ROSSBURG, Ohio – For the second time in as many UMP Modified IROC Invitationals, Chase Briscoe left no doubt who the fastest man in town was.
With a commanding performance Wednesday night at the virtual Eldora Speedway, Briscoe came from sixth on the grid to the lead in less than six laps, then dusted the field for the duration of the feature.
Despite a lap-10 caution for the spinning car of Cruz Pedregon off turn two, Briscoe stretched his legs following the restart on the 17th round and opened up a mammoth half-lap lead over the field.
By the time he took the checkered flag, Briscoe’s margin over second-place Santino Ferrucci was an incredible 9.268 seconds.
It was Briscoe’s second win during Wednesday Night iRacing on FS1, and he joined Scott Speed as a repeat winner in the series.
“That was a lot of fun,” Briscoe said. “I still need a little luck on the late model side, but man, these modifieds have been a blast. You just slip and slide around with how narrow the tires are on these things, and as the track got slicker and moved up around the wall, it made it really enjoyable to drive.
“A dirt background definitely helps, but this was a great time and I’ve been glad to be a part of it,” he added. “My good buddy Jack Hewitt always said that the closer you run to the wall, the less it’ll hurt when you hit it, so I kept using it to try and help me turn tonight and it paid off for us.”
Bobby Labonte, who won the preceding super late model half of the doubleheader, was third ahead of NHRA star Ron Capps and past Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya.
Only five cars finished on the lead lap at the end of the 35-lap main event.
The results:
1. 98-Chase Briscoe [6], 2. 18-Santino Ferrucci [7], 3. 44-Bobby Labonte [1], 4. 29-Ron Capps [3], 5. 6-Juan Pablo Montoya [5], 6. 12-Will Power [11], 7. 4-Kevin Harvick [9], 8. 41-Scott Speed [12], 9. 24-David Gravel [4], 10. 45-Patrick Long [10], 11. 71-Cruz Pedregon [2], 12. 51-Kyle Busch [8].
Lead Changes: Two among three drivers
Lap Leaders: Bobby Labonte Grid, Ron Capps 1-5, Chase Briscoe 6-35
Laps Led: Chase Briscoe 30, Ron Capps 5
Caution Flags: One for six laps
Margin of Victory: 9.268 seconds
Time of Race: 12 minutes, 24.445 seconds
Average Speed: 84.627 mph