In a 24-hour span Logan Seavey accomplished something few, if any, drivers could – even in the virtual world.
After winning his first World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model iRacing Invitational Monday night, he backed the win up with a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car iRacing Invitational win Tuesday night – his second World of Outlaws Sprint Car iRacing win in three races. Both Late Model and Sprint Car races were $1,000-to-win events at the (virtual) Knoxville Raceway.
While it took a dramatic last lap pass Monday night to claim the victory at the historic half-mile, Seavey was the king of the road Tuesday night. He set Cometic Gaskets Quick Time, won the Drydene Heat Race and then led all 35-laps of the NOS Energy Drink Feature.
However, it didn’t feel easy to him. He relied on a tactic used by another familiar name that also has wins in a Sprint Car and Late Model – in reality.
“That track was really really tricky,” said Seavey, of Sutter, CA. “The top was way too treacherous. I knew my car was really good in the middle. We did a couple of practice races. I was most happy running right through the middle, like we see (10-time World of Outlaws champion) Donny (Schatz) do so many times around Knoxville. That’s where my car seemed to be happy. Luckily I got a good enough qualifying lap to get me up front and get me away from everything and our speed was able to show there in the Feature.”
If he didn’t pull away, Seavey would have been subject to the hornets’ nest of hungry racers behind him. Brett Michalski, Tony Gualda, Christopher Bell, Kevin Swindell and Chase Briscoe gave each other a workout, trading slide jobs and battling side by side every lap.
Two-wide. Three-wide. The cluster of drivers were relentless, giving each other no time to relax and no chance to miss their mark. Michalski and Gualda spent the most time in the top-three, racing wheel-to-wheel lap after lap. On the final restart with two laps to go, Michalski snuck underneath Gualda for second in Turn 1. Bell dove into the opening underneath Gualda and the two made contact, turning Gualda sideways in the corner, but with incredible car control the California driver got his #99 pointed straight and charged his way around the high side of the track to get back around Bell.
Michalski finished second and Gualda third – the second podium finish for both drivers in the iRacing Invitationals.
“I was just trying to keep the car under me,” Michalski said. “The track was definitely slick and racey. It was a blast. I started sweating. Next time I think I’m going to get a fan on me here. I was just trying to work the bottom. I was actually up top a little bit, too. I got into Tony (Gualda) there and I felt bad and I apologized to him. He did give me a shot in the next corner. It was definitely, hands down, a lot of fun.”
Fun was a common word amongst the competitors and one Gualda used to describe his podium run, too – among other descriptions.
“It was pretty sketchy there at the end,” Gualda said. “We had three of four of us there between Michalski and (Danny) Dietrich and Bell. It was fun. Track kind of changed up quite a bit at least. Felt like the bottom went away early and I slowly started moving up. Just a little too tight there at the end. But had fun and thankful to be a part of this deal.”
Dietrich ran in the top-three most of the night and finished 10th after hitting the wall on the last lap but was disqualified for not following the rules set forth in the World of Outlaws iRacing League. Race officials asked for verification that he was the on driving his #48 car and he did not provide any. Officials were then left with no choice but to score him last in 22nd.
Among the tight racing in the back of the field, Bill Balog had a strong run from 21st to eight, claiming the night’s KSE Hard Charger award.
Seavey now has three top division iRacing wins in the last four days. He won NASCAR’s Saturday Night Thunder iRacing event at Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night. Then went on win in the Late Model and Sprint Car with the Outlaws.
On Wednesday night, he’ll look to extend that record another day further when he races a Late Model in the World of Outlaws iRacing Invitationals on FOX Sports 1 at 8pm (ET). It’ll be the World of Outlaws’ second time on FS1 after a successful debut last week.
The hour-long program will Feature a 35-lap Sprint Car Feature with a hand-picked field of elite drivers like Kyle Larson, David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Ron Capps, Juan Pablo Montoya and more. Directly after the Sprint Cars will be a 50-lap Late Model Feature with its own hand-picked field of drivers like Scott Bloomquist, Larson, Seavey and Austin Dillon. Both events will, again, be at Knoxville Raceway.
Johnny Gibson will be announcing both Features with Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon commentating and Adam Alexander hosting.
