Lowe Outsmarts Ogle in YesterYear Classic at Martinsville

Martinsville, VA — The YesterYear Racing Tour Modified Series returned to one of the sport’s most iconic short tracks for Round 13 of Season 2, the YesterYear Classic at Martinsville Speedway. The 150-lap event, steeped in 1966 nostalgia, featured the full throwback treatment — unlimited tires, no “lucky dog” passes, and no “fast repairs.” It was pure, old-school short track chaos, where precision and patience meant as much as horsepower. When the dust finally settled, James Lowe outsmarted points leader Tom Ogle in a masterclass of defensive driving and strategy to take the win.

The field of 17 roared to life on the tight half-mile paperclip, with polesitter Jerry Isaacs leading them to green alongside Lowe on the outside. But before the first lap was in the books, calamity struck. Coming off Turn 4, Brian Neff got too high on corner exit, causing a chain reaction pile-up that sent Todd Liston’s #87 machine flipping down the frontstretch in spectacular fashion. Though heavily damaged and multiple laps down, Liston refused to quit, continuing to turn laps in true YesterYear spirit, hoping attrition might bring him back into the fight.

After the restart, Ogle quickly worked his way forward from the second row. By Lap 12, he had powered underneath Isaacs to take the lead, showing the same poise and racecraft that has kept him atop the points standings all season. Chris Davis made an early charge through the field as well with some daring, if not a little overly aggressive, moves on the outside line. But aggression came at a cost — on Lap 40, Davis’s race ended abruptly when Robert Guarisco spun in Turn 4, collecting him and sending his modified hard into the inside wall.

That caution triggered the first major round of pit stops. Ogle, Isaacs, and Kenny Allen all opted for fresh right-side tires, gambling they could make it to the finish on that set. Lowe, however, rolled the dice and stayed out, inheriting the race lead. The call proved pivotal. Although Ogle’s new rubber quickly allowed him to retake the top spot, Lowe’s decision set him up perfectly for the strategy battle that would unfold in the race’s second half. Meanwhile, Scott Negus — quiet but methodical — began working his way up from 15th, living up to the league’s AI “Hubble” prediction that had pegged him as a sleeper for a podium finish.

A second caution flew just past halfway when Chris Haizlip looped his car in Turn 4. This time, most of the front-runners, including Ogle, came in for another set of right-sides, hitting what teams called the “magical number” for tire longevity. Allen stayed out on slightly older rubber, explaining that he needed to “do something opposite of Tom” if he hoped to cut into Ogle’s championship lead. The strategy mix shuffled the field, putting Ogle mid-pack for the restart. His march back toward the front was nearly derailed moments later when Allen spun in the lead group on Lap 82, collecting Isaacs and Torrance Childs. Ogle escaped with minor contact, but Isaacs and Childs weren’t so lucky — both suffered terminal damage, ending their nights early.

From that point on, the race became a two-man showdown between Lowe and Ogle. Lowe inherited the lead on the restart and never relinquished it, holding off constant pressure from the championship leader. Ogle’s newer tires gave him an edge in corner grip, allowing him to close in through the turns, but Martinsville’s narrow inside groove made passing nearly impossible. Lowe kept his machine planted to the curb, hitting every apex perfectly and launching off the corners with just enough traction to stay in front. Lap after lap, Ogle searched for a way around, but Lowe’s composure under fire was flawless.

Behind them, Negus capped off a superb drive to third after starting deep in the field, while Allen recovered from his earlier spin to finish fourth. Robert Guarisco turned in a solid effort to round out the top five after keeping his car clean through the night’s early chaos. Points contender Brian Johnson quietly climbed nine spots to finish seventh, continuing to put in consistent performances.

In the end, Lowe’s strategic brilliance and unshakable calm under pressure earned him the YesterYear Classic victory, leading 69 of the 150 laps. Ogle settled for second but extended his championship advantage with another strong run, while Negus’s podium confirmed his emergence as one of the tour’s most consistent late-season threats. Nine of the 17 starters finished on the lead lap in a race that showcased everything the YesterYear Racing Tour stands for — grit, racecraft, and a little bit of luck. The series now turns its attention to the old Atlanta Motor Speedway, where the championship battle is set to intensify even further.

