly after his pit cycle when an incident forced his retirement, relegating him to a 23rd-place finish.

When the pit cycle fully resolved, Jake Matheson reestablished a commanding lead exceeding 16 seconds over the rest of the field, showcasing complete control over his truck’s handling. Behind the leader, a furious battle erupted for second place between Vern Hawkins and the recovering Ryan O’Donoghue. Hawkins, defending on older tires, fended off relentless pressure from O’Donoghue for nearly ten laps. With just two laps remaining, Hawkins suffered a slight bobble exiting Turn 1, allowing O’Donoghue to pounce on the bottom line down the straightaway and secure second position. Further back, Mark Royce and Daniel Ott engaged in a thrilling duel for fourth, while Marc Cohn, Lionel Calisto, and Matt Taylor waged a wild three-wide battle for eighth. Calisto went sideways off the final corner after contact with the wall but executed a miraculous save to secure ninth place, completing a 13-position charge from 22nd on the grid.

Cruising untouched through the final laps, Jake Matheson took the checkered flag by 16.8 seconds to capture his third victory in just three starts this season, maintaining a flawless winning record. Ryan O’Donoghue crossed the line in second place after his heroic late-race comeback, while Vern Hawkins finished third to further consolidate his lead in the championship point standings. Mark Royce and Daniel Ott rounded out the top five in fourth and fifth, followed by Richie Hearn in sixth, Tony Blake Brewer in seventh, Matt Taylor in eighth, Lionel Calisto in ninth, and Marc Cohn completing the top ten.