Steven Wilson etched his name deeper into eNASCAR history Tuesday night at EchoPark Speedway, capturing his 18th career eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Championship Series victory and moving into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time wins list. The two-time champion’s first win of the 2026 season came with added significance, as he paid tribute to the late Kyle Busch with a post-race bow that honored the NASCAR legend who passed away less than two weeks ago at age 41.
The Spire Motorsports driver started 17th and methodically worked his way through a chaotic 104-lap event that featured seven cautions and multiple lead changes. Wilson’s victory extended a remarkable winning streak for Spire Motorsports across multiple NASCAR series, following Kyle Busch’s final career win in the Craftsman Truck Series at Dover on May 15th and Daniel Suarez’s Cup Series victory at Charlotte two weeks ago.
Wilson Takes Sole Possession of Fourth on All-Time Wins List
Entering the night tied with fellow champion Ryan Luza at 17 career wins, Wilson needed a strong performance to break the deadlock. The path to victory lane proved challenging, as the Hampton, Georgia oval delivered its trademark unpredictability. Wilson didn’t crack the top 10 until 36 laps remained and didn’t lead his first lap until 19 laps to go.
The breakthrough came on Lap 92, when Wilson seized control and navigated a treacherous final restart in eNASCAR Overtime. With tires worn to the virtual cords, Wilson employed a defensive strategy that utilized dirty air and precise lane control to keep challengers at bay.
“It was a lot of blocking the bottom on entry there,” Wilson explained post-race, once again joined by his Spire Motorsports teammate and NASCAR Cup Series standout Carson Hocevar. “Just trying to make sure that I gave them dirty air, to slow them down because we were on old enough tires to where that kind of mattered, and they had to lift a bit if they were behind me.”
The victory marks Wilson’s third at EchoPark Speedway, making him the winningest driver in eNASCAR history at the facility. His previous wins at the track include a razor-thin 0.015-second margin over Kollin Keister in 2023.
Spire Motorsports Continues Victory Streak Following Kyle Busch Tribute
As Wilson crossed the finish line, he leaned forward and bowed in his simulator, replicating the winning tradition that Kyle Busch made famous throughout his storied career. Nearly every car in the field carried some form of tribute decal honoring Busch, whose impact on NASCAR continues to resonate throughout the motorsports community.
“I did a little ‘mini-bow’ there for KB,” Wilson said. “Shoutout to KB, everyone in the Busch family. Thinking about you guys. Happy to have them on the car, a little decal on the car today.”
The emotional victory completed a three-race winning streak for Spire Motorsports across NASCAR’s national series and eNASCAR, all coming in the immediate aftermath of Busch’s passing. The organization has served as a rallying point for teams and drivers seeking to honor Busch’s legacy through performance on the virtual and physical tracks.
EchoPark Delivers Another Chaotic Classic
EchoPark Speedway has built a reputation for delivering tight finishes and unpredictable racing. The facility’s history includes iconic moments like Dale Earnhardt edging Bobby Labonte in 2000, Kevin Harvick defeating Jeff Gordon in 2001, and Daniel Suarez’s three-wide photo finish over Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in 2024.
The eNASCAR series has matched that chaos. Malik Ray secured a three-wide photo finish victory over Darik Bourdeau and Collin Bowden at the track in 2024, continuing the venue’s tradition of drama.
Pre-race analysis suggested the event would favor handling specialists over superspeedway masters, a prediction that proved accurate as veterans managed tire wear and track position throughout the night. Kanaan Esports’ Vicente Salas captured the pole with his No. 11 Camry, but Channel 199 Sim Racing’s Dylan Duval took control on Lap 2 and led the early charge on the bottom lane.
Caution-Free Streak Ends at 193 Laps
The 2026 eNASCAR season opened with a caution-free Coca-Cola 160 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, establishing a streak that extended to Lap 33 at EchoPark. The first yellow flag of the year flew when Jim Beaver eSports’ Nate Stewart made contact with Vegas Inferno’s Michael Guest, triggering a multi-car incident that collected opening round winner Bobby Zalenski among others. Guest’s race ended on Lap 47 after parking his damaged No. 21 Camry.
The caution opened the floodgates for chaos. Green flag pit stops were cancelled, eliminating the opportunity to use the new backstretch pit road entry at race speed. Six additional cautions would fly before the checkered flag, creating a survival race that tested every competitor’s ability to manage restarts and avoid trouble.
Manes Heartbreak Sets Up Wilson’s Winning Opportunity
Rick Ware Racing’s Garrett Manes appeared poised to capture his first top-level eNASCAR victory, leading multiple times despite early damage. Manes first led on Lap 57, surrendered the top spot briefly to Malik Ray from Laps 67-73, then reclaimed it on Lap 74. His command of the race looked secure until disaster struck with two laps remaining in regulation.
The seventh and final caution saw Manes spin after chain bumping behind the leaders went off-center, sending his No. 51 into the path of Kanaan Esports rookie Sebastian Marin. Manes recovered to finish 29th, his victory hopes dashed in an instant.
The incident handed control to Wilson, who still faced a significant challenge from Manes’ Rick Ware Racing teammate Daniel Faulkingham and Letarte Esports’ Connor Yeroschak. On the final restart, Wilson launched perfectly from the bottom lane while Yeroschak struggled to establish the high line. Faulkingham briefly challenged Wilson through the final corners, but a critical push from Yeroschak sealed the champion’s path to victory lane.
Wilson held off Faulkingham by 0.078 seconds, with Yeroschak finishing third just 0.103 seconds behind. Malik Ray and Zack Novak rounded out the top five, with the entire top 10 separated by less than six-tenths of a second.
Rookies Shine in Playoff Battle
Several first-year competitors demonstrated their potential in the playoff standings. Letarte eSports’ Thomas Lloyd finished seventh, the highest-placed rookie in the field. Team Dillon Esports’ Kenny Brady claimed eighth, while both drivers navigated the chaotic event without major incidents.
Rookie Tommy Gossett showed flashes of speed, leading for the first time on Lap 52 before getting loose in front of the field a lap later. The balance change when leading compared to running in the pack caught multiple competitors off guard throughout the night, highlighting the technical complexity of EchoPark’s racing surface.
Wilson’s victory vaults him to the top of the playoff standings with 74 points and an automatic advancement to the next round. Opening round winner Bobby Zalenski sits second with 55 points and has also secured advancement. Yeroschak (62 points), Christopher Hill (61 points), and a tight group of contenders from Vicente Salas and Seth DeMerchant (57 points each) through Blake Reynolds (52 points) battle for the remaining playoff positions.
Schedule Update: Qualcomm Circuit Joins 2026 Calendar
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Championship Series announced a significant schedule change that adds a new venue to the 2026 calendar. The third race, originally scheduled for Iowa Speedway, will now take place at Qualcomm Circuit on Naval Base Coronado on June 16th. Iowa Speedway remains on the schedule but moves to July 7th.
The Qualcomm Circuit represents a 3.4-mile street course in San Diego, California, set to host its first NASCAR weekend from June 19-21, 2026. iRacing collaborated directly with NASCAR to design and prototype the track layout, providing eNASCAR competitors the opportunity to race the venue before its physical NASCAR debut.
The addition continues eNASCAR’s tradition of incorporating new NASCAR venues into the championship calendar, allowing sim racers to showcase the racing potential of upcoming tracks while providing valuable data and exposure for NASCAR’s expansion efforts.
Official Top 10 Results:
- Steven Wilson (Spire Motorsports) – 104 laps
- Daniel Faulkingham (Rick Ware Racing) – -0.078
- Connor Yeroschak (Letarte Esports) – -0.103
- Malik Ray (JR Motorsports) – -0.154
- Zack Novak (JR Motorsports) – -0.216
- Vicente Salas (Kanaan Esports) – -0.296
- Thomas Lloyd [R] (Letarte eSports) – -0.322
- Kenny Brady [R] (Team Dillon Esports) – -0.374
- Cody Byus (Apex Racing Team) – -0.430
- Seth DeMerchant (fgrAccel eRacing) – -0.587