McArthur Outlasts the Lady in Black as Nelson’s Gamble Falls Short

Darlington Raceway famously nicknamed “The Lady in Black,” lived up to its reputation in opening round of the OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series playoffs. As the second visit to the track this season and a pivotal playoff event, the night featured plenty of strategy, heartbreak, and just enough chaos to shuffle the playoff deck. With its narrow racing groove and punishing walls, Darlington once again lived up to its reputation for demanding respect from every driver. The race carried added intrigue thanks to a new tire model that reduced overall grip, forcing competitors to manage their cars with extra care.

The playoff atmosphere was evident before the green flag even dropped. Sixteen hopefuls carried pink markings—spoilers and windshield banners setting them apart—as they fought to keep their championship dreams alive. Absent from the grid, however, was defending champion Josh Robinson, whose no-show leaves him in a must-win situation down the stretch. On the front row, Cortney Nelson grabbed the pole, joined by earlier Darlington winner Tom Ogle, while Dwayne McArthur and Daniel Hill filled out row two. Daytona winner Andrew Medlin slotted in just behind them, looking to extend his underdog run into the postseason.

Once the field came to life, Ogle wasted no time surging into the lead on the outside, but Nelson punched right back on the inside to reclaim it, with McArthur sliding into second. From there, the early laps were a master class in patience. Drivers focused less on fighting each other and more on fighting the track, with plenty of Darlington stripes to go around. Chris Bates brought the first real drama, clobbering the inside wall and earning a “meatball flag” that eventually ended his race. Daniel Hill, meanwhile, spun twice and limped away from the night without bringing out a caution, his playoff hopes crumpling in the process.

The race’s lone yellow flag waved on lap 23 when Todd Cousins got loose and pounded the wall, knocking him out of contention. That sparked the first wave of pit strategy, with most drivers grabbing four tires and fuel. Nelson and Mark Fisch took a gamble by staying out, while McArthur wisely shadowed Nelson’s eventual stop, pitting one lap later to cover the strategy and hold onto clean air. Nelson then shot himself in the foot by overshooting his pit box, forcing him to back up and lose precious time. Remarkably, he stormed back into the top five not long after, leading the commentary team to wonder if he’d discovered some secret to tire management.

As the laps wound down, the story became one of pit cycles and track position. Nelson blinked first among the leaders, ducking in on lap 76, while McArthur came a lap later to protect his advantage. Ogle hung out until lap 82 but paid the price, losing over a second per lap on fading rubber. Kotska stretched his run the longest, waiting until lap 98, but by then he had too much ground to make up despite his fresher tires. When the dust settled from the pit stops, McArthur found himself at the front, while Jerry Isaacs muscled his way into second with a tidy slide job on Greg McDaniel.

The closing laps were nothing short of dramatic. Nelson clawed his way through the field once again, bluffing McDaniel into a mistake to grab third and then sliding past Isaacs for second. That set up a duel with McArthur, who had been stout out front all evening. Nelson was consistently faster off the corners, using every inch of track to reel in the leader. Contact, feints, and side-by-side moments all built the tension heading into the final circuits. But just when Nelson looked poised to pounce, disaster struck—his car coughed on the white flag lap, bone dry on fuel. Forced to coast, he fell to a painful seventh place as McArthur cruised to the win.

McArthur admitted afterward that he still had 13–14 laps of fuel left, crediting his manual fill method and strategy of shadowing Nelson’s pit stop as the keys to victory. Isaacs crossed the line in second but left frustrated after contact with Nelson netted him a 4x penalty, though he vowed to keep pointing his way into the Final Four. McDaniel celebrated third, happy that Nelson’s empty tank helped him lock down a podium finish. Kotska and Ogle completed the top five, with Medlin, Nelson, James Hisop, Lloyd Moore, and Shawn Foltz rounding out the top ten.

In the end, the stat sheet will show only one caution, but the bruised egos, battered cars, and shattered strategies tell the real story. The Lady in Black once again demanded respect, and while many drivers walked away scarred, it was Dwayne McArthur who carried the trophy out of Darlington. The playoffs now shift to Gateway before the cutdown race at Bristol, where the only certainty is that nothing is certain.

Bianchi Goes Wire-to-Wire in Stafford’s Camden Classic

The YesterYear Tour Modifieds rolled back into action for Round 8 of the season, the Camden Classic at Stafford Motor Speedway, and the throwback vibes couldn’t have been stronger. The series once again plunged itself into a 1966 setting, complete with classic rules and a whole lot of horsepower that sometimes seemed more eager to spin the tires than to drive forward. On a half-mile oval with only eight or nine degrees of banking, Stafford is notoriously tricky, and the Virtual Grip Network broadcast made it clear that track position and tire discipline would be the name of the game.

Coming into the race, the points battle was already tight. Tom Ogle carried just a four-point lead over Todd Liston, with Kenny Allen and Brian Johnson also looming close behind. Scott Negus had scored his first win of the season last time out at South Boston, thanks in part to Ogle’s misfortune with a lap car and was aiming for back-to-back glory. Meanwhile, Liston was still hunting for his first victory of the campaign, and many expected the championship battle to intensify in front of the Stafford crowd. Drivers knew that passing from the midfield would be a tall order, and with 600-horsepower Modifieds that love to roast the rear tires, throttle control was going to make or break the night.

Stafford’s quirks quickly came into play. Drivers could choose to hug the bottom or try the diamond line—low entry, high middle, low exit—to straighten their way out of the turns and save their rubber. Tire management was critical, especially with track temps soaring over 100 degrees, and most agreed that the right rear would be begging for mercy by halfway. Cold tires made the opening laps slippery, while marbles stacked up high and low, limiting the usable groove. As J R Shepherd put it, “tire temperature is what’s more important than anything in these cars.” And then there was Stafford’s unique caution quirk: spins to the inside without contact didn’t throw a yellow, meaning one mistake could erase an entire night’s work in the blink of an eye.

When the green dropped, Brian Bianchi —the defending champion—immediately showed he wasn’t here to play games. Starting from the pole with points leader Ogle alongside, Bianchi wasted no time establishing control. Ogle pressed hard early, but Bianchi held firm and began clicking off laps like he was on cruise control. Behind them, misfortune began claiming victims. Brian Johnson sank like a stone with early struggles. Gavin Adams spun in turn two but, thanks to the “Stafford no-caution special,” lost a mountain of track position with no yellow to save him. Dustin Martinson spun and went a lap down without a caution, and Ken Allen, running third at the time, looped it after grazing the apron—Jerry Isaacs was collateral damage trying to avoid him. Again, no yellow. Even Brian Neff joined the spin-to-the-inside club later. If there was ever a track where you wanted friends in race control, Stafford was it.

It wasn’t until lap 29 that the first official caution flew, thanks to Bruce Pearson and Martinson tangling in turns one and two. For Adams, it was an early Christmas present, as he regained the lead lap. Most of the leaders chose not to pit, prioritizing track position, though Allen Wannamaker and Randy Schuler rolled the dice for fresh rubber. After the restart, Ogle continued pressing hard, running aggressive corner entries that had commentators worried he was cooking his tires, while Bianchi remained smooth and consistent. Todd Liston, sitting in the hunt but not forcing the issue, seemed to be playing the long game.

The second and final caution didn’t arrive until lap 69, when Schuler got loose and Neff overcooked turn one. This yellow allowed the entire field to cool down their overheated rubber, which negated the advantage for anyone who had been saving their tires or those few who had pitted earlier. Drivers like Johnson and Scott Negus, who were banking on fresher tires, suddenly found their edge dulled. With only 14 laps left at the restart, Bianchi pounced, opening up a gap before Ogle could mount a serious challenge. Ogle made one quick look to the inside but had to tuck back in line. Behind them, Negus muscled past Johnson in a late-race duel, but up front, there was never any doubt.

Bianchi led all 100 laps to score his third win of the season, proving once again that sometimes the best strategy is just not letting anyone else touch the lead. Ogle settled for second, banking solid points to protect his championship bid, while Chris Davis battled through technical issues—including having to use a mouse in VR—to snag third. Davis later revealed he had no brake bias button and had to improvise with pedal work, making his podium a minor miracle. Luke Logan Allen rounded out the top four, and Negus completed the top five.

After the race, Ogle admitted Stafford was a “one-groove track” and confessed he didn’t have the courage to run the apron-hugging line that could win it—or lose it—in a heartbeat. His eyes are on the bigger picture: managing points for the championship. Davis, relieved after his tech-plagued run, thanked his teammate John Wilson and praised the league and VGN team, stressing the importance of kindness in the racing world. Bianchi, meanwhile, praised Ogle as “an excellent competitor” and said the win gave him momentum after the summer break. He also dedicated the victory to racing family member Tim Fleming who passed a few weeks ago.

Now, attention shifts to the upcoming 300-lap night race at South Boston Speedway. With cooler temps under the lights, tire wear should ease up, but fuel will loom large—most expect at least one stop, with two right-side tires being the likely play. Bianchi has history at SoBo, winning a 150-lapper there before, and he’s already circling it as another chance to claw back into the championship fight. For now, though, Stafford belonged entirely to him, as he turned the Camden Classic into the Bianchi Benefit, leading every lap and leaving everyone else wondering what they could have done differently.

