The Canadian eMotorsports Series kicked off their 2020 season Sunday night with a non-points, front row qualifying race at the Daytona International Speedway. 

The Clash, a 40 lap shootout at the 2.5-mile speedway featured 30 drivers from across North America, with Jacob Nelson of Clarksville, Tennessee, driving his number 9 Chevrolet Camaro to victory lane.  With the win he will start on the pole position in the season opening race on Tuesday, the Holland College 250, also at Daytona.

“We had a pretty good car from qualifying, we qualified fourth, but the hardest part of the night was starting on the outside. Restarting on the outside was just not working at all,” shared Nelson when asked about his win after the race.

“We got down there to the wire pitting for fuel only with seven laps to go, restarting with five to go, I stuck my neck out and we risked it and restarted out on the front. We were lucky to keep it out there as we had a hard charger in the number six on the last lap and had to give it everything I had to hold him off.”

When asked about Tuesday’s season opening race.

“Our strategy is pretty simple. Keep the car straight. Our motivation through the week is preparing for the race. We’re happy to start out front.  This series includes great people and great competition. I’m super happy to be competing with such a great group of guys.”

Finishing in the runner-up position was Trevor Kinsey of Midland, Michigan, in his number 6 Ford Mustang.  Kinsey will start in the second position in the opener on Tuesday.

“We had a good run in The Clash. I was content to sit P2 and start on the front row for Tuesday, but the 9 drifted up the track and we were able to make a race of it to the finish; congrats to him (Jacob Nelson) on a great race,” shared Kinsey when asked about his charge to the start/finish line on the final lap. “We hope to avoid any early trouble by starting up front on Tuesday. The Clash gave us a good idea who we can work well with to hopefully finish one spot better next time.”

Kinsey also was crowned the winner of the pre-season series for recording the best average finish during these races.  To be eligible drivers had to compete in at least four of the seven pre-season races; Kinsey finished with an average of 5.0 in four events.

The Holland College 250, the first of 16 regular season races, will begin at 8pm eastern on Tuesday, with the pre-show beginning at 7:40pm; the live broadcast can be found at the series Facebook page (www.facebook.com/emotorsportsCAN).

The race will be contested over 100 laps at the Daytona International Speedway with points being handed out to all drivers with the winner locking their place into the playoffs beginning on September 15.

The Clash recap

Kevin Daigle (Thunder Bay, Ontario) started on the pole position in his number 13 Toyota Camry for True North Racin with Darcy Ford (Harrington, PEI) starting in the second position in his number 64, Suck It Up Septic, Ford Mustang for Atlantic Motorsports.

The race began with single file racing for the early portion as the lead pack of cars were content with seeing the laps tick away while the back half of the field was not as patient, causing the first caution on lap three.

Daigle would relinquish the lead on the restart after a pit stop for adjustments to Scott Bailey (Allendale, Michigan) in the number 4 Ford Mustang. The field struggled to find their groove however as this restart was followed with cautions on lap seven, ten and thirteen.

Bailey would eventually be cycled out of the lead while pitting under caution with Darcy Ford taking over the top spot.

This run would see the field slowly separate, eventually seeing a group of four cars pull away from the rest with Ford in first, Jayce Swint in second (#38 Toyota, Phenix City, Alabama) and Daniel Cudmore (#2 Ford, Stanchel, PEI) and Michael Robinson (#47 Ford, Harrington, PEI) swapping the third and fourth positions during the long green-flag run.

Eventually the field would regroup when a caution was thrown on lap 32 which saw the leaders make their one and only pit stop, reshuffling the field for the final stretch of the race.

On the restart Jacob Nelson would assume the lead with Kevin Fenech (Toronto, Ontario) starting alongside him on the front row in his number 81 Primary Engines Inc. Chevrolet Camaro. The biggest wreck of the race would follow on lap 36 with many cars collected along the front stretch causing the sixth caution of the race.

Nelson and Bailey would restart on the front row but it was the lower line that had the speed as the lead pack travelled nose-to-tail led by Nelson, Kinsey and Swint.

With cars wrecking in the tail of the field the race would remain green on the final lap with Kinsey attempting to make a run for the lead on the inside coming out of turn four.  Nelson would end up holding on for the victory with Kinsey finishing a close second with his nose reaching the numbers on Nelson’s number 9 Chevrolet.

In total there were six cautions in the race.

Here are the official results from The Clash at Daytona International Speedway.

Watch the archived broadcast from The Clash at www.hollandcollege.com/esports.

For more information on the Canadian eMotorsports Series, visit www.hollandcollege.com/esports, www.facebook.com/emotorsportsCAN, www.twitter.com/emotorsportsCAN and www.instagram.com/emotorsportsCAN.

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