The King of Daytona season rolled into Race 4 at (Oval) and delivered a night where strategy, track position, and timely help up front decided the winner. With the points format awarding 12 points to win and one less point per finishing position behind, every spot mattered—especially with the standings tightening behind the series lead.

Up front, Justin Oplinger cashed in with a huge victory, but it didn’t come without a fight. Brayden E Carter was right there from the start and played a major role in the outcome, pushing Oplinger to the win in a finish that showed how important teamwork can be at Daytona. Oplinger led the way for a 12-point night, while Carter grabbed 11 points in second to continue his climb up the championship table.

The lead pack had movement race long, and it wasn’t just a two-driver show. Four different drivers led laps: Oplinger (3 laps led), Carter (2), Tan Clark7 (4), and Warren Watkins (1). Clark’s fourth-place finish came with the most laps led in the field, and it kept him firmly in the mix as a weekly threat. Watkins added another solid top-10, while Thijs Stevens impressed in his first career start, rolling straight into a podium with a third-place run.

One of the biggest storylines from Race 4 was pace deeper in the field. Ian Hack set the fastest lap of the race with a 49.371, showing top-tier speed even while finishing fifth. And when it comes to movers, Derek Logsdon put together the hard-charger run of the night—starting 32nd and finishing 13th for a massive gain. Trevor Cline also made a big jump from 27th to 10th, and Jerry Flippo climbed from 33rd to 18th. Those kinds of forward marches can quietly build a season in a points format where every position has value.

In the championship picture, the headliner is that Doug Welch remains the points leader after four races with 30 points, while Dennis Holley sits second at 23 and continues to stack results. Carter’s Race 4 runner-up was a major swing, launching him up the board into third with 20 points and putting him within striking distance of the top two. Further back, a tight cluster is forming around the payout bubble, and nights like this can swing the order quickly—especially with several series regulars, including Welch and Fincher, having their night effectively taken off the table after being removed from contention in on-track incidents.

With the season continuing to take shape, Race 4 felt like a momentum round: Oplinger gets the trophy, Carter keeps surging, and Welch still controls the top of the standings—meaning the pressure only ramps up from here. The fight for the lead is real, but the battle for the rest of the top 10 is just as intense, and one strong run can flip multiple positions at once.

RACE 4 RESULTS (Running Finishers)

  1. Justin Oplinger

  2. Brayden E Carter

  3. Thijs Stevens

  4. Tan Clark7

  5. Ian Hack

  6. Brandon Combs2

  7. Tanner Butler

  8. Dennis Holley

  9. Warren Watkins

  10. Trevor Cline

  11. Dave Bell Jr.

  12. Brandon Easterwood

  13. Derek Logsdon

  14. Jason Bunn

  15. Aidan Strawberry

  16. Shayne Jenkins

  17. Andrew Ford18

  18. Jerry Flippo

TOP 10 IN STANDINGS (After Race 4)

  1. Doug Welch – 30

  2. Dennis Holley – 23

  3. Brayden E Carter – 20

  4. Kaleb Smith2 – 16

  5. Warren Watkins – 15

  6. Benedict Ringer – 14

  7. Winston Deel – 12

  8. Kevin L Haase – 12

  9. Tim Lancaster – 12

  10. Justin Oplinger – 12

• You can race with ICL for free, following along with race day info in our discord here: https://discord.gg/vQmsdwxvTf
• Become a VIP member to be eligible for Payouts and Provisionals: https://www.iracingchampions.com/signup/
• Subscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWWJrcsnS02EYhcoT6WThGQ?sub_confirmation=1