nascar

NASCAR Champ Joey Logano Hosts Planet Fitness “Home Work-In” on Facebook Live – MAY 14

by Mike
NASCAR Champ Joey Logano Hosts Planet Fitness “Home Work-In” on Facebook Live – MAY 14

NASCAR champion Joey Logano (and two of his friends) are set to host one of Planet Fitness’ “Home Work-Ins” – a series of daily free fitness classes for everyone streamed live on Planet Fitness’ Facebook page – THIS THURSDAY, May 14, at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. CT).

With news changing daily, Planet Fitness remains committed to continuing to provide healthy and safe alternatives to keep us all moving. Exercise is so important, especially now.

The virtual classes are 20 minutes (or less) and won’t require any equipment. The home workouts offer tools to combat stress, while providing motivation and inspiration sure to keep us all physically and mentally fit.

For anyone who can’t participate live, each workout is available to view on both the Planet Fitness Facebook page and YouTube channel after the broadcast is over.

Views: 528
NASCAR Champ Joey Logano Hosts Planet Fitness “Home Work-In” on Facebook Live – MAY 14 Read More

Gaunt Brothers Racing Hires Nick Ollila as Technical Director

by Mike
Gaunt Brothers Racing Hires Nick Ollila as Technical Director

Motorsports Veteran Joins NASCAR Team from Virgin Australia Supercars Championship

 

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 11, 2020) – Gaunt Brothers Racing, which fields the No. 96 Toyota Camry for driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series, has hired Nick Ollila (pronounced Oh-li-lah) as its technical director, with the motorsports veteran overseeing the team’s engineering department.

Ollila comes to Gaunt Brothers Racing after a three-year stint as the technical director for Kelly Racing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship. The Warren, Michigan-native returned to the United States late last week in time for the resumption of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule, which begins May 17 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway as NASCAR becomes one of the first major North American sports to return to action since the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

“Nick brings considerable insight into what we’re doing with our current inventory of racecars and what we’ll be doing with our NextGen car in 2022,” said Marty Gaunt, president and CEO, Gaunt Brothers Racing. “He has deep experience in all forms of motorsports, specifically in embracing technology and managing people. Nick also has a strong rapport with our partner Toyota, as many of the people he worked with when he was at Red Bull are the same people there today. He’ll be able to hit the ground running, which is good, because with two to three races a week, we’re all going to be running.”

 

Gaunt first worked with Ollila in 1997 when the two were at Kranefuss-Haas Racing. Gaunt was the general manager of the NASCAR Cup Series team and Ollila was its chief engineer. Their NASCAR paths crossed again 10 years later when both worked at Red Bull Racing – Gaunt as general manager and Ollila as chief aerodynamicist.

 

“It’s the people who make the cars go, and Nick has been making cars go since the early ‘70s,” Gaunt said. “We’re lucky to have a lot of long-term employees who have been with us for 10 years, but scaling up from running a part-time schedule to a full schedule meant bringing in more people. Coming up with the recipe of having all the right people in all the right places isn’t easy, but Nick is a good chef.”

 

NASCAR is where Ollila has spent the bulk of his career, which includes being the drivetrain specialist at Rod Osterlund Racing in 1980 when Dale Earnhardt won the first of his seven NASCAR Cup Series championships.

 

“Motorsports is my passion, and I’m proud to have turned it into a career,” Ollila said. “I’ve spent time in a variety of racing series, but NASCAR is the one that intrigues me the most. The level of competition is unmatched, so success is very satisfying. I’ve known and worked with Marty Gaunt and many of the people at Gaunt Brothers Racing for years. They’ve got a great foundation and they’re building for the future, and I’m very happy to be a part of shaping that future.”

 

Ollila’s racing career began at Team Penske in 1972 as a mechanic. He prepared cars for each of the series in which the organization competed, a lineup that included INDYCAR, NASCAR, Can-Am, Formula 5000, sports cars and Formula One.

 

NASCAR became Ollila’s focus in late 1976. He joined DiGard Racing as the team’s drivetrain specialist, working with NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip until the end of the 1978 season, whereupon he went to work for Osterlund.

 

INDYCAR and Penske beckoned in 1982, and Ollila returned as the team’s engine builder, enjoying four championships (1982, 1983, 1985 and 1988) and four Indianapolis 500 victories (1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988).

 

That Penske connection led Ollila back to NASCAR in 1990, where he became the lead engineer for Hall of Fame driver Rusty Wallace. It was the beginning of a 20-year stint in NASCAR.

 

Ollila worked at Kranefuss-Haas Racing from 1995-1997 where he established and led the engineering and aerodynamics departments. He then went on to an eight-year career at Roush-Fenway Racing as its chief engineer and director of aerodynamics. In 2005, Ollila moved to Richard Childress Racing as its director of aerodynamics where he implemented Indoor GPS, a laser-based measuring system for large-scale metrology that was a first for the industry.

