KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (March 27, 2020) – “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” This is an ancient Chinese proverb, and it’s particularly apt when it comes to NASCAR and its embrace of iRacing.
Texas
MotorSportsNews.Net posts about the Texas Motor Speedway, one of the race tracks used in NASCAR Cup Series, XFINITY Series, and Gander Trucks series
Texas Invitational Advance – Erik Jones Readies for Round Two
Details:
- Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Round 2)
- Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
- Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 29
- Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
- Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)
Where to Watch:
- FOX network
- Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer.
- FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150)
- FOX Sports Go app
- FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada
DYK?:
- Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway was the single most-watched esports event in U.S. history. The race drew 903,000 viewers on FS1, besting the previous high of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.
- The race was the highest-rated broadcast on FS1 since mass postponements of sporting events began on March 15.
- During the race, the #ProInvitationalSeries was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States.
Overview:
- The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of actual racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
- The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicked off last Sunday at Homestead. It is a multi-week series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
- With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists in place of actual NASCAR events.
- Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series consists of 35 drivers and all races are broadcast by FOX Sports.
Erik Jones, driver of the No. 20 Craftsman Toyota Camry:
“I honestly did not know how I’d do in last week’s race at Homestead. It had been forever since I last went iRacing, so it was like I was a rookie all over again. But things came to me fairly quickly, although I’m still nowhere near where I want to be. Performance aside, I think we all came away from that race impressed with how the entire industry rallied around it, and fans seemed to like it too. Now we’re on big FOX this Sunday, so even more people will be watching. Obviously, that’s good, but it does kind of ramp up the pressure. You want to do well. Even though it’s a simulation, we’re all competitors and we want to win. And it’s appropriate that I’ve got CRAFTSMAN on my Toyota Camry this Sunday at Texas. I moved into a new house this week and between putting furniture together, hanging stuff up and even fixing a few things that broke, if I wasn’t carrying a box I was carrying a screwdriver or a wrench. iRacing practice time took a backseat to the move, so I hope my limited practice time doesn’t show up in the race.”
- Jones started 25th and finished 10th in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Homestead.
- Jones dusted off his iRacing skills for Homestead, as the race marked his return to iRacing after a lengthy layoff. In a tweet before the race, Jones said, “The last time I went iRacing, there was a solar eclipse. So, yeah, two rare events. Don’t miss this one!” For those wondering, the last solar eclipse in the U.S. happened on Aug. 21, 2017. Jones was 24 races into his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
- In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Texas, Jones has three top-five and five top-10 finishes in seven career starts.
- Jones’ best Texas finish is fourth, earned three straight times (April 2018, November 2018 and March 2019.)
- In Jones’ last five starts at Texas, he has finished in the top-10 each time.
- Jones is a three-time Xfinity Series winner at Texas. He won in his first Xfinity Series start at Texas on April 10, 2015. Jones then swept Texas’ 2017 slate of Xfinity Series races.
- Jones has six career Xfinity Series starts at Texas and has never finished lower than fourth. And he’s qualified on the front row in every start except one, when he qualified third for the November 2015 race.
- Jones is also a Truck Series winner at Texas. His third and most recent Truck Series start at Texas came in November 2015 and it ended in victory lane. It was Jones’ seventh career Truck Series win. Jones has only made two Truck Series starts since – one in 2016 and one in 2018. He scored top-10s in both.
KYLE BUSCH eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Homestead Advance
| Details: |
| • Event: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
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| Where to Watch: |
| • FOX network • Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer. • FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150) • FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada
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| Overview: |
| • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of actual racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicked off last Sunday at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. Texas Motor Speedway serves as the second race of the series. The Pro Invitational Series is designed to emulate emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule from week to week. • With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists for the drivers to have a bit of fun until the resumption of their respective series schedules. • Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will consist of 35 drivers.
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| KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series: |
| How was your first iRacing experience last week? “It was quite interesting last week. Ty Gibbs offered me up his rig because I did not have one and I was over at his place last weekend running on his rig. I made some phone calls this week to see who had one since I’m hoping after maybe six weeks we can get back to the racetrack and do what we do each week and I won’t really need to have one. So I’m going on the borrowed train right now for my rig.”
