Ryan Kuhn Rockets to Virtual Seekonk Win at Southern National
GRABS CHECKERED IN TARHEEL CLASSIC 150 PRESENTED BY CIRCUIT CRYPTOCURRENCY
SEEKONK, Mass. — Ryan Kuhn took the lead on lap 50 and never looked back on Thursday night — winning the second race of Seekonk Speedway’s virtual iRacing Road Trip Tour at Southern National Motorsports Park. Kuhn earned a $75 winning prize courtesy of race sponsor Circuit Cryptocurrency and also collected additional prizes of cryptocurrency and bitcoin, courtesy of Circuit. The race aired live to a national audience on Speed51.com.
“It was a very good race, a lot of big dogs up front. I love to see that,” Kuhn, who led the final 106 laps, said. “It was just an all-around fun race. A good start, it got a little hairy in the middle, but it ended up good for me. Very happy with the result.”
After a 10-car invert, Dave Gargaro and Robert Rund would lead the field to green — but the two would fall back in the field early, while rising Seekonk real-life Bandolero regular PJ Evans took control. He would lead until a restart at the 50-lap mark, where Kuhn would get the advantage from the outside pole and take the top spot.
As the race entered the final stages, Thomas Axsom, who started 27th, worked his way up to third, trailing Ryan Doucette. Axsom would bump into the back of Doucette going into turn three on the final lap, sending Doucette up the track, and Axsom would cross second at the finish. However, a call from Race Control would place Axsom behind Doucette in the final finish as a penalty for the contact, both outside the top five.
Brandon Wilkinson would finish second, while Jake Matheson, Evans and Giovanni Ruggerio completed the top-five. The top-five included a mix of two former Seekonk real-life champions (Kuhn & Matheson), a spotter (Wilkinson), and two Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero competitors (Evans and Ruggerio). Richard Regan Jr. rebounded from a mid-race wreck to finish sixth, while Doucette, Axsom, Ty LeClerc and Derek Gluchacki finished the top 10.
Courtesy of Circuit, Wilkinson earned $50 for second, while Matheson was awarded $30 for third. Evans ($25) and Ruggerio ($20) also collected purse winnings. A group of additional drivers in the field would also earn contingency sponsorship awards from their finishes. One night prior, Doucette, Wilkinson, Matheson and Richie Murray would win qualifying races, earning $8 courtesy of Watermark Electric. Dylan Estrella, a two-time Seekonk Late Model champion in real-life, won the B-Main, and collected $11 from Team V Racing. A full list of contingency winners is below.
All drivers in the field earned 2,000 $CRCT from Circuit for making the starting field.
TARHEEL CLASSIC 150 PRESENTED BY CIRCUIT CONTINGENCY WINNERS:
Homerun Heats ($8 Per Heat Winner): Ryan Doucette, Brandon Wilkinson, Richie Murray, Jake Matheson
B-Main Winner ($11 From Team V Racing): Dylan Estrella
Route 6 Kia Crime To Pay More Than A Dime 10th Place Feature Finisher ($100): Derek Gluchacki
“Hard Luck” Award Courtesy of Atlantic Yacht Rigging ($25): Richie Murray
Mid-Pack Maniac From A&A Auto Parts, 12th Place Finisher ($12): Reagan Parent
Halfway Bonus, Anchor Paws Rescue ($25): Ryan Kuhn
Leading The White, Free Paint Scheme From Trent Goodrow: Ryan Kuhn
Helger’s Southcoast Power Move Of the Race (Most Positions Gained, $25): Thomas Axsom
Following two finishes inside the top-two so far, Wilkinson leads the point standings with six races remaining, by four over Kuhn and 12 over Richard Regan Jr.
Seekonk’s 2020 iRacing Road Trip Tour returns to the track on Thursday, May 21, with the Memorial 150 presented by Bernier’s Liquors at Irwindale Speedway. The race will air live on Speed51.com.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit seekonkspeedway.com and follow the track on Facebook.
OFFICIAL RESULTS: TARHEEL 150 PRESENTED BY CIRCUIT
1. Ryan Kuhn
2. Brandon Wilkinson
3. Jake Matheson
4. PJ Evans
5. Giovanni Ruggerio
6. Richard Regan Jr.
7. Ryan Doucette
8. Thomas Axsom
9. Ty LeClerc
10. Derek Gluchacki
11. Jake Silvia
12. Reagan Parent
13. Dave Gargaro
14. Reese Bogue
15. Jake Johnson
16. Nick Wood
17. Chase Belcher
18. Tyler Tomassi
19. Richard Murray
20. Trent Goodrow
21. Robert Rund
22. Dylan Estrella
23. Joe Kohler
24. Brad Sousa
25. Karlin Levesque
26. Mason Tessier
27. Austin Flanagan
Sources: SeekonkSpeedway.com