RESULTS:
World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car iRacing Invitational; April 7, 2020; Knoxville (IA) Raceway
NOS Energy Drink Feature (35 laps) — 1. 19-Logan Seavey [1][$1,000]; 2. 73-Brett Michalski [10]; 3. 99-Tony Gualda [6]; 4. 21-Christopher Bell [4]; 5. 39-Kevin Swindell [3]; 6. 5-Chase Briscoe [5]; 7. 31-Justyn Cox [13]; 8. 170-Bill Balog [21]; 9. 23-Seth Bergman [22]; 10. 41-David Gravel [16]; 11. 7-Tyler Courtney [7]; 12. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [9]; 13. 1-Logan Schuchart [12]; 14. 17-Austin McCarl [11]; 15. 2-Carson Macedo [15]; 16. 21-Brian Brown [14]; 17. 1-Randy Hannagan [19]; 18. 57-Kyle Larson [8]; 19. 55-Robbie Kendall [2]; 20. 17-Max McLaughlin [18]; 21. 97-Max Stambaugh [20]; 22. 48-Danny Dietrich [DQ]. Lap leader: Logan Seavey, 1-35; KSE Hard Charger: Bill Balog +13.
Racing Electronics Qualifying — 1. 19-Logan Seavey [14.973]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson [14.987]; 3. 39-Kevin Swindell [14.99]; 4. 21-Christopher Bell [14.995]; 5. 5-Chase Briscoe [15.006]; 6. 1-Logan Schuchart [15.012]; 7. 7-Tyler Courtney [15.021]; 8. 55-Robbie Kendall [15.022]; 9. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [15.025]; 10. 5-Jamie Ball [15.026]; 11. 48-Danny Dietrich [15.03]; 12. 99-Tony Gualda [15.053]; 13. 190-Chris Windom [15.053]; 14. 21-Brian Brown [15.055]; 15. 2-Carson Macedo [15.055]; 16. 73-Brett Michalski [15.061]; 17. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [15.067]; 18. 17-Max McLaughlin [15.078]; 19. 31-Justyn Cox [15.081]; 20. 97-Max Stambaugh [15.087]; 21. 14-Parker Price-Miller [15.09]; 22. 88-Trent Ivey [15.091]; 23. 17-Austin McCarl [15.093]; 24. 170-Bill Balog [15.093]; 25. 23-Seth Bergman [15.094]; 26. 1-Randy Hannagan [15.103]; 27. 11-Zeb Wise [15.108]; 28. 41-David Gravel [15.109]; 29. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [15.114]; 30. 44-Stewart Friesen [15.115]; 31. 10-Joe Kata [15.117]; 32. 5-Brent Marks [15.118]; 33. 87-Aaron Reutzel [15.123]; 34. 66-Matt Cosner [15.124]; 35. 2-Wayne Johnson [15.138]; 36. 46-Michael Bauer [15.139]; 37. 13-Paul McMahan [15.147]; 38. 39-Anthony Macri [15.147]; 39. 87-Ryan Bernal [15.152]; 40. 91-Cale Thomas [15.158]; 41. 18-Ian Madsen [15.171]; 42. 9-Kyle Schuett [15.172]; 43. 27-Brad Lamberson [15.188]; 44. 52-Blake Hahn [15.199]; 45. 27-Carson McCarl [15.211]; 46. 69-Lance Dewease [15.238]; 47. 2-Kerry Madsen [15.262]; 48. 16-Chris Andrews [15.357]; 49. 7-Justin Allgaier [15.375]; 50. 99-Larry Wight [15.408]; 51. 28-Ron Capps [15.423]; 52. 555-Dylan Cisney [16.022]; 53. 40-George Hobaugh [NT].
Drydene Heat #1 (10 laps) — Top 3 Transfer — 1. 19-Logan Seavey [1]; 2. 7-Tyler Courtney [2]; 3. 31-Justyn Cox [4]; 4. 190-Chris Windom [3]; 5. 23-Seth Bergman [5]; 6. 10-Joe Kata [6]; 7. 27-Brad Lamberson [8]; 8. 7-Justin Allgaier [9]; 9. 13-Paul McMahan [7].