Who has been helping you out and what are you using for a rig? “I got the sim guys over to my house to set one up. Last week, I had to drive 45 minutes over to Ty’s to practice and then 45 minutes back. So now, after we put Brexton (Busch, son) to bed, I can go down there and start working on getting better. Texas seems like it’s going to be a heck of a lot more simple than Homestead was as far as the driving aspect. You just have to hit your marks in turns one and two and get back to the gas and turns three and four, which are going to be wide open. Happy to have Interstate Batteries on board with us this week. They have been a part of iRacing since the beginning with Joe Gibbs Racing, so they’ve been a big supporter of JGR’s regular eNASCAR team. Everyone’s doing it – it’s the hot thing to do – and it was certainly fun to do last weekend to help everyone forget about everything that is happening in the real world. Everyone seems to enjoy it. A lot of guys are getting a little more serious about it and everyone is spending more time, so I figured if I’m going to stop running 30th, I’m going to need to get some more laps (laughing).” |
| Busch Homestead Invitational Notes: |
| • This will be Busch’s second ever iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.
• This is not Interstate Batteries’ first foray into the world of eNASCAR, as the company was the first partner to join Joe Gibbs Racing’s eSports effort last year in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. For 2020, Interstate Batteries is a weekly sponsor on the No. 18 Toyota driven by Graham Bolin in the regular iRacing Series. Not only was Interstate Batteries the founding sponsor of JGR back in 1992, it was the first to join JGR’s iRacing and NASCAR Heat teams beginning in its inaugural season in 2019.
• In addition to Interstate’s extensive involvement in iRacing, Busch’s Rowdy Energy Drink is a sponsor on the No. 51 Toyota driven by Malik Ray in the weekly eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for JGR.
• Last weekend, ARCA Menards Series driver Ty Gibbs helped Busch get up to speed in his iRacing rig as Busch had never tried iRacing until practice the day prior to the first iRacing Pro Invitational race last Sunday at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. This week, Busch has had a rig brought to his house and has been busy practicing for Sunday at virtual Texas. William Hartman, Busch’s engineer on his regular No. 18 Toyota Camry Cup Series car, also helped Busch last weekend and will serve as crew chief for this weekend. In addition to Hartman, Busch’s real-life spotter Tony Hirschman is setting up to spot Busch on Sunday from his home in Pennsylvania.
• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing on the 1.5-mile Texas oval, Busch has three wins, 12 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s in 28 starts. |
RCR Event Preview – Virtual Texas Motor Speedway
Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway … While Richard Childress Racing has a storied history at Texas Motor Speedway that includes a NASCAR Cup Series win with Jeff Burton (1997), five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and two NASCAR Truck Series wins, this weekend marks the organization’s first time racing competitively on the virtual Texas Motor Speedway track. The Format … NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports are teaming up to deliver the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a selection of simulation-style esports races that include a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series and a group of NASCAR dignitaries. The series heads to the virtual Texas Motor Speedway for a fixed set-up race this Sunday, March 29. Several Richard Childress Racing-affiliated drivers are scheduled to compete. The Lineup … All current NASCAR Cup Series drivers are locked into the 35-car field, including Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet) and Tyler Reddick (No. 31 Cat Oil and Gas Chevrolet). RCR’s roster of NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, including Anthony Alfredo (No. 33 Death Wish Coffee Chevrolet), Myatt Snider (No. 93 TaxSlayer Chevrolet) and Kaz Grala (No. 29 HotScream Chevrolet) will attempt to qualify into the race via a heat race on Sunday morning. The Setup … Dillon, Reddick and Alfredo will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Since 2009, Sim Seats has been designing and fabricating high quality made in USA driving simulators including motion systems, complete turnkey iRacing packages, and custom fabrication. Did You Know … When he was a driver in NASCAR’s top division, Richard Childress earned a pair of top-10 finishes in the Lone Star State at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station. Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup and the RCR NASCAR Xfinity Series team Twitter page – @RCRNXS. Information about the 16-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/ Catch the Action … The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, March 29 beginning at 1 p.m. ET on the FOX broadcast network (where available), FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing. |
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This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Dillon is an accomplished driver at Texas Motor Speedway with 30 starts spread out across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series, but will be making his first competitive start on the virtual track this weekend. Dillon competed in the inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway but was slowed by connection issues at the start of the race. TRACKER Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology. Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit www.basspro.com. E-Z-GO …E-Z-GO is an iconic, world-renowned brand in golf cars and personal transportation vehicles. Products sold under the E-Z-GO brand include RXV® and TXT® fleet golf cars, Freedom® RXV and Freedom TXT personal golf cars, E-Z-GO Express™ personal utility vehicles, and the 2Five® street-legal low-speed vehicle. Known for innovation in electric-vehicle technology, E-Z-GO’s newest offerings include the ELiTE series of lithium-ion powered golf cars and PTVs, and the company’s exclusive 72-volt AC electric powertrain found in its latest Express series vehicles. Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960, and today operates as part of the company’s Textron Specialized Vehicles division. A Commitment to eSports … Dillon is a long-time iRacing team owner. For the past two years, he has fielded two cars in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, which is a $300,000 eSport World Championship series officially sanctioned by NASCAR featuring the world’s most elite oval simracers. Dillon’s two drivers, Blake Reynolds (No. 30) and Michael Guest (No. 33) compete on simulated versions of the actual real-world NASCAR tracks and Gen6 cars available on iRacing. The rounds run every other Tuesday night and is broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube. The Crew … From Team Dillon Management’s offices on the campus of Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, North Carolina, Dillon will be competing in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Dillon will have a talented support system on Sunday, including his eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver, Blake Reynolds (@breynolds_66). Reynolds was a Champ 4 contender in 2019. AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE: Did you learn anything at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway last week that you can apply to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend? “I learned a lot at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. We were able to get up to the top-10 for a little while but it was a messy race for us. I’ve been practicing a lot for Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway and the setup seems better this week. I’m also looking forward to a bit of drafting this week. I hope these eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series races tide us over until we get to the real racetrack, because this is fun but I’m looking forward to get back to real racing!” |
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This Week’s Cat Oil and Gas Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Reddick is scheduled to make his first competitive eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Start this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Reddick has competed in 11 races at Texas Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series, including two pole awards and six top-5 finishes. Cat Oil and Gas … Caterpillar Oil & Gas, with headquarters in Houston, Texas, consolidates all the sales and service activities for Caterpillar Inc.’s oil and gas power solutions. Since the 1930s, Caterpillar has manufactured engines for the oilfield and today provides premier power solutions with outputs from 31 to 16,000 kW. The sales and service network includes more than 2,100 dealer locations world-wide dedicated to support customers in the drilling, production, well service and gas compression segments. More information is available at: cat.com/oilandgas The Setup … From his home in North Carolina, Reddick will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. TYLER REDDICK QUOTE: A lot of drivers have said that the virtual Texas Motor Speedway is very similar to the real Texas Motor Speedway, which could play well for you since you’ve been pretty successful at the real track. What will it take to transfer that knowledge and success into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race? “The virtual track races identical to what Texas Motor Speedway was before the traction compound was introduced, and creates those crazy runs into Turn 1 with the current Cup package. Figuring out how to manage the front tires and keep someone from getting inside going into Turn 1 will be key for this virtual race.” |
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This Week’s Death Wish Coffee Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Alfredo is an accomplished competitor within the eNASCAR ranks but is not locked into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series field and will have to qualify into the race on Sunday afternoon via a heat race session on Sunday morning. Alfredo competed in last week’s event at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he raced within the top-10 before a last-lap incident slowed his progression at the 1.5-mile track. Death Wish Coffee … In 2012, Death Wish Coffee Co. started in a small coffee shop in Saratoga Springs, NY. Founder Mike Brown saw a need for coffee that was both strong and delicious to serve his groggy morning customers. After creating the perfect blend of beans and combining it with his unique roasting technique, the ‘World’s Strongest Coffee’ was born. Today, thousands of people trust Death Wish Coffee to wake them up and keep them going every day. The Crew … From his home in North Carolina, Alfredo will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Alfredo has a talented support system on Sunday, including last year’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion Zack Novak and his teammate Jimmy Mullis, who will serve as crew chief and spotter, respectively. ANTHONY ALFREDO QUOTE: How similar is the virtual Texas Motor Speedway to the real Texas Motor Speedway? “Texas Motor Speedway is my new favorite track on iRacing. It is one of my favorites in real life, too. To me, it feels even closer to real life than most of the other tracks do, so I really enjoy it. I actually just won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race there in iRacing today! I’ve been racing at Texas Motor Speedway all week in various series because it is so much fun and a great preparation for the weekend.” |
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This Week’s TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Snider has four starts at the 1.5-mile track in the NASCAR Truck series but he will have to qualify into the virtual race on Sunday afternoon as he is not locked into the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series field. Snider and others not locked into the field will compete in a heat race session on Sunday morning to determine the final field for the afternoon event. About TaxSlayer … TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million state and federal e-filed tax returns in 2019 and processed $12 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.6/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 85% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com. File your taxes … The IRS is urging taxpayers who are due a refund to e-file ASAP and to file electronically. TaxSlayer is here to help process your return quickly and accurately, so you can get your refund without delay. File this weekend to get your refund as early as April 7th. Stay up to date on important tax info including the new tax