 

In September 2007, Ollila joined nascent Red Bull Racing as chief aerodynamicist. His efforts greatly aided the team’s development, a point punctuated by driver Brian Vickers scoring the outfit’s maiden victory in August 2009 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and qualifying for the NASCAR Playoffs.

 

Ollila served as a consultant specializing in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and computer-aided design (CAD) from 2010-2016 before heading overseas to Australia, where his first stint was at Arise Racing. There, he was the operations manager and technical director, which segued to his role with Kelly Racing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship in late 2017.

 

About Gaunt Brothers Racing:

Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) fields the No. 96 Toyota Camry for driver Daniel Suárez in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based team is owned by Marty Gaunt, the CEO of Triad Racing Technologies. Gaunt founded GBR in 2010, with his eponymous team starting out in the Canada-based NASCAR Pinty’s Series and the U.S.-based NASCAR K&N Pro Series. Its first driver, Jason Bowles, scored GBR’s maiden victory in the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway in California, with the precursor to that win being the pole position in track-record time at the 2011 Streets of Toronto 100. After seven years competing in NASCAR’s development divisions, Gaunt stepped up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017, entering the Daytona 500 with driver D.J. Kennington. After running a part-time NASCAR Cup Series schedule in 2018 and 2019 where GBR made a total of 37 starts with a handful of drivers, GBR committed to a full schedule in 2020. For more information, please visit us online at www.GauntBrothersRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GauntBrothersRacing, on Twitter at @GauntBrosRacing and on Instagram at @GauntBrothersRacing.

Views: 588
Gaunt Brothers Racing Hires Nick Ollila as Technical Director Read More

CLINT BOWYER No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil 1 Ford Returns to Racing

by Mike
CLINT BOWYER No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil 1 Ford Returns to Racing
KANNAPOLIS, North Carolina (May 11, 2020) – In the 60-plus-year history of NASCAR, there will likely never be a more unusual or more welcomed group of races than the next four Cup Series races held over a 10-day span beginning Sunday with a 400-miler at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

 

Clint Bowyer, the driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), wishes the race was sooner.

 

“Tell me where the racetrack is and I’ll be there tonight,” Bowyer said with a laugh when asked about the upcoming schedule.

 

Bowyer is especially antsy since he hasn’t sat in a racecar since finishing fifth in the March 8 race at Phoenix Raceway. That seems like a lifetime ago before the coronavirus pandemic brought sporting events to a halt in America and made social distancing a way of life.

 

“It’s been forever since we fired the engines, but I always knew this day would come” Bowyer said. “I hope we can give people something to enjoy as we fight this (pandemic) together. I’ve been going crazy waiting around, so it’s time to go have some fun.”

 

While Bowyer knows he, himself, will have some fun, it’s not going to be business as usual at Darlington Sunday, or the following Wednesday night when the Cup Series returns for a 310-mile race on the 1.33-mile, egg-shaped oval. Nor will it be standard operating procedure when the series hits Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for its annual 600-mile race May 24 and a 310-mile race May 27.

 

NASCAR has implemented a comprehensive health and safety plan with nearly every aspect of how an event is conducted. All upcoming races will be one-day shows without fans in attendance, and the use of personal protective equipment is mandated for series participants and officials throughout the event, as well as health screenings for all individuals prior to entering the facility, while inside the facility and exiting the facility, social distancing protocols throughout the facility, and strict limits on the number of individuals who are granted access.

 

Bowyer said he supports the steps NASCAR is taking to keep everyone safe, but admits it won’t be the same without full grandstands, especially at Darlington.

 

“Doing it without the fans sucks,” he said. “No way around it. It’s going to be awkward and it’s going to be difficult. Yes, you will be racing in front of an audience who will be on their couch, but it just won’t be the same. Hopefully it will only be like this for a few races and we’ll be back to normal soon and see everyone at the track.”

 

The Cup Series drivers will race without practice or qualifying at Darlington – perhaps the toughest track on the circuit. But there’s a precedent. In a September 2018 race, Bowyer started eighth, won Stage 1, led 37 laps and finished fifth at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when rain kept the Cup Series from any practice or qualifying Saturday and Sunday before finally racing on Monday.

 

Bowyer’s crew chief Johnny Klausmeier believes the lack of track time won’t be difficult to overcome. In fact, he said his team plans on using the same No. 14 Ford in both Darlington races.

 

“Obviously, we are ready and, if we have a hiccup, we have a backup plan where we can bring another car,” he said. “To have a race under your belt, then go back and have everything set on the car that you just raced, puts you a little bit further ahead for the second race. That could be a little bit optimistic because, obviously, Darlington isn’t the kindest track with the wall and the ‘Darlington Stripe.’ We’ll have personnel ready to turn it around for the second race if we need to.”

 

Bowyer’s No. 14 will carry Rush Truck Centers and Mobil 1 decals at Darlington. Rush has been the primary partner for the No. 14 team since Bowyer arrived at SHR in 2017 and has been with the organization since 2010. The Texas-based company has used Bowyer and the team to appeal to NASCAR fans as one way to recruit the technicians it needs to operate the largest network of commercial truck and bus dealerships in the country, with locations in 22 states. According to Rush Truck Centers, the trucking industry is expected to need 200,000 diesel technicians over the next 10 years to keep up with maintenance demands.

