LaPradd Leads JRM Again in Penultimate eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Playoff Thriller at Phoenix, McCandless Rallies to 28th

September 17, 2025

Track Specs: 1-mile oval / 120 laps
LaPradd’s finish: 22nd
McCandless’ finish: 28th

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Sept. 17, 2025) – In the penultimate eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series event of the season on Tuesday night at the virtual Phoenix Raceway, Briar LaPradd made it two good runs in a row on the way to a 22nd-place finish. JR Motorsports teammate Blake McCandless overcame a crash at the start and another at the halfway point to earn 28th at the checkered flag. (Watch the full race.)

Vicente Salas earned the victory to punch his ticket to the Championship 4, beating Connor Yeroschak to the line. Jordy Lopez, Casey Kirwan and Zack Novak held down the next three places in the finishing order. Steven Wilson, Kirwan and Novak will join Salas in the winner-take-all event at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on Oct. 7.

LaPradd started 24th in the field in his familiar No. 88 Ledford Billiard Supply Chevrolet and had to avoid a wreck very early on the opening lap. After making the move to avoid, his Chevrolet bottomed out and spun.

Rejoining the field near the tail, LaPradd climbed back into the mid-pack. On a single-file restart later in the race, LaPradd was involved in a stack-up and received some damage to the nose, but a caution soon after allowed him to make repairs on pit road. Fighting back, LaPradd earned a 22nd-place finish and led JRM for the second straight race.

McCandless qualified his No. 8 C4 Energy 29th and was caught in the first-lap scuffle that also included his teammate. The damage he accumulated would stay with him the rest of the night and slow his run toward the front.

Another incident just past the halfway point occurred, in which he tangled with Parker White, and added more damage to the mix. With nothing to lose, McCandless gambled and took tires for the green-white-checkered finish, missing a couple of crashing cars to rise to 28th at the finish.

This year’s finale in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series schedule is set for Oct. 7 at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. The venue will switch to the NASCAR Hall of Fame for that event.

Briar LaPradd, driver No. 88 Ledford Billiard Supply Chevrolet:

“We had an OK race overall, despite having to dodge cars on the opening lap and getting squeezed. We got it fixed and still had some work to do and finished 22nd. That isn’t great, but we kept digging and scrapping and moving forward. We’ve got one more race to get it done this season and we’ll get after it at Homestead-Miami in a couple of weeks.”

Blake McCandless, driver No. 8 C4 Energy Chevrolet team

“We’ve honestly managed to not be the bug on the windshield for a majority of this season, but I guess it was going to come for us eventually. Just one of those nights we got put behind the eight-ball early and just never had a car capable of contending after that. Wasn’t much we could control with the multiple wrecks that happened directly in front of us. We were lucky to get up into the Top 30 and salvage a couple of points. Hope we can give the C4 Energy No. 8 one last great ride before heading into the offseason to try and make it back.”