February 25, 2026 — ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Tommy Gossett turned a tough qualifying run into
a solid points day Tuesday night, charging from 17th to seventh in Round 3 of Segment 1 of the
2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Qualifying Series at Rockingham Speedway.

The Tennessee driver, piloting the RYCO Performance entry in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series machines, struggled in single-lap qualifying and lined up deep in the field for the 200-lap
event on the 1.017-mile D-shaped oval. But once the green flag dropped, Gossett settled into a
patient, methodical rhythm that paid dividends. Running clean and consistent lines, he picked off
positions one by one without forcing the issue. By the midway point he had cracked the top 10,
showing the kind of long-run pace and track awareness that has become a hallmark of his
driving in the highly competitive multi-split Qualifying Series field.

A handful of cautions in the middle stages of the race bunched the field repeatedly, erasing gaps
and setting up a lengthy green-flag run to the finish. What had been a standard side-by-side
battle quickly turned into a fuel-mileage chess match. With pit strategy locked in and no more
yellows coming, Gossett and his team committed to stretching their fuel as far as possible.
While several drivers ahead were forced to make late adjustments or nurse their tanks harder
than expected, Gossett stayed disciplined—lifting early into the corners, maintaining momentum
on the long straights, and keeping his foot out of the throttle when the numbers on his crew
chief, Dillon Pettus, computer said to.

“It came down to the wire on fuel,” Gossett said afterward. “Pettus was watching the
consumption the whole last 30 laps and I had to be perfect. The truck started sputtering right as
I crossed the line, but we made it. Seventh feels like a win after starting where we did.” Gossett
crossed the finish line in seventh place, his truck barely sipping the last drops of fuel as he took
the checkered flag. The result delivered a strong points haul in second split and kept his
aspirations alive as the Qualifying Series moved forward.

Rockingham’s tricky banking and abrasive surface have long rewarded drivers who can manage
their equipment over long runs, and Gossett proved he belongs in that conversation. For an
aspiring pro and popular streamer out of Tennessee, nights like this—where racecraft and
strategy overcome a poor starting spot—are exactly the kind that build momentum heading into
the rest of Segment 1.The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Qualifying Series continues next week
with Round 4 at Phoenix Raceway.