Chase Briscoe wins Short Track Challenge at Martinsville
Chase Briscoe held off a charging William Byron to win the NBC Esports Short Track Challenge title at Martinsville Speedway.
Chase Briscoe, Stewart-Haas Racing, Ford Mustang Ford Performance Racing School
Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Images
The 90-lap race included ten drivers who advanced into the title-decider through three short track events earlier this week.
The field was led by William Byron, who earned pole position at Martinsville after sweeping both races at Rockingham Monday. He would dominate the early portions of the race with Parker Kligerman solidly in second.
Christopher Bell fell back to the rear of the field after getting sideways on the opening lap. Later, Ryan Preece lost several laps due to issues with his internet connection (he got the laps back during the only caution period of the race).
On Lap 40, that caution came and in the spirit of competition, Byron and Kligerman went to the rear of the field to see if they could work their way back through the pack.
Chase Briscoe inherited the race lead over Christopher Bell. Kligerman encountered problems when contact between Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin sent him up the track. Hamlin paid Larson back soon after.
Meanwhile, Byron quickly worked his way to the front and found himself in second place with less 15 laps to go. He closed on Briscoe, but was unable to get to the rear bumper of the No. 98 machine before the checkered flag.
Briscoe saved his tires enough and was able to snag the checkered flag and the NBC esports Short Track Challenge title. Byron was forced to settle for second, Bell third, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth and Kligerman fifth.
Kyle Busch, Landon Cassill, Preece, Hamlin and Larson rounded out the top-ten.
Briscoe called the win a bit of a "gift with the invert" but was happy to get into Victory Lane again, albeit in the virtual world.
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