PGRL S5 R5 Recap

27 June 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 5
Premier Series | Nashville Superspeedway

In a captivating display of skill and strategy, Jeff Ward of Loud Pedal Motorsports claimed his first victory of the season in the highly anticipated Mane ‘n Tail 200, the premier event of the Pretty Good Racing League. The race unfolded at the prestigious Nashville Superspeedway, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown among some of the league’s finest drivers.

Dee Damboise, representing Damboise Developments, secured the pole position for the evening, with Ward positioned alongside her in second place. As the green flag dropped, it was Ward who swiftly seized control of the race, making a bold move and taking the lead coming out of turn 2 on the very first lap.

The early stages of the race witnessed intense battles and strategic maneuvers among the drivers. Colton Salek of Norse Force Racing emerged as a formidable contender, keeping a close eye on Ward’s every move. However, despite his valiant efforts, Salek struggled to match the blistering pace set by the leader.

Meanwhile, Michael Chrobok, Ward’s teammate from Loud Pedal Motorsports, showcased impressive long-run speed, steadily closing the gap on Salek during a sustained green flag run. Sensing an opportunity to gain an advantage, Chrobok made a calculated decision and pitted under green flag conditions on lap 62, aiming to execute an undercut strategy on Salek and Ward.

Observing Chrobok’s move, both Ward and Salek decided to follow suit, entering pit road on laps 63 and 64 respectively. As the pit cycle concluded on lap 76, Ward reclaimed the lead, with Chrobok slotting into second place and Salek settling back into third.

The race progressed with a continued green flag run, and on lap 105, Salek opted to make his final pit stop in a bid to undercut both Ward and Chrobok, replicating the strategy Chrobok had employed earlier. Chrobok, on the other hand, made his final pit stop on lap 106, while Ward followed suit on lap 107.

During this pivotal pit cycle, Chrobok managed to take the lead, but Ward fought back fiercely, engaging in a thrilling side-by-side battle with Chrobok for several laps. Ultimately, Ward’s determination and skill prevailed as he regained the lead on lap 124, leaving Salek to bridge the gap to the frontrunners.

Despite Salek’s valiant efforts to close in on the leaders, he struggled to match their pace, and Ward and Chrobok eventually settled into a single-file formation, consolidating their positions at the front of the pack.

As the checkered flag loomed, it was Ward who emerged triumphant, crossing the finish line in first place, celebrating his well-deserved victory. Salek, although unable to challenge the leaders in the closing stages, managed to retain his points lead, albeit with Ward closing in, now trailing by a mere 11 points.

With the excitement of the Nashville Superspeedway in the rearview mirror, fans eagerly await the next round of the Pretty Good Racing League, scheduled to take place at Chicagoland Speedway on July 4th. This highly anticipated event promises another adrenaline-fueled spectacle, and fans can catch all the captivating action live at 8:55 PM ET, exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

PGRL S5 R3 Recap

06 June 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 3
Premier Series | World Wide Technology Raceway

Cody Dempster, representing Apex Simsport, emerged victorious at World Wide Technology Raceway in the Julesburg Farms 150, part of the Pretty Good Racing League. Brandon Beyke from Team Watson Racing started the race on the pole position, while Dempster began in 2nd place.

Dempster quickly capitalized on the green flag to take the lead, benefiting from Beyke’s rough start. However, Beyke swiftly recovered and remained in 2nd position. Jeff Ward and Colton Salek showcased impressive speed, rapidly advancing through the field towards the front of the pack early in the race.

However, an unexpected turn of events occurred on lap 40 when Ward’s engine failed, resulting in a caution that prematurely ended his race. Following a rapid pit stop under the caution, Eckrich found himself in 3rd place for the restart on lap 45.

Dempster continued to lead the field with Beyke in 2nd as racing resumed. On lap 90, both Eckrich and Salek received speeding penalties while entering pit road under green flag conditions, causing them to fall two laps down before rejoining the track. Notably, they were running in 2nd and 3rd positions at the time of their pit stops.

Dempster maintained his lead unchallenged for the remainder of the race, securing the victory. Salek, despite the penalty, retained his position atop the point standings, holding a narrow 1-point lead over Dempster.

