The NASCAR Cup Series set off at The Great American Getaway 400 at the Pocono Raceway on July 14, 2024, with Graham Bowlin securing his third career playoff berth with a victory at a virtual Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., on Tuesday night as part of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.
Racing in the No. 48 Toyota, Bowlin was able to hold off Tucker Minter, who took inside position down the stretch but was unable to get the checkered flag. Minter finished just 0.057 seconds behind Bowlin in his No. 97 Chevrolet.
Bowlin took a more aggressive approach to pick up the victory, stating, “Got bullied last race a couple times. Is what it is. I’m in the playoffs now cause of it. Just how you have to race I guess. You gotta nudge people a little bit.”
On the other hand, Minter expressed his desire to finish the race as clean as possible, saying, “Just wanted to finish the race as clean as I could. I don’t like to wreck people or anything like that. And I already made a mistake earlier. … I feel like I did almost everything I could on that final restart exchange.”
Femi Olatunbosun, the driver of the No. 22 Chevrolet, came in third, while Jimmy Mullis (No. 29 Chevrolet) and Steven Wilson (No. 10 Ford) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The playoffs are up next, scheduled to begin on Aug. 13 at a virtual Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich.
Overall, it was an exciting race at the virtual Pocono Raceway, setting the stage for an intense playoff season ahead in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. Fans can expect more thrilling races and fierce competition as the drivers battle it out for the championship title.
