Tommy Gossett showed he belongs in the mix during the 2026 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing
Qualifying Series opener Tuesday night at Daytona International Speedway, but a frustrating
incident on pit road ended his night one spot shy of a top-15 result.

Competing in the first round of Segment 1 (Race 1 overall) in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series machines, the Tennessee driver and Twitch streamer started 12th in second split of the
massive 37-split field. More than 1,300 iRacers with Class A oval licenses descended on the
2.5-mile superspeedway for the 80-lap event, the first of four truck races that kick off the newly
streamlined Qualifying Series format.

Gossett wasted no time settling into the draft. He held the 12th spot solidly through the opening
40 laps, working the high and low lines in the massive packs that defined the early green-flag
runs. The Ryco Performance sponsored machine looked comfortable in the top-15 battle,
avoiding the early-race chaos that claimed several competitors in the high-speed traffic.

The turning point came during the scheduled green-flag pit stops around the halfway mark. As
Gossett entered pit road chaos erupted around him. When another driver spun while entering
the pits. The uncontrolled truck slid into the pit lane and made contact, inflicting body damage
that compromised Gossett’s aerodynamics and handling. The damage proved costly in the
draft-dependent environment at Daytona. Gossett dropped several spots immediately after
returning to the track and spent the final 30 laps fighting an uphill battle to keep the damaged
truck in the lead pack.

Despite the setback, Gossett showed resilience, methodically working his way back up to 16th
by the checkered flag. He avoided further incidents in the closing stages and brought the truck
home under power, earning valuable points toward the top-30 standings that will determine
advancement into the Championship Series later this year.

“It was a solid run until that pit-road deal,” Gossett said post-race. “We had the truck where we
needed it to stay in the top 12-15 all night. The damage killed our speed in the draft, but I’m
proud of the fight we put in at the end. These superspeedway races are all about survival and
execution, and we’ll learn from it and come back stronger next week.”

The multi-split format produced 37 different winners across the field, with Daniel Faulkingham
dominating the top split by leading 64 laps. Gossett’s 16th-place result in second split still keeps
him firmly in the hunt as the Qualifying Series heads to its next stop.

With the first four races contested in the Craftsman Trucks before transitioning to the Xfinity
Series cars, Gossett and the rest of the field now turn their attention to building consistency and
positioning themselves among the top 30 in points. For the aspiring pro from Tennessee,

Tuesday night served as a reminder of both the speed he possesses and the razor-thin margins
that define success at this level.

Next up: Round 2 of the Qualifying Series, February 17 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.