Track Specs: 2.5-mile oval / 40 laps
Dohar’s finish (XBox): 11th
Gornick’s finish (PS4): 12th
Team Point Standings: JRM 13th (-230)
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 30, 2020) – JR Motorsports driver Tyler Dohar (XBox) and Joe Gornick (PS4) had one last chance to earn their way into the championship race in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League on Wednesday night at the virtual Daytona International Speedway. Unfortunately, neither driver was able to win the Wild-Card race or place highest among those not already qualified.
Dohar, kicking things off in the 40-lap wild-card race, started fifth in the 14-car field and challenged early, moving to third place by the time the field reached Turn 2 on the opening lap. The Ohio driver was squarely in the middle of a six-car breakaway through the first six laps before taking to the high line entering Turn 3. That turned out to be a pivotal move, as he was shuffled out of the lead pack and fell to the rear of the line.
That was the beginning of a long trek for Dohar and the No. 88 Good Humor Chevrolet. Racing at the back of the pack robbed him of the ability to save fuel and he was forced to pit under green, losing a lap in the process. Getting back up to speed and waiting for the rest of the field to hit pit road, the caution flag trapped him one lap down. A late yellow got Dohar back on the lead lap, and he lined up 13th for the first of what would be two overtime restarts. In the first, Dohar was caught up in a chain-reaction melee off Turn 3 as the field was coming to the white flag.
Restarting 14th for the second overtime, Dohar was able to get down to the preferred bottom line. Hewas 13th into Turn 1 and 11th by the time the field reached the backstretch, but could move no farther up the order and finished there.
In the PS4 event, Gornick started fifth on the inside in his No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet and hugged the bottom through the first lap. He was fourth the first time by the flag stand, but tried to get the high line started on the second lap and fell back to 12th. He and front-row starter Joey Stone dropped to the tail of the field for the first part of the race, barely tagging the draft. It would be a scenario that would play out again over the remaining laps.
After pitting, Gornick lost the draft and ran eight seconds behind the 12th-place machine, by himself on the race track as the field neared the halfway point. A caution waved with 16 to go, and Gornick caught back up to the field for the restart. Tailing the field in 14th, he raced his way to 12th with 10 laps remaining. Riding with a group in the high line, Gornick drove all the way to sixth at one point until the leaders dived back to the bottom.
With three to go, the Pennsylvania driver was back in the top 10 on the bottom, and was on the move up on the outside coming to the penultimate lap before getting turned from behind at the exit of Turn 4. The crash brought out the yellow, and set up another overtime restart. Taking off from 13th, Gornick was able to move up as others crashed around him, but the caution waved yet again in Turn 2.
Restarting 10th on the high side, Gornick was eighth by Turn 2 and sixth off Turn 2 on the final lap. He was fourth off Turn 4 before getting doored by another competitor and eventually finished 12th.
The eNASCAR Heat Pro League will conduct its winner-take-all Championship race on Aug. 19 at a track to be named later.
Tyler Dohar, XBox driver No. 88 Good Humor Chevrolet team
Joe Gornick, PS4 driver No. 7 BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet team