CHAMP REIGNS SUPREME: Bergeron Scores Thriller DIRTcar eSports 305 Sprint Win at Lernerville

SARVER, PA – In one of the most incredible battles seen in virtual racing action on DIRTVision presented by Drydene all year, Alex Bergeron became the first repeat winner in DIRTcar eSports competition Wednesday night at virtual Lernerville Speedway.

Bergeron and fellow iRacing pro license driver Kendal Tucker took center stage in the final six laps of the 30-lap DIRTcar 305 Sprint Car contest and engaged in a heated game of cat-and-mouse that ended with big contact between the two, sending Tucker almost completely around as Bergeron drove away for the $300 check and his first DIRTcar eSports victory since his win in the Pro Late Models at virtual Volusia Speedway Park on May 9.

“Tucker got into me a little bit on the front straightaway there, we were very close there. It was a close race, close battle, especially the start with Bryce [Bailey]. Sliders on sliders. But to be able to come out here and win another DIRTcar eSports race is awesome,” Bergeron told DIRTVision host Chase Raudman in the post-race interview.

Every story has two sides, and Tucker saw the contact between the two quite a bit differently than Bergeron.

“I think we had that one won, but I don’t know. I went to cross over under [Bergeron’s] slider, and I don’t know if the world champ can’t hold a line or what, but I was holding my line down below him and he just came right down into me,” Tucker said.

Joe Grabianowski Photo

Tucker had led the race since wrestling the top spot away from Bergeron and third-place Bryce Bailey in a seven-lap side job fest that saw a new leader every other corner. Back-and-forth the three wheelmen traded slide jobs, inside-and-outside, putting on a fantastic show out front. Until Tucker made a superb door-slamming maneuver in Turns 1-2 on Lap 8 to cut Bergeron and Bailey off from any further bids for the lead.

“That was a fun race, for sure,” Bailey said, reflecting back on the ultimate duel for the lead in the early going. “The first 10 laps were just crazy. Whatever happened, happened. But the first 10 laps, that’s what we race for. It was just a blast.”

Tucker’s lead held up until just under 10 laps to go, when Bergeron finally wound-up enough momentum behind the Swindell SpeedLab #00 and threw a big slide job into Turn 3 to take the lead, only to have Tucker cross back underneath to steal it back as they crossed the flag stand. Bergeron tried it again two laps later and this time was successful, but not without some controversial nerf bar banging.

Tucker crossed back underneath Bergeron’s slide job coming out of Turn 4, and space between the two just plain ran out. They bounced off one another, Bergeron off the outside wall, but both kept it rolling into Turns 1-2 where even further contact was made.

Joe Grabianowski Photo

“He went to slide me down there. On the straightaway, instead of keeping his car straight, he just decided to hook a hard left into me. I got my car all squirrely. I went down into Turn 1 the next lap and got into his tail tank and it about spun me out,” Tucker said of his view inside the cockpit.

“I came off of Turn 4 and the car got loose a little bit,” Bergeron said of the incident. “I was able to stay straight, but then [Tucker] came up a little bit. So, it was kind of a racing incident, pretty much. He came up, I came down, and we tangled up. I didn’t expect to stay in the wall like that on the front straightaway, I almost flipped my car there.”

Now with the lead and several lapped cars in between he and Tucker, Bergeron put his ABR #12 machine on cruise control and led the field back around to the checkered flag unchallenged for yet another virtual Sprint Car victory for the two-time World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car iRacing World Champion.

Shortly after the big three-car battle out front for the lead ended, Bailey broke his stride and slipped over the banking in Turns 1-2, losing several spots of track position in the process. But he was able to recover, using the lone caution flag and some smart passing to climb his way back up to a podium finish.

“I just made a mistake on the cushion. I just overdrove it. When those guys found the bottom, I’m not a very good bottom feeder, I just kinda jumped it,” Bailey said.

The DIRTcar eSports action continues in just two weeks’ time – DIRTcar Pro Late Models at virtual Eldora Speedway. Catch all the action on DIRTVision presented by Drydene – the broadcast home of DIRTcar eSports!

DIRTcar eSPORTS HOOSIER RACING TIRE 305 SPRINT CAR SHOWDOWN RESULTS; June 3, 2020 at Lernerville Speedway

CHEVY PERFORMANCE Feature (30 laps) — 1. 12-Alex Bergeron [1] [$300]; 2. 0-Kendal Tucker [3] [$200]; 3. 2-Bryce Bailey [2] [$100]; 4. 79-Billy Rowlee [6] [$75]; 5. 0-Kevin Dedmon [8] [$50]; 6. 5-Kyle Stoltz [7] [$45]; 7. 17-John Bragman [5] [$40]; 8. 39-Ian Blanchard [17] [$35]; 9. 8-Aidan Skraha [12] [$30]; 10. 51-Matthew Ogden [21] [$25]; 11. 32-Bradley Bauer [22] [$20]; 12. 25-Richie Preston [4] [$20]; 13. 76-Broc Lawrence [24] [$20]; 14. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [11] [$20]; 15. 97-Rocky Battenfield [15] [$20]; 16. 35-Adam Ross [18] [$20]; 17. 46-Jonathan Nause [20] [$20]; 18. 15-Brett Punkari [19] [$20]; 19. 24-William Richardson [23] [$20]; 20. 87-Reed Whitney [9] [$20]; 21. 1-Frankie Caprara [10] [$20]; 22. 111-Clay Atwood [14] [$20]; 23. 44-Austin Taborski [16] [$20]; 24. 190-Seth Smyser [13] [$20]. Lap leaders: Alex Bergeron 1, 25-30; Kendal Tucker 2-24. DIRTVision Hard Charger: Matthew Ogden +11.

