CONCORD, N.C. – Sunday was an action-packed day for Hendrick Motorsports Gaming Club drivers Sam Morris and Nick Jobes.
The first race of the inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League season kicked off at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a drivers’ meeting and mingling with competitors.
“To meet all the guys I have been talking to on a daily basis, finally getting to meet them in person, is just amazing,” said Jobes, driver of the No. 25 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. “Just being on stage with them and getting to enjoy the experience with them is just incredible.”
Before hitting the Trackside Live stage for the first race, the Hendrick Motorsports GC gamers had the opportunity to meet with Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
“It’s awesome,” Morris said. “I’ve been a big fan of Chase for a long time now.”
After making contact with another competitor on the final lap, Morris drove his No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 to a 12th-place finish in the first Xbox race of the season. Jobes finished ninth in the inaugural PlayStation4 event.
“My finish really doesn’t show how the race went for me,” Morris said. “I was in the lead with eight to 10 (laps) to go. I was running third on the last turn, you have issues on the track, you get wrecked. I feel like we had a good weekend.”
With the season opener in the books, Morris and Jobes looked forward to watching Hendrick Motorsports battle for the win at Charlotte Motor Speedway and experience the 600-mile NASCAR Cup Series race first-hand.
“(I’ll) walk around the pits, hopefully jump on the pit box and get to enjoy it from the teammate perspective as opposed to in the stands,” Jobes said.
Morris is planning to make minor alterations in his approach heading into the rest of the NHPL season.
“I’ll probably be a little more aggressive,” the driver said. “For some of the guys, when the spotlight comes on and the race is for points, they drive a little more aggressive. So I need to match their standards.”
Morris and Jobes will race Auto Club Speedway for the second event of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League season on Wednesday, May 27 at 8 p.m. ET. The live stream will be available on eNASCAR.com, the NASCAR Facebook page and the 704Games Twitch channel.