The next event on the schedule is the PIXELCAR PRIDE Road Race Showcase at Sonoma Raceway, set to take place on June 13th. Fans can catch all the thrilling action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

PGRL S5 R2 Recap

30 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 2
Premier Series | Charlotte Motor Speedway

Thomas George, racing for Steel Horse Motorsports, emerged victorious in the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Pretty Good Racing League Premier Series. Adam Jurski started on the pole position, while George began the race from the 20th spot on the grid.

Jurski put up a strong fight to maintain his lead for the first 27 laps, battling against drivers like Cody Dempster and Jake Silvia. However, Michael Chrobok seized the lead on lap 28. The first caution of the night occurred on lap 34 when Silvia made significant contact with the outside wall following a checkup incident. Jurski reclaimed the lead as the race resumed on lap 38.

Just three laps later, Dempster executed an aggressive move along the outside to jump from 3rd to 1st place. Meanwhile, George quietly made progress through the field, gaining an impressive 11 spots within the first 50 laps. On lap 68, a collision between Brandon Beyke and Colton Salek along the front stretch prompted another caution period.

Racing resumed on lap 73, with Chrobok back in the lead. However, a substantial wreck involving Jeff Ward, Scott Eckrich, Travis McQuistion, and several other drivers unfolded coming out of turn 2, bringing out another caution. Chrobok once again took the green flag on lap 78.

During the second half of the race, a long green flag run forced drivers to make two pit stops under green flag conditions, repeatedly shuffling the running order. Chrobok held onto the lead with Ward, George, and Drew Carroll in close pursuit. In the final 30 laps, frequent cautions disrupted the race, forcing George to give his all in multiple short runs in his #6 Valvoline car to maintain the lead.

As the final caution emerged with just two laps to go, George navigated the final lap under caution to secure the victory. Colton Salek, representing Norse Force Racing, maintained his points lead, sitting four points ahead of Jeff Ward in the championship standings.

The next event in the series, the Julesburg Farms 150, will take place at the World Wide Technology Raceway on June 6th. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET, exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

PGRL S5 R1 Recap

23 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 5 | Round 1
Premier Series | Darlington Raceway

Scott Eckrich, racing for Loud Pedal Motorsports, emerged as the winner in the Alliance VR 200 at Darlington Raceway in the Pretty Good Racing League Premier Series presented by Alliance VR. Jake Silvia started on the pole alongside Jeff Ward, while Eckrich began the race in 22nd position.

Silvia and Ward engaged in an intense battle for the lead, with Silvia managing to hold onto the top spot as they entered lap 5. The race was punctuated by frequent caution periods, which made pit strategies less critical in the first half of the event.

Eckrich made a remarkable charge through the field, climbing 12 spots into the top 10 within just 30 laps of his run, demonstrating impressive speed and determination. Meanwhile, Michael Chrobok showcased a strong pace, maintaining the lead through the multiple restarts.

Colton Salek and Ward engaged in a thrilling battle for the lead, with Salek ultimately securing the 10 bonus stage points for leading at the halfway point. As the race progressed, tensions rose between Eckrich and Silvia, resulting in multiple instances of contact between them and heated exchanges over the radio.

Salek dominated the second half of the race, but in a bold and aggressive move, Eckrich made a daring dive low through turns 3 and 4, managing to get underneath Salek and take the white flag. Eckrich led the final lap as chaos ensued in the field, causing a shuffle in the running order as drivers scrambled to navigate through wrecked cars along the backstretch. Vincent Crow capitalized on the confusion, jumping from 6th to 2nd place, while Salek crossed the finish line in 3rd.

With his strong performance, Salek, racing for Norse Force Racing, took the points lead, holding a 5-point advantage over Jeff Ward. The next event in the series, the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 300, will take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30th. Fans can catch all the action live at 8:50 PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network.

PGRL S5 R12 Recap

09 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 12
Premier Series | Kansas Speedway

Michael Chrobok with Loud Pedal Motorsports took the checkered flag in the Pretty Good Racing League season 4 finale at Kansas Speedway in the Julesburg Farms 200. It was a thrilling and action-packed race that saw Chrobok start from 12th place on the grid, but he was able to make his way through the field and emerge as the winner.

The race started with Scott Eckrich on pole position, and he led the first lap before lifting and dropping to the rear of the field. This gave Woody Mahan and Jake Silvia the opportunity to battle for the lead. Silvia defended the lead against Saif Faries, Vincent Crow, and Mahan until lap 30 when his aggressive driving style became a detriment, and Chrobok was able to chase him down and take the lead away.

