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FOX SPORTS TO AIR COMPLETE eNASCAR iRACING PRO INVITATIONAL SERIES

by MikeMarch 24, 2020

iRacing Season Simulcast on FOX, FS1 and the FOX Sports App Beginning Sunday from Virtual Texas Motor Speedway

Inaugural FOX NASCAR iRACING Event Draws More Than 900,000 Viewers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Last Sunday, NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports teamed up to deliver the first-ever eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series event. Today, FOX Sports is committing to coverage of the remainder of the season, beginning Sunday, March 29, at 1:00 PM ET live from virtual Texas Motor Speedway. Entitled FOX NASCAR iRACING, the races will be simulcast on the FOX broadcast network*, FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing.

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Denny Hamlin passes Dale Jr. for victory in eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series opener

by MikeMarch 23, 2020March 24, 2020

By Holly Cain

Denny Hamlin edged Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a door-banging final push to the checkered flag in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut event, the Dixie Vodka 150, at iRacing’s virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Race ‘FilterTime’ Car in Inaugural iRacing eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series Event Sunday

by MikeMarch 21, 2020

Social Distancing Efforts Has NASCAR Engaging & Entertaining Fans In Exciting Way

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 21, 2020 (Newswire.com) – The highly anticipated eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicks off Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and FOX Sports app). It will feature a full 35-car line-up of NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series drivers. They will compete for no purse but instead pure competition at iRacing’s virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.

NASCAR and iRacing announced Tuesday the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition eSports series featuring many of the sport’s most talented drivers.

Among the most popular will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who announced Friday he will be racing for FilterTime™, a home subscription air filter company in which he is part owner with fellow retired NASCAR driver Blake Koch.

“FilterTime is thrilled to have our co-owner Dale Jr. racing the FilterTime #8 Chevrolet in the eNASCAR race this Sunday,” said Koch, FilterTime’s founder and CEO. “When I stopped racing myself and started this company, I never dreamed I would be able to see the FilterTime.com logo on a car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. on national television. Most importantly in these difficult times of social distancing and concern across the globe, we are excited to be a part of a unique experience that breathes life into these difficult times. Ironically, FilterTime home air filter subscription service does a similar thing by delivering air filters to our customers across the nation without having to leave the comfort of their homes.”

FOX NASCAR broadcasters Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds will call the action. The live broadcast will start at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and FOX Sports app.

About FilterTime™

FilterTime™ was founded in 2017, a leading air filter subscription service via the web that allows you to choose your air filter and how often you want it delivered – without ever having to go through the hassle again. Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the FilterTime™ organization as co-owner in 2018. For more information, visit: www.FilterTime.com

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KYLE BUSCH eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Homestead Advance

by MikeMarch 21, 2020

Details:

• Event: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
• Time/Date: 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 22
• Location: Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
• Distance: 100 laps (150 miles)

Where to Watch:

• FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150)

■ Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer.

• FOX Sports Go app

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.

• While the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicks off on Sunday at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, it will be 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 for the drivers to have a bit of fun until the return of their respective series.

• Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will consist of 35 drivers.

KYLE BUSCH, Driver of the No. 18 M&M’S Camry in the eNASCAR IRacing Pro Invitational Series:

You got into the iRacing simulator for the first time this afternoon (Saturday). What did you learn and who is helping you out?

“I’ve never done iRacing before and I don’t even have a setup. Fortunately, Ty Gibbs has a setup that I was able to practice on this afternoon for the first time. The biggest thing I learned is that lap-one, cold tires is “ice,” then it feels good for about 10 laps, and then the car gets really tight. Since you can’t change the setup, it’s really going to be tricky to figure out the balance of me fixing that. Thankfully, Ty Gibbs, ‘Boris’ (Bryan Cook, JGR Chief Digital Officer) and my Cup car engineer William Hartman, are big into iRacing and they were also helping me learn this afternoon – trying to get all the basics down of practicing pitting, restarts and everything I need to know. You aren’t going to learn it all in a few hours. These guys that are really good at iRacing do it on a regular basis, they’ve done a ton of work to get as good as they are. It’s cool to get our virtual M&M’S Camry out there and have some fun while trying to learn a new trade.”

• This will be Busch’s first official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

• 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 Joe Gibbs Racing with Interstate Batteries as a sponsor on the No. 18 Toyota driven by Graham Bolin.

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Homestead, Busch has two victories, including last year’s season-finale when he clinched his second title in NASCAR’s top series.

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Coverage Resources and News & Notes – Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

by MikeMarch 21, 2020

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
Next Race: Dixie Vodka 150
The Place: Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
The Date: Sunday, March 23
The Time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: FS1 and FOX Sports App
Distance: 100 Laps

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FedEx Racing Express Facts – Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway

by MikeMarch 21, 2020

Denny Hamlin

#11 FedEx Express Toyota

Joe Gibbs Racing

Virtual Race Info:

Race: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event

Date/Time: Sunday, March 22/1:30 p.m. ET

Race Distance: 100 laps/150 miles

Track Shape: Oval

Track Length: 1.5 miles

Banking: 18-20 degrees

Express Notes:

New Series: With the on-track action of the NASCAR Cup Series postponed for the next several weeks, Denny Hamlin is among the drivers slated to compete in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a simulation-style eSports program, with the inaugural event on Sunday, March 22, at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hamlin Conversation – Virtual Homestead:

How much will this Sunday’s iRace feel like real racing?

