Zach Panzarella converted pole into a textbook victory, leading 42 of 75 laps to extend his championship lead. Patrick Cowgill put on a clinic in raw speed- chipping away relentlessly—but ultimately fell 1.323 s short at the checkers. Alex Hillman³ rounded out the podium with a clean, penalty-free run, while Dalton Geyer and Cody Matthews impressed charging from mid-pack for top-5 finishes.
Headline Battle: Consistency vs. Speed
| Metric | Panzarella | Cowgill | Hillman³ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season Points | 191 (1st) | 157 (–34) | 162 (–29) |
| Wins / Poles | 2 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 0 |
| Laps Led | 85 | 37 | 30 |
| Fast-Lap % | 7 % | 11 % | 7 % |
| Avg. Finish | 5.0 | 5.8 | 8.4 |
Panzarella’s flawless execution—two wins, two poles—buoys his 29-point cushion, but Cowgill’s blistering laps keep him in striking distance. Hillman’s stage-point consistency quietly hovers him inside the title hunt.
Strategy Spotlight: Pit-Lane Profits
The pit-in/out comparison reveals Cowgill’s edge in pit execution:
| Pit Stop | Net Time Gained by Cowgill |
|---|---|
| Stop 1 | 0.3 s |
| Stop 2 | 2.3 s |
| Total | 2.6 s |
Stat nugget: Cowgill clawed back nearly 2.6 s across two stops—double the margin of Panzarella’s 1.323 s winning gap—yet track position and restart mastery sealed the deal for the points leader.
Midfield Maverick: Danny Sanchez
| Metric | Value | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Avg. Start / Finish | 15.0 → 7.2 | 1st |
| Positions Gained/Race | +7.8 | 1st |
| Total Passes | 142 | 1st |
| Incidents per Mile | 0.01 | 1st |
Sanchez stormed from P18 to P7—the biggest charge of the night—while logging the cleanest record in the field. A stronger qualifying could vault him into regular podium contention.
Tough Breaks
- Cody Gibson (P2 start → P14 finish): Early contact knocked him down the order.
- Gerald Rose (P5 start → P12 finish): Speed evident but early damage cost him valuable track position.
Standings Update (Top 5)
- Z. Panzarella – 191 pts
- A. Hillman³ – 162 pts (–29)
- P. Cowgill – 157 pts (–34)
- C. Matthews – 155 pts (–36)
- D. Sanchez – 136 pts (–55)
📸 All Images provided by: Dalton Geyer
Stay tuned for more updates from the DDIRL! Exciting news is coming out of the DDI-365K, including a grand prize giveaway—a watch! We’ll bring you all the latest as we continue to cover everything happening in the world of DDIRL.
League News Weekly 
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