 

Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR team with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 17th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series.

 

No matter what happens at Darlington or Charlotte, Bowyer said he is glad to be back behind the wheel and appreciates what everyone has done during the pandemic.

 

“Look, we wouldn’t be here without the doctors and nurses on the frontlines doing what they are doing,” Bowyer said. “That goes the same for the farmers growing our food, the auto workers making safety equipment and everybody doing their jobs. They are the real heroes and I hope these races can give those folks a few hours of fun. They deserve it.”

 

Bowyer and Rush Truck Centers are joining in a nationwide campaign to call out a special group of heroes – truck drivers. Bowyer’s Ford will carry the Twitter hashtag #ThankATrucker during the first round of races. Many of the No. 14 partners like Rush Truck Centers, Mobil 1, PEAK Antifreeze and Coolant, and Cummins all have ties to the trucking industry.

 

According to the American Trucking Associations, there are more than 700,000 trucking businesses in the country employing 7.8 million people, including 3.5 million truck drivers. More than 36 million trucks log 297 billion miles per year moving 71 percent of the nation’s freight.

 

“Anything that we’ve needed during the quarantine, whether its medical supplies, food at the grocery stores or whatever the case may be has been delivered by a truck driver who’s away from his family doing the job to make sure our country still works,” Bowyer said. “If you see one of those truckers going down the road, give him a thumbs-up. They deserve it.”

 

Hopefully, race fans can thank a trucker on their way to the racetrack in the near future. Until then, NASCAR will take the lead in the coming days as sports slowly restart in America.

 

Like Bowyer, a lot of fans can’t wait.

 

 

 
Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
How has your time away from racing been?

“We are quarantined crazy around the Bowyer residence and it sucks, just like it does for everybody. I am over hearing the words COVID-19 and I am over hearing the word pandemic, as is everybody else. My wife asked me, ‘What is wrong with you?’ I told her what is wrong with me is, for 17 years of my life, two weeks is about as long as I have ever been home, even during the holidays. So it’s been rough. I’m ready to go have some fun.”

 

What’s been the toughest part of the pandemic?

“Trying to keep two kids entertained is the toughest thing. You feel so bad for them. My wife thinks my attention span is shorter than theirs. But, that being said, it’s been tough. We have a farm and we’ve been building fences and I think we’ve caught every fish I know of in the pond.”

 

How was home-schooling your kids during the time away from racing?

“It’s the same for everyone, I think. It makes you feel really dumb, trying to help your 5-year-old and navigate through that. Let me tell you I have a new appreciation for teachers. I can promise you that.”

 

Did iRacing bridge the gap during the time away?

“Yes, we had a blast. Who’d ever thought that we could have that much fun and be that competitive and have so many people watching us as we did with those iRacing races each weekend? I have a whole new respect for people who put in the time and get really good at that. I sucked when I started but kept getting better. No way can I compete with some of those guys, but I got good enough to where I could really enjoy what I was doing. Those guys have won 800 races and I haven’t even run 800 laps.”

 
Johnny Klausmeier, Crew Chief of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing:
Will it be like starting a new season once we go back to racing at Darlington?

“Yes, I think it will. Anytime you take some time off, it will take an adjustment time to get back in the swing of things, but everyone is programmed to race. They are all thinking about going faster and putting speed in the cars. That’s what racers think about all the time. This isn’t going to take a lot of time to get back in the swing of things.”

 

Has this time away changed your view of racing?

“It makes you appreciate what you have in life. You look at how everyone globally is fighting with this virus. The fact that we get to do something we love every day makes you appreciate it. When you are not doing it, it makes you appreciate it even more. You are always thinking about it and it gives you time to reflect on your career and how you can work harder to be even better at it. Just being away from anything you love gives you time to think about it and come back and do it better.”

 

How would you describe the first few races of the 2020 season before the break?

“I think they were good. We showed some potential. The races we have known we’d need work, like the 550 tracks, we have some good ideas. I really wanted to run Atlanta and Homestead. I think we will be able to adapt. I was happy with the 750 package and the speedways. We have had some good things to build on. We are improving with our communication with Clint, learning what he needs and wants in the car. If we do that, we’ll continue to improve. You want to win every week, but so far it’s been a good starting point for us.”

