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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

NBC SPORTS’ RACING WEEK IN AMERICA BEGINS MONDAY, APRIL 6 ON NBCSN

by MikeApril 2, 2020

More Than 65 Hours of Motorsports Coverage from NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, Supercross and More

Themed Nights of Memorable Races on NBCSN Include “Mayhem Monday,” “WednesDale,” “Best at the Brickyard,” and “Daytona Speed Day”

NASCAR America Presents NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin Headline Competitors

Content to Stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 2, 2020 – Beginning April 6, NBC Sports will present Racing Week in America on NBCSN, providing racing fans with a chance to relive the most thrilling motorsports moments from the past two decades on NBC and NBCSN.

Featuring races from NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, Supercross and other series, Racing Week in America will have a specific theme for each day, starting with “Mayhem Monday” on April 6. NBC Sports will air 12 hours of motorsports coverage (1 p.m.-3 a.m. ET) Monday-Thursday and seven hours (8 p.m.-3 a.m. ET) on Friday-Saturday. Sunday’s coverage airs 2-4 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m.-3 a.m. ET. Below is each day’s highlighted content throughout the week:

Monday, April 6: “Mayhem Monday”
Tuesday, April 7: “Twists and Turns Tuesday”
Wednesday, April 8: “WednesDale”
Thursday, April 9: “Best at the Brickyard”
Friday, April 10: “Daytona Speed Day”
Saturday, April 11: “Championship Saturday”
Sunday, April 12: “Sunday Funday”

Programming will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

In addition, NASCAR America will present the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge from Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin headline a group of 18 drivers competing at virtual versions of iconic race tracks across America. Click here for more information.

MONDAY, APRIL 6 – MAYHEM MONDAY

“Mayhem Monday” will feature some of the most intense battles across NASCAR, INDYCAR, Supercross, and American Flat Track, including two classics from Martinsville Speedway. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race saw Kyle Busch win in overtime and Chase Elliott confront Denny Hamlin for costing him the victory. Two years earlier at Martinsville, Jeff Gordon earned his final win after Matt Kenseth put his feud with Joey Logano to rest. “Mayhem Monday” also has the 2015 INDYCAR race from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, which produced a record 80 lead changes before Graham Rahal finally won out.

COVERAGE	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
NASCAR – Bristol Motor Speedway 2019	1 p.m.	NBCSN
INDYCAR – Auto Club Speedway 2015	3 p.m.	NBCSN
NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge – Rockingham	7 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Martinsville Speedway 2017	8 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Martinsville Speedway 2015	10 p.m.	NBCSN
Supercross – Anaheim #2 2020	12 a.m.	NBCSN
American Flat Track – Buffalo Chip TT 2019	2 a.m.	NBCSN

TUESDAY, APRIL 7 – TWISTS AND TURNS TUESDAY

From city streets to massive dirt jumps, NBCSN will showcase the best twists and turns that motorsports have to offer starting Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. “Twists and Turns Tuesday” includes the NASCAR Cup Series’ thrilling first race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL; a return to INDYCAR Victory Lane for NBC Sports’ own James Hinchcliffe at iconic Long Beach; and the closest finish in Supercross history from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

COVERAGE	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
IMSA – Long Beach 2019	1 p.m.	NBCSN
INDYCAR – Long Beach 2017	3 p.m.	NBCSN
NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge – Lucas Oil Raceway	7 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL 2018	8 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Watkins Glen 2017	10 p.m.	NBCSN
Supercross – Arlington 2019	12 a.m.	NBCSN
Monster Jam World Finals 2019	2 a.m.	NBCSN

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 – WEDNESDALE

NBC Sports presents a full day dedicated to motorsports icon and NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt. Jr. From his emotional victory at Daytona in 2001 to making “Slide Job!” go viral in his broadcasting debut at Chicago in 2018, fans will see highlights from his memorable career, as well as an episode of his popular podcast/TV show, The Dale Jr. Download.