Dart Machinery Heat #2 (10 laps) — Top 3 Transfer — 1. 55-Robbie Kendall [2]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson [1]; 3. 21-Brian Brown [3]; 4. 1-Randy Hannagan [5]; 5. 97-Max Stambaugh [4]; 6. 99-Larry Wight [9]; 7. 39-Anthony Macri [7]; 8. 5-Brent Marks [6]; 9. 52-Blake Hahn [8].
Comp Cams Heat #3 (10 laps) — Top 3 Transfer — 1. 39-Kevin Swindell [1]; 2. 37-Mitchell Faccinto [2]; 3. 2-Carson Macedo [3]; 4. 87-Ryan Bernal [7]; 5. 27-Carson McCarl [8]; 6. 28-Ron Capps [9]; 7. 14-Parker Price-Miller [4]; 8. 11-Zeb Wise [5]; 9. 87-Aaron Reutzel [6].
Hoosier Racing Tire Heat #4 (10 laps) — Top 3 Transfer — 1. 21-Christopher Bell [1]; 2. 73-Brett Michalski [3]; 3. 41-David Gravel [5]; 4. 91-Cale Thomas [7]; 5. 5-Jamie Ball [2]; 6. 69-Lance Dewease [8]; 7. 66-Matt Cosner [6]; 8. 555-Dylan Cisney [9]; 9. 88-Trent Ivey [4].
ARP Fasteners Heat #5 (10 laps) — Top 3 Transfer — 1. 5-Chase Briscoe [1]; 2. 17-Austin McCarl [4]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [2]; 4. 2-Wayne Johnson [6]; 5. 18-Ian Madsen [7]; 6. 2-Kerry Madsen [8]; 7. 40-George Hobaugh [9]; 8. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [5]; 9. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [3].
EZ-GO Heat #6 (10 laps) — Top 3 Transfer — 1. 99-Tony Gualda [2]; 2. 1-Logan Schuchart [1]; 3. 17-Max McLaughlin [3]; 4. 170-Bill Balog [4]; 5. 46-Michael Bauer [6]; 6. 16-Chris Andrews [8]; 7. 44-Stewart Friesen [5]; 8. 9-Kyle Schuett [7].
FVP Batteries D-Main (10 laps) — Top 4 Transfer — 1. 88-Trent Ivey [11]; 2. 44-Stewart Friesen [1]; 3. 5-Brent Marks [3]; 4. 7-Justin Allgaier [2]; 5. 13-Paul McMahan [8]; 6. 52-Blake Hahn [9]; 7. 11-Zeb Wise [4]; 8. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [6]; 9. 87-Aaron Reutzel [10]; 10. 19-Troy Wagaman Jr [12]; 11. 555-Dylan Cisney [5]; 12. 9-Kyle Schuett [7].
VP Racing Fuels C-Main (12 laps) — Top 4 Transfer — 1. 88-Trent Ivey [11]; 2. 27-Brad Lamberson [6]; 3. 39-Anthony Macri [7]; 4. 5-Brent Marks [13]; 5. 16-Chris Andrews [5]; 6. 66-Matt Cosner [9]; 7. 7-Justin Allgaier [14]; 8. 40-George Hobaugh [10]; 9. 44-Stewart Friesen [12]; 10. 99-Larry Wight [1]; 11. 14-Parker Price-Miller [8]; 12. 28-Ron Capps [2]; 13. 2-Kerry Madsen [4]; 14. 69-Lance Dewease [3].
Morton Buildings Last Chance Showdown (14 laps) — Top 4 Transfer — 1. 1-Randy Hannagan [2]; 2. 97-Max Stambaugh [8]; 3. 170-Bill Balog [6]; 4. 23-Seth Bergman [7]; 5. 88-Trent Ivey [14]; 6. 87-Ryan Bernal [3]; 7. 190-Chris Windom [1]; 8. 27-Brad Lamberson [15]; 9. 5-Jamie Ball [10]; 10. 2-Wayne Johnson [5]; 11. 10-Joe Kata [13]; 12. 46-Michael Bauer [12]; 13. 5-Brent Marks [17]; 14. 18-Ian Madsen [11]; 15. 91-Cale Thomas [4]; 16. 27-Carson McCarl [9]; 17. 39-Anthony Macri [16].
World Racing Group PR
