What. A. Finish.
Keegan Leahy, newly signed by Denny Hamlin Racing, edged William Byron eSports driver Nick Ottinger by a nose – well, more like half a nose – to win Tuesday night’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season opener at Daytona.
PHOTO. FINISH. ?
0.005 separates race winner @KeeganLeahy and runner-up @NickOttinger at the line in the eNASCAR @CocaColaRacing iRacing Series opener.https://t.co/pKBfkg6Ln4 pic.twitter.com/tsj3sujhoF
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 12, 2020
The 26-year-old driver from Nova Scotia claimed his sixth career victory with the photo finish, his first at Daytona. The win pockets him $1,500 – a drop in the bucket compared to the $100,000 prize awarded to the series champ in November.
KEEGAN LEAHY WINS AT DAYTONA!
The @DennyHamlin Racing driver survives a photo finish & pure chaos behind him to win the Coca-Cola @iRacing Series opener.? pic.twitter.com/te7kt8tyF6
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) February 12, 2020
Leahy worked with a small group of drivers to pit off-sequence from the rest of the field Tuesday, and found himself up front when it mattered for the race’s final 30-lap run to the finish. Although it was likely a play to avoid trouble on the racetrack, the race went caution-free, despite a race dominated by three-wide, inches-apart action.
Still, the race played into Leahy’s favor, holding control of the bottom line with help from Team VRS driver Bobby Zalenski throughout the closing laps. An eventual dive to the apron – ruled OK in the series – may have just sealed the difference between a Leahy victory and an Ottinger triumph.
BOOOOOOM!!!
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) February 12, 2020
The margin of victory for Leahy over Ottinger was measured at 0.005 seconds – or, for reference, the equivalent of the fourth-closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history. Yeah, that’s pretty close!
IT'S A PHOTO FINISH AT THE LINE! ?@KeeganLeahy takes it by INCHES in the season opener of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series at Daytona! pic.twitter.com/Ehu4hFisRU
— iRacing.com (@iRacing) February 12, 2020
We said Keegan Leahy was rolling up to Daytona with winning on his mind after coming up one corner shy of winning the 2019 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series championship last fall, finishing second to Zack Novak. Leahy’s clearly marching toward redemption and a piece of that $300,000 series purse.
So this just showed up! Just in time to get hyped up for this year's tentatively named @NASCAR @iRacing World Championship Series. I'll get another one next year… One word will be different though. pic.twitter.com/CVo5zrWk7O
— Keegan Leahy (@KeeganLeahy) January 31, 2020
YEEESSS!!!!! P1! It's been a while. What amazing strategy, and what a pusher @bobbyzalenski. I should have wrecked about 5 times that race, but my @realVRS Direct Force Pro wheel helped keep this thing straight. Awesome start to the season for the @dennyhamlin Racing 32.@iRacing pic.twitter.com/JwvCk87Csi
— Keegan Leahy (@KeeganLeahy) February 12, 2020
The win gives Denny Hamlin Racing a perfect win ratio – one-for-one since joining the series this year. Although, in our minds, hanging at Denny’s place after signing a contract already counts as a win. So, that’s two victories after one race – right, Keegan?
Bowlin' and ballin' @dennyhamlin @CaseyKirwan14 @iRacing pic.twitter.com/HnrvRXYEmY
— Keegan Leahy (@KeeganLeahy) January 10, 2020
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series heads next to Auto Club Speedway on February 25.