HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Story by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — iRacing.com photo —
It all comes down to this.
At the end of 125 laps (just a shade under 200 miles) on Monday night, one driver will leave the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway celebrating and three others will exit their simulated NASCAR Sprint Cup Series machines disappointed following the finish to the 33rd and final race of the 2015 =RSR= Full Throttle Cup Series season.
The Real Sim Racing Championship Race will award the Full Throttle Cup to one of four finalists eligible for the series championship — all drivers who have advanced through three prior rounds of the elimination-style Chase Grid and survived the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator Round cutoffs.
Reigning series champion Eric Brundies leads the quartet to Miami, but first-time Championship 4 members Dwayne Vincent, Greg Evans and Christopher Hurlow all still believe they have a chance to wrest the reins away and prevent the Davenport, Iowa native from locking down his second-consecutive crown.
All four have their thoughts on how Monday night’s season-ending event (9:30 p.m. ET, LSRTV, iRacing Live) will go down, and they shared those thoughts with Race Chaser Online below.
Eric Brundies — No. 94 White Castle Ford Fusion; Reigning FTCS Champion
Brundies advanced to the 10-race Chase by way of a victory at Richmond International Raceway in April, but has lit up during the playoffs. He scored a win at Dover to advance out of the Challenger 16 and has used a total of five top five and six top 10 finishes in the first nine events to advance to the Championship Round.
He says that going in as the defending series champion carries with it a sense of familiarity in having been through the process and the pressure before, but adds that nothing is certain once the green flag drops.
“Things are definitely different this year,” Brundies admits in regards to the Chase. “Last year we dominated the entire season — basically meaning that the pressure to back that [level of performance] up in the Championship Race was enormous. This year the pressure is completely off. Not only have we already hoisted the trophy once, but I haven’t really felt that our team is pegged as the favorites too much this time around, if we even are at all.”
“We’re flying completely under the radar, which is the way I like it. I feel like the experience of having been there before might help us a little, but probably not too much. As far as actual race preparation goes, the other three guys will show up to the track just as prepared as we are — I can promise you that.”
With all of that being said, going back-to-back would be absolutely incredible, and because of that I’m going to lay it all out on the line Monday night. It’s going to be an amazing battle and I’m looking forward to it!”
Dwayne Vincent — No. 13 Havoline/RollSpeed Dynamics Ford Fusion; All-Time FTCS Wins and Poles Leader
Vincent has been the model of consistency for the entire Full Throttle Cup Series to follow ever since its inception in 2012. Not only does he lead the series’ all-time wins (17) and poles (16) lists, but he led the points standings for 18 of the regular season 23 races and entered the Chase as the highest non-winner in points, a strong threat despite being the No. 12 seed.
His winless drought was shattered quickly once the Chase began, as he won the second race of the Challenger Round (at Loudon) to break a near-two year winless drought in the series and rocket into a position as one of the title favorites. Three solid finishes in the Contender Round advanced him on points to the field of eight, and then a second Chase win at Texas propelled him on to a berth in the trophy duel at Homestead.
Now, after seven top five finishes in the nine Chase races, Vincent looks to cap off a career season in the series he’s helped to build with his first-ever FTCS championship.
“I’m treating [Homestead] like it’s just another race and preparing myself to be the best I can be, just like any other week,” Vincent said. “But at the same time I have to remember what’s at stake [in the race] without letting it get to me. It will be extremely tough to win this championship with all of the talent [in the field], not only with the other three Chase drivers but the other 40 drivers that want to win a race before the year is out — so I have to keep in mind that I just need to beat three drivers.”
“I want to win this thing really, really bad. I’ve been trying for a few years now to get it done and it really would mean a lot to me. The last full season I ran was 2013, and I put so much [effort] into it and lost it to Chad Cole that it took a lot out of me … so I sat out a year and came back this season to give it another shot.”
“I learned a lot from that season, so hopefully I can take what I learned and keep in mind what it felt like to not win it. I hope it all works out this time, but to be honest, the whole series was extremely competitive this year and we had some very good racing; there’s a lot to be said for that as being one of the drivers who’s been with it largely since the beginning. For the most part [I’ve] enjoyed myself — and it’s been a great ride — so come Monday we will crown a champion and whoever wins will truly deserve it. May the best man win this thing!”
Greg Evans — No. 23 PPG Automotive Finishes/John Deere/Steel Horse Racing Chevrolet SS; Five-time FTCS race winner
Evans was the bombshell of the season’s second half — winning his second regular season race and locking into the Chase field at Bristol in August — but his performance down the stretch has been remarkable.
He became the first driver to punch his ticket to the Championship Round by way of a win at Martinsville, and was in the right place at the right time in Phoenix a week ago to capitalize and win his second Chase race in the Eliminator Round as a result.
Now, he looks to use that momentum to defy the pressure, go to victory lane one more time and capture his first FTCS title in his first full-time season.
“I don’t think any of us will really feel any pressure through the week, but as soon as you settle in and the pre-race festivities start with qualifying — that’s when all the nerves will hit,” Evans says. “I’m just trying to keep my focus on anything other than the race all week. I might play out different scenarios [in my head] of what might happen and how I would best handle them, but that’s about it.”
“It would mean a lot to come away from Homestead with the championship … not just for me, but the whole [Steel Horse Racing] team. I took a whole year away from the sim before this season started, so to come back and win the Championship — in what I consider one of the most competitive leagues anywhere on the service — would be my most memorable accomplishment to date.”
Christopher Hurlow — No. 87 Performance Motorsports Network Chevrolet SS; Leading FTCS rookie contender
Hurlow was Real Sim Racing’s version of Martin Truex Jr. entering the Chase for the Championship this fall.
He came in as the ultimate underdog, stealing a victory at Darlington Raceway in the second-to-last regular-season race to transfer into the Chase Grid, and has used unparalleled consistency to advance on points through every cutoff race.
His best finish in the first nine Chase events? Fourth at Martinsville during the Eliminator Round. But it’s been just enough for the rookie driver who did not compete in the first quarter of the season, but came on strong down the stretch.
He believes he has a shot to win the title — but the West Virginia sim-racer admits it’s not going to be easy with the caliber of competition his other three rivals bring to the table, and continues to express that he’s “simply thankful to have a shot at it.”
“Honestly, I didn’t think that I would make it this far, coming back from a horrible car accident and having my shoulder be injured the way it is but, I’m very excited to know I have the opportunity to compete for the championship as a rookie in the series,” Hurlow said of his season. “I know I’m going into the race Monday night as the dark horse or the underdog, but that’s okay by me.”
“I feel like I’ve had a [very] successful season … winning at Darlington and making it to the final four … and honestly, I could probably rest easy on all of that, but now? I’m not going to be happy unless I win the championship. After everything I’ve fought through and survived, it would mean the world to me to become a RSR Full Throttle Cup Series champion, because of the prestige that comes with being the champion and the talent in the field. I know I’m competing against world-class drivers — drivers that could make it to the Pro and NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series levels if they wanted to — but I’m here to prove that even if you’re an underdog, you can put your heart and soul into something and be able succeed.”
“It’s taken hard work, determination and a never give up attitude for each of us to get here, and whoever can exemplify that the best on Monday night will be the one that walks away a champion. That’s the only thing that’s completely assured in all of this.”
The final race of the =RSR= Full Throttle Cup Series’ 2015 season, the Garry Mercer Trucking 200 FTCS Championship Race, will air Monday night, Nov. 23 at 9:30 p.m. ET live on LSRTV and iRacing Live.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network. Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 21-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for both the United Sprint Car Series and the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: speed77radio@gmail.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
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