Isaacs Answers the Bell, Wins Big at Talladega

Talladega Superspeedway, AL – The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series thundered into the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway for 100 grueling laps in Round 34 of the 2025 season, where pit strategy, playoff pressure, and late-race chaos combined to deliver one of the most dramatic finishes of the year. The night carried special meaning, as the league paid tribute to the family of Christian Loschen, observing a silent lap in memory of his younger brother, who passed away unexpectedly. The OBRL and Virtual Grip Network extended their condolences to the Loschen family.

For Jerry Isaacs, the night began with heavy weight on his shoulders. Entering the race 22 points below the playoff cut line, Isaacs knew that only a win would be enough to keep his championship hopes alive. Daniel “The Black Cat” Hill, also on the outside looking in, started from the pole after securing the fastest qualifying lap, with Isaacs lining up alongside him on the front row. Mark Fisch, the 2025 Daytona 500 winner, rolled off seventh and looked confident at another superspeedway where drafting would be everything.

From the drop of the green flag, drivers played it cautious, staying in line and avoiding the early “Talladega heroics” that so often end in disaster. Isaacs wasted little time making his move, taking the lead from Hill around Lap 12 and settling into a steady rhythm up front. Behind them, the early green-flag run immediately caught out a few contenders. Roger Hurley and playoff hopeful Dwayne McArthur lost the draft by Lap 15, with McArthur’s night ending prematurely after his engine expired on Lap 28—a costly mistake after following too closely in the draft and overheating his motor. The blown engine earned him the night’s Hard Luck Award.

As the laps ticked away, pit strategy became the defining factor. With tire wear and fuel range both in play, teams estimated at least one full service stop would be needed to reach the finish. The window opened around Lap 37, and chaos erupted when Todd Cousins spun entering pit road under green-flag conditions. Isaacs, Andrew Kotska, and Fisch stayed clean through the melee, maintaining their advantage as the field cycled through stops.

Once pit stops sorted out, Isaacs and Kotska linked up in a flawless two-car tandem that quickly pulled away from the field. Their smooth coordination opened up a gap of more than seven seconds over the disorganized second pack, which struggled to form an efficient draft. Daniel Hill continued to battle connection issues—“blinking” in and out of view—which forced him to briefly drop from the lead group before stabilizing later in the race.

The night stayed remarkably clean until Lap 78, when the first major yellow waved after Lloyd Moore spun on the backstretch following contact from Sean Foltz. The caution proved critical, as it brought Hurley back to the lead lap after spending most of the night trapped one down.

The restart with 11 laps remaining reignited the intensity, but trouble struck again just a few laps later when Moore was involved in a second incident, clipping Greg Hammond and sending him into the wall. That set up one final restart with seven laps to go—exactly what Isaacs didn’t want to see, and precisely what the fans did.

When the green flag waved for the final time, Isaacs and Kotska held the bottom lane with precision, while Mark Fisch and Bill Martin tried to build momentum up high. Fred Wolford III led the charge on the outside after climbing from 15th on the grid, but the upper groove couldn’t generate enough speed to challenge the leaders. On the white flag lap, the top four stayed single file, and Isaacs executed a flawless final stretch, taking the checkered flag and clinching his first victory of the season.

It was a storybook moment for Isaacs, who not only earned redemption but secured his place in the Championship Four. Kotska crossed the line second, capping off a dominant one-two finish for the teammates, with Fisch rounding out the podium in third.

After climbing out of the virtual car, Isaacs was quick to credit his teammate: “That second pit stop had me sweating, but Andrew is the best pusher on iRacing—probably one of the most selfless teammates out there. I wouldn’t be in the Championship Four without him.” Kotska echoed that sentiment, confirming the plan had been to stick together no matter what. “I told Jerry I was staying on his bumper to the end,” he said. “The goal was simple—get a teammate locked into Phoenix.”

Mark Fisch praised his steady approach and pit execution, saying, “I thought about going high late, but it just wasn’t working like it usually does. Sticking with Jerry and Andrew was the right move.”

With the win, Isaacs erased his deficit and punched his ticket to the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway. As the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series heads to Martinsville next week for the final race before the title decider, the playoff picture is clearer than ever—and Jerry Isaacs’ comeback story just became the one to watch.