Chrobok was in control of the field as the green flag came out on lap 43 ahead of Jeff Ward. However, he opted to save his tires rather than battle for the lead and allowed several cars to pass him, including Ward, who took the lead. Lap 50 saw the second caution of the night when Joe Hassert and Woody Mahan came together, collecting several other cars in the chaos.

Chris Stofer and Jake Silvia were on the front row to take the green flag on lap 55, but some confusion in the field resulted in another caution when Saif Faries got loose, and Brian Yaczik couldn’t avoid making contact, sending Faries spinning down to the inside of the track.

Stofer again took the green flag going into lap 60, and Silvia was able to take the lead away on that restart and was pushing hard to hold the lead for the stage end. Chrobok also wanted some stage points and climbed back up to 3rd place behind Mike Rasimas.

As the green flag run continued into the second half of the race, Jeff Ward took the lead away from Silvia, with Chrobok staying close behind in 2nd place. Chrobok retook the lead on lap 94, and he and Ward came down pit road under the green flag on lap 99, preventing any of the other drivers from being able to undercut them going into the final stretch of the race.

The fourth caution came out on lap 103 from Jason Galvin having technical issues, and the race went green on lap 108 with Rasimas in the lead and Chrobok in 2nd place. Going into lap 118, Chrobok again took the lead back and held onto it, defending against Rasimas and Scott Eckrich to take the checkered flag.

Scott Eckrich with Loud Pedal Motorsports finished the race in 3rd place but ended the night as the season champion. Overall, it was a fantastic end to a thrilling season of racing, and all the drivers gave it their all to put on an exciting show for the fans. Chrobok’s impressive performance and strategic pit stops were instrumental in securing his victory, and he will undoubtedly be a driver to watch in the upcoming season.

The Pretty Good Racing League will be back on May 23rd to kick off the new season at Darlington Speedway with the action going live at 8:50 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network!

PGRL S4 R11 Recap

02 May 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 11
Premier Series | Dover Motor Speedway

The MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 200 at Dover Motor Speedway was an intense battle of speed and skill as the Pretty Good Racing League hit the track. It was Isaiah Dupre who started on the pole position, with Woody Mahan in second and Mike Rasimas in sixth.

From the start, Mahan and Dupre were neck-and-neck, exchanging the lead multiple times, while Saif Faires hung back in third, waiting for his opportunity. Meanwhile, Eckrich was making his way through the pack, passing Cody Dempster and breaking into the top 10.

The excitement ramped up when Shane Parish began overtaking the field, making his way up to second place. But the race took a dramatic turn on lap 24 when Faires collided with Parish, resulting in the only caution of the night and knocking both drivers out of contention.

When the green flag flew again, Yaczik took the lead with Dupre and Chrobok close behind. But Eckrich and Ward were quickly closing in, maneuvering through traffic with lightning speed. Rasimas was also on the move, overtaking Chrobok and targeting Dupre.

The race reached its most pivotal moment when Ward made a bold move, coming down pit road for fresh tires and fuel on lap 92. The other front runners stayed out, hoping to claim bonus stage points at lap 100. Rasimas ultimately took the stage win, but it was Ward who emerged as the main threat, reclaiming the lead on lap 126 and never looking back.

There were more surprises in store, as Rasimas ran into mechanical issues with just 28 laps to go, falling back to eighth place. This left the door wide open for Ward, who pushed his way to victory with Farmer and Chrobok close behind.

It was a thrilling race that had fans cheering and on the edge of their seats from start to finish. With only one round left at Kansas Speedway, the competition is sure to be fierce. Be sure to tune in to the Virtual Grip Network for all the action.

PGRL S4 R10 Recap

25 April 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 10
Premier Series | Talladega Superspeedway
Photograph by: Michael Chrobok

At the *Chuckles* I’m in Danger 250 presented by MC2 Editing Services in the Pretty Good Racing League at Talladega Superspeedway, Scott Eckrich of Loud Pedal Motorsports secured his fifth win of the season in dramatic fashion, crossing the finish line backwards ahead of Cody Dempster. The race started with Clarence Bonner on pole, while Eckrich started in 16th.

The drivers quickly shuffled lines, experimenting with 3-4 wide racing, and forming well-organized top lines. Lap 9 saw a close call when the majority of the field had to fan out to avoid a pile-up. All drivers maneuvered without making contact, and the racing continued, with packs splitting into smaller groups going into lap 10.

