Tommy Gossett came into one of his favorite tracks with high hopes Tuesday night, but a
hard-earned “Darlington Stripe” and the resulting repair stop derailed his night in the eNASCAR
Coca-Cola iRacing Qualifying Series.

Piloting the one off No. 8 Ryco Performance/Gossett Buslines in the second segment of the
Qualifying Series, Gossett honored Darlington’s longstanding throwback tradition with a special
paint scheme. The retro livery paid homage to his childhood hero, Dale Earnhardt Jr., while also
serving as a touching tribute to 3 Doors Down lead singer Brad Arnold, who passed away earlier
this year. Gossett qualified ninth for Round 3 of Segment 2 – Race 7 overall – at the historic
1.366-mile Darlington Raceway. The Florida driver, known for his aggressive but precise style
on the egg-shaped oval, wasted little time moving forward once the green flag dropped.

Gossett sliced his way into the top five early in the 100-lap feature, running as high as fourth
and looking like a legitimate contender for a strong points haul in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series
machines. But Darlington’s notorious narrow racing groove and concrete walls had other plans.
While battling for position in the middle stages, Gossett’s right-side door and quarter panel
scraped hard along the outside wall in Turn 2, collecting the unmistakable white “Darlington
Stripe” that has marked thousands of stock cars, both real and virtual, over the decades.

The contact left visible damage and compromised handling. Under caution, Gossett was forced
to pit for repairs and restarted at the tail of the field. From there, the uphill climb proved too
steep. Traffic and a car that never quite recovered its balance made passing difficult on the tight,
abrasive surface. Gossett steadily lost ground and crossed the finish line in a disappointing
22nd place. “Darlington’s always been one of those tracks I look forward to,” Gossett said after
the race. “I felt like we had a car that could run up front and get a solid top-10, maybe even
better. That stripe came at the worst time. Once we fixed it and went to the back, it was just
survival mode. We’ll take the experience and move on. I’m still struggling to adapt to this new
wheel base. Something’s got to be done”

The result comes at the exact halfway point of the 11-race Qualifying Series, which determines
the top 30 drivers who advance to the full eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Championship Series
beginning in May. With one drop race still available, Gossett currently sits on the bubble, barely
clinging to a spot that keeps him in contention for free-agency opportunities and a full-time ride
in the top-level series.

The next few rounds will be critical for Gossett if he hopes to secure his future beyond the
Qualifying Series. Next up for the field is the final race of the O’Reilly Auto Parts car portion of
the schedule before the series transitions to Gen-7 Cup machines for the last three events. For
Gossett and the No. 88 team, the focus will be on rebounding quickly and maximizing every
point available as the battle for those precious top-30 positions intensifies.