deadline here. File today at TaxSlayer.com. Save Now … When you file with TaxSlayer, the savings are around every turn. All the deductions, all the credits, and all the money you deserve comes back to you in your refund. Plus, when you enter promo code MYATT21 at checkout, you’ll save 21% off the cost of your federal return. Start for free at MYATT SNIDER QUOTE: What will it take to make the race at virtual Texas Motor Speedway with the race stacked with NASCAR Cup Series regulars and some iRacing pros? How does the virtual Texas Motor Speedway stack up to the real Texas Motor Speedway? “It’s just so cool to be representing RCR and Tax Slayer in an awesome event like this. I’m really proud of NASCAR and the racing community as a whole for rallying behind this method of racing when we all can’t physically race. Also, the fact that the previous race drew almost a million viewers just goes to show how viable this is. It’s going to be tough racing against Cup guys and people who have a lot of iRacing experience, but I think with enough practice I’ll be able to compete. I can’t wait to take my Tax Slayer machine to virtual Texas.” |
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This Week’s HotScream Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Grala is not locked into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series field and will have to qualify into the race on Sunday afternoon via a heat race session on Sunday morning. Grala has collected two top-10 finishes in four starts at Texas Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series. HotScream … HotScream takes two concepts, dessert and spicy food, and combines them to form a product that can only be described as ‘HotScream The Spicy Ice Cream’. By taking ice cream with its cool creaminess and incorporating a spicy swirl, HotScream has created a new taste sensation, one that almost defies one’s own senses. At first, you taste the pureness of the vanilla, followed quickly by the sweetness of one of seven flavor swirls. As you continue to enjoy HotScream, things change: You feel a warming sensation that starts in the back of your mouth, creating a rush that only can come from spicy foods. The warming continues to linger but doesn’t engulf your mouth with fire. Taking another bite, you again taste the cool, creamy vanilla and the respective flavor profile while the heat dissipates, only to come back time and time again. HotScream is currently available at ACME Markets, Big Y, select ShopRites, Stop & Shop and 400 Walmart locations from Maine to Texas. For more information, visit HotScream.com. KAZ GRALA QUOTE: Sunday will be very challenging with some of the best drivers in NASCAR vying for a spot in the starting field at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway. What’s your strategy to make it into the main event and how does the virtual track compare to the real track? “I’m really excited to drive the legendary, albeit virtual, No. 29 Chevrolet in this weekend’s race. As an Xfinity Series driver, I will have to race my way into the main event through the consolation race, which will be stacked with some of the best drivers on iRacing. With extremely limited experience on iRacing myself, it won’t be easy to transfer, but I’m going to give it my all and see how things shake out. I know from practice that the virtual track races very similarly to the real Texas Motor Speedway, but of course there are speed tricks on iRacing that I am still working on perfecting.” |
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang – iRacing Means WeRacing
Matt DiBenedetto and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang will return to competition on network TV this weekend as the sport’s iRacing wing steps up to deliver live content to a sports world starved for entertainment due to the coronavirus. (more…)
Clint Bowyer and Chase Briscoe Continue Sim Racing Assimilation
| Details: |
| • Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Round 2) • Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series • Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 29 • Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval) • Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)
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| Where to Watch: |
| • FOX network • Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer. • FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150) • FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada
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| DYK?: |
| • Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway was the single most-watched esports event in U.S. history. The race drew 903,000 viewers on FS1, besting the previous high of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.
• The race was the highest-rated broadcast on FS1 since mass postponements of sporting events began on March 15.
• During the race, the #ProInvitationalSeries was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States.
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| Overview: |
| • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of actual racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicked off last Sunday at Homestead and it is a multi-week series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
• With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists in place of actual NASCAR events.
• Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series consists of 35 drivers and all races are broadcast by FOX Sports.
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| Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang: |
| “We’ve had a partnership with iRacing on our dirt late model team for several years and we’ve run an iRacing team since last year. I’ve always jumped on it from time to time even though a lot of people don’t know that. My favorite thing to do on iRacing is not my day job. I came from dirt racing, so I love to get on there and burn laps on a dirt late model, a sprint car or midget. Heck, I’ve even done off-road truck racing. Those are my favorite things to do. A lot of my fans and peers get on and run Cup races and tracks we race on every week. For me, iRacing gives me a chance to drive something I’ve always wanted to drive, but never had the chance. That’s why I love iRacing, and I love the fact that this Pro Invitational Series has made more people aware of iRacing. Now, that means more eyeballs on us this Sunday, so I need to step up my game and put my Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang up front.”
