By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service
William Byron became the first multi-time winner of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – holding off Timmy Hill by a mere .256-seconds at the virtual Richmond Raceway Sunday afternoon. It was Byron’s second consecutive win in the series – answering a victory at iRacing’s virtual Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago just before the Easter off-week. (more…)
Time for drivers to crank up those gaming consoles, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is back in action this weekend at virtual Richmond Raceway for the Toyota Owners 150 (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1 and the FOX Sports App). (more…)
| Details: |
| • Race: Toyota Owners 150 (Round 4) • Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series • Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 19 • Location: Virtual Richmond Raceway (.75-mile oval) • Distance: 150 laps (112.5 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 • Twitch.tv/StewartHaaseSports
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| DYK?: |
| • Trivia Question: What are the three most-watched esports events on TV in United States history? Answer: The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The March 29 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway was the most-watched esports event on TV in United States history. Simulcast on FOX and FS1, 1.34 million viewers tuned in, breaking the previous record set by the first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race March 22 at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway by 47 percent. That broadcast earned 903,000 viewers on FS1 alone, which bested the previous record of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.
• But Wait, There’s More!: The last eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race April 5 at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway averaged 1.179 million viewers across FOX and FS1, making it the second most-watched sports telecast of the weekend and the No. 1 sport among adults age 18-49.
• Bet On It: The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series has been cleared and approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board for wagering. Two types of bets are allowed for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series: winner of the race and head-to-head winner between drivers. Provisions for licensing the event includes a posting of the official rules for the tournament organizer and that all bets must cease once a race has started. Additionally, each bookmaker is allowed to create its own odds.
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| Overview: |
| • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of past and present racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series.
• 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.
• The iRacing undercard event the day prior to Sunday’s headlining eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race is the Saturday Night Thunder race where 43 drivers will compete in virtual NASCAR Xfinity Series cars. The Thunder event complements the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, and NASCAR Cup Series drivers not competing in Sunday’s race are eligible for this race. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe will compete in Saturday Night Thunder.
• The livestream of Saturday Night Thunder begins at 8 p.m. EDT on eNASCAR.com/live. Single-car qualifying begins at 8:05 p.m., which sets the lineup for the four, 10-lap heat races, with each heat race including as many as 15 drivers. Six cars advance from each heat to the feature, with the final two spots in the 26-car field coming from the top-two finishers of a 15-lap consolation race, which takes place after the heat races and is comprised of drivers who have not yet qualified. The 125-lap feature race then follows.
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| Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Light Ford Mustang: |
| “I’ve been trying to practice one hour a day. I’ve got Busch Light on my Ford Mustang and I’m going to have fun with it. I did win a street stock race this week (on iRacing)…after I wrecked in the first four. I won a Legends race by default because the whole field crashed. But those are really my only two iRacing wins. They’re not pretty. I did wreck the whole field in a Legends race the other day after starting on the front row on lap one. So, that was high entertainment. I figure the whole iRacing thing is really something that’s supposed to be fun for everybody, supposed to be filler for a gap in time during this crazy pandemic. The whole iRacing thing has introduced me to a whole new network of people and it’s opened my eyes to a whole new group of racers. It’s a different culture, but it’s still a racing culture.”
• This is Harvick’s first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race.
• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Richmond, Harvick has three wins, 15 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in 38 career starts.
• Harvick’s three wins came in September 2006, September 2011 and April 2013.
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| Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang: |
| “iRacing is extremely realistic. You’re using the same mechanics, the same forces, and the same movements you use in real life to make your car go fast, and that includes your hand-eye coordination and your feet. You drive these things so much with the pedals, with the gas, the brake, the steering input. All of those inputs in your mind are the exact same thing we use to put our car to the front of the field on any given Sunday. That being said, the only sense that you don’ t have in a simulator is the feel from the seat of your pants. We kind of call it the ‘butt dyno’. You balance a racecar kind of like if you put a plate on the end of an ink pen. That’s how you balance a racecar. That thing wants to go on all four different axis’, whether it’s the right-front, left-front, right-rear, left-rear, you can feel all those things, and that’s how you balance a car is through the seat of your pants. In iRacing, you don’t have that. All you have is your visuals, so once you have the hang of that and your mind finally catches on, it’s kind of like riding a bike. It’s a struggle for a little while, but once you catch on to that and realize what’s going on with the movements of your car and the movements of the track and things like that – when to pick up the gas, your timing – once you get all that set, it’s exactly like what we do in real life with our PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang.”
• Bowyer started 32nd and finished 11th in the previous eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Bristol.
• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. Sunday’s race at Richmond will be just his fourth 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 Richmond, Bowyer has two wins, five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 28 career starts.
• Bowyer’s two wins came in May 2008 and September 2012.