COVERAGE	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
NASCAR – Talladega Superspeedway 2019	1 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Chicagoland Speedway 2018	3 p.m.	NBCSN
NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge – Myrtle Beach	7 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Daytona International Speedway, July 2001	8 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Talladega Superspeedway 2017	10 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Martinsville Speedway 2005	12 a.m.	NBCSN
The Dale Jr. Download	2 a.m.	NBCSN

THURSDAY, APRIL 9 – BEST AT THE BRICKYARD

Thursday takes a look back on NBC Sports’ exciting history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, highlighted by Simon Pagenaud’s win last May in NBC Sports’ first-ever Indianapolis 500 broadcast. Also included are emotional Brickyard 400 wins for Indiana native Tony Stewart and transplant Jeff Gordon, and Drive Like Andretti, NBC Sports’ captivating documentary on the life and times of racing icon Mario Andretti.

COVERAGE	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
INDYCAR – Grand Prix of Indianapolis 2019	1 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – 2005 Brickyard 400	3 p.m.	NBCSN
NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge Championship – Martinsville	7 p.m.	NBCSN
INDYCAR – 103rd Indianapolis 500 (2019)	8 p.m.	NBCSN
Drive Like Andretti	11 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – 2004 Brickyard 400	12 a.m.	NBCSN
100th Indy 500 Special	2 a.m.	NBCSN

FRIDAY, APRIL 10 – DAYTONA SPEED DAY

Whether they’re on two or four wheels, legends are made at Daytona International Speedway. On Friday, NBCSN focuses on ‘The World Center of Racing’ with exciting races from NASCAR and Supercross, plus highlights from this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona – better known as the Rolex 24.

EVENT	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
NASCAR – 2004 Daytona 500	8 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR – Daytona International Speedway, July 2001	10 p.m.	NBCSN
2020 Daytona Supercross	12 a.m.	NBCSN
IMSA – 2020 Rolex 24	2 a.m.	NBCSN

SATURDAY, APRIL 11 – CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

It’s what every driver works for. On Saturday, NBCSN gives fans some of the best championship moments, starting at 8 p.m. ET. The day’s schedule includes Jimmie Johnson claiming his record-tying 7th NASCAR Cup Series title in 2016; Kurt Busch’s stirring rally to become the first champion of the NASCAR Playoff era in 2004; and Scott Dixon’s triumph over Juan Pablo Montoya by the slimmest of margins to win the 2015 INDYCAR crown.

EVENT	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Miami 2016	8 p.m.	NBCSN
INDYCAR Championship – Sonoma 2015	10 p.m.	NBCSN
NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Miami 2004	12 a.m.	NBCSN
American Flat Track – Meadowlands 2018	2 a.m.	NBCSN

SUNDAY, APRIL 12 – SUNDAY FUNDAY

Above all else, racing is fun – and that’s what the final day of Racing Week in America is about. “Sunday Funday” has the incredible 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race from Talladega (won by Ryan Blaney over Ryan Newman by .007 of a second), as well as INDYCAR’s Texas thriller from 2016, where four drivers – Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe, Tony Kanaan and Simon Pagenaud – went wheel-to-wheel in a pulse-pounding dash to the checkered flag.

EVENT	TIME (ET)	NETWORK
NASCAR – Talladega Superspeedway 2019	10:30 p.m.	NBCSN
INDYCAR – Texas Motor Speedway 2016	12:30 a.m.	NBCSN
Racing Roots – Kyle Larson	2:30 a.m.	NBCSN

Kyle Busch Texas Pro Invitational Race Report – Inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race

by MikeMarch 30, 2020

Details:

• Event: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
• Date: Sunday, March 29
• Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
• Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)

• Winner: Timmy Hill of MBM Motorsports in Overtime

• Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 125-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Kyle Busch Result:

• Kyle Busch (Started 19th, Finished 17th / Running, completed 130 of 130 laps)

Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry:

You got into an early accident, but you were able to recover and worked your way back into the top-10 late in the race. Can you take us through your race?

