The Bright Lights Shine on McDaniel

February 11th, 2007

The lights of the California Motor Speedway have been powered down in Fontana California and the 2007 edition of the Race For Victory has come to a close. The track might be dark but the spotlight of victory is shining bright on McCalla Alabama's Zac McDaniel. The veteran sim-racer etched his name in the history books and he basks in glory of victory lane.

The pressure was intense in the quest to make the starting grid for the prestigious Race For Victory. The caliber of drivers read like the who's who of sim-racing and every driver who got in took pride in accomplishment of qualifying for the show. For those who didn't make the show, well, they had a blast just the same. The secret about this race is the qualifier races are just as good, if not better then the main event. Anyway, relief after making the cut soon gave way to the tension of opportunity as thirty-six drivers set their sights on winning one of the biggest sim-racing events of the year. While every driver prepared for the final event, last year's runner up Zac McDaniel harbored bigger aspirations. His goal, to move up the podium one more slot in 2007 - he would answer in spades...

The race started out with Dale Betts on point and Steve Minson on his outside. Steve Minson is a veteran of these high profile, long distance races and he wasted no time taking over the lead in the early stages of the event. Strategies varied as some drivers hung back and others charged forward. It was an exciting race with torrid battles throughout the pack. No matter where the driver found themselves, there was one constant throughout the race - every driver had to race as hard as possible if they were going to be a factor at the end. Several drivers took their turns coming into the lead draft but as soon as they would get there, they'd get shuffled out.

NASS Veteran and past CTS champion Jim Arnold charged up through the pack and surprised a lot of fans with his strong run through the middle segment of the race. Good fortune for one means bad fortune for another. Hod Rigby, who turned everyone's head all week long, couldn't make an impact after trouble found him early. Rigby's US Air Force Chevy mustered only four laps and Hod was left to wonder what could have been. We know that Hod would trade all of the luck in the week to have one more shot at them in the RFV.

The formidable force of Mike Kelley and Dean Moll charged their way to the front around half way and Kelly led a significant amount of laps through the center of the race. Kelley didn't have it easy as Rob Cole, Tommy Rhyne, and Carl Dodson took turns stepping out front. Like a squadron of fighter pilots, battling over the asphalt of California, these drivers skillfully waged war in one of the most hotly contested races ever. At the middle stages of the race it was anyone's race to win. Kelley was the driving force all through the race as the Nebraska driver used his friend Dean Moll's drafting prowess to lead on six different occasions but it would be pit strategy that would be his downfall.

What of McDaniel you ask? Well Zac and friend Allen Ebert (who came in to represent the Executive Security house truck) paired up on the track and did what they often do, rise to the top at the finish. Ebert and McDaniel make an interesting duo. Ebert can be described as a no-holds barred, charger that will take no prisoners when getting to a race victory. McDaniel is known as a conservative guy that sneaks up a the end and like a stealth bomber steals away the victory when no one is looking. The two of them hooked up somewhere along the line navigated skillfully to the lead pack. Green flag pitstops cycled the competition to different strategies and as the race wore down it was Ebert leading McDaniel with fifteen laps to go. Ebert led the field on laps 112, and 113, and then he and McDaniel headed to pit road for their final service. When they headed the attention of their crews it handed the lead back to Steve Minson. Steve had not taken his truck in for service yet and dropped down the banking to the attention of his crew with only five laps to go. This would be Minson's undoing as the caution flag would wave and ruin any chances of him capitalizing on a very strong run.

They say a race can be won on pit road and this race was no exception. Ebert led McDaniel into the pits but a slight miscue found him trailing McDaniel on exit. This would be a deciding factor in the race as it was McDaniel front of Ebert and the entire field when the eighth and final caution waived for a lap 120 incident in turn two. The final five circuits were run under caution. For McDaniel, he was able to bask in the final moments of the race knowing that he had just won the second annual Race For Victory. McDaniel had proven that his second place 2006 finish was no fluke and reveled in the fact that he had just defeated a stellar field of sim-racing challengers. At the end of the day, the driver who often lurks in the back came home king of the mountain.

The beginning of a new season sets the stage for many drivers and this just might turn out to be one of the biggest years of Zac McDaniel's sim-racing career. He is certainly off to a great start.

Thanks to all the drivers who participated in making the event one to remember.

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