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| Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Ford Project Apollo Ford Mustang: |
| “My goal is to just finish the race clean in my Haas Automation/Ford Project Apollo Ford Mustang. I haven’t done much iRacing before, so it’s definitely a little hard to get used to, but hopefully I can get some laps under my belt and get better as I go. I’ll look at the format and figure out what type of strategy I want, and see how I’m running and go from there. There’s going to be some learning because I’ve never done it. I’m definitely going to have someone around me helping through the race. It will be hard keeping track of everything because it is new to me and there’s a lot to handle. I’ve been talking with Chase Briscoe a little about it. He’s had iRacing for a little while now and is pretty good at it, so just getting a general idea of what to look for is important. I’ve also asked Justin Bolton, SHR’s iRacing driver, some questions. I’ve worked with him in the past because he was an engineer on my Xfinity team last year and he obviously knows a lot about it.”
• This is Custer’s first Saturday Night Thunder race.
• In actual racing, Custer has made a total of eight starts at Richmond – one in the NASCAR Cup Series and seven in the Xfinity Series.
• Custer is a winner at Richmond, as he earned an Xfinity Series victory at the track in April 2019.
• Custer also has the opportunity to race his way into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race. After the Saturday Night Thunder event, Custer will compete in a 25-lap race at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday. Should he finish first or second in that race, he will earn a starting spot in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race.
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| Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang: |
| “I’m ready to get back in my No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang at Richmond. In the real world, Richmond is a track that I struggled at my first time there, but like anywhere else, I was able to improve with experience. The same things apply to sim racing. The more you do it, the more comfortable you get. Richmond is a tough track, so if you haven’t put in the time to test it out, it’s probably going to be a struggle. I enjoy short-track racing. It’s always exciting and I think we’ll see a lot of those same short-track racing characteristics in the iRacing event Saturday night. Hopefully, I’ll qualify well and have a good run in the heat race to lock into the main so we can put on a show.”
• This is Briscoe’s first Saturday Night Thunder race, but he is a regular iRacer, with most of his races coming in the Xfinity Series.
• 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 Richmond. He has two top-10s, with a best finish of fifth in September 2019.
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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/
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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/ |
ROSEVILLE, Calif. – Bill McAnally Racing made its debut in what was then known as the NASCAR Winston West Series in 1992 at Shasta Speedway in Anderson, California, with car owner Bill McAnally behind the wheel.
In the 28 years since then, BMR has won nine series championships – a record for the series and for all of NASCAR Regional Touring. In addition, the team has scored a record 99 wins overall in what became the NASCAR K&N Pro Series.
Bill McAnally Racing
✔@BMR_NASCAR
. @derek9kraus Captures #KNWest Title At Phoenix https://www.bmrnaparacing.com/bmr-racing/kraus-captures-kn-west-title-at-phoenix.html … Strong Finishes By All 3 @BMR_NASCAR Drivers In Season Finale
Although McAnally was initially an owner/driver, he eventually opted to turn over the driving duty and focus on his role as a team owner. Including McAnally, 80 drivers have wheeled a BMR entry in the series now branded as the ARCA Menards Series West. Some drove for BMR in multiple seasons, some for only one season, and some for a select race or races.
There’s also a long list of crew members who contributed to the success of the team based in Roseville, California. Some of them called the shots as crew chiefs, some honed their skills as specialists and some worked as general mechanics. Some moved on and worked their way up to a team at the national level in NASCAR and some chose to remain on the West Coast.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some very talented drivers at BMR and we’ve had some great crew members through the years, as well,” said McAnally. “Together, they deserve the credit for BMR’s record success.
“It’s been great to see drivers develop their skills with our team,” he said. “Some spent multiple seasons with the team, as they honed their talent in the series, and others passed through more quickly as they moved up the NASCAR ladder. Others took advantage of the opportunity with BMR to compete in a select event or get experience at a particular track.”
Many crewmembers have done likewise, according to McAnally.
“Some crewmembers chose to remain on the West Coast and some chose to move on after gaining experience,” he said. “When you walk through the garage at a Cup Series, XFINITY Series or Truck Series race, it’s remarkable to see the number of crew members there who worked at BMR.”
Drivers who have competed in the series in a BMR entry, meanwhile, include current NASCAR Cup Series regulars Christopher Bell, with three BMR starts; Clint Bowyer, two starts; Alex Bowman, one start; Cole Custer, with four starts and one win; and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., with one start. The list also features Chase Briscoe, three starts; Riley Herbst, 16 starts; Bryan Herta, one start; Trevor Bayne, one start; Travis Pastrana, two starts; Sarah Fisher, 13 starts; Kerry Earnhardt, eight starts; and Michael Waltrip, seven starts. Even legendary driver Hershel McGriff competed in 16 events for BMR.
Eric Holmes tops the list of drivers with starts and wins for BMR, competing for the team in 81 series events and scoring 15 of his 17 career series wins with BMR. A three-time series champion, he captured two of those titles with BMR, in 2008 and 2010. In addition to his victories, Holmes notched 44 top-five and 63 top-10 finishes in BMR’s iconic blue and gold NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry.
Austin Cameron and Todd Gilliland are tied for second on the team’s list of winners.
Cameron scored 13 of his 15 career series victories with BMR. His 44 starts in a BMR entry, meanwhile, ranks him fifth in that category. A major win for Cameron and BMR came in the inaugural NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, a prestigious post-season event that drew drivers and teams from across the country to California’s Irwindale Speedway.
