Stewart-Haas eSports: Saturday Night Thunder Recap from Richmond

Details:

• Series:  Saturday Night Thunder

• Date:  Saturday, April 18

• Location:  Virtual Richmond Raceway (.75-mile oval)

• Winner:  Josh Berry of JR Motorsports

Format:

• Single-car qualifying set the respective fields for four, 10-lap heat races.

• Six drivers advanced from each heat to the feature.

• Final two spots in the 26-car feature were filled by the top-two finishes in a 15-lap consolation race, which took place after the heat races and was comprised of drivers who hadn’t yet qualified.

• 125-lap feature.

Stewart-Haas eSports Results:

• Cole Custer (Started 11th, Finished 18th / Running, completed 125 of 125 laps)

• Chase Briscoe (Started 7th, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 123 of 125 laps)

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Ford Project Apollo Ford Mustang:

“Overall, I was happy with making it into the feature race without any issues. I was able to stay near the front in my heat race and able to avoid an accident that happened right behind me which hurt a lot of cars. I felt like we were pretty solid in the main event. I just needed to stay a little cleaner at the end. For my first time, I was happy with the result, but I think I can get better as time goes on.”

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang:

“Tonight was fun. It wasn’t the night I wanted, but it was the night I expected. It was pretty realistic since I haven’t run that great at Richmond in the past. The HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Mustang was good on the first two runs, but then it got too free after the second stop. Once I got wrecked, I just didn’t have enough cautions to make it back on the lead lap.”

Notes:

• Custer started fourth in Heat No. 2 and finished fourth to transfer to the feature.

• Briscoe started fourth in Heat No. 1 and finished third to transfer to the feature.

• Saturday Night Thunder is the iRacing undercard event to Sunday’s headlining eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race. Saturday Night Thunder complements the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, and NASCAR Cup Series drivers not competing in Sunday’s race were eligible for this race.

Next Up:

• Stewart-Haas eSports returns to action on Sunday, April 19 in the Toyota Owners 150 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race at the virtual Richmond Raceway with drivers Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer.

• Custer will attempt to race his way into the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race by competing in a 25-lap qualifying race at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday. Should he finish first or second in that race, he will earn a starting spot in the Toyota Owners 150.

• The Toyota Owners 150 starts at 1 p.m. EDT with live coverage via:

    • FOX network

    • FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150)

    • FOX Sports app

    • FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada

    • Twitch.tv/StewartHaaseSports

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