“The simulators are pretty realistic. We’ve all used them to help ourselves improve on some of the tracks and road courses over the years. It will feel just like I’m turning laps at Homestead-Miami Speedway.”

Obviously, a virtual race doesn’t replace on-track racing, but do you feel like this will help boost the mood of race fans?

“We sure hope so. You can’t replace the real thing, but fans will still be able to sit down and watch a race on TV on Sunday afternoon. The cars will all look realistic. I’ll be racing my FedEx Express Toyota, which looks just like the real race car. And even though it’s a virtual race, I’ll still be proud to represent FedEx. They’ve got nearly half a million team members working hard right now to keep critical shipments moving in a challenging time.”

Homestead Invitational Advance – Meet The Sims: Clint Bowyer and Chase Briscoe

by MikeMarch 20, 2020

Details:

Where to Watch:

• FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150)

■ Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer.

• FOX Sports Go app

Overview:

• 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 will consist of 35 drivers.

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang:

“I don’t know if I will be able to keep up with all these young kids who do this all the time, so my goal is to have fun and keep the fans entertained on Sunday. I can’t thank iRacing, FOX and NASCAR enough for putting this together, and all the sponsors like Mobil 1 who made this event happen so quickly. Everyone needs some entertainment right now. We’re all in it together, man. This puts a new perspective on life and, when it all comes back, we will appreciate everything much more.”

• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. This will be his first official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

• Bowyer, however, is an iRacing team owner. His eponymous 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 Homestead, Bowyer has three top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 14 career starts.

• Bowyer’s best Homestead finish is second, earned in 2012.

Chase Briscoe, Driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang:

“I’m looking forward to going iRacing again. We had The Replacements 100 race last weekend at Atlanta and I felt like I learned quite a bit in that race because, obviously, I don’t run the Cup car very often on there. It’s got the actual Cup package with the big splitter and everything else, so it’s different than what I normally run. It felt like tire wear came into play at Atlanta and it definitely will again at Homestead, so finding that balance of how to save tires will be important. On iRacing, you wouldn’t think you’d have to save tires, but you actually do and it makes a difference. So, you get on there and just try to find that fine line of being able to go fast enough, but not too fast, to burn your tires up like you actually have to do when you go to Homestead. It’ll be fun to try to figure it out with our HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang.”

• Briscoe is a regular iRacer, but mainly in the Xfinity Series. Last Sunday’s The Replacements 100 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 is a winner at Homestead. He won his first career Truck Series race at Homestead in 2017.

• Briscoe has two Xfinity Series starts at Homestead, with a best finish of third, earned last year.

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.

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/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – Roush Fenway Advance

by MikeMarch 20, 2020

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – Advance
Teams: No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang & No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang

Drivers: Ross Chastain (No. 6) & Chris Buescher (No. 17)

Twitter: @RoushFenway, @Roush6Team, @17RoushTeam

Hashtag: #ProInvitationalSeries

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, FOX Sports App

ADVANCE NOTES

Event Details

Titled FOX NASCAR iRACING, the 90-minute, simulation style eSports program includes a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and a group of NASCAR dignitaries.
FS1 and the FOX Sports App will carry all of Sunday’s action from the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Ross Chastain will run Sunday’s race from his iRacing rig at his home, while Chris Buescher will use a customized rig from Roush Fenway’s campus in Concord, NC.

Buescher at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Buescher has six career NASCAR starts at Homestead-Miami, including four in the Cup Series. His best finish came in the season finale last year, where he drove the No. 37 machine to a 16^th-place finish.
In two Xfinity races at the 1.5-mile track, Buescher earned finishes of fifth (2014) and 11^th (2015) in the No. 60 for Jack Roush.

Chastain at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Chastain enters Sunday’s action with 13 career NASCAR starts on the 1.5-mile Homestead pavement, including two in the Cup Series.
In Xfinity Series action, the Melon Man has a best finish of 14^th, which came back in 2014 in the No. 10 car.
Chastain’s best career result at Homestead came in the Truck Series just last season, where he drove the No. 45 entry to a fourth-place run, just missing the series championship.

On the eCar
Keeping true to their on-track Roush Fenway Racing schemes, both Buescher and Chastain will run their respective partner colors in Sunday’s iRacing event at Homestead. Buescher will carry longtime No. 17 team partner Fastenal aboard his Ford Mustang, while Chastain will run the bright orange and yellow Oscar Mayer scheme.

NASCAR/iRacing History
NASCAR and iRacing have an unprecedented history in the esports space, currently in the 11th season of the longest-running officially sanctioned esports racing series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. It features 40 of the best sim racers in the world competing for more than $300,000, one of the richest payouts in esports racing competition.

Roush Fenway’s 2020 lineup includes Nathan Lyon, driver of the No. 6 and a native of St. Louis Missouri, and Kollin Keister, driver of the No. 17, who hails from Frostburg, Maryland.

Roush Fenway Gaming Familiar with Homestead
Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway is the site of Roush Fenway Gaming’s 2019 Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship, where Zack Novak drove the No. 6 Ford to the series title and claimed the $40,000 top prize.