HORL: The Winston
- Published ()
- Hendrick Online Racing League
Hendrick Online Racing League (HORL)
Tuesday Night HORL held "The Winston", the 14 best HORL drivers showed up to show there stuff and prove that they we're the best of the best in the league.
Everyone who had won a race during the season and everyone who was top 10 in points were automatically into The Winston. Two other drivers made it into The Winston by surviving the cut.
The 1st "Winston"
The 1st Winston's format was 40 laps. Yellows on, 70* Clear, No Wind and mandatory green flag pit stop for 4 tires. The first race of the evening was what we figured...INTENSE!!! The drivers wasted no time starting to make their moves on other drivers.
As soon as the green flag dropped it was on. The best drivers in HORL showed why they were there and gave the crowd an exciting race to watch. The first race was dominated by the newcomer to the league "Billy" with him grabbing the pole and leading most of the race. Tlab found a way around him at the end of the race and won the money for the 1st part of The Winston. The top 12 from this race made it onto the 2nd race. The racing was close and excellent the entire night. Good heads up driving made this a fun race to drive and a fun race to watch also. All of the drivers showed respect even though some of them knew they werent going to make iinto the final segment of The Winston that had the big money for whoever won it. Kyle Morse (ultrasplif) took 2nd in the 1st Heat and was passed by Tlab with only a few laps to go.
Nick Morse rounded out the 3rd place spot -1 lap off the pace, the battle between Tlab and Ultrasplif was intense with Ultrasplif holding Tlab off till 2 to go when Tlab put his nose under Kylecoming out of turn 4 and took the lead for good. The race ended with those two in the lead spots and both drivers came away clean but only 1 came away with a paycheck.
In the latter part of the race there was a wreck involving RJ, Rene (This weeks, "Driver of the Week" winner) and 70mach. All of the cars were able to continue on but they were unable to keep up the pace androde around after the incident. Daniel Williams (Buckshot) never really had it together in the first race and had a rough day with a few self spins during the race, nothing to warrant a caution, and putted around to finish 12th.
The last transfer spot into segment 2 of The Winston. AZRacer kept his car clean and rode around the first race and finished 7th to move onto the 2nd segment along with 70mach, Rene, BigRossi, and Virus 8 to name a few. After the yellow flew they rode across the line, parked it in the pits, took a break and got ready for the 2cd part of The Winston.
The 2nd "Winston"
The 2nd segment of The Winston format was 40 laps. Yellows off, 70* Clear, No Wind and mandatory pit stops between laps 15-20. With no yellows on and everyone going at it the racing was more intense then the first segment of The Winston.
Non stop side by side ensued during the entire race. Only 12 drivers but one big pack made the racing feel like 43 guys were duking it out for the Win.The 2nd Winston running time was 24 min. and 48 sec. Extremely fast time for 40 laps out there with 1 mandatory pit stop. Tlab dominated this one with little challenges from anyone besides Billy and Kyle Morse again. Tlab led almost every lap and took the win home crossing the line a few seconds ahead of 2cd place. There were a few wrecks, most of them with guys entering the pits and people not checking up in time, but no other serious racing incidents. The reason for the quick race time was the heads up driving again by the racecar drivers.
Even though this is a special event and you are running as hard as you can to win it, they all realized that they can't wreck this car b/c it still cost money even it it's a special occasion like The Winston. With good clean racing like this all night, guys walked away with a smile on there faces because of the fun even though they didn't win any money. Here are a few more pics of the 2cd heat.All of the drivers (Tlab, BIGROSSI, 70mach, Rene, Buckshot, Ultrasplif, Morse-HCR, AZRacer, and Billy) in these pictures finished the race and advanced on to the third and final part of The Winston for all the marbles and bragging right as the best HORL driver till next years Winston...In the far bottom left pictureyou see the pack heading out of turn 4 and going down thru the tri-oval and into turn 1. To the left you see Tlab taking the checkard flag to win the Heat race #2 and taking another big paycheck. To the right you see the field heading into turn 3 about to perform there green flag pit stops. Everyone came in and out of the pits fine with no incidents.
The Winston
The Winston...the race of races. The All-Star race for NASCAR Racing. The 10 best drivers left in this 20 lap sprint. No Yellows.
No mandatory pitting. Just race hard, and try to win the $100,000 paycheck if your the first one to cross the start/finish line 20 laps later. The race started off with everyone flooring it into turn 1 and trying to get to the fron as fast as possible. Billy andTlab led the field into turn 1 with Kyle Morse and Nick Morse in hot pursuit. 3 laps into the race Kyle Morse, came out of turn 2 got loose and Nick Morse passed him and set his sights on Tlab and Billy. The leaders were raacing hard and Billy went low on Tlab and took the lead!
Morse-HCR followed Billy low and moved into 2nd place and Tlab dropped in line and started to work on Morse-HCR again. Tlab got a run on Morse-HCR going into turn 1 and dove low and went in to hard and drifted up on Morse-HCR and put him in the wall. Tlab went on to battle with Billy till 6 to go when Billy came down and clipped the rear panel of Tlab and went into the wall....Nick Morse saved his car and dropped back to 4th behind Kyle Morse and AZRacer.
Morse-HCR got passed AZRacer and started battling with Kyle Morse.Kyle Morse and Nick Morse went back and forth with AZRacer for about 7 laps, inside and outside. Lap after lap all 3 of these drivers went at it knowing they had no chance at winning the race. They decided to entertain themselves and the crowd. Coming out of turn 4 (after the picture to your bottom right)
Billy drifted back up the track and Kyle Morse t-boned him. Both drivers had there cars totaledand putted around for the rest of the race. The rest of the race was single file and Tlab cruised to victory sweeping The Winston winning all 3 races and coming away with all the prize money for the day. Tlab can now call himself the best HORL driver till next years Winston. Congratulations to Tlab and to all drivers that had the privelage and the honor of participating in The Winston. Hope to see you all next week in the Coca-Cola 600 and next year in "The Winston" again.