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Coca-Cola iRacing Series

2021 Coca-Cola Series team preview: Mode Motorsports

February 4, 2021

We’re previewing each team competing in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series before the 2021 season.

Mode Motorsports

Owner: Mode Mediahouse, led by former Chicago Bears guard (gone Twitch streamer) Kyle Long.
Manufacturer: Ford
Twitter: @ModeMediaHouse

2021 drivers

No. 24: Jake Nichols
Age: 22
Hometown: Chesnee, SC
Twitter: @JakeNichols73
First season: 2017
2020 rank: 17th

No. 75: Matt Bussa
Age: 26
Hometown: Darien, IL
Twitter: @mbussa75
First season: 2013

2020 highlights

Jake Nichols put together a not-half-bad season for Mode Motorsports in 2020, surviving for a top-20 points finish to dodge relegation, posting solid finishes at Fontana, Atlanta and Darlington. Phil Diaz logged a lone top 10, a runner-up finish at Las Vegas where he nearly pulled off quite an upset. He won’t return to the series in 2021.

Matt Bussa competed for Williams Esports last year and fought through the iRacing Pro Series to return for another season at the top.

2021 outlook

Mode Motorsports brings Matt Bussa into the fold as the team seeks Victory Lane in 2021. (Between Bussa and Kyle Long, that’s a whole lot of Chicago!) Bussa was a championship finalist in 2018, but hasn’t fared quite as well the past two seasons. Perhaps driving for Kyle Long will help him turn a new page.

Nichols is seeking his first-career victory as he embarks on his fourth season in the big leagues.

Steve’s bold prediction

Don’t count out these two. It’s no easy task to make the top 20 at the Coca-Cola iRacing Series, and these two have been in the mix for several seasons. Make no mistake, Nichols is quick — really quick — and Bussa’s got quite a resume, too. With a little bit of luck, they’re both playoff contenders, and I think 2021 is the year we find a Mode Motorsports car in the top eight.