No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Team Report

Round 5 of 36 – Darlington 400 – Darlington

 
Car No.: 14 – Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing

 

At Track PR Contact: Drew Brown with True Speed Communication (Drew.Brown@TrueSpeedCommunication.com) ​

 
No. 14 At-Track Crew Roster
Primary Team:

 

Driver: Clint Bowyer

Residence: Emporia, Kansas

 

Crew Chief: Johnny Klausmeier

Hometown: Perry Hall, Maryland

 

Car Chief: Chad Haney

Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia

 

Engine Specialist: Jon Phillips

Hometown: Jefferson City, Missouri

 

Engine Builder: Roush Yates Engines: Mooresville, North Carolina

 

Spotter: Brett Griffin

Hometown: Pageland, South Carolina

Over-The-Wall Crew:

Fuelman: Rick Pigeon

Hometown: Fairfax, Vermont

 

Front Changer: Ryan Mulder

Hometown: Sioux City, Iowa

 

Carrier: Jon Bernal

Hometown: Shelby, North Carolina

 

Rear Changer: Chris McMullen

Hometown: Canton, Michigan

 

Jackman: Sean Cotten

Hometown: Mooresville, North Carolina

Notes of Interest:
  • Bowyer owns career totals of 10 wins, three poles, 81 top-five finishes, 216 top-10s and 2,998 laps led in 508 NASCAR Cup Series races. He also owns eight NASCAR Xfinity Series victories.
    • His most recent Cup Series victory came at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn (June 10, 2018).
    • His most recent Cup Series pole came at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Feb. 29, 2020
  • Most Recent Race: Bowyer started 18th at Phoenix Raceway on March 8 and charged to the front of the field, running second in the final laps before hanging on and finishing a season-best fifth. He moved to 13th in the driver standings. It was the last race before racing was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
  • Bowyer’s Career at Darlington: Bowyer owns two top-10 finishes in 14 races at Darlington. One of his four career poles came at Darlington on May 11, 2007.
  • 2019 Darlington: Bowyer finished sixth – a career best at the track – at the 70th annual Southern 500. He started 13th and fell as far down as 17th before rallying to finish sixth in the second stage. Bowyer stayed at the front of the field for the remainder of the race delayed by rain and ending in the early hours of Monday morning.
  • 2018 Darlington: Bowyer started 17th and raced up to 11th by the end of Stage 1. In Stage 2, he climbed to seventh before a vibration forced him to pit lane for new right-side tires, dropping him to 27th and a lap behind the leaders. The new tires allowed him to drive through the field, climbing to 12th, and he passed leader Kyle Larson on lap 195 to return to the lead lap. In the final stage, Bowyer raced in 12th when he made contact with a slow moving car on lap 309, which ended his race and left him with a 36th-place result.
  • 2017 Darlington: Bowyer started 16th and moved to 12th in the opening laps, but engine issues on lap 18 sent Bowyer to the garage, ending his race and leaving him with a 40th-place finish.
  • SHR has one points-paying victory at Darlington (Kevin Harvick in April 2014) and has 10 top-five finishes and 18 top-10s in 35 starts.
  • All-time victory list: With 10 career victories, Bowyer is in a 59th-place tie on the all-time wins list with Donnie Allison and Sterling Marlin.
  • ​Bowyer’s Top-Three Finishes at SHR (2017- Present):
    • Wins
      • Michigan International Speedway (June 10, 2018)
      • Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (March 26, 2018)
    • 2nd place: 
      • Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (March 31, 2019)
      • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 15, 2018)
      • Dover (Del.) International Speedway (May 6, 2018)
      • Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (April 24, 2017)
      • Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 25, 2017)
      • Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway (July 1, 2017)
    • 3rd place: 
      • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (April 13, 2019)
      • Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval (Sept. 30, 2018)
      • Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 24, 2018)
      • Atlanta Motor Speedway (Feb. 25, 2018)
      • Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (Oct. 29, 2017)
      • Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California (March 26, 2017)
  • ​Bowyer’s Stage Victories 
    • Indianapolis Motor Speedway Stage 1 (Sept. 10, 2018)
    • Pocono (Pa.) Raceway Stage 2 (July 30, 2017)
    • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 14, 2019)
  • Bowyer Cup Series Career Victories:
    • Michigan International Speedway (June 10, 2018)
    • Martinsville (Va.) Speedway (March 26, 2018)
    • Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (Oct. 13, 2012)
    • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (Sept. 8, 2012)
    • Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway (June 24, 2012)
    • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 23, 2011)
    • Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (Oct. 31, 2010)
    • New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 19, 2010)
    • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (May 3, 2008)
    • New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 16, 2007)
  • Bowyer Cup Series Career Poles:
    • New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (Sept. 14, 2007)
    • Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (May 11, 2007)
    • Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Sept. 14, 2019)
    • Auto Club Speedway (March 1, 2020)
  • ​Bowyer Career Cup Series Points Finishes:
    • 2019  9th
    • 2018 12th
    • 2017 18th
    • 2016 27th
    • 2015 16th
    • 2014 19th
    • 2013 7th
    • 2012 2nd
    • 2011 13th
    • 2010 10th
    • 2009 15th
    • 2008   5th ​
    • 2007   3rd
    • 2006 17th
  • Bowyer Cup Series Career Stops:
    • 2017- Present Stewart-Haas Racing
    • ​2016  HScott Motorsports
    • 2012-2015 Michael Waltrip Racing
    • 2006-2011 Richard Childress Racing
  • Bowyer Xfinity Series Championship:
    • 2008
  • Bowyer Xfinity Series Career Victories:
    • Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 26, 2009)
    • Daytona (Fla) International Speedway (July 3, 2009)
    • Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (March 15, 2008)
    • Richmond (Va.) Raceway (May 4, 2007)
    • Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in Avondale (April 20, 2007)
    • Dover (Del.) International Speedway (Sept. 23, 2006)
    • Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park  (Oct. 22, 2005)
    • Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway (June 12, 2005)
  • Bowyer NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series Victories:
    • Kansas (Kan.) Speedway in Kansas City (June 4, 2011)
    • Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway in Avondale (Nov. 12, 2010)
    • Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (Nov. 3, 2006)
  • Crew Chief Johnny Klausmeier’s Victories:
    • Talladega SuperSpeedway (Aric Almirola, Oct 14, 2018)
    • Pocono Raceway (Kurt Busch, June 6, 2016)

