The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series returns from its summer break this evening and with fewer and fewer spots in the playoffs available, the tension is rising in the series. With 10 slots in the playoffs and nine different winners already, a win could soon no longer be enough to secure a spot in the playoffs.

If more than 10 drivers win a race, playoff spots are determined by the points standings of the race-winning drivers. Drivers also need to be in the top 20 in points to be part of this equation. That means that the series’ most recent winner, Ray Alfalla, is not currently locked into the playoffs as he sits in 31^st in the standings.

Early indications point towards a race where passing could be difficult. Graham Bowlin seems to be an early favorite. He led 40 of 60 laps in Monday night’s A Class Open race – the unofficial warm-up race for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series drivers. There were six lead changes and two cautions throughout that race.

After a career-best second-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Spacestation Gaming’s Malik Ray is hoping to carry that momentum to Pocono, a track that suits his driving style better than others.

“You can’t really attack the track,” Ray said. “Tracks like Pocono, Darlington, and the new Charlotte, it’s more so about you racing the track and hitting the line correctly than it is about you getting around there as hard as you can.

“If you just go [into the corner] at 70 percent or so, if you’re hitting the line, that’s the most optimal way around the track. Versus you just trying to go hard all the time. At tracks like Michigan and Texas, the lines and stuff don’t really matter at those tracks. Where at tracks like Pocono, Darlington, and Charlotte, you have to hit the bottom, you have to hit your line correctly.”

In one week the @eNASCARCocaCola @iRacing Series will virtually kick off our @NASCAR Doubleheader Week at Pocono!

Tune in to catch some of the best #eNASCAR drivers battle it out on "The Tricky Triangle!"

June 22 | 9pm | https://t.co/ZiYC3ks7de pic.twitter.com/63vvI9Qwsv

— Pocono Raceway (@PoconoRaceway) June 16, 2021

Prior to his second-place finish at Charlotte, Ray’s best finish was a third at Pocono. He’ll be looking for his first win tonight at a track that suits his style.

Coverage of tonight’s race begins at 9 p.m. ET and can be watched on the eNASCAR website, NASCAR’s Youtube and Facebook pages, or on iRacing Twitch page.