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Erik Jones – No. 20 STANLEY Toyota Camry Preview – iRacing Pro Invitational – Bristol Motor Speedway

by MikeApril 3, 2020

No. 20 STANLEY Toyota Camry News and Notes:

JONES AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY: In actual NASCAR races at Bristol Motor Speedway, Jones has six NASCAR Cup Series starts at the Tennessee track. In those six starts, his best finish is 2017 during his rookie season when he started from the pole and led 260 laps before finishing second to Kyle Busch. In the Xfinity Series, Jones has six starts with two wins, three top-five finishes, four top-10 finishes and three pole starting positions. In his lone Truck Series start at Bristol, Jones earned a sixth-place finish.
NEW FORMAT: This week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway will feature a qualifying session to set the grid for two 50-lap heat races. The heat races will determine the starting order for the featured 150-lap main event.
ROUND 3: This week will mark round three of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. In the first two rounds, Jones has scored a 10th-place finish at Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway and a 21st-place finish at Virtual Texas Motor Speedway. Each week, the series has set records for viewership with last weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway having 1.3 million viewers, another record for eSports.
VIRTUAL TEXAS RECAP: Erik Jones started the second race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series from the 22nd position and crossed the finish line in 21st following a late-race accident.
RACE INFO: The Food City Showdown at Virtual Bristol Motor Speedway is scheduled for Sunday, April 5, 2020. Coverage will begin at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX (where available) and FoxSports 1.

From the Driver’s Seat:

Erik Jones: “Bristol should be good. It’s one of my favorite tracks in real life that we get to go to each year. It’s probably going to be a lot different than the last two weeks. It’ll be interesting to see where the preferred grove is with it being split between the top and the bottom in real life racing, so not sure what it’s going to be like in iRacing. We’ll see how it goes. Hopefully we can run a little better than last week. I have more time this week to practice before the race now that I’m getting a little settled in to my house. Hopefully I can get on there, get some laps down and can go up front and contend for the win this week.”

About STANLEY Security:

STANLEY Security, a division of Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK), is a provider of integrated security solutions defining the future of the security industry. STANLEY delivers a comprehensive suite of security products, software and integrated systems with a strong emphasis on service. STANLEY is powered by a culture of continuous innovation, providing revolutionary technology and unmatched customer service to commercial, institutional and industrial businesses and organizations. We focus on complete customer transparency and operational excellence in the five customer touchpoints: account management, installation, service, monitoring and billing. STANLEY takes pride in our signature approach to doing business – offering global resources with a local touch. As one of the world’s and most comprehensive security providers, we’re protecting what’s important to you by designing, installing, servicing and monitoring an extensive array of products and solutions that span the entire security spectrum:

Intrusion Detection
Fire Alarms & Monitoring
Access Control Systems
Video Surveillance Systems
Systems Integration
Personal Safety and Security Response
Patient Safety Solutions
Business Intelligence & Analytics Solutions
Standards Development & Strategic Planning
Software Support, Consultation and Integration
System Design, Installation, Service and Monitoring

Matt DiBenedetto and the Wood Brothers Are Hitched Up and Ready For Bristol

by MikeApril 2, 2020

After a disappointing finish in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, Matt DiBenedetto now turns his attention to the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, where he’ll pilot the No. 21 REESE/Draw-Tite Mustang in the third round of the NASCAR Pro Invitational iRacing Series. (more…)

CELSIUS to Partner with Front Row Motorsports and Michael McDowell for Virtual Bristol Race

by MikeApril 1, 2020

MCDOWELL ON VIRTUAL BRISTOL:

“I think that this weekend’s Pro Invitational Series race from virtual Bristol Motor Speedway is going to require a lot of concentration and stamina. Some people might think that just because this is a virtual race, that it will be relatively easy to compete in. However, the fact of the matter is that it still takes a lot of focus to be able to push your car to its limits, while trying your best not to crash with 35 other cars all around you.”

“Thankfully, to help me stay alert and on my game, I have CELSIUS Fitness Drinks coming on board this weekend. Not only will they be a primary sponsor of my virtual No. 34 Ford Mustang, but they have also been my go-to fitness drink for a long time. I drink a CELSIUS before every workout and on every race morning. Their drinks taste great and provide me with the energy that I need to perform any task.”

“I’m looking forward to another fun weekend of racing and encourage everyone to check out the full line of products that CELSIUS has to offer.”

CELSIUS Products: bit.ly/CELSIUSXMCDOWELL

About Celsius Holdings, Inc.

Celsius Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: CELH), is a global company with a proprietary, clinically proven formula for its master brand CELSIUS® and all its sub-brands. A lifestyle fitness drink and a pioneer in the rapidly growing performance energy sector, CELSIUS® has four beverage lines that each offer proprietary, functional, healthy-energy formulas clinically-proven to offer significant health benefits to its users. The four lines include, CELSIUS® Originals, CELSIUS HEAT™, CELSIUS® On-the-Go, and CELSIUS® Sweetened with Stevia. CELSIUS® has zero sugar, no preservatives, no aspartame, no high fructose corn syrup, and is non-GMO, with no artificial flavors or colors. The CELSIUS® line of products is Certified Kosher and Vegan. CELSIUS® is also soy and gluten-free and contains very little sodium. CELSIUS® is backed by six university studies that were published in peer-reviewed journals validating the unique benefits CELSIUS® provides. CELSIUS® is sold nationally at Target, CVS, GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, 7-Eleven, Dick’s Sporting Goods, The Fresh Market, Sprouts and other key regional retailers such as HEB, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Harris Teeter, Shaw’s and Food Lion. It is also available on Amazon, at fitness clubs and in select micro-markets across the country. For more information, visit CELSIUS® at www.celsius.com or Celsius Holdings, Inc., at www.celsiusholdingsinc.com.