 

Views: 558
CLINT BOWYER No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/ Mobil 1 Ford Returns to Racing Read More

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Coverage Resources and News & Notes – Virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway

by Mike
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Coverage Resources and News & Notes – Virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

Next Race: North Wilkesboro 160

The Place: Virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway

The Date: Saturday, May 9

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: FOX (where available and subject to change), FS1 and FOX Sports App

Distance: 160 laps

Wrapping up the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at North Wilkesboro

With one more weekend until NASCAR returns to the real track, drivers and fans are continuing to turn to the virtual world of iRacing to see some of the best racing competition around.

This weekend’s race at the historic virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway wraps up the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action on May 17 at Darlington Raceway.

NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports teamed up to deliver the first-ever eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event, the Dixie Vodka 150, at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway after all national pro sports were put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic several weeks back. The event produced a wild finish that saw Denny Hamlin just barely beat Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the line. Fans responded with an overwhelming reaction setting records in eSports viewership, and as a result FOX Sports committed to covering the remainder of the eNASCAR iRacing season.

The second eNASCAR iRacing event took place at virtual Texas Motor Speedway and again was a success with the fans. Longtime iRacing veteran and rising NASCAR star Timmy Hill won the race with an aggressive move on William Byron to take the win.

The third race of the Pro Invitational Series was at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, where iRacing veteran William Byron showed off his talents dominating the event and taking the checkered flag. Next, the series went to virtual Richmond Raceway, where Byron once again took the checkered flag and won back-to-back races. The virtual race at Talladega Superspeedway was won by Alex Bowman and last weekend’s race at virtual Dover International Speedway was won by Byron. In total Byron leads the series with three wins.

This Saturday, May 9, the series heads to virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway for the series finale the North Wilkesboro 160 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX (where available and subject to change), FS1 and the FOX Sports app.

History of North Wilkesboro Speedway

North Wilkesboro Speedway in Wilkes County, North Carolina, has a wide and renowned history in NASCAR dating back to 1949. The last time the venue hosted a NASCAR national series race was in 1996 when NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon won the NASCAR Cup Series event before the track closed.

The .625-mile short track was built in 1946 and became a North Carolina racing staple while hosting 93 NASCAR Cup Series races. The inaugural race, the 1949 Wilkes 200 on October 16, was won by Bob Flock. The track was known for being one of the fastest short-tracks in racing and in the 1950’s speeds reached up to 73 mph.

The track’s unique layout featured an uphill backstretch and downhill frontstretch with 14 degrees of banking in the turns and three degrees of banking on the straightaways.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty led the NASCAR Cup Series in wins at North Wilkesboro Speedway with 15 victories. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip led the series in poles at North Wilkesboro Speedway with nine.

Last December, Dale Earnhardt Jr. led a group of drivers and NASCAR broadcasters in an effort to clean the track surface at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The cleaning allowed iRacing to scan and map the historic venue.

Among those that helped Earnhardt clean the speedway were Speedway Motorsports Inc. president Marcus Smith, iRacing executive vice president and executive producer Steve Myers, NASCAR Cup Series driver Chris Buescher, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Myatt Snider, NBC Sports’ Rick Allen and Marty Snider, William Byron’s spotter Tab Boyd, and Austin Dillon’s spotter Andy Houston.

This weekend will mark the debut of North Wilkesboro Speedway virtually and will feature 28 drivers, including Earnhardt.

Aric Almirola’s Mother’s Day iRacing paint scheme

In honor of Mother’s Day weekend, Aric Almirola will run a paint scheme that his wife Janice colored using the Stewart-Haas Racing coloring sheets. Janice was coloring with their children a few weeks ago when she told Aric that her coloring page would be a cool paint scheme. So as a surprise, Aric requested that Smithfield and his team run her paint scheme on Mother’s Day weekend. When the No. 10 Ford hits the track on Saturday for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series North Wilkesboro 160 at virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1, FOX Sports App), Janice’s blue and pink paint scheme with “Happy Mother’s Day” on the front will be seen by everyone watching. You can check out Aric’s video here.

Saturday’s run of show and race format

Saturday’s North Wilkesboro 160 will wrap up the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series as NASCAR is set to resume racing next weekend at Darlington Raceway. This weekend’s iRacing event will feature a two-lap, single-car qualifying session with the top 10 inverted to set the grid for the main feature event.

 

The main race will be a total of 160 laps with double-file restarts and lapped cars will go to the rear. There will be three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, if necessary. The field will consist of a 28-driver entry list. The top-three finishers from Dover (William Byron, Christopher Bell and Timmy Hill) will be relegated to the back of the starting lineup and will not make a qualifying attempt.

 

Drivers will be allowed one reset this week at virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway with manual cautions. If a car is damaged, drivers must drive back to their pit stall and come to a complete stop. This will automatically apply the fast repair and give the driver a new car.

 

The below times are approximate and subject to change:

2 p.m. – Practice session goes live

2:50 p.m. – Qualifying (Two laps, single-car with top 10 inverted)

3:00 p.m. – FOX, FS1, FOX Sports App broadcast begins

3:13 p.m. – Green flag (160 laps)

 

 

Statistical Notes

A wide range of drivers with various experience at North Wilkesboro Speedway and in iRacing will be contending in this Saturday’s North Wilkesboro 160 in the seventh race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series (3 p.m. ET on FOX – where available and subject to change, FS1 and the FOX Sports app).

 

Below is a list of anticipated participants (listed numerically), their statistics, and career highlights. Please note, the participant list is subject to change.

 

Note on iRacing stats below:

The stats are cumulative lifetime stats for each driver in public oval events in stock car disciplines (ranging from top-level Cup cars to Legends) on iRacing. It doesn’t include stats from private leagues. Statistics for drivers who have starts in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series include those races run.

 

Entered Drivers (Listed in numerical order):

Austin Dillon – iRacing #3

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Won the 2018 Daytona 500
  • 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion
  • 2012 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year
  • 2011 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion
  • 2010 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 6 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 27th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 29th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 15th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 28th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 24th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 23rd at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Kevin Harvick – iRacing #4

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • 2014 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and 2007 Daytona 500 winner
  • Qualified for the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 five-times in the last six seasons.
  • Has made 13 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff appearances, tied for second-most all-time
  • 2001 and 2006 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion
  • 2007, 2009 and 2011 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion owner with wife DeLana Harvick
  • 2001 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year
  • 1998 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 3 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 29th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 12th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 18th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Ross Chastain – iRacing #6

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Xfinity Series – No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • This year, he has filled in for Ryan Newman in the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford in the NASCAR Cup Series for three races
  • In 2019, he completed 19 races in the Xfinity Series and posted a win at Daytona with Kaulig Racing
  • In 2018, he made the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs and won his first career race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; driving for Chip Ganassi Racing
  • In 2011, he made his NASCAR national series debut in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series debut at Lucas Oil Raceway

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 543 starts, 67 wins, 196 top fives and 64 poles
  • Finished 14th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 22nd at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 16th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 13th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 29th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 17th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – iRacing #8

Current Series/Occupation: Retired NASCAR Cup Series driver, NBC Sports Analyst
Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Made his debut as an NBC broadcaster in 2018
  • Retired from full-time racing at the end of 2017
  • Won the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver Award for 15 straight years (2003-2017)
  • Won the 1998 and 1999 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship
  • 1999 NASCAR Xfinity Series Most Popular Driver of the Year
  • Team owner of Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports, collecting 47 wins since 2005

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 420 starts, 194 wins, 334 top fives, 188 poles
  • Finished 2nd at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 6th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 22nd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 8th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 30th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 26th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Aric Almirola – iRacing #10

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Had a career best fifth place finish in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series championship
  • In 2014, won first career NASCAR Cup Series race (Daytona-2) on the 30th anniversary weekend of team owner Richard Petty’s 200th career win.
  • Made first career NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 2014, ultimately finishing 16th in the standings.
  • Has won at least one race in all three NASCAR national series.

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 18th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 10th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Denny Hamlin – iRacing #11

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Won the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Three-time Daytona 500 champion (2016, 2019, 2020)
  • 2006 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year
  • Has 38 NASCAR Cup Series career wins
  • Finished runner-up in the 2010 NASCAR Cup Series championship standings
  • Has 17 NASCAR Xfinity Series career wins

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 169 starts, 31 wins, 76 top fives, 31 poles
  • Won the race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 24th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 4th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 6th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 39th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 6th at Dover International Speedway

 

 

Ty Dillon – iRacing #13

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 13 Germain Racing Chevrolet

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Has made 130 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series posting one top five and five top 10s
  • Finished runner-up in 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings
  • Won the 2013 Most Popular Driver Award for the Gander Trucks
  • 2012 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 6 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 19th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 16th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 25th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 15th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 23rd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 32nd at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Clint Bowyer – iRacing #14

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • In 2019, he qualified for the Playoffs on points and finished ninth in the series standings
  • Finished a career-best runner-up in the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship
  • 2008 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion
  • Multiple winner in all three NASCAR national series

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 5 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 16th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 11th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 11th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 30th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 33rd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Did not compete at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

Brennan Poole – iRacing #15

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 15 Premium Motorsports Chevrolet