• Bowyer started 11th and finished 16th in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Homestead.
• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. Last Sunday’s race at Homestead was his first official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.
• Bowyer’s eponymous iRacing team competes in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series with drivers Brandon Kettelle and Brian Schoenberg, and Bowyer’s dirt late model team has been sponsored by iRacing for several years.
• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Texas, Bowyer has four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 28 career starts.
• Bowyer’s best Texas finish is second, earned twice (April 2011 and March 2019).
• Anheuser-Busch, the country’s largest sponsor of live sports and entertainment, is redirecting it sports and entertainment investments to its non-profit partners to respond to the coronavirus public health crisis. As part of a $5 million donation to the American Red Cross, Anheuser-Busch, alongside its sports partners, will identify available arenas and stadiums to be used for temporary blood drive centers. As part of the donation, Anheuser-Busch is donating media air time to the Red Cross in support of its public service announcements. To learn more about how to attend a blood drive, visit RedCross.org. Additionally, Anheuser-Busch is using its supply and logistics network to produce and distribute bottles of hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer will be utilized at Red Cross blood donation centers and to support emergency shelters for future relief efforts.
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| Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 98 Ford Performance Racing School/HighPoint.com Ford Mustang: |
| “It obviously hasn’t been the greatest time for anybody right now, so it’s cool to have a way to keep your mind off of it. There isn’t really anything on TV and there are no other sporting events going on, so to be the only sport that can still continue, it’s been really cool to see everybody embrace it. When the idea first came out to run iRacing on FOX, I think people were curious to see how it was going to go and concerned that it wouldn’t be like ‘real life’, but it’s as close as we can get to it. It fills that void for the racing we don’t have right now, and it’s an awesome way to keep us occupied, keep the fans involved, and the sponsors as well. And maybe we’re opening the sport up to people that normally wouldn’t pay attention. It’s been really cool to see how many fans have gotten behind it.
“It’s been quite a bit different going from the Xfinity car to the Cup car, even though it’s iRacing. It’s realistic enough that even in simulation the cars don’t drive similarly at all. In the Cup Series car, there’s a lot more on throttle time and a lot less brake, so Texas will be a lot of the same. We’ll be on the gas a lot and drafting down the straightaway. They’re different, but it still takes the same characteristics to go fast and win, and I got that part figured out last weekend at Homestead. Texas is kind of an unknown to me. iRacing just updated the track a few weeks ago with the repaved surface and changes to the banking, so I don’t even have any laps around there. It’ll be a learning curve for sure, and it isn’t the best feeling to know I have to race my way into the main event. We saw last weekend that anything can happen to keep some of the better guys from being in the race. That being said, I feel good about our chances to run up front again with the Ford Performance Racing School/HighPoint.com Mustang.”
• Briscoe started sixth and finished fourth in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Homestead.
• Briscoe is a regular iRacer, but mainly in the Xfinity Series. Prior to Homestead, The Replacements 100 March 17 at the virtual Atlanta Motor Speedway was Briscoe’s most recent iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.
• In actual racing, Briscoe has never competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. He is currently in his second full season of Xfinity Series racing.
• Briscoe has three Xfinity Series starts at Texas with a best finish of fourth, earned last March.
• Briscoe also has two Truck Series starts at Texas with a best finish of second, earned in June 2017. And when the Truck Series returned to Texas that November, Briscoe finished fourth.
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| About Stewart-Haas eSports: |
| NASCAR is the ultimate test of driver acumen and mechanical know-how, where teams scrutinize every detail in a never-ending quest for speed. Stewart-Haas Racing has thrived in this environment, winning races and championships to firmly establish its presence in NASCAR. Stewart-Haas eSports emulates these efforts in the virtual world, where sim technology provides a visceral experience that amplifies the grit and determination of NASCAR drivers in the real world. Stewart-Haas eSports is a natural extension of Stewart-Haas Racing, where competition and simulation are one. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com and follow on Twitter @SHR_eSports.
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| About Stewart-Haas Racing: |
| Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ |
Michael McDowell Race Preview: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway
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John Hunter Nemechek Teams up with ROMCO for eNASCAR iRacing Event at Texas
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NASCAR is keeping racing in perspective, all while planning to get back on the track
(by Bob Pockrass for Fox Sports)
That was fun Sunday. A great distraction.
The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race on Sunday, won by Denny Hamlin, was cool to see, a great way to spend a couple hours and to try to forget the nervousness of a country plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)