“The early wreck, I don’t know what happened there. I was just rolling down the straightaway – I was on the outside – and I just got clipped by the 12 (Ryan Blaney) and spun out and crashed and killed everything and we kept rolling under green because they didn’t throw a yellow for that one. So we rolled around to try and stay on the lead lap and wait for another caution that they would throw a yellow for. That didn’t happen until we went a lap down. But the caution came out and we were able to pit and use our reset and get some tires on it and then we got the wavearound, which was good. That kind of set up the run to the front. We drove from the back, I don’t know, 25th or 26th, all the way back up into the top-10. There was that one long run with a green-flag stop. We had a good roll, we were mowing some guys down and had a fast car on the long runs. There at the end we got caught up in a wreck again. I came off of (turn) two and was following the 43 (Bubba Wallace) and thought I saw a couple of guys get crossed up down low. So I wasn’t sure if the bottom was going to check up, so I was trying to stay high so I could see it and it looked like it was all good and I was going to go back down to the bottom. And when we were entering (turn) three, the 8 car (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) stuck it in there on the bottom on me and we ended up in the wall. There was a big wreck in front of us, too, on that same corner when we got back rolling again, and we were going through a couple of those guys and they did another yellow. We didn’t have a crash repair, so we fixed our car as best as we could fix it to finish the race. That was kind of all there was to it.”

Notes:

• This was Busch’s second iRacing Pro Invitational start.

• In addition to being the founding sponsor of Joe Gibbs Racing back in 1992, Interstate Batteries was also the founding sponsor of Gibbs Gaming and is a sponsor of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota in the weekly eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.

• 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 kicked off last weekend at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway and continued at Texas this afternoon, it is a multiweek 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.

Suárez 33rd in Texas eNASCAR iRacing Debut – Late Mishaps Ruin Top-Five Bid for CommScope Toyota Driver

by MikeMarch 30, 2020

Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Round 2)

Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

Date: Sunday, March 29, 2020

Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)

Result: Started 9th, Finished 33rd (Accident, completed 110 of 130 laps)

Winner: Timmy Hill of MBM Motorsports

Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 125-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 96 CommScope Toyota Camry:

“I think it was a lot of fun. I definitely learned a lot. My very first time to try iRacing ever was Thursday. So, I feel like we adapted quickly and we had some good speed in our CommScope Toyota. We actually raced way better than I was expecting. We qualified in the top-10, we raced in the top-10, top-five. We were passing a lot of cars and I thought we could finish in the top-five after the (final pit stop) cycle. And then we got wrecked because (Ty Dillon) had old tires or I’m not sure what. But the race itself was very good, very fun. I just wish we were a little more consistent with the cautions because sometimes somebody wrecks and there’s no caution, sometimes somebody just goes through the grass and the caution comes out. Other than that, I’m really looking forward to next week. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Notes:

· 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 March 22 at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. 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.

Clint Bowyer Finishes 11th in O’Reilly Auto Parts 125; Chase Briscoe Gets Spun in Qualifying Race, Doesn’t Advance to Feature

by MikeMarch 30, 2020

Details:

• Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Round 2)

• Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

• Date: Sunday, March 29

• Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

• Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)

• Winner: Timmy Hill of MBM Motorsports

• Note: Race extended five laps past its scheduled 125-lap distance due to a green-white-checkered finish.

Stewart-Haas eSports Results:

• O’Reilly Auto Parts 125

• Clint Bowyer (Started 15th, Finished 11th / Running, completed 130 of 130 laps)

• Qualifying race

• Chase Briscoe (Started 7th, Finished 15th / Running, completed 30 of 30 laps)

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang:

“Today was all about survival, guys. I needed a redo for my Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang because I got together with (Greg) Biffle, ‘The Biff’, off of (turn) two. I guess we were three-wide. I didn’t realize we were three-wide. My spotter Jeff Gordon, I had to fire him halfway through the race and moved to Larry McReynolds. Larry said nothing when we were three-wide and I wrecked and collected a bunch of them. But again, a great time was had by all. Timmy Hill, big win for him and his brand. It’s going to be a lot of fun to compete in this over the next few weeks. But, man we are all in this together! Looking forward to next week.”