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Made his Xfinity Series track debut in 2015 and finished 12th
  • Best finish of fifth at the track in 2017 in the Xfinity Series
  • 2020 marked his first full season in the Cup Series, making his debut at the Daytona 500
  • He finished runner-up at Charlotte Motor Speedway last season in the Gander Trucks, a career-best finish

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 poles
  • Finished 7th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 11th at virtual Dover International Speedway

Chris Buescher – iRacing #17

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Buescher joined Roush-Fenway Racing for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season
  • In 2016, he won first NASCAR Cup Series race (Pocono-2) in his rookie season; first driver since Joey Logano (2009) to accomplish the feat
  • One of three drivers in NASCAR Cup Series history to make the Playoffs in their rookie season, joining Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin
  • Won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2015
  • Was the 2012 ARCA Menards Series champion

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 6 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 28th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 18th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 23rd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 21st at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 27th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 25th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Kyle Busch – iRacing #18

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion also won championship in 2015. One of two (Jimmie Johnson) active drivers with multiple Cup championships
  • Has made the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs the last five consecutive seasons
  • Won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2009
  • In 2010, set all-time single-season record with 24 victories across NASCAR’s three national series
  • Currently has most all-time NASCAR national series wins with 208 (56 Cup, 96 Xfinity, 57 Gander Trucks)
  • Record seven-time NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series owner champion (2010, ’13, ’14, ’15, ’16, ’17 and ‘19) and one driver championship (2015)

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 6 starts, 0 wins, 1 top five and 0 poles
  • Finished 29th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 17th at Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 18th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 5th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 8th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 15th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Bobby Labonte – iRacing #18

Current Series/Occupation: 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee

 

Highlights:

  • Has eight starts at North Wilkesboro Speedway with a best finish of 10th in 1996
  • Labonte was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020. He joins his brother, Terry, with the prestigious honor
  • He won the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series championship
  • Labonte has 21 NASCAR Cup Series wins, 10 Xfinity Series and one Gander Trucks win
  • He is one of 27 drivers to have a win in all three of NASCAR’s national series

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 81 starts, 7 wins, 31 top fives, 5 poles
  • Finished 18th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 13th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 13th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 14th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 31st at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 13th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Martin Truex Jr.  – iRacing #19

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion
  • Won the Xfinity Series championship in 2004 and 2005
  • Named Most Popular Driver in the Xfinity Series in 2004 and 2005
  • Got his first Cup Series win at Dover International Speedway in 2007

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 10 starts, 5 wins, 7 top fives, 5 poles
  • Making eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway

 

 

Erik Jones – iRacing #20

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona in July of 2018
  • 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year – becoming the first driver to earn the award in all three of NASCAR’s national series
  • 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year
  • 2015 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series Champion and Sunoco Rookie of the Year – the youngest champion in series history

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 6 starts, 0 wins, 1 top five, 0 poles
  • Finished 10th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 21st at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 31st at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 7th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 37th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 4th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Jon Wood – iRacing #21

Current Series/Occupation: Senior Vice President, Co-Owner of Wood Brothers Racing
Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Made four NASCAR Cup Series career starts in 2007 and 2008
  • Has made 85 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts with a best finish of runner-up in 2005 at Talladega
  • Has two Gander Trucks wins from 2003 at Kansas Speedway and Martinsville Speedway

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 22 starts, 3 wins, 11 top fives, 5 poles
  • Making eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut this weekend at North Wilkesboro Speedway

 

 

Jeff Gordon – iRacing #24

Current Series/Occupation: 2019 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee; FOX Sports NASCAR analyst

Highlights:

  • Has made eight NASCAR Cup Series starts at North Wilkesboro Speedway posting one win (1996), one pole (1995), four top fives and five top 10s
  • Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion (1995, 1997-1998, 2001)
  • Three-time Daytona 500 winner (1997, ’99, 2005)
  • Five-time Brickyard 400 winner (1994, ’98, 2001, ’04, ’14)
  • Third on all-time NASCAR Cup Series win list with 92

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 1 start, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 38th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway

 

 

Tyler Reddick – iRacing #31

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series champion (2018-2019), and first driver to do it with two different organizations (JR Motorsports 2018, Richard Childress Racing 2019).
  • 2018 NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year; just third driver in series history to win the title in his rookie season joining Chase Elliott (2014) and William Byron (2017).
  • In 2017, captured his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, at Kentucky, while running a partial schedule.
  • In 2015, he competed full-time in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, winning his first race and finishing runner-up in the championship standings.

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 5 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives, 0 poles
  • Finished 28th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 8th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 12th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 22nd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 25th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Corey LaJoie – iRacing #32

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 32 GoFas Racing Ford

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • In 2019, LaJoie posted career-bests in starting position (16th, Kansas), finishing position (sixth, Daytona) and final points position (29th in points).
  • In 2014, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at New Hampshire Motorsports Speedway.

