Outliers Road To Pro Run

We thought we’d do something different this year and follow Outlier Speed Co, shilling updates through their iRacing Road to Pro journey this season.

In the world of iRacing, the Road to Pro NASCAR Series is sought after by thousands. For the drivers of Outlier Speed Co Race 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway wasn’t just another 100 laps; it was a psychological warfare exercise at 180 mph.

Las Vegas is a track that rewards bravery but punishes over-eagerness. It’s a 1.5-mile tri-oval where the draft is your best friend and the wall is your worst enemy. This week, the "Strength of Field" (SOF) was astronomical, meaning the grids were crowded with the best names in the oval world.

Here’s how the Outlier squad fought through the race and navigated double-digit cautions, clawing their way to the front.

If you want to talk about a rollercoaster, talk to Nathanael Landwehr. Competing in a 6004 SOF split is essentially like stepping into a ring with Mike Tyson at his prime.

Landwehr’s night started with a qualifying run that could only be described as "suboptimal." Starting 22nd, he knew he had to play the long game. By lap 10, he had already sliced through the field into the top 10. But Vegas is fickle. Door-to-door contact with Johnny Dressler sent Landwehr into a backwards slide in the running order, landing him P19 by lap 37.

Then, the yellow flags started flying. And they didn't stop.

The race descended into a rhythm of restarts and wreckage. Between lap 41 and the finish, the field saw 11 more cautions. For a driver, this is a mental meat grinder. You have to keep the tires warm, the focus sharp, and the truck clean while everyone around you is losing their minds.

On lap 67, Landwehr made the call of the night. While running 5th, he dove into the pits for his final set of fresh tires and a wedge adjustment. It was a gamble. It dropped him back to 19th into "the hornet’s nest."

That "piling in" included real-life NASCAR standout Rajah Caruth, whose night ended right there. Landwehr, somehow, emerged from the smoke unscathed.

The race ended in a chaotic Green-White-Checker (GWC) finish. Landwehr took the final restart in P2. Going into the white-flag lap, it looked like a 4th-place finish was his destiny after some heavy contact in turn 1 forced him to chase the truck up the track.

But then, the Vegas gods intervened.

Entering turn 3, the leaders decided they didn't want the win enough to play nice. P2 got into the back of P1. In a fit of digital rage, P1 hooked a hard right, sending both leaders spinning into the front-stretch grass. Landwehr sailed past the carnage to claim a hard-earned 2nd place.

While Landwehr was surviving a war of attrition, Hunter Johnson was performing surgery. Johnson entered Split 5 with a qualifying lap that was a mere .016 seconds off the pole. That is the width of a human hair at nearly 200 mph.

Johnson’s race was a masterclass in "riding." He didn't feel the need to win the race on lap one. When a yellow came out on lap 9, he took fuel only, sacrificing track position to save his tires for later. He dropped to P14, then methodically carved his way back to P6 by lap 30—all on old rubber.

The plan was simple: wait for the window. On lap 58, the caution he needed finally appeared. Johnson took his first set of fresh tires and began a relentless charge. In just five laps, he moved from the 20s into 3rd place.

In a race often defined by chaos, Johnson’s finish was remarkably composed. While others were bouncing off the walls, he stayed green until the end, securing a 4th place finish. It was a "pro" performance in every sense—minimal drama, maximum results.

If Hunter Johnson was the surgeon, JJ McCoy was the gritty underdog who refused to stay down. McCoy’s night in Split 6 started with the kind of mistake that usually ends a driver's hopes.

During an early caution in the 30s, McCoy hit the pits. The plan was to refresh the truck, but in the heat of the moment, he left the tires unclicked. He exited pit road with a full tank of gas and the same worn-out rubber he started with. Realizing the error, he had to pit again, topping off and dropping to the very back of the pack.

Most drivers would have tilted. McCoy just got to work.

For the next 20 laps, McCoy "rode the rim," waiting for his opportunity. He eventually got his fresh tires and began an absolute tear through the field, moving all the way up to 5th.

The end of the race was a flurry of Green-White-Checkers. McCoy was "bobbing and weaving" through wrecks like a prize fighter. By the final GWC, he had climbed to 3rd.

Despite the early pit road blunder, McCoy’s recovery to a podium finish is a testament to the "hustle" mentality. He didn't just survive; he attacked.

The Road to Pro series is not for the faint of heart. It is a grind that requires a specific blend of mechanical knowledge, strategic foresight, and raw, unadulterated speed.

Looking at the collective performance of Outlier Speed Co with their in house setups at Vegas, a clear pattern emerges:

In a series where a single DNF can end your season, Outlier Speed Co. proved they have the discipline to stay on the track and the speed to contend for wins. The road to the pro ranks is long, but after Vegas, the path looks a lot clearer for this group.

They didn't just play the game; they managed the chaos… and in sim racing, that's the only way to win.

If you want to compete with the best. Check out Outlier Speed Co’s setup shop. Stop wasting time fighting your equipment. Start fighting for position.