Lowe’s Perfect Streak Continues in Action-Packed Irwindale Showdown

Irwindale Speedway, CA – The Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series rolled into the historic Irwindale Speedway for Round 3 of Season 32, and once again, the story was all about James Lowe. Entering the night two-for-two, Lowe extended his undefeated streak with another calculated and commanding performance on the demanding California half-mile, taking the win in a Green-White-Checker finish after 100 laps of high-intensity racing that tested every driver’s patience and tire management skills.

The Irwindale Speedway, a “Southwestern California gem,” has long been known for its brutal tire wear, and that reputation proved accurate from the drop of the green flag. VGN commentators warned early that running the bottom line too long would “cook those right side tires,” forcing competitors to migrate higher up the racetrack as the run developed. With the top 13 inverted from the previous week’s results, Tom Hilbert and Jeff Kemper led the field to green while Lowe rolled off from Row 6, setting up another come-from-behind challenge for the points leader.

Hilbert controlled the opening laps, maintaining a narrow advantage while the rest of the top ten fought side-by-side behind him. Adam Schoen was among the early movers from sixth, but the first caution flew before momentum could build when Schoen made contact with Kemper entering Turn 1. Following the restart, Hilbert and Bruce “Double Deuce” Pearson staged a fierce battle for the top spot, both utilizing the apron to help rotate their cars. The fight ended with contact that sent Hilbert into the outside wall, opening the door for Pearson to take command. Behind them, Lowe began his familiar, measured charge forward, climbing seven spots to fourth before the race reached halfway.

As the laps clicked off, the front of the field formed a three-car breakaway featuring Pearson, Lowe, and Kyle Feimster in the No. 14. Feimster, who clocked the fastest early lap of the night at 18.293, ran an aggressive pace up front, opting for track position over long-run conservation. On Lap 62, he executed a clean and well-timed slide job to take the lead from Pearson, earning praise from the commentary booth for the “textbook move.” But Irwindale’s worn surface doesn’t reward aggression for long. Within a handful of laps, Feimster’s right-rear tire began to fade, and Lowe—known across the league as a “tire whisperer”—began closing rapidly. By Lap 69, Lowe made what was called his “easiest pass of the night” to reclaim the top spot and never looked back.

With 20 laps to go, Lowe built a comfortable 1.3-second lead while Feimster fell into the clutches of Chris Davis, who lived up to his “Mr. Aggressive” nickname by diving deep under Feimster several times in search of second. The battle boiled over in dramatic fashion when Davis sent his car low in Turn 3, making contact that spun Feimster around and collected Kurt Smith in the process. The incident brought out the third caution of the night and set up a tense Green-White-Checker finish to decide it all.

Lowe took the bottom lane for the restart, while Davis lined up high and Tre “The Caveman” Blohm lurked just behind. When the green flag waved, Lowe launched perfectly and never gave the pack a chance, while Davis fended off Blohm for second. Lowe crossed the line unchallenged to secure his third consecutive victory of the season, further extending his growing points lead. “The tires were definitely an issue,” Lowe said in his post-race interview. “I managed to save mine, and we actually ran our fastest lap on Lap 101. That’s how much it came together late.”

Chris Davis held on for second after a hard-fought night, while Blohm’s tire-saving strategy paid off as he grabbed third in the closing laps. Behind them, Todd Liston and John Wilson rounded out the top 5. Next week, the Bootleg Racing League Late Model Invitational Series heads east to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Mike Holloway and Tom Hilbert will lead the field to green as the championship battle continues to heat up.

Ogle Survives Pocono Mayhem to Claim Double Points Victory in Wild Tour Mod Showdown

Pocono Raceway, PA – The YesterYear Racing Tour Modified Series returned to the virtual “Tricky Triangle” for Season 2, Race 12 — an intense 100-lap, 250-mile double-points event, paying homage to the 1978 Pocono Modified classic. What began as a strategy-driven race emphasizing “coopetition” and fuel mileage soon spiraled into a chaotic battle for survival. In the end, points leader Tom Ogle emerged victorious, surviving the carnage to score a massive win that could define his championship run.

This event carried the weight of the season — the league’s flagship race — and featured 29 entrants, including several wildcard drivers from outside the league. With double points on the line, the stakes couldn’t have been higher. Ogle entered the night with a razor-thin one-point advantage over Ken Allen, with Scott Negus just three points behind. Pocono’s high speeds and long straights promised a drafting chess match, but the sheer size of the field had regulars uneasy about the potential for chaos.