Jake Silvia led the front pack, while Cosmin Ioanesiu led the second group in 9th. Ioanesiu closed in on the leaders, swelling the leading pack to over 20 drivers. Meanwhile, Joe Hassert led the next pack back in 22nd, 1.5 seconds behind the main pack.

After the first 15 laps, Dempster led with Silvia pushing him. On lap 21, Loud Pedal Motorsports, consisting of Eckrich, Michael Chrobok, Jeff Ward, Brian Greenlee, Brian Yaczik, and Woody Mahan, came down pit road to try and overtake the lead in the coming laps. Seven laps later, Apex Simsport drivers, Silvia, Dempster, and Jordan Harnish, along with drivers from other teams, joined them.

Loud Pedal Motorsports’ strategy paid off, and they cleared ahead of Apex Simsport as they rejoined the track. The leading pack, with Eckrich out front, worked together more effectively than the other groups, with a gap growing between them and Dempster leading the 2nd pack.

On lap 38, Aiden Graetz and Brady Cure had a miscommunication while bump drafting, causing the only caution of the night and collecting Joe Hassert and Gael Brooks. The drivers took the break to come down pit road for fresh tires, and Saif Faries took control of the field to take the green flag.

The drivers shuffled to link up with teammates and charged towards the front. Pete Baskins, with Jeff Ward pushing, took the lead away from Dempster, crossing the halfway point of the night and taking bonus points before dropping back and giving the lead back to Dempster.

With 30 laps remaining, the front three packs merged back together, and Apex Simsport drivers worked hard to maintain the lead with Ioanesiu in tow. The front pack settled into a single file line on the bottom of the track to check off laps leading up to the end.

In the final laps, Loud Pedal Motorsports made their move, and Apex Simsport moved back up to the high line. Chrobok pushed Yaczik, getting alongside Dempster and Silvia. Coming out of the final corner, Eckrich moved up as Silvia and Dempster went side by side trying to block the track. A bump from Dempster sent Eckrich onto the apron and under Silvia. The move sent Silvia up the track, across Dempster’s nose, spinning down the front stretch. Dempster came down again, trying to stop Eckrich’s advance, but a hit from Vincent Crow and another from Saif Faries knocked Eckrich across the line to take the checkered flag backwards 0.004 seconds ahead of Dempster.

With the win, Eckrich extended his lead in the point standings by 79 points over Chrobok. The next Pretty Good Racing League event is the MARSS Properties Vacation Rentals 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on May 2nd, with the action going live at 8:55PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network.

PGRL S4 R9 Recap

18 April 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 9
Premier Series | Martinsville Speedway

At the Wallriders Rejoice 200 presented by Octane93 on Twitch, Jake Silvia from Apex Simsport claimed victory at Martinsville Speedway in the Pretty Good Racing League. The race started with Brian Greenlee on pole position, while Scott Eckrich began in 15th and Jeff Ward in 28th. With 23 cautions thrown and 113 laps run under yellow flag conditions, including the final lap, pit strategy was often negated by the frequent restarts. Seven lead changes occurred throughout the 200-lap race.

Silvia took the lead on lap 25, with Ward quickly making up ground and breaking into the top 10 by lap 30. Meanwhile, Eckrich was challenging Cody Dempster for 4th, then pressuring Creighton Carter, ultimately resulting in contact that sent Carter to the back of the pack. Eckrich continued to gain momentum through the frequent restarts, challenging Silvia for the lead with 50 laps completed. Although he managed to edge ahead of Silvia on lap 77, another caution soon halted the action, requiring a restart.

Eckrich opted to pit under caution on lap 116, along with Ward, and both drivers found themselves back in the top 10 by lap 131, while Silvia remained in the lead. Despite Eckrich’s efforts to advance back to the front, he found himself blocked by several drivers and ultimately spun low on the track, falling back to 15th. Meanwhile, Ward was making progress and was back up to 4th, with the leaders in sight.

With 50 laps remaining, Ward had climbed to 2nd place and was putting pressure on Silvia for the lead. Although it appeared that Ward had the faster car and attempted to overtake Silvia going into the final 10 laps, another caution prevented any further moves, and Silvia took the checkered flag under yellow flag conditions. After the race, Silvia acknowledged, “That’s kind of the nature of this racing. I decided to pit real early, give up the stage win… and try to focus on the long game. It almost bit me in the end.”

