Team Penske eNASCAR Pro Heat Race Report - Talladega

June 5, 2020

Team Penske eSports eNASCAR Heat Pro League Race Report

Track:                  Virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Race:                   Round 6 – NASCAR Cup Series
Date:                   June 4, 2020

No. 2 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Brian Tedeschi (ShellVPower22)
Console: Xbox One
Start: 6th
Finish: 12th
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 40/40
Points: 9th (-27)

Notes:

• Brian Tedeschi (ShellVPower22) endured a rough Xbox race for the eNASCAR Heat Pro League Thursday night at virtual Talladega Superspeedway. While known for being the calmer of the two platforms thus far in 2020, Talladega was anything but tranquil.
• Tedeschi started sixth in the unenviable top lane, which resulted in him dropping back through the field shortly after the green flag. The young Purdue graduate quickly rebounded by using both lanes to cut his way back through the field.
• After moving as high as fifth in the running order, the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang was involved in the “Big One” on lap 10. The contact resulted in minor damage and required a trip to pit road for repairs.
• Tedeschi battled back from the misfortune and maneuvered his way towards the front. He narrowly missed an incident by trying to squeeze into the low line without the necessary room. The move shuffled him to the rear of the field and the former race winner was not able to make up the lost track position before the race ended.

Quote: 

“Wow, that was an eventful night at Talladega with lots of contact and several yellow flags. I’m just happy to put that one on the rear view. That is the unpredictable nature of Talladega. I thought we had a fast Shell-Pennzoil Mustang, and we showed it by driving up through the field a couple of times. I’m looking forward to Iowa and Atlanta, two tracks that I really like.”

No. 22 Wurth Ford Mustang – Corey Rothgeb (Wurth_2)
Console: PlayStation 4
Start: 4th
Finish: 1st – First career eNASCAR Heat Pro League win
Status: Running
Laps Completed: 40/40
Points: 1st (+5)

Notes:

• Corey Rothgeb (Wurth_2) now has something in common with Brad Keselowski: both have now visited victory lane at Talladega in the No. 2 Ford Mustang. Rothgeb scored his first eNASCAR Heat Pro League victory Thursday night in the No. 2 Wurth Ford Mustang. The win was the second for Team Penske eSports in their second year of competition.
• The virtual Wurth pit crew were lights out all evening, propelling Rothgeb to the lead following the first pit stop of the night and allowing him to keep it following the second, and final stop of the 40-lap event.
• Rothgeb held off furious runs on the final lap by several competitors, who laid back to gain momentum coming off Turn 4. The Waynesboro, Va., native led the most laps on the night and played it beautifully down the stretch to score the win and he now leaves Talladega as the series points leader. 

Quote:  

"I knew that once we got past Mid-Ohio to start the second segment of the season that we would be in good shape. Those tracks set up well for the Wurth Ford Mustang team. Iowa and Atlanta were the tracks that I thought would be the best shot for a win. Talladega can be a crapshoot, but we had help there at the end. It feels so good to finally get a win.”