Race Preview: American Red Cross iRX California Classic

TUNE IN // 6PM ET // iRacing.com/live

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The Subaru iRX All-Star Invitational presented by Yokohama hits the halfway point of its season tonight at Sonoma Raceway. The American Red Cross iRX California Classic is will see two dozen of the world’s top racers from various disciplines fighting once again for precious spots in a 10-car, 10-lap final. Here’s a look at what to expect coming into the third round of the six-race season:

The Track: Sonoma Raceway is one of two fantasy layouts on the iRX schedule, a fast and fun layout carved out of the back half of the iconic road course. It includes multiple heavy braking points and runs backwards up a dirt portion of the track’s famed Carousel. Be wary of the Joker merge, as aggressive drivers may run into trouble if they rejoin the main layout without care heading into a sharp right-hander.

Last Week: For the second week in a row, nobody had anything for 2014 US Lites champion and X Games gold medalist Mitchell deJong as he pulled off a perfect race at the St. Christopher Truckers Relief Fund iRX Sunshine State Showdown at Daytona International Speedway. Christian Brooks and Parker Kligerman avoided a multi-car pileup in the first corner to complete the podium.

Drivers to Watch: iRX added some European flair last week at Daytona, with World Rally Championship star Craig Breen of Ireland and defending Nitro Rallycross champion Kevin Hansen of Sweden joining the entry list. Both drivers found their way into the final—Hansen via a heat victory, Breen through his last chance qualifier—and should be expected to content for race wins and podiums from here on out.

Yokohama Pole Position Award: With two straight Yokohama Pole Position Awards to his name, Mitchell deJong will go for the hat trick tonight at Sonoma, although defending iRX World Champion Sami-Matti Trogen was the top qualifier in Thursday night’s practice race. The award was handcrafted in the US by Bear Walker, who makes custom and limited edition boards with carved out grip for better traction. Visit him at bearwalker.com or @bearwalkerofficial on Instagram.

Nitro Circus Star Car: The Nitro Circus Star Car welcomes Gregg Duffy to the driver’s seat in Sonoma. Duffy is the first person to ever pull off a double frontflip on a motorcycle, and teamed up with Travis Pastrana and Alexander Rossi to film “Keys to the Track” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway over the winter. Follow @nitrocircus and @motoduff on Instagram for more from this week’s race!

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