Ault and Holmes Lead Advancing Drivers in eNASCAR College Series at Watkins Glen
Dylan Ault and Timothy Holmes claimed semifinal victories at Watkins Glen International as 40 collegiate sim racers advanced to the Big Apple Battle final in the eNASCAR College iRacing Series.
A grid of 100 collegiate sim racers contested the opening week of the Big Apple Battle, the third tournament of the 2026-27 eNASCAR College iRacing Series, racing the Ford Mustang GT4 around Watkins Glen International. Following quarterfinal and semifinal heats across two groups, the field has been whittled down to 40 drivers who will contest next week's final feature.
In Group 1, tournament top seed Dylan Ault of California State University, Sacramento, set the fastest qualifying time, won his quarterfinal heat, and secured victory in his semifinal ahead of Daytona State College's Hector Collazo and Virginia Tech's Thomas Bellemin. Group 2 saw Queen City Crown tournament winner Timothy Holmes of Horry-Georgetown Technical College dominate to take the checkered flag.
Under new sporting rules for the 2026-27 season, top-10 semifinal finishers earn championship points, provided they start the final round. Ault and Holmes each banked the maximum 10 points. Previous standings leader Jacob Wilkerson of Tarrant County College District advanced to the final but missed out on semifinal points, allowing Holmes to move into an unofficial four-point championship lead.
Altogether, 30 educational institutions will be represented in the final round. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte leads the contingent with seven drivers advancing, followed by Ball State University and Purdue University in Indianapolis with three drivers each. Defending series champion Connor Yeroschak also advanced, collecting four points with a seventh-place semifinal run.
The tournament concludes on Wednesday, November 4, with a 70-minute, 40-car final at Watkins Glen. The feature winner will take home $3,000 and 55 championship points.