Pole-sitter Dwayne McArthur led the field to green, with Ogle starting from the second row. Early on, McArthur and Ogle worked together in the draft, joined by Gavin Adams and Ken Allen in a four-car pack at the front. Drafting proved crucial — drivers had to balance cooperation and aggression, as leading burned more fuel but staying in line risked losing track position. The early laps showcased impressive coordination… until they didn’t.

Just nine laps in, disaster struck. Third-place points driver Scott Negus tangled with Chris Haizlip, slamming the inside wall and suffering heavy damage. Though Negus returned to the track, his night unraveled quickly after another hard hit in the tunnel turn just six laps later. The left-front suspension damage proved terminal, forcing him to park the car and settle for 29th. The championship contender’s hopes took a crushing blow in the league’s most important race of the season.

The caution flag became a frequent visitor. Repeated yellow periods prevented any long green runs, effectively neutralizing the anticipated fuel mileage battle. Each restart brought fresh chaos, as mid-pack traffic bunched up and several contenders saw their nights end early. The pivotal moment came just past halfway when a tunnel-turn stack-up collected Ken Allen, who was running second in points. Allen’s car erupted in sparks as the front suspension folded under him, ending his race and relegating him to a 25th-place finish.

With both of his primary rivals eliminated, Ogle suddenly found himself in control of the championship picture. But victory at Pocono was far from guaranteed. The high-speed drafting packs continued to shuffle, and survival became the night’s defining skill.

Among the notable incidents, Mark Fisch pancaked the inside wall on the front stretch in a daring four-wide attempt, while Dwayne McArthur suffered a brutal hit when Gavin Adams spun directly in front of him. McArthur’s car, battered but still running, soldiered on despite significant damage — a testament to both resilience and stubborn determination.

As the laps wound down, Ogle found a perfect drafting partner in Dale Copeland. The two worked in unison to break away from the field, pulling over a second clear of the chasing pack. Ogle’s impatience to lead showed at times, pushing the limits of fuel strategy, but his pace kept him in contention. Guest driver Geoffrey Souza, meanwhile, impressed in his debut, holding third and admitting afterward that he was simply “topping off during cautions” and hoping for the best on fuel.

With five laps to go, another caution set up a one-lap shootout — the ultimate high-pressure finale. Jeff Aho, who had quietly climbed through the chaos, restarted from the lead. As the green flag waved, Ogle jumped to the high side with Copeland glued to his bumper. The two powered through Turn 1, side-by-side with Aho, and down the backstretch Copeland gave Ogle one final push into the lead. Ogle held strong through the final corners and took the checkered flag first, sealing a career-defining double-points victory.

After the race, Ogle was humble in victory. “I felt very fortunate,” he said. “I was happy just to take second and the points, but Dale [Copeland] was the MVP tonight. He gave me the push I needed.” Copeland crossed the line in second, calling his own effort “pure survival.” Guest driver Souza rounded out the podium in third, a remarkable feat given his limited Modified experience.

As the dust settled, the championship outlook shifted dramatically. With Negus and Allen finishing deep in the order, Ogle walks away from Pocono with a commanding points lead and the inside lane toward the Season 2 title. The Tour Mods will next head to Martinsville Speedway, where the tight confines of the paperclip are sure to deliver more fireworks — and perhaps a chance for redemption for those who fell victim to Pocono’s unpredictable mayhem.

Foltz Doubles Down in Vegas: Two-Tire Gamble Locks Up Spot in OBRL Cup Finale

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series hit Las Vegas Motor Speedway for Round 3 of the 2025 playoffs, where 150 laps turned into a tense battle of pit strategy, tire management, and playoff survival. What began as a race of patience ended in bold calculation — and it was Sean Foltz’s daring two-tire gamble that paid off big, earning him another playoff victory and locking him into the OBRL Cup Series finale.

From the drop of the green flag, pole-sitter Andrew Kotska set the early tone while Tom Ogle struggled to get up to speed. Within the opening laps, tire falloff became apparent, with lap times dropping nearly a full second by Lap 20. Championship hopeful Daniel Hill found speed running the high line against the wall and used that momentum to pass Kotska for the lead around Lap 29. Further back, Lloyd Moore made an incredible save after a massive slide that could have easily ended his night, losing less than a second in the process.