Contact:

Mac MacLeod

YANMAR America to Power John Hunter Nemechek in eNASCAR iRacing Event at Bristol

by MikeApril 1, 2020

NEMECHEK ON VIRTUAL BRISTOL:

“It’s so cool to see that NASCAR broke its own record last weekend for the most-viewed eSports event in U.S. TV history and I’m honored to be a part of that. This obviously isn’t the situation anyone was hoping for or expecting, but the fact that we continue to come together each week to provide some entertainment and temporary relief from the everyday news says a lot about our racing community.

“Bristol is already such a challenging track for us in person and it will be interesting to see what it’s like in a virtual race. The preferred line at Bristol tends to move around as the race goes on, and as we’ve seen over the last two weeks of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, anything can happen. That said, I’m feeling pretty good about our No. 38 Ford Mustang.

“I’m also really glad we are able to have our partners at YANMAR America with us on the car this weekend. I was just gutted for them after not being able to race at Atlanta. They’re such a great group of people and I’m thankful for their outpouring of support for Front Row Motorsports since last year. I’m excited that we get to have them ‘along for the ride’ this weekend and look forward to the day when we can see the No. 38 YANMAR Ford Mustang on track in person, too.”

Drivers Justin Bolton and Dylan Duval Ready for First Short Track of 2020 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Season

by MikeApril 1, 2020

Details:

• Event: eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series (Round 4 of 20)

• Time/Date: 9 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, March 31 (TONIGHT)

• Location: Virtual Bristol Motor Speedway (.533-mile oval)

• Distance: 250 laps (133.25 miles)

Where to Watch:

• eNASCAR.com/live

• Facebook.com/NASCAR

• YouTube.com/NASCAR

• Twitch.tv/iRacing

Overview:

• This is the first time in 2020 that the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series will compete on a short track. All of the series’ previous races have come at tracks 1.5 miles in length or longer.

• This is the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series’ fourth visit to the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, but only its second since 2011.

• Last year’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race at Bristol was run under the lights. This year’s edition is a daytime affair.

• Stewart-Haas eSports drivers Justin Bolton and Dylan Duval come into Bristol after each earned their season-best result in the series’ last race at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. Duval finished 15th and Bolton was 17th.

• Duval finished 25th in last year’s race at Bristol, while Bolton makes his Bristol debut tonight.

Justin Bolton, driver of the No. 10 Get Busch Delivered! Ford Mustang:

“We’ve run well, but we don’t have the finishes to show for it. We were up toward the top-five at the end of the first run in our last two speedway races, but haven’t been able to get it done when it mattered. We’re going into Bristol optimistic that we can turn our season around. I’ll be driving the No. 10 Get Busch Delivered! Ford Mustang, and we’ve been spending a lot of time working on this setup. We feel confident that we’ll have something to compete with. And for those of you who are 21 or older, go to Busch.com/delivery and then enter your zip code to see what options are available in your area. From there, you can get Busch delivered right to your doorstep. While we’re racing, you can relax and unwind with an ice-cold Busch.”

Bolton is a 25-year-old engineer on Stewart-Haas Racing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series team who helped Cole Custer to a career-high seven victories in 2019. Bolton has raced in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series off and on since 2014, accumulating 49 starts with nine top-five finishes and a career-best points result of ninth in 2015. The Latrobe, Pennsylvania, native also has real-world racing experience, as Bolton has raced Legends cars and Late Model stock cars, winning the 2013 Fall Classic at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway in the Limited Late Model division.

Dylan Duval, driver of the No. 41 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang:

“Coming into the season, Bristol is the track I had circled as being the one I was most concerned about. Last season at Bristol, I really struggled and wasn’t happy with how we performed. The racing at Bristol is so close quarters – having an ill-handling car can lead to a very long night of racing. We’ve turned a lot of laps and have explored many setup options to get our PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang dialed in for tonight’s race. There are a lot of unknowns going into it. It’s our first race on the low-downforce package, and this race will be in the daytime as opposed to last year’s race, which was at night. We’ve done our homework, though, and I think we’re prepared. This season has started off pretty rough for us – having an issue on pit road at Daytona and struggling with dirty air and passing at California. Going into Homestead last week, we needed to start turning our season around and we did exactly that with running inside of the top-10 and, ultimately, finishing 15th. Coming into Bristol, I’m hoping to build off of what we did at Homestead and continue to make up some points.”

Duval is a 24-year-old from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The graphic designer debuted in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series in 2012 and is the first Canadian iRacing winner in series history, taking the checkered flag at the virtual Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2016. Duval has made 76 starts in his seven-year career, scoring eight top-fives and earning a best points finish of fifth in 2016.

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.

NASCAR is keeping racing in perspective, all while planning to get back on the track

by MikeMarch 24, 2020March 24, 2020

(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…)