Gibbs Gaming 2021 Preview Enascar Coke Series
Coca-Cola iRacing Series

2021 Coca-Cola Series team preview: Gibbs Gaming

January 26, 2021

We’re previewing each team competing in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series ahead of the 2021 season. Next up is a peak into the new-look Gibbs Gaming squad.

Gibbs Gaming

Owner: Joe Gibbs. Yeah, that one.
Manufacturer: Toyota
Twitter: @JoeGibbsRacing

2021 drivers

No. 18: Femi Olat
Age: 21
Hometown: Amherst, MA
Twitter: @TA_Femi
First season: 2021
Eighth in 2020 iRacing Pro Series

No. 51: Ray Alfalla
Age: 31
Hometown: Cape Coral, FL
Twitter: @rayalfalla
First season: 2010
2020 rank: 8th

2020 highlights

Gibbs Gaming entered the 2020 season with two rookies: Graham Bowlin and Malik Ray. While a points-paying win eluded the duo, Bowlin managed to win the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro. Ray impressed with his superspeedway skills — he’s not considered one of the best drafters on iRacing for no reason. Both drivers will return to the series in 2021, but will race for different teams.

For the new Gibbs drivers, Femi Olat and Ray Alfalla, 2020 wasn’t too shabby: Olat put together a respectable iRacing Pro Series season, while Alfalla returned to Victory Lane after a 2019 drought.

2021 outlook

Gibbs Gaming is taking a different approach to their 2021 season: mixing proven results with up-and-coming talent. Ray Alfalla is the series G.O.A.T. — he’s unmatched in most statistical categories, most notably his four championships (nobody else has more than one) — and he is the veteran driver on the circuit, leading all drivers in starts at 188. On the other hand, Femi Olat, though a fixture in the open, public iRacing scene, will make his first Coca-Cola iRacing Series start in 2021.

Alfalla rebounded in 2020 after an abysmal 2019 season, winning at Atlanta and making the playoffs. There’s no reason to believe he’ll do anything other than Ray Alfalla things in 2021, especially after proving he can still get the job done with the current racing package.

As for Femi Olat, expectations are high — it’s Joe Gibbs Racing’s iRacing program, after all — but it’s hard to guess what 2021 will bring. Olat’s one of 11 rookies in the series, but he’s no stranger to iRacing, with over 200 official wins in public servers. It’s quite likely Gibbs Gaming finds themselves in the elite category where both drivers score wins.

Steve’s bold prediction

Both Ray Alfalla and Femi Olat find Victory Lane and make the playoffs. Boom. Done. Take it to the bank. (And I totally won’t call on our editors to pull this article in the event I’m wrong.)