Landon Murray broke through for his first career iRacing Champions League victory in the Pro Late Model West Regional Championship, winning Round 3 at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. In just his second career start, Murray backed up his runner-up finish from Cedar Lake Speedway with a win at Kern, leading all 30 officially scored laps and adding the qualifying bonus point for a 13-point night.
Murray entered the race as one of the biggest storylines after nearly beating Brayden E Carter at Cedar Lake. This time, he finished the job. Derek Sellers made things interesting on the opening lap with a big slider in turns 3 and 4 that briefly put him in position to challenge for the lead, but Murray was able to answer and take control. Ben Joly stayed close early, but Murray eventually pulled away and turned the race into a comfortable win.
Joly’s second-place finish was also a strong return performance. It was his first ICL start since December, and the two-time ICL winner immediately put himself into the Pro Late Model West Regional Championship top five. Gavin Murray finished third in his second career start, earning his best career finish and making the biggest move in the standings. He climbed five spots to third in points and now sits just eight points behind Brayden E Carter for the championship lead.
Sellers finished fourth in his first ICL dirt oval start since December. With 15 career starts, Sellers is still looking for his first ICL victory, but his Kern performance showed he had enough speed to be a factor near the front. Tyler Calhoun also made his first career start and came away with a fifth-place finish, while Aiden Snead charged from 11th to sixth to earn the hard charger honor among the finishing results.
Murray also set the fastest lap of the race with a 13.862, completing a dominant night at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. He was the only official lap leader, but the opening-lap pressure from Sellers and the early challenge from Joly gave the race plenty of intrigue before Murray settled in and pulled away.
The championship picture tightened in a major way after Round 3. Brayden E Carter still leads the standings with 26 points after opening the season with wins at Lucas Oil Speedway and Cedar Lake Speedway, but Landon Murray is now just two points back with 24. Gavin Murray sits third with 18, while Nik Camper and Ben Joly are tied for fourth with 11. With four races still remaining, the title battle is no longer just about Carter’s perfect start. Murray has now finished second and first in his first two starts, and Gavin Murray has quickly become another name to watch.
What’s Next
The Pro Late Model West Regional Championship continues with Round 4 at Fairbury Speedway in Illinois. With Landon Murray now within two points of Brayden E Carter, Fairbury becomes a major turning point in the championship battle as the series moves into the second half of the seven-race schedule.
Full Race Results
- Landon Murray, 2) Ben Joly, 3) Gavin Murray, 4) Derek Sellers, 5) Tyler Calhoun, 6) Aiden Snead, 7) Cole Denton, 8) Tremayne Williams, 9) James Smith137, 10) Jeremy Pursley, 11) Jacob Pursley, 12) Austin Reeds
Top 10 Points Standings
- Brayden E Carter – 26, 2) Landon Murray – 24, 3) Gavin Murray – 18, 4) Nik Camper – 11, 4) Ben Joly – 11, 6) Michael D Carter – 10, 6) Taylor Garberich – 10, 6) Leo Lemire – 10, 9) Derek Sellers – 9, 9) Chris Thibodeaux2 – 9
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