The first round of green-flag pit stops began early, around Lap 46, with Kotska and Dwayne McArthur pitting in unison to gain track position through the undercut. Ogle briefly cycled to the front but lost time after overshooting his pit box. Then, the race flipped on its head when the first caution came out on Lap 71 after Brian Lynch ran into the back of Ken Huff while entering pit road. The timing of the yellow completely neutralized the early pit advantage for Kotska and McArthur and handed the upper hand to Hill, who had stretched his fuel window longer than most. Restarting as the leader, Hill seemed to have his strategy working to perfection.

But Vegas rarely lets anyone off easy. Around Lap 87, the second caution flew when Robert Guarisco lost control and hit the wall, collecting several others including Roger Hurley and Lynch. That incident reshuffled the field once again and left several playoff contenders scrambling to recover lost ground.

As the laps wound down, the race evolved into a masterclass in strategy. Sean Foltz, who had pitted later than most of the front-runners on Lap 79, began carving through the field on fresher tires. When the final green-flag pit cycle began near Lap 125, Foltz made the move that would define the race. While Hill and Ogle pitted together — Hill losing time when he had to back up after the jack dropped — Foltz took only two tires on his final stop, a strategy he’d tested during the week. The gamble loosened his car slightly, but it slashed his pit time and gave him the track position he needed.

The call worked flawlessly. Foltz rocketed through the field, blowing past Ogle and McArthur in the final stretch. When Greg McDaniel, who had stretched his fuel beyond the window, finally pitted on Lap 133, Foltz inherited the lead and never looked back. He crossed the line more than a second ahead of Ogle, claiming his second playoff victory and securing his spot in the championship finale.

Tom Ogle rebounded from a tough start to finish second, while McArthur brought home a strong third after running near the front all night. Kotska finished fourth, with Cortney Nelson rounding out the top five after a clean and consistent run. Dale Copeland, Lloyd Moore, David Brann, Scott Negus, and McDaniel completed the top ten.

Not all playoff hopefuls were so lucky. Daniel Hill’s late-race strategy gamble — pitting under green and hoping for a caution — backfired, dropping him a lap down and leaving him 17th at the finish. Jerry Isaacs took 13th after a fierce battle with Jeffery Lyden, leaving him in a precarious points position heading into the next round.

As the series now shifts to Talladega, the stakes couldn’t be higher. With Foltz locked into the finale and Hill suddenly vulnerable, the Round of 8 will be a minefield for those still chasing the title. Ogle summed up the mood perfectly after the race: “Talladega’s about survival. Horrible things can happen there, and you just have to hope you’re not the one in it.”

One thing is clear — momentum belongs to Sean Foltz, who’s quickly become the man to beat in this playoff run.

James Lowe Stays Perfect at Kern Raceway with Dominant Late Model Win

The Bootleg Racing League’s Late Model Invitational Series rolled into Kern Raceway for Round 2 of Season 32, with sixteen drivers ready to tackle the high-banked half-mile for one hundred laps of tire-conserving chaos. The grid was set by an inversion of the top thirteen finishers from the previous round, putting veterans and champions deep in the field and promising plenty of action from the drop of the green flag.

John Wilson started from pole, joined on the front row by Chris Haizlip, with Bruce Pearson and Tom Hilbert filling out the second row. The field behind them was stacked — Round 1 winner James Lowe rolled off from seventh, defending champion Kurt Smith from ninth, and former champion Aiden Young from twelfth. Series rookie contender Kyle Feimster lined up in eleventh, eager to prove his strong debut was no fluke.

The opening laps were surprisingly clean, though Joe Segalla’s spin across the start/finish line immediately tested the nerves of the pack. No yellow was thrown, and the race stayed green as Wilson used the inside line to surge ahead early. Pearson and Chris Davis followed close behind, but all eyes were on James Lowe, who sliced through the pack like a man possessed. By lap 20, Lowe was already hunting down the leaders, showing the pace and patience that won him the season opener.

Bruce Pearson played the long game, backing off to save his tires, while rookie Feimster impressed by moving up several positions, challenging the veterans. The first caution finally flew when Haizlip got loose and tagged the wall, scattering debris. Under yellow, Feimster kept his composure in his live interview, calmly stating that his plan was to conserve tires until the final thirty laps — a strategy that proved wise as tire wear became the story of the night.

