The Output Racing League kicked off its 2024 Season 2 in spectacular fashion with the SimRacerHub.com 162 at Pocono Raceway on Tuesday, July 9. This race marked the return of NASCAR Craftsman Trucks to the series for the first time since early 2022, and similar to last year’s opener at Pocono, it saw an uncharacteristic number of cautions. The late afternoon race, which ran right up to sunset, set the stage for an intense season ahead.

From the start, the race was defined by numerous cautions that kept drivers on their toes and fans on the edge of their seats. The first caution came as early as lap 7, when Bryan Harris and Kyle Crouse tangled in the tunnel turn. This early incident set the tone for what would be a caution-filled event. Andrew Hennessy, showing early dominance, led almost the entire first stage. However, just as a caution came out for a crash between Matt Burgess and Reggie Ortega in turn 1, Chris Champeau snatched the lead, winning the first stage.

The start of Stage 2 saw more chaos. A stack-up behind Bryan Harris in the tunnel turn led to a massive crash involving Matt Sisoler, Sam Neiderhelm, and rookie Aiden Wigfield, ending Sisoler's day. Meanwhile, Thomas Harmon looked like a strong contender, taking the lead just before green flag stops. However, his race was ruined by an iRacing bug that prevented his crew from giving him fresh tires, relegating him to an 11th-place finish despite his early promise.

Fred Cremeens, another rookie, impressed by leading 20 laps and battling at the front for most of the race. Unfortunately, an auto-fuel issue prevented him from finishing strong, dropping him to 22nd. Matt Horton, who had not posted a qualifying time, made a remarkable charge from the back of the field. He utilized the high-line in turn 1 effectively, gaining positions late in the tire run and leading before green flag stops.

As the race neared its conclusion, the intensity ramped up. With three laps to go, a spin by Horton involving Brian Chambliss brought out another caution, pushing the race into green-white-checkered (GWC) territory. On the first GWC restart, Jonas Marquez spun out of turn 1, necessitating a second attempt. In a dramatic turn of events, contact between Michael Dow and Jack Sanders on the restart sent Brian Chambliss spinning, ending the race under caution.

Amid the chaos, Andrew Griesbaum emerged victorious, securing his second series win. His strategic decision to take two tires on the final pit stop allowed him to take the lead on the GWC restart and hold off challenges from Austin Collins and Chris Champeau. Griesbaum reflected on his win, saying, "Feels good to finally get one of these. I was shocked more people didn't stay out or take two, I didn't expect to come out first. When I did I knew I had to hit the restarts perfectly to hold off those other guys."

Collins delivered a consistent performance, reflecting, "I tried every single strategy there was and it somehow played out for me at the end."

Champeau's strong run included winning the first stage and contributing to Wolf Pack Racing's highest team points, alongside teammate Cori Cooke, who also finished in the top 10. Champeau reflected on his performance, saying, "It was a lot of fun. In hindsight I should've taken two so I could come out with the lead. We were competitive all night and it was good to see after last season's disaster."

Travis Messier claimed the hard charger award for starting twentieth and finishing eighth, saying, "The long run there really really helped me and I was able to gain 4 or 5 positions there and I pitted at the right time."

The next race in the Output Racing League's 2024 Season 2 will be held on the short track at Indianapolis Raceway Park. With the thrilling opener at Pocono setting the tone, fans can expect another action-packed race as the drivers continue their quest for the championship.