So, Timmy Hill is really good at iRacing.
The veteran driver took the checkered flag in Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 125, the second official eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series event. It was Hill’s 674th (!) career win in iRacing, the world’s leading sim racing game. Ryan Preece finished in second, with Garrett Smithley, Landon Cassill and Alex Bowman rounding out the top five.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished sixth after a second consecutive strong showing, while last week’s winner, Denny Hamlin, finished 24th.
Hill prevailed in what became a true war of attrition. Featuring past and present NASCAR stars, the virtual race at Texas Motor Speedway underwent multiple cautions in the final laps, eventually concluding after a photo finish in overtime.
Here’s the wreck that sent the race to overtime:
This caution changes everything!
A late restart is coming up in the #ProInvitationalSeries after this crash involving @RyanPreece_ and @WilliamByron! pic.twitter.com/o5RpCI6jBk
— eNASCAR (@NASCAR) March 29, 2020
And here’s Hill taking the checkered flag:
HE'S DONE IT!
Retweet to congratulate @TimmyHillRacer on the virtual win at @TXMotorSpeedway! #ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/T557l5Efns
— eNASCAR (@NASCAR) March 29, 2020
A photo finish. ?@TimmyHillRacer | #ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/y0x1uig1VL
— eNASCAR (@NASCAR) March 29, 2020
Finally, take a look at Hill’s reaction to winning the race:
"How 'bout that!?" @TimmyHillRacer checks in with @NASCARONFOX following his victory Sunday in the #ProInvitationalSeries! pic.twitter.com/v5S3lFjGP4
— eNASCAR (@NASCAR) March 29, 2020
Obviously, racing fans want nothing more than real NASCAR racing to return. However, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the iRacing Pro Invitational Series has become not just a worthy substitute, but an excellent product and broadcast in its own right.
The next race is scheduled for next Sunday at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway. Following a scheduled break for Easter Sunday, participants will compete April 26 at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway.
