Bobby Zalenski has been called The King of the Road Courses in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. Zalenski reaffirmed that status by leading every lap to win the Logitech 45 at the virtual Chicago Street Course on Tuesday, July 2.
It was Zalenski’s second win of 2024 and the 16th of his eNCCiS career, completing a sweep of the road courses this season in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Zalenski, a resident of Fresno, California, became just the second multi-race winner of 2024, joining defending champion Steven Wilson.
Parker White kept Zalenski honest throughout the night but ultimately finished second, followed by Wilson in third. Vicente Salas and Casey Kirwan completed the top-five.
“Shoutout to [Parker White],” Zalenski said on the Sunoco Post Race Report. “He pushed me last year, and he pushed me this year. Thankfully, I was able to stay ahead of him.”
Four eNCCiS drivers raced live from the Navy Pier in Chicago: Matt Bussa, Garrett Manes, Tucker Minter, and Nick Ottinger. Out of those four, Ottinger placed the highest in 12th.
Brian Mercurio finished 18th substituting for Collin Bowden in the No. 17 RFK Racing Ford.
TONIGHT’S ACTION
For the second time this season, series officials divided the race into two sections: a 15-lap sprint race and a 30-lap feature race. This format was previously used at Brands Hatch in England, the other road course on the 2024 eNCCiS schedule.
The top eight drivers in qualifying prior to the sprint race earned series points, with Salas getting eight points for the fastest time, all the way down to one point for White in eighth. The top eight then had their spots inverted for the sprint race, meaning White started on pole.
SPRINT RACE
White led the field to the green flag, but he did not stay there long as Zalenski went by to lead the opening lap. Behind them, a couple of multi-car wrecks shook up the running order in the mid-pack on lap 1.
Zalenski and White quickly stood out as the drivers to beat, pulling away from third-place Wilson by over two seconds and then another four seconds back to Dylan Duval in fourth.
With White right in his tire tracks, Zalenski held on to lead all the laps and claim the top starting position for the feature race. White maintained second place, followed by Wilson, Duval, and Kirwan.
FEATURE RACE
Zalenski and White made up the front row for the start of the 30-lap feature. They remained side-by-side for the…
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