Andrew Medlin Clinches Playoff Spot with Win at Daytona

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series capped off its regular season with a nail-biting 100-lap showdown at the iconic Daytona International Speedway. With playoff berths on the line and a full 43-car grid roaring under the Florida sun, the stage was set for chaos, drama, and a finish that would go down as one of the season’s most unforgettable moments.

Before the green flag, commentators Zach Chapman (a.k.a. Shaggy) and Josh Buckley reminded viewers of Daytona’s reputation as a “wild card” track—where anything can and usually does happen in the blink of an eye. For playoff hopefuls like Allen Wannamaker, Roger Hurley, and Luke Lane, Daytona represented their last shot at making the cut. Meanwhile, defending champion Josh Robinson, already sitting comfortably with four wins, could focus on fine-tuning his strategy. On pole was Andrew Medlin, who entered the race in a must-win situation, hoping to keep his playoff dreams alive against impossible odds.

The race wasted no time proving unpredictable. The first caution flew after a check-up near the back of the pack caused an accordion effect that collected drivers including Andrew Kotska and Jerry Isaacs. The incident, though frustrating for those caught in it, gave trailing drivers a chance to top off fuel without losing much track position. A second caution followed not long after when Guarisco in the #28 got loose, while Dakota Pischke pounded the outside wall. It was also the first glimpse of the dreaded three-wide racing, something the drivers knew could end badly at any moment. Under yellow, most of the field fueled up, with many surprisingly opting for four tires—a move the booth openly questioned so early in the event. For playoff bubble drivers Victor Lane and Luke Lane, though, the timing was perfect, saving their races from disaster.

Once the field settled into its rhythm, the race transformed into classic Daytona pack racing. The draft became everything, with drivers carefully choosing lines and managing engine temperatures as they tucked in behind one another. The “third car” in line repeatedly proved critical in keeping momentum alive, while the outside lane struggled all night to sustain energy. Pit road execution separated the contenders from the pretenders—Ben Sheppard learned the hard way when a solo pit stop left him stranded a lap down, while Allen Wannamaker squeezed out a bonus point by staying out just one lap longer before pitting. Scott Negus, who needed a win to make the playoffs, turned heads with one of the most aggressive and cleanest solo pit entries of the season, keeping his name in the mix.

As the laps ticked away, the urgency ramped up. With 12 to go, a lead pack of 12 cars pulled a five-second gap on the rest of the field, effectively locking the trailing pack out of contention unless a late caution arrived. Negus, Wannamaker, and other bubble drivers became increasingly aggressive, darting in and out of lines to find momentum. The outside lane, however, kept stalling, leading to frustrating “accordion” effects and burned-up runs.

The finish proved every bit as dramatic as promised. Andrew Medlin, who needed nothing short of a victory to sneak into the playoffs, found himself in 2nd at the white flag. Ken Allen loomed large in close behind, waiting to pounce, while Tom Ogle—running out front—played a surprising role. In the final moments, Ogle admitted to working in tandem with Medlin and Jerry Isaacs, determined to help Medlin secure his first OBRL Cup win. As Allen tried to time his run, Medlin threw blocks in every lane he could, clinging desperately to the top spot. Coming off the final corner, Ogle gave Medlin one last push, propelling him across the line first by a razor-thin margin of just 0.007 seconds over Allen.

For Medlin, the win was the stuff of dreams: his first-ever OBRL Cup victory, and it came at the most famous track in America with a playoff berth hanging in the balance. The top five included Medlin, Allen, Ogle, Jerry Isaacs, and Sean Foltz, with Wayne Hufford, Clay Walker, Greg McDaniel, James Hisop, and Dwayne McArthur rounding out the top 10.

Emotions ran high post-race. Medlin thanked his wife, family, his teammates with Team Miata, and Storm Motorsports, admitting that his gamble to not be leading at the white flag “worked out perfectly” thanks to Ogle’s help. Allen, frustrated but classy in second, believed he had the winning run saved up but was blocked at just the wrong moments. Ogle himself laughed off his third-place finish, openly saying, “my goose was cooked anyhow—I just wanted to get Andrew a win.”

For the OBRL, the Daytona regular season finale delivered everything fans could want: drama, strategy, tension, and a photo finish that swung the playoff field on its head. With the post season set to begin at Darlington Raceway, the stakes only climb higher from here.

Robinson Survives the Chaos to Win at Richmond

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series rolled into Richmond Raceway for Round 25 of the 2025 season, and fans were treated to a chaotic, tire-chewing showdown that tested every driver’s patience and skill. Defending champion Josh Robinson, already known for his cool-headed consistency, managed to outlast the carnage and claim another victory in what proved to be one of the most unpredictable races of the season.

