A number of drivers from the upcoming TORA TCF TASCAR season have taken part in their first group running of the year during pre-season testing at Daytona International Speedway. Fifteen of the sim-racers taking part in the championship took to the track last Saturday in preparation for qualifying for the season-opening round at “the world centre of racing” that takes place on February 4 on Forza Motorsport 7.
A number of drivers shared the honours toward the top of the time-sheets during single car running. The fastest recorded laps were set by Eric McCluskey for Remnant Racing and Jordan Groves for Allied Forces Racing, but Alex Porter, Ben Williams and Adam Watson weren’t far behind and will likely be joined by more contenders as testing continues.
Times were not accurately recorded for the multi-car pack runs, but as always, drivers learned a lot about the ensuing pack race that awaits them in under two weeks time. As has been the case for the last few seasons, teamwork will be vital to anyone hoping to get to the lead of the race.
The need for teamwork will play to the advantage of the larger four-car teams, provided they can get their drivers formed up correctly. Allied Forces Racing, Remnant Racing and LMP Motorsport have the largest roster of drivers, but smaller teams such as Ultimate Autosport and Visceral Racing may be able to spoil the party. Equally, if the privateer drivers are able to cut a deal with their rivals, they may be able to surge toward the front when it matters.
Daytona always provides the most intense and unpredictable racing of the TORA TCF TASCAR season, so it’s nigh on impossible to pick a favourite. However, a number of drivers always seem to crop up at this race track, including reigning series champion and last year’s season-opening winner Groves, the #514 car of James Chamberlain – who came oh so close to winning last season – and McCluskey; who always shows great form in the oval races on the schedule.
The first official on-track meeting of the championship will be qualifying for the Daytona 300. Qualifying will take place on Sunday February 4 and will comprise of a single-car, two-lap run to lock-in the front-row qualifiers, with the remaining positions being determined by two short qualification races that will take place shortly afterwards. After that, the drivers will have to wait until Saturday February 11 for the season-opening race to be run.
If you’re interested in taking part in TORA TCF TASCAR, there is still time to sign up. Head over to theonlineracingassociation.com for more information.