Strauss Inching Closer To Late Model Victory Lane
Donovan Strauss in action at Florence Motor Speedway. (Photo Courtesy of Donovan Strauss)
TIMMONSVILLE, S.C. – eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series regular Donovan Strauss’ sim-to-reality path is taking him closer and closer to his first victory in a late model.
Strauss posted his best result yet at South Carolina’s Florence Motor Speedway over the weekend, notching a runner-up finish in Saturday’s 75-lap headliner at the four-tenths-mile oval.
In his third NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series start at Florence for AK Performance, Strauss qualified fifth and then never ran outside the top five at any point in the main event.
Continuing to utilize the lessons he’s learning from team manager Kendall Sellers, Strauss methodically came forward to third just past the halfway point, then eventually passed Cody Kelley for second with 13 laps left.
Strauss held serve from there to the checkered flag, crossing the finish line 2.772 seconds behind his AK Performance teammate Casey Kelley in his most complete late model performance thus far.
“A run like we had Saturday just continues to show the effort and work we’ve been putting in as a team in order to succeed,” acknowledged Strauss. “Every race so far has shown improvement, and as a first-year driver … with how tough the late model scene is in the Carolinas, there’s nothing else you can ask for.
“Casey is one heck of a driver and I know it takes a lot to run up front with him, so to do that in just my third start checks a huge confidence box for me already.”
Strauss now boasts top-five finishes in his last two late model starts, with runs of fifth and second.
He also finished the first segment of the eNASCAR season seventh in the driver standings, with a pair of top 10s in the first four races on the calendar. That series resumes April 9 at Brands Hatch Circuit.
The next planned event for Strauss and AK Performance will be the team’s fourth straight at Florence Motor Speedway, coming April 13 during a twin-feature program at the South Carolina track.
About Donovan Strauss
Though Donovan Strauss has only been racing competitively in real life for the past four years, he honed his skills on iRacing as a youngster in Marietta, Ga., building his notebook in hopes of pursuing his dreams of racing professionally in NASCAR.
Strauss finished second in INEX Bandolero national points during his rookie season, then spent three years in Legend cars dominating the Georgia circuit and surrounding areas. He earned multiple track championships during that span, including titles at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, Lanier Raceway in Braselton, Ga., and Cordele (Ga.) Motor Speedway, as well as the 2023 INEX Pro National Championship.
Along with his real-life racing duties, Strauss also competes at the highest level of simulated motorsports, as a third-year driver in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series – the only online racing division officially sanctioned by NASCAR [the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing].
Strauss earned his first Coca-Cola Series victory in October of 2023 at the virtual Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway and is seeking his first playoff appearance this season, driving for Williams eSports, the gaming arm of famed Formula One team Williams Ltd.
Off the track, Strauss stays active with a consistent training regimen, a love of music, and his fandom of the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, the city from which he is originally from.
For more information on Donovan Strauss, as well as partnership inquiries, visit his website at https://www.donovanstraussracing.com/ or send an email to donovanjstrauss@gmail.com.
