Round 6 takes the iRacing Champions League 358 Mod National Tour to Cedar Lake Speedway, a venue that has produced contrasting scripts across the last two seasons. With the series awarding 12 points to win, then one fewer point per position, plus 1 for qualifying fast time, a sharp night at Cedar Lake can tilt the table—especially with the front of the standings tightening behind the leader.

Recent context first: Round 5 at Kokomo belonged to Dylan Blackburn, who converted his 16th career ICL start into his first ICL victory. That 13-point haul (12 for the win, 1 for fast time) put him straight into the top ten picture despite a single appearance. Notably, point leader Aidan Strawberry did not enter Round 5, which trimmed the cushion to the chasers and raised the stakes for Cedar Lake qualifying. If someone like Seth Gregory, JT Ferry, or Kinser Lightner pairs a front-row effort with the 1-point time-trial bonus, the math can move quickly.

Cedar Lake’s recent history offers clues. In Season 2 (2024), Ryan Hodge set the pace and won from row two, with Scott V. Fritz and Brandon Holtmeier rounding out the podium. That run also featured current-season names in the mix: Brenden McGlothlin finished fifth that night, and Strawberry placed sixth—evidence that both have had workable speed here. Go back one more year to Season 1 (2022) and it was Michael D. Carter going wire-to-wire from the pole with Jordan Lafon and Ashton Cohee close behind. Parker Leek, who is on this season’s board, nabbed a P6 at Cedar Lake in that 2022 race.

How does that translate to Round 6? Strawberry still leads the championship and already owns two wins this season, so any return to the grid at a place where he’s been inside the top six before is headline-worthy. Gregory arrives second in points thanks to a spotless three-for-three run of top-tens this season; his style—clean laps and efficient gains—tends to pay at Cedar Lake, where rhythm matters. Ferry’s four starts and four top-tens keep him firmly in the hunt, and Lightner is the highest contender who has already banked a qualifying bonus this season; a fast-time point here could be the difference between holding station and jumping a rival. McGlothlin brings a Cedar Lake top-five on his résumé and a win already in 2025, while Blackburn rolls in with maximum momentum after Kokomo.

Watch qualifying: that 1-point bonus has already played into tie-break math this year. With each finishing position also worth a full point swing, a late-race pass for eighth over ninth won’t just look tidy on the sheet—it will show up in the totals. With the calendar moving deeper into the season, the combination of front-row pace and mistake-free execution is likely to decide who steals a march before Round 7.

Current Top 10 in Points (after Round 5)

  1. Aidan Strawberry — 47

  2. Seth Gregory — 33

  3. JT Ferry — 31

  4. Kinser Lightner — 27

  5. Brayden E Carter — 20

  6. Dylan Blackburn — 13

  7. Brenden McGlothlin — 12

  8. Joseph Grandy — 11

  9. Brett Grube — 10

  10. Ben Joly — 10

Cedar Lake Speedway — Past Results Reference

Season 2 (2024) — 18 Laps

  1. Ryan Hodge

  2. Scott V Fritz

  3. Brandon Holtmeier

  4. Christopher Joy

  5. Brenden McGlothlin

  6. Aidan Strawberry

  7. Jarrett Murphy

  8. Colton Zimmer

  9. James A Murphy

  10. Joel Burton

  11. Jared Murphy2

  12. Mason Hanel

  13. Thomas Levister

  14. Josh W Phillips

  15. Sonja Jones

  16. Chase Hardy

  17. Kaisen Ternora (DQ)

  18. Zachary Evans4 (DQ)

  19. Nathaniel Wemhoff (DQ)

Season 1 (2022) — 15 Laps

  1. Michael D Carter

  2. Jordan Lafon

  3. Ashton Cohee

  4. Nicholas Ely

  5. Skyler D Sweeney

  6. Parker Leek

  7. Raphael Gougeon

  8. Dalton DeWert

  9. Elie Welch

  10. Rylee Knoll

  11. Johnny Urias

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