Scott Eckrich maintained his points lead, holding a 62-point advantage over Michael Chrobok in 2nd place. The Pretty Good Racing League will next tackle Talladega Superspeedway on April 25th for the “Chuckles” I’m in Danger 250 presented by MC2 Editing Services, with the action going live at 8:55PM ET exclusively on the Virtual Grip Network!

PGRL S4 R8 Recap

11 April 2023
Pretty Good Racing League | Season 4 | Round 8
Premier Series | Bristol Motor Speedway

Scott Eckrich with Loud Pedal Motorsports won his 4th race in a row at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Get Dirty at Bristol, Get Clean with Mane ‘n Tail 125 beating Jake Silvia to the line by 0.205. It was a hard-fought win for Eckrich, who had to battle his way through the field from his 10th place starting position. The race was filled with intense battles and high-speed action, and the fans were treated to an unforgettable night of racing.

The race got off to a thrilling start, with Jeff Ward starting on the pole after winning his heat race earlier in the evening with rookie Shane Davis to his outside. Silvia started 3rd, rookie Brandon Beyke started in 7th, and Eckrich started in 10th. In the opening laps, it was clear which drivers had more dirt racing experience as the field quickly started to get spread out. Davis was keeping the pressure high on Ward out front allowing Siliva to close the gap and make it a 3-wide fight for the lead. Lap traffic complicated matters as Silvia and Davis were forced to lift to avoid contact and Ward jumped out to a 1.5 second lead ahead.

Despite the early dominance of Ward, it was clear that the race was far from over. Eckrich was quickly moving up through the field into 5th with the first 10 laps completed. Many drivers were struggling to wrestle the NASCAR Cup Series cars around the dirt track. On lap 14, Daivs had reeled Ward back in and was fighting for the lead when a lap down driver lost control of his car in front of the leaders collecting Ward and essentially taking away his chances of winning the race. With no cautions thrown for the event, multiple drivers were forced down pit road with damage going several laps down with only 20 laps completed. Davis was one of those drivers that had to get damage fixed before he could continue running, giving the lead of the race to Eckrich.

The entire field was spread out around the track with several seconds between each driver, making the remainder of the night more of an endurance event with the overall goal to just make it to the end in one piece. The one and only competition caution was thrown on lap 65 dividing the race in half and allowing the drivers to get a splash of fuel. Only 5 drivers were still on the lead lap as the green flag came back out and racing resumed with Eckrich still in control of the field.

Silvia took advantage of the restart and stayed close to Eckrich using the outside wall to try to get a run on the leader. Eckrich was able to hold the lead but not able to pull away from Silvia as he had in the first half of the night. Silvia was letting his car contact the outside wall as he continued to try to build up runs on Eckrich and was able to take the lead away on lap 77. Patience paid off for Eckrich as he slowly set Silvia up for a pass and overtook for the lead on lap 92.

Silvia showed his displeasure with the pass giving several taps to Eckrich’s bumper and taking the lead back on lap 98. Eckrich tried to get under Silvia going into the corner, but Silvia cut down hard, and the two slammed doors with tempers starting to flare as the battle for the lead continued. Silvia was running much more aggressively wall riding through the corners trying to get a strong run out to take the lead back from Eckrich but unable to complete the move with 15 laps remaining. Silvia made hard contact into the rear of Eckrich almost sending the leader around, but Eckrich continued to hold onto the lead with the laps quickly counting down.

But Eckrich, showing his veteran experience, held on and continued to defend his lead, even when the track was blocked by Vincent Crow, who was three laps down. Silvia tried to make a move on the inside, but Eckrich was able to defend his line and cross the finish line just 0.205 seconds ahead of Silvia.

After the race, Eckrich spoke about the intensity of the battle for the lead. “I worked my butt off tonight,” he said. “It was a hell of a battle at the end. It was definitely really fun here, it’s hard with these next-gen cars just to get the cars to take any sort of line that you want them to.”

The win extended Eckrich’s lead in the point standings, with Michael Chrobok now 50 points behind in second place. The Pretty Good Racing League will now move on to Martinsville Speedway for the Wallriders Rejoice 200 presented by Octane93 on April 18th, which will be broadcast live at 8:50 PM ET only on the Virtual Grip Network.