Gilliland also had 13 series wins with BMR. In addition, he captured two championships, with back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. In his two full seasons with BMR, Gilliland also scored five wins in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
Derek Kraus is fourth on the list of BMR wins in the K&N West. He scored 10 wins in 42 starts during his three years racing in the series for BMR – capping things off with a championship in 2019.
Rounding out the top five list among drivers with wins at BMR is Chris Eggleston, who notched nine victories. He captured the series title in 2015 and his 45 series starts with BMR ranks him fourth on that list.
Other drivers who captured a series championship with McAnally were Brendan Gaughan – who won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001, while scoring eight wins – and Sean Woodside, who won BMR’s first series championship in 1999.
Ranked second in terms of series starts at BMR, is Moses Smith – who raced for the team in 64 events. Smith, a four-time Most Popular Driver in the series, accumulated 17 top-five and 39 top-10 finishes between 2007 and 2011.
McAnally’s 56 starts ranks him third on the list of races with BMR. He registered three top-five and 16 top-10 finishes while building the team from its infancy.
Seven crew chiefs, meanwhile, have won championships with the McAnally-led team. Shane Wilson and Chris Lawson lead the way, each with a pair of titles. Wilson teamed with Gaughan in winning championships in 2000 and 2001. Lawson was paired with Gilliland as he won titles in 2016 and 2017. Wilson went on to win races as a crew chief in all three of NASCAR’s national series, as well as winning a championship in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Lawson continued on as a key member at DGR-Crosley.
Other championship crew chiefs at BMR include John Camilleri, who won the title last year with Kraus behind the wheel, and Roger Bracken, who was the champion crew chief with Eggleston in 2015. Camilleri and Bracken serve as crew chiefs at BMR this season.
Also winning championships as crew chiefs at BMR were Matt Goslant, with Holmes in 2010; Ty Joiner, with Holmes in 2008; and Chris Diederich, with Woodside in 1999. Joiner also won a title with Holmes for car owner Allen Beebe in 2006.
Rookie drivers at BMR have also captured the series spotlight through the years, with six drivers winning the Rookie of the Year Award. They include Andrew Lewis in 2005, Peyton Sellers in 2006, Paulie Harraka in 2009, Todd Gilliland in 2016, Derek Kraus in 2017 and Hailie Deegan in 2018.
NASCAR on NBC
✔@NASCARonNBC
Bill McAnally Racing @BMR_NASCAR names 2020 ARCA Menards West driver lineup https://nascar.nbcsports.com/2020/01/14/bill-mcanally-racing-2020-arca-menards-west-driver-lineup/ …
Deegan set several major records while driving for BMR. In her rookie season, she became the first female driver to win a series race and the first woman to win a pole award in the series. She went on to also become the first woman to win the Rookie of the Year Award in the series.
In 2019, Deegan became the first woman to lead the championship standings of a series at the regional or national levels of NASCAR. In finishing third in points that year, she set a new mark for the highest ranking by a female driver in the final standings in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series, East or West.
NASCAR Roots@NASCARRootsHistory.@HailieDeegan climbs out following her #Idaho208 victory @meridianspeed, the first win for a female in series history. #NASCAR
Sunday, April 15, 2007 – On this day in history, NASCAR Cup Series driver Jeff Burton, driving for Richard Childress Racing, led just the final lap when he stole the win from Roush Fenway Racing’s Matt Kenseth in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. The last lap win was Burton’s only victory in 2007 and the 19th of his 21 win career. (more…)
Sunday, April 14, 2002 – On this day in history, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte took the lead with 55 laps to go from fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart to win the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway – an event that ended under caution. In 42 starts at Martinsville the victory was Labonte’s lone win on the historic short track. (more…)
Sunday, April 13, 2019 – On this day in history, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. one his first of two NASCAR Cup Series races in his season sweep of Richmond Raceway in 2019. Truex led 186 of the 400 laps and finished 0.178 second ahead of Team Penske’s Joey Logano. Truex would go on to win a series season-most of seven races in 2019. (more…)
Sunday, April 12, 2014, On this day in history, NASCAR Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick put on a clinic in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway leading 238 of scheduled 374 laps and winning from the pole. Harvick would put up a total of five wins in 2014 and win his first and only NASCAR Cup Series championship. (more…)
Sunday, April 11, 2015 – On this day in history, Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson started fifth and led 134 laps and beat runner-up Kevin Harvick to the finish by 1.107 seconds in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his fifth of his career seven NASCAR Cup Series wins at Texas. Johnson swept the 2015 season at Texas.
Monday, April 11, 1966 – On this day in history, NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson battled with driver Tom Pistone in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Winston-Salem Speedway. Pearson started on the pole but Pistone jumped out front early leading six laps, then Pearson locked in and took the lead and led 194 laps and won. Pearson won 15 races in 1966 and his first of three NASCAR Cup Series championships (1966, ’68, ’69).
Saturday, April 10, 2010 – On this day in history, Ryan Newman led just four laps and beat NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon to the finish by a mere 0.130 second in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. Newman took the lead on the final NASCAR Overtime restart and led the final two laps to win his 14th of his 18 NASCAR Cup Series career wins. (more…)
