NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series 2018 Power Rankings: Race 6
Steve Luvender's iRacing Power Rankings
Ray Alfalla won Race 5 of the 2018 season after a caution-filled event at Richmond Raceway. The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series heads to Kansas Speedway for the series’ first trip to the virtual 1.5-mile oval since 2013.
1: Ray Alfalla (+1)
After a big win at Richmond, Ray Alfalla appears to be back to true form -- though, I don’t think anybody ever counted him out.
2: Ryan Luza (-1)
Luza didn’t score his third victory in a row, but he came close. As the series heads into Kansas, Luza has won every single race at a 1.5-mile track this season. I mean, there was only one of them, but technically this is a factually-accurate statement.
3: Keegan Leahy (+1)
Another race, another top five for the rookie — and a couple of lap-leading stints at Richmond to boot. Look for another solid run at Kansas. Between Leahy and Luza, Phenom Racing Team sort of looks like Stewart-Haas Racing in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
4: Logan Clampitt (+1)
With an eighth-place finish at Richmond Raceway — the site of his sponsor — Logan Clampitt vaulted to sixth in points. Clampitt’s Toyota had a few extra dents on it than he might have liked — but, hey, it’s short track racing.
5: Michael Conti (-2)
21-year-old Michael Conti is one of the few drivers in our fine Power Rankings list who started the last NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series race at Kansas Speedway in 2013, when he was barely old enough to drive a car.
6: Bobby Zalenski (+2)
Bobby Zalenski has been the model of consistency in 2018, cautiously working his way up to fourth in points. If you saw his crash avoidance video from Richmond, you’d agree his rise in points position was the only cautious thing he’s done.
7: Matt Bussa (NR)
In a 200-lap race that was slowed for 69 caution laps (where’s Greg Biffle?), Matt Bussa somehow emerged as one of just four drivers with clean cars by the end of the night. That feat, combined with leading 49 laps and having a serious shot at the win, showed Bussa’s a contender.
8: Christian Challiner (NR)
While it seems the sophomore slump is real for Christian Challiner, the United Kingdom-based driver scored a solid fifth-place finish at Richmond — his only top-five finish since Daytona.
9: Casey Kirwan (NR)
Carolina Club’s Casey Kirwan landed just outside the Top-10 in NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series points after a seventh-place effort at Richmond. He’s been a consistent top-15 car at downforce-heavy tracks this season, so it’s not unreasonable to think Kirwan could keep the momentum rolling at Kansas.
10: Brad Davies (--)
While Richmond was a bit of a disaster for Brad Davies — a 22nd-place finish — he’s worth a watch at Kansas after a string of top-10 finishes at Phoenix, Auto Club, and Las Vegas leading up to Richmond.