Brandon Wilkinson Powers to Seekonk iRacing Road Trip Tour Win at Lanier
SEEKONK, Mass. — Just before the halfway mark, the race flashed before Brandon Wilkinson’s eyes on Thursday night at the virtual Lanier Speedway. Wilkinson, a real-life spotter, was at the top of the field when a few lapped cars got together in front of him as part of the Bunny Hop 150 presented by Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment.
He lost the lead, but was able to quickly earn it back from Ryan Doucette with 65 laps remaining, and would roll to victory in the first of Seekonk Speedway’s iRacing Road Trip 2020 virtual tour. Driving the Moe’s Moving No. 56, Wilkinson would lead 123 laps from his fourth-place starting position en route to the win. The race aired in front of a live audience online through a broadcast on Speed51.com.
“It was a crazy race,” Wilkinson said. “I really wanted to get this win for everyone in the program. I have to thank everyone at Moe’s Moving. It was close. When the lap cars tangled, I was a wreck, because we had lost the lead. My guys did a great job calming me down. I was able to clear my head, and go get it. It couldn’t be cooler, because at some point this summer, we will all be at the same race track.”
After charging to the front from his 11th place starting spot, Richard Regan Jr. would finish second, scoring a strong points night to open the eight-race campaign. Regan, who works as a crew member on a NASCAR Sport Truck at Seekonk, was pleased with his effort.
“It was definitely a challenging race. The outside started to come in after halfway, so as long as I was able to get a good restart, I knew I would be alright,” Regan said. “I was content finishing second. I wanted to win the race, but I didn’t want to wreck my car late.”
Doucette, who perhaps drove the cleanest and most effective race of anyone in the field, had his work cut-out for him before the green flag even dropped. The Seekonk Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars competitor had to take a provisional to make the race — one he earned by winning a non-points event in the league a week prior. He would start 26th, make his way to the front by halfway — stealing 14 laps in the lead — before settling for third through a final dash of restarts.
“Big challenge… coming from last all the way up to first at one point, I was surprised we kept the car as clean as it was while doing it,” Doucette said. “Really thankful for the opportunity for everyone that puts the work into this.”
Ryan Kuhn, who spun from the lead early after contact, finished fourth and led 17 laps, while Derek Gluchacki completed the top five. PJ Evans, Jake Matheson, Tyler Tomassi, Jake Silvia and Dave Gargaro Jr. finished the top 10. As part of the contingency award program Seekonk offers competitors in the iRacing Road Trip Tour, 11 of the 28 starters in the field earned a prize via a sponsor.
Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment, located in Westport, Massachusetts, was the sponsor of the race. Helger’s can provide you with the latest and greatest in outdoor power products to make your outdoor living more enjoyable. Visit them on the web at southcoastpowerequipment.com. The race sponsorship produced a purse for competitors inside the top-five, and also put money towards the season-ending point fund.
For the win, Wilkinson earned $75, courtesy of Helger’s, along with a free paint scheme by Trent Goodrow Designs for leading the field to the line at the white flag and $8 courtesy of Watermark Electric, for scoring a victory in his heat race one night prior.
Regan would collect $50 from Helger’s for his second-place finish, while Ryan Doucette won $30 from Helger’s. Doucette would also earn the Helger’s Power Move of the Race Award, winning $25 for rolling from 26th to 3rd, and $25 from Anchor Paws Rescue for leading the field across at the halfway point. Kuhn ($25) and Gluchacki ($20) also earned prizes through Helger’s race sponsorship. A full list of contingency winners is below.
CONTINGENCY AWARD PROGRAM WINNERS:
RACE WINNINGS COURTESY OF HELGER’S: Brandon Wilkinson ($75), Richard Regan Jr. ($50), Ryan Doucette ($30), Ryan Kuhn ($25), Derek Gluchacki ($20)
FREE PAINT SCHEME FROM TRENT GOODROW DESIGNS FOR LEADING THE WHITE FLAG LAP: Brandon Wilkinson
HELGER’S POWER MOVE OF THE RACE (Most Positions Gained): Ryan Doucette, $25, 26th to 3rd
HALFWAY BONUS FROM ANCHOR PAWS RESCUE: Ryan Doucette, $25
MID-PACK MANIAC FROM A&A AUTO PARTS: Richie Murray, $12
CRIME TO PAY MORE THAN A DIME 10TH PLACE FINISHER: Dave Gargaro Jr., $100
HARD LUCK AWARD COURTESY OF ATLANTIC YACHT RIGGING: Dylan Estrella, $25
WINNING THE B-MAIN COURTESY OF TEAM V RACING: Jake Silvia, $11
HEAT WINNERS, COURTESY OF WATERMARK ELECTRIC ($8 per heat): Tyler Tomassi, Ryan Kuhn, Mason Tessier, Derek Gluchacki, Brandon Wilkinson
With his early win, Wilkinson takes the lead in the championship standings by two points over Regan, four over Doucette and six over Kuhn. The next stop on tour is at Southern National Motorsports Park for the Tarheel Classic 150 presented by Circuit Cryptocurrency on Thursday, April 30. All eight races of Seekonk’s iRacing Road Trip Tour will air live on Speed51.com. Fans can watch a full replay of the Bunny Hop 150 by visiting Speed51.com.
For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit seekonkspeedway.com and follow the track on Facebook.
OFFICIAL RESULTS: BUNNY HOP 150 PRESENTED BY HELGER’S SOUTHCOAST POWER EQUIPMENT:
- Brandon Wilkinson
- Richard Regan Jr.
- Ryan Doucette
- Ryan Kuhn
- Derek Gluchacki
- PJ Evans
- Jake Matheson
- Tyler Tomassi
- Jake Silvia
- Dave Gargaro Jr.
- Reagan Parent
- Richie Murray
- Jake Johnson
- Karlin Levesque
- Trent Goodrow
- Ryan Vanasse Jr.
- Mason Tessier
- Robert Rund
- Collin Vanasse
- Jimmy “Pepe” Silvia
- Steve Bowden
- Andrew Gomes
- Reese Bogue
- Josh Parsons
- Tom Scully III
- Dylan Estrella
- Jake Kleamovich
- Ethan Souza
Sources: Kyle Souza/SeekonkSpeedway.com