Heading into the night, strategy was the hot topic. Tire wear—not fuel mileage—would dictate the race. Richmond’s abrasive surface meant drivers would need to manage their rubber carefully, and anyone pushing too hard too soon risked becoming a moving roadblock in the closing laps. On top of that, several drivers in the playoff bubble, like Chris Bates, were under pressure to gamble with “win or go home” strategies. Robinson started on pole with Jerry Isaacs alongside, and behind them were contenders Andrew Kotska, Dan Hill, and Dwayne MacArthur, all eyeing another race win.

The green flag dropped, and immediately the emphasis was on conservation. Drivers described the car as feeling like “driving on eggshells” on corner exit, forcing them to feather the throttle and tiptoe their way around the track. That patience didn’t last long, though, as the first caution flew only 3 laps into the race and the tone of the night was set: pit strategy and damage control were going to decide who survived.

Cortney Nelson’s night seemed doomed early after heavy left-front damage from a spin, but he became one of the stories of the race by clawing his way back onto the lead lap and salvaging a sixth-place finish. Meanwhile, the attrition rate grew higher as the laps wore on. Victor Lane, solid in the points picture, slammed into the wall mid-race and picked up a disqualification for exceeding his incident limit—a bitter pill that could shake up his playoff chances. Later, Jason Fellenbaum tried to throw a desperate block on Robinson and Kotska in the closing stages, sparking a multi-car wreck that left the broadcast crew predicting plenty of post-race committee reviews.

As if that wasn’t enough, Jerry Isaacs spun late, and Luke Lane followed him to the garage after racking up too many incident points. Cars limped, slid, and skated through the final stretch as drivers fought not just their competitors but also their worn-out tires. Through it all, Josh Robinson held steady, launching cleanly on every restart and managing his tires better than anyone else. Daniel Hill gave chase but admitted afterward that turn two was “an adventure every lap” and he needed Robinson to slip up to have any chance at the win.

At the checkered flag, Robinson crossed first, followed by Hill in second and Shawn Foltz in third after an inspired charge from the back. Greg McDaniel and Dwayne McArthur rounded out the top five, while Nelson’s comeback drive netted him sixth. For Robinson, the win was a mix of skill, strategy, and a little bit of luck. He admitted, in a few sketchy situations, he just “aimed the car and hoped for the best,” but his restarts and long-run pace proved unbeatable. With the playoffs looming and Daytona up next, Robinson made it clear he’s always racing for the win—but wouldn’t mind pushing a teammate across the line if the opportunity arises.

Daniel Hill Wins Watkins Glen Thriller

The OBRL YesterYear Racing Cup Series rolled into Watkins Glen International for the 24th round of the 2025 season, where 50 laps of high-speed, high-stakes road course action put championship hopes and tempers to the test. When the checkered flag fell, it was Daniel Hill standing tall, collecting his third win of the season after a smooth and mistake-free run in a race where survival was just as important as speed.

From the drop of the green, the Glen proved to be unforgiving. Sean Foltz learned that the hard way, smacking the outside wall early in the race and picking up heavy damage. The trouble didn’t stop there—moments later he looped his car directly in front of Greg Hammond, causing more chaos in the mid-pack. The championship picture also shifted dramatically when points leader Andrew Kotska, enjoying a season with six wins already under his belt, spun out while running strong at the front. That costly moment cracked the door wide open for the rest of the field to pounce.

One of the standout drives of the night came from Courtney Nelson, who started deep in the field and was forced to serve a drive-through penalty early on. Instead of packing it in, Nelson dug deep and consistently clocked some of the fastest laps of the race. Carving through traffic with precision, Nelson powered all the way into the top three by the closing laps, claiming a well-earned podium and leaving fans and competitors alike impressed.

The middle stages of the race were defined by intense, wheel-to-wheel action. Drivers like Tom Ogle, Dwayne McArthur, and James Hislop fought tooth and nail for every inch of track, often separated by less than a car length. Strategy also played a pivotal role, with pit timing proving decisive—Ogle in particular gained valuable ground thanks to a perfectly executed stop that put him in prime position late in the going.

In the end, though, the story was Daniel Hill’s calm, calculated approach. While others battled mistakes, bad luck, or overly ambitious moves, Hill kept his nose clean, hit his marks, and avoided the kind of trouble that claimed so many others. By the final lap, his gap was comfortable, and as the checkered flag waved, Hill crossed the line to secure a statement victory that not only boosts his season stats but could have ripple effects in the championship chase.

Watkins Glen delivered everything fans could ask for—drama, strategy, daring passes, and a few heartbreaks along the way. With the season winding down, the pressure is mounting, and if this race was any indication, the road ahead in the OBRL YesterYear Cup Series is going to be anything but predictable.