While Marcos Ambrose's return to racing wasn't quite as successful as his glory days, the Tasmanian certainly enjoyed the virtual experience on Wednesday night.
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Ambrose showed glimpses of his prowess, finishing in 22nd and 17th in the two Montreal races before saving his best for last, crossing the line in 13th and sixth at Watkins Glen, where he won consecutive NASCAR sprint cup races in 2011 and 2012.
Donning number 40 in celebration of famed sponsor Pirtek's anniversary, the 43-year-old had high praise for the Eseries format when speaking to Fox Sports' presenters before his qualifying attempt.
"I'm trying to convince myself this isn't a real race but it has been a race to get this rig ready," Ambrose said.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORT
"Four days ago I didn't know I was doing this event at all so I had to paint this room out, sticker it all up, get the rig rebuilt and I'm really looking forward to it.
"It's just amazing this online racing, it really is quite incredible and I'm looking forward to it."
Racing in a more free-moving simulator than most drivers and including the use of virtual reality goggles, Ambrose was out to immerse himself in the contest, describing the feeling of a crash as "pretty intense."
The Tasmanian finished 19th in the Watkins Glen qualifying session, 0.710 seconds behind Shane van Gisbergen who claimed pole position but Ambrose was unable to register a lap for Monreal, forcing him to start the first race from pit lane.
It was later revealed the immersive setup was behind the qualifying no-show as he required a new part.