The iRacing Champions League officially turned a new page on December 15, 2025, with the first-ever ICL 410 Winged Sprint Car race at Port Royal Speedway, launching Season 1 of the Port Royal Weekly Series. With no prior data, no benchmarks, and no past winners at the historic Pennsylvania oval, Race 1 carried extra significance as every lap helped define what excellence looks like in this new championship. When the 25-lap feature concluded, it was Aidan Strawberry who emerged as the inaugural winner, placing his name permanently atop the Port Royal record book.
Strawberry started third and methodically worked forward to take control of the race, leading the closing laps on his way to the victory and the full 12 race points. He also recorded the fastest lap of the race, turning a 15.641-second lap early in the event, setting the benchmark pace for the series at Port Royal. His win gives him the early points lead, but the margin is slim with several strong performances directly behind him.
Starting from the pole, Brayden E. Carter set the tone for the night by earning fast time in qualifying, collecting the 1 bonus point available before the race even began. Carter went on to lead early in the feature, making him one of multiple drivers to control the race at the front. While attempting to retake the lead later in the event, Carter made contact with the wall, but still recovered to finish second. With 11 race points plus the qualifying bonus, Carter leaves the opening round just one point behind the series leader.
One of the biggest stories from the opener belonged to Doug Welch, who delivered the hard charger performance of the night. Welch started ninth and drove forward to a third-place finish, gaining six positions and immediately inserting himself into the championship picture. Brandon Holtmeier finished fourth after starting sixth, while Richie Yost completed the top five, keeping himself well within striking distance as the standings begin to take shape.
Not everyone found an easy path through the opening race. Brenden McGlothlin, who rolled off fourth, endured the toughest swing in track position, slipping to twelfth by the finish. Several drivers deeper in the field saw their results invalidated, limiting the points they could score and putting additional pressure on upcoming rounds to rebound. With only six races total in the series, lost points early can quickly become difficult to recover.
After one race, the points battle is already tight at the top. Strawberry leads with 12 points, while Carter sits just behind at 12 total points when including the qualifying bonus, making the championship effectively even after the opener. With five races remaining, consistency, qualifying speed, and finishing position will all be critical as drivers fight to become the Season 1 Port Royal Speedway Track Champion in the first-ever ICL 410 Winged Sprint Car series at the track.
Race Results – Feature
Aidan Strawberry
Brayden E Carter
Doug Welch
Brandon Holtmeier
Richie Yost
Lukas Waber
Cole Croft
Doze Wigfield
Brett Michalski
Bryce Stone
Brady Beavers
Brenden McGlothlin
Points Standings (After Race 1)
Aidan Strawberry – 12
Brayden E Carter – 12
Doug Welch – 10
Brandon Holtmeier – 9
Richie Yost – 8
Lukas Waber – 7
Cole Croft – 6
Doze Wigfield – 5
Brett Michalski – 4
Bryce Stone – 3
Brady Beavers – 2
Brenden McGlothlin – 1
You can race with ICL for free, following along with race day info in our discord here: https://discord.gg/vQmsdwxvTf