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 1 start, 0 wins, 1 top five, 1 pole
  • Started from the pole at virtual Talladega Superspeedway in his eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut and finished second
  • Finished 20th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Michael McDowell – iRacing #34

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Xfinity Series debut was in 2009, finishing 11th for JTG Daugherty Racing
  • McDowell is currently in his 13th season in the NASCAR Cup Series
  • Finished a career-best 26th in the 2017 and 2018 NASCAR Cup Series standings
  • Earned his lone NASCAR Xfinity Series win in 2016 at Road America

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 105 starts, 25 wins, 46 top fives and 25 poles
  • Finished 23rd at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
  • Finished 12th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 10th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 34th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 5th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Ryan Preece – iRacing #37

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 37 JTG Daugherty Racing Chevrolet

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Finished runner-up in 2019 Sunoco Rookie of the Year battle in the NASCAR Cup Series
  • Won first career NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Iowa in 2017
  • In 2013, he was the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, youngest champion in series history

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 257 starts, 42 wins, 104 top fives and 15 poles
  • Finished 33rd at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
  • Finished 2nd at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 6th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 19th at virtual Richmond Raceway and won the pole award
  • Finished 3rd at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 29th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

John Hunter Nemechek – iRacing #38

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • 2020 is Nemechek’s first fulltime season in the NASCAR Cup Series
  • Earned his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win in 2018 at Kansas while driving for Chip Ganassi Racing
  • Won his first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Chicagoland Speedway in 2015, driving for NEMCO Motorsports
  • Has tallied six career Gander Trucks wins

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 294 starts, 29 wins, 98 top fives and 37 poles
  • Finished 30th at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
  • Finished 8th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 2nd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 16th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 25th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 27th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Cole Custer – iRacing #41

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Currently in his rookie season in the NASCAR Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing
  • In 2018, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut for Rick Ware Racing. He made three starts for the team posting a best finish of 25th at Las Vegas
  • Has made 104 NASCAR Xfinity Series starts posting nine career wins
  • In 2014, he became the youngest driver in NASCAR national series history to win a race at the age of 16 years, seven months, 28 days (NGROTS, New Hampshire)
  • In 2014, he became the youngest driver in NASCAR national series history to win a pole at the age of 16 years, four months, 22 days (NGROTS, Gateway)

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 26th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 12th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Chad Finchum – iRacing #49

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Xfinity Series – No. 13 Motorsports Business Management Toyota

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • In 2019, competed in his second full season for MBM finishing the year a career-best 26th in the standings

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles.
  • Finished 21st at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 22nd at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Garrett Smithley – iRacing #51

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 51 Petty Ware Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Finished a career-best 18th in the 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series standings
  • Has a NASCAR national series career-best finish of fifth at Daytona in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 1,231 starts, 146 wins, 538 top fives and 131 poles
  • Finished 5th at virtual Homestead Miami Speedway
  • Finished 3rd at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 9th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 16th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 4th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 9th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

JJ Yeley – iRacing #52

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 52 Rick Ware Racing Ford

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Yeley has competed for various teams throughout the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series
  • 2003 United States Auto Club (USAC) Triple Crown (Silver Crown, sprint, midget) champion
  • Won 2001 USAC sprint car championship, 2002 USAC Silver Crown championship
  • In 1995 became youngest driver to win Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) feature

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 15th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 19th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

Joey Gase – iRacing #53

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 53 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Chicagoland Speedway in 2014 for GO FAS Racing
  • Has over 200 starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 2 starts, 0 wins, 0 top fives and 0 poles
  • Finished 20th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 24th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Timmy Hill – iRacing #66

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Won the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished third in the 2020 Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona, his career-best NASCAR national series finish
  • Owner of Hill Motorsports, fielding the No. 56 Chevrolet in the Gander Trucks

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 1,681 starts, 674 wins, 1,208 top fives, 456 poles
  • Finished 3rd at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Won the race at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 3rd at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 2nd at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 11th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 3rd at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Parker Kligerman – iRacing #77

Current Series/Occupation: NBC Sports TV Analyst and part-time NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series driver

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Has made 28 NASCAR Cup Series starts since 2012
  • Finished a career-best ninth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship standings in 2013
  • Finished a career-best fifth in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championship points in 2012

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 420 starts, 57 wins, 190 top fives and 11 poles
  • Finished 13th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 12th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 7th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 3rd at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 16th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 34th at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Landon Cassill – iRacing #89

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Xfinity Series – No. 89 Shepherd Racing Chevrolet

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • In 2014, he scored a NASCAR Cup Series career-best fourth-place finish at Talladega
  • In 2010, he made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Michigan
  • In 2008, he won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year award

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 48 starts, 4 wins, 28 top fives and 2 poles
  • Finished 12th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 4th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 20th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 4th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 5th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 21st at virtual Dover International Speedway

 

 

Christopher Bell – iRacing #95

Current Series/Occupation: NASCAR Cup Series – No. 96 Leavine Family Racing Toyota

 

Highlights:

  • Has never competed at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Has posted a total of 16 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins
  • Set the rookie single season Xfinity Series wins record with seven victories in 2018
  • 2017 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series