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

“Unfortunately, we didn’t make it through the qualifying race this week, so we’ll have to wait and give it another shot next weekend at Bristol. We had a really fast Ford Performance Racing School/HighPoint.com Mustang and it would’ve been interesting to see how we stacked up against the Cup drivers.”

Notes:

• Xfinity and Truck Series drivers have to race their way into the feature event, and only four open spots were available for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 125. Alex Labbe won the 30-lap qualifying race, followed by Anthony Alfredo, Ty Majeski and Ruben Garcia, Jr.

• As an Xfinity Series driver, Briscoe was one of 32 drivers in the qualifying race attempting to finish in the top-four to earn a place in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 125. Briscoe was spun on lap 14 while running sixth, effectively ending his opportunity for a top-four finish.

• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series 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.

Next Up:

• Stewart-Haas eSports returns to action on Tuesday, March 31 in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway with drivers Justin Bolton and Dylan Duval.

• The race starts at 9 p.m. EDT with live coverage via:

• eNASCAR.com/live

• Facebook.com/NASCAR

• YouTube.com/NASCAR

• Twitch.tv/iRacing

• Duval and Bolton 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.

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.

DANIEL SUÁREZ eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Texas Preview

by MikeMarch 28, 2020

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

Overview?:

• 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.

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.

Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 96 CommScope Toyota Camry

“I don’t even know what to expect, to be honest. Obviously, I think we’re going to have some fun, but at the same time I’m very competitive and I want to do well. I’ve never done iRacing before, I’ve never had an account before and I really didn’t know much about iRacing. I had an old GT25 simulator that I bought used about 10 years ago to race on the PlayStation. As for iRacing, I have no experience before, but for me, that’s not an excuse. I’ve done a lot on other simulators, like the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) simulator, that might help some. But this is way different, it’s its own animal. iRacing is still very realistic and does an amazing job, but it’s still a game. The simulator we use at TRD, that’s not a game, but a lot of things about what iRacing does is very impressive. I borrowed a rig from Toyota and hopefully I can use it for as many races as I need to. A kid named Eric who’s a professional iRacing guy, he’s been helping me with the things I knew I was going to need help with. He’s been great, and he’s going to be my spotter. The whole point is to have some fun and be competitive and get better and give the fans some excitement, like we saw in the first race last week. I don’t know how long this is going to last, but hopefully we’ll be able to have some fun and keep getting better. Overall, I think it’s good for our sport. It’s one advantage we have against some other sports, that we can do stuff like this. Soccer, basketball, American football, they can’t do it like this. I feel it’s fun. We just have to take it for what it is.”

Daniel Suárez Texas Invitational Notes:

• This will be Suárez’s first start in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and first-ever iRacing event.

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Texas, Suárez has six career starts with best finishes of third in each of last year’s two races – his only career top-fives and top-10s on the 1.5-mile oval.

• In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Texas, Suárez has five career starts with a best finish of fifth the fall 2016 race en route to that year’s series championship. He had another top-10 finish of sixth in the fall 2015 race.

• Suarez finished second in both 2015 races in his first two career NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Texas. He added a fifth-place finish in his only other Truck Series start there in the fall 2016 race.

View From the Virtual Pit Box – SHR Crew Chiefs Offer Their Take on iRacing

by MikeMarch 27, 2020

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.

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Texas Invitational Advance – Erik Jones Readies for Round Two

by MikeMarch 27, 2020

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 25^th and finished 10^th 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

by MikeMarch 26, 2020

Details:

• Event: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 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

Overview:

• 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.

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.

Clint Bowyer and Chase Briscoe Continue Sim Racing Assimilation

by MikeMarch 26, 2020

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?:

• 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 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.

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.

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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