On the restart, Wilson held serve for a moment, but Lowe’s relentless charge couldn’t be contained. As Davis struggled on the outside, Lowe slipped through to take second, then set his sights on Wilson. The pair fought hard for several laps, trading lines and braking points, before a second caution — triggered by contact between the 52 and 8 machines — froze the field with Lowe just ahead. When the green returned, the outcome felt inevitable.

From that point forward, James Lowe was untouchable. The #99 machine rocketed away from the field, building a gap that grew lap after lap. Behind him, the battle for second heated up as Aiden Young, who had started deep in twelfth, came alive in the final quarter of the race. Saving his tires early, Young methodically reeled in Feimster, making the decisive pass for second with ten laps remaining. Feimster, in just his second start, held strong for a career-best third, though his worn tires left him hanging on by the end.

Further back, defending champion Kurt Smith rebounded to a solid fifth-place finish, while Bruce Pearson clawed his way to sixth after an early spin and lost bodywork. Adam Schoen, Ryan Senneker, Chris Davis, and Darryl Wineinger rounded out the top ten, each surviving their share of close calls in a race that surprisingly went the distance with minimal cautions. Pole-sitter John Wilson’s night unraveled after leading early, eventually finishing fifteenth, while Segalla’s early crash ended his race before it could truly begin.

When the checkered flag waved, it was James Lowe once again standing tall — two-for-two to start the season, with both wins earned in commanding fashion. “I still had plenty of tire left,” Lowe remarked afterward, a confident statement that will send shivers through the rest of the field. As the series leaves Kern, it’s clear that if anyone wants to stop Lowe’s streak, they’ll need more than speed — they’ll need a flawless night and a perfect strategy to match his pace and composure.

With back-to-back victories, Lowe has quickly established himself as the man to beat as the Late Model Invitational Series heads into Round 3 at the legendary Irwindale Speedway. The question now is whether anyone — perhaps Young with his renewed pace, or the steady veteran Smith — can rise to the challenge and slow Lowe’s momentum before he turns Season 32 into his personal victory tour.

Hill Tames the Roval as Playoff Picture Tightens

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series rolled into Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Roval for the final race of Round 2 in the 2025 season playoffs delivered every ounce of tension expected from the treacherous road course. With no caution flags over the entire distance, the pressure on drivers was relentless as every mistake had lasting consequences. Daniel “Black Cat” Hill, already locked into Round 3 with his New Hampshire win, showed why he’s one of the toughest drivers in the series by starting from pole and controlling much of the race, leaving his competitors scrambling for survival in the playoff cutline battle.

Cortney Nelson entered the night eight points below the cut line, and his race nearly unraveled in the opening laps when he was handed a drive-through penalty. What initially seemed like a disaster surprisingly became an advantage, as the penalty put Nelson into clean air, allowing him to click off fast laps while the rest of the field fought through traffic. His alternate strategy kept him in contention longer than many expected, though his playoff hopes still depended on the misfortune of others.

Behind Hill, Christian Loschen turned heads by running second for long stretches, showing he had the pace to challenge if Hill slipped up. Meanwhile, the playoff drama played out further back. James Hislop, clinging to a crucial transfer spot, spun early and dropped through the order. He regrouped, however, and clawed his way forward, making a bold pass on Andrew Kotska for sixth that could prove pivotal in the standings. Kotska, the winningest driver of the regular season, found himself under pressure all race long, while Andrew Medlin’s playoff hopes faded as repeated off-track excursions cost him valuable time and positions.

Pit strategy added another layer of intrigue. Nelson’s early stop, forced by his penalty, gave him stretches of clear track to post quick laps, but without cautions to reset the field, he had little margin to make up for the lost track position. In the end, the Roval proved to be the end of the road for Nelson. Despite showing pace after serving his early penalty, the deficit in points was simply too much to overcome, and he was eliminated from playoff contention. Andrew Medlin, who fought hard but struggled with costly mistakes and off-track excursions, also saw his postseason hopes come to a close. Both drivers had moments of brilliance in this round, but consistency proved to be the deciding factor as the field gets trimmed for the Round of 8.

When the checkered flag fell, Hill once again stood tall, adding another road course triumph to his season and underscoring his status as a title favorite. But the real story was the razor-thin playoff battle behind him, where every slip, spin, and strategy call at the Roval carried season-defining consequences. With the season quickly winding down, the remaining playoff field now faces a high-stakes fight for survival in every single race left to go as the championship march continues.