Racing Electronics Qualifying — 1. 12-Alex Bergeron [14.611] [$25/Cometic Gasket]; 2. 2-Bryce Bailey [14.738]; 3. 0-Kendal Tucker [14.781]; 4. 25-Richie Preston [14.852]; 5. 17-John Bragman [14.853]; 6. 79-Billy Rowlee [14.853]; 7. 5-Kyle Stoltz [14.866]; 8. 0-Kevin Dedmon [14.871]; 9. 190-Seth Smyser [14.871]; 10. 1-Frankie Caprara [14.876]; 11. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [14.895]; 12. 8-Aidan Skraha [14.905]; 13. 87-Reed Whitney [14.916]; 14. 111-Clay Atwood [14.930]; 15. 97-Rocky Battenfield [14.953]; 16. 44-Austin Taborski [14.975]; 17. 39-Ian Blanchard [15.011]; 18. 42-Jake Porterfield [15.082]; 19. 15-Brett Punkari [15.201]; 20. 76-Broc Lawrence [15.236]; 21. 66-Shilo Boyce [15.250]; 22. 20-Jason Schroen [15.251]; 23. 6-Tyler Totman [15.258]; 24. 46-Jonathan Nause [15.268]; 25. 24-William Richardson [15.286]; 26. 35-Adam Ross [15.298]; 27. 32-Bradley Bauer [15.313]; 28. 27-Nick Sterna [15.333]; 29. 11-Mitchell Schlater [15.348]; 30. 51-Matthew Ogden [15.364]; 31. 13-Chris Papa [15.382]; 32. 126-Jeffrey Eddy [15.422]; 33. 31-Kevin Clark [15.537]; 34. 19-Chris Dolack [15.631]; 35. 23-Joseph Reyell [15.690]; 36. 29-Robert Mortier [15.834]; 37. 22-Jayton Parish [16.648].

DRYDENE Heat 1 (10 laps) — Top 5 Transfer — 1. 12-Alex Bergeron [1] [$25]; 2. 17-John Bragman [2]; 3. 87-Reed Whitney [4]; 4. 190-Seth Smyser [3]; 5. 39-Ian Blanchard [5]; 6. 24-William Richardson [7]; 7. 66-Shilo Boyce [6]; 8. 22-Jayton Parish [10]; 9. 31-Kevin Clark [9]; 10. 11-Mitchell Schlater [8].

DART Heat 2 (10 laps) — Top 5 Transfer — 1. 2-Bryce Bailey [1] [$25]; 2. 79-Billy Rowlee [2]; 3. 1-Frankie Caprara [3]; 4. 111-Clay Atwood [4]; 5. 35-Adam Ross [7]; 6. 51-Matthew Ogden [8]; 7. 20-Jason Schroen [6]; 8. 19-Chris Dolack [9]; 9. 42-Jake Porterfield [5].

ARP FASTENERS Heat 3 (10 laps) — Top 5 Transfer — 1. 0-Kendal Tucker [1] [$25]; 2. 5-Kyle Stoltz [2]; 3. 47-Brett Brunkenhoefer [3]; 4. 97-Rocky Battenfield [4]; 5. 15-Brett Punkari [5]; 6. 32-Bradley Bauer [7]; 7. 13-Chris Papa [8]; 8. 23-Joseph Reyell [9]; 9. 6-Tyler Totman [6].

ARIZONA SPORT SHIRTS Heat 4 (10 laps) — Top 5 Transfer — 1. 25-Richie Preston [1] [$25]; 2. 0-Kevin Dedmon [2]; 3. 8-Aidan Skraha [3]; 4. 44-Austin Taborski [4]; 5. 46-Jonathan Nause [6]; 6. 126-Jeffrey Eddy [8]; 7. 27-Nick Sterna [7]; 8. 29-Robert Mortier [9]; 9. 76-Broc Lawrence [5].

VP RACING FUELS Last Chance Showdown (14 laps) — Top 4 Transfer — 1. 51-Matthew Ogden [2]; 2. 32-Bradley Bauer [3]; 3. 24-William Richardson [1]; 4. 76-Broc Lawrence [16]; 5. 22-Jayton Parish [9]; 6. 29-Robert Mortier [12]; 7. 20-Jason Schroen [6]; 8. 27-Nick Sterna [8]; 9. 126-Jeffrey Eddy [4]; 10. 23-Joseph Reyell [11]; 11. 6-Tyler Totman [15]; 12. 66-Shilo Boyce [5]; 13. 31-Kevin Clark [13]; 14. 19-Chris Dolack [10]; 15. 13-Chris Papa [7]; 16. 42-Jake Porterfield [14]; 17. 11-Mitchell Schlater [17].