Chris Carroll retakes the championship lead with a win at Michigan in the VRX-Pimax World Cup

Chris Carroll took the checkers after 50 laps at Michigan International Speedway, taking his first win in the VRX-Pimax World Cup. The season is now halfway, with four races done and four to go, as Carroll leads Aaron Smith II with 144 to 140 points. Sean Boundy, the winner of the previous round, follows in third with 139 points.

Chris Carroll: “Aaron got held up on that restart and it was a big plus for me, I think someone on old tires held him up. I think he had some pace on me. This was really tough because you couldn’t push too hard because you had to manage your tires. You had to be smart and pick your lane. Pretty tough race, I think Aaron did a great job. For the championship, just trying to get top 5 every week and we keep the car clean, and that’s what we try to do.”

Aaron: “I wanted to be cute on that pitstop and make sure to get the outside lane, but on the restart, I got stuck and I didn’t get going and I didn’t want to risk getting a black flag. If I could go back and do it all over again I would have do it differently, but should-have, could-haves, and would have don’t win races. We learn from that mistake and go on with the season. The next race is the fastest track on the calendar, so my main job is to stay on the track.”

Jonathan Schwartz: “A very consistent race, super fun to drive. You could have different lines although the outside line seemed to be the fastest. But that first half of the race I was super comfortable, it may not have been interesting for the broadcast. I didn’t have the pace to overtake, so I just stayed behind Aaron. Things looked good, then some restarts people had old tires, and then I had to get around those guys. They were like a second off the pace after five laps. Those last few laps I was hoping for a top 5 and we got a podium, so I’m really happy.”