eNASCAR College Series: Wilkerson and Mercurio Win Semifinals at Charlotte
The opening week of the Queen City Crown narrowed a field of 100 students down to 40 finalists at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the eNASCAR College iRacing Series.
A hundred collegiate sim racers took to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday night for the opening week of the Queen City Crown, the second tournament of the 2026-27 eNASCAR College iRacing Series season. Following quarterfinal and semifinal heats split across two groups, only 40 drivers secured spots in the upcoming 100-lap final round.
In Group 1, tournament one winner Jacob Wilkerson of Tarrant County College District took the semifinal victory ahead of Triton College's Adam Garza and Arizona State University's Bradley Erickson. Group 2 saw Brian Mercurio of DeSales University take first place, crossing the line ahead of the University of Calgary's Connor Yeroschak and St. Johns River State College's AJ Heider. Under the new rules for the 2026-27 campaign, the top 10 finishers in each semifinal group earned championship points, meaning Wilkerson and Mercurio both claimed 10 points heading into the deciding race.
A total of 32 colleges will feature on the 40-truck grid for the final. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte advanced the largest contingent with six drivers, while Ball State University, Belmont Abbey College, and Bowling Green State University will each have two entrants. Meanwhile, several leading contenders from the season opener missed the cut, including Peachtree Pursuit podium finisher Jonathan Evans and top-five contender Layne Graves.
The Queen City Crown concludes on Wednesday, 14 October, with a 100-lap feature race at Charlotte. The winner will claim $3,000 and 55 championship points, with the live broadcast starting at 7:00 p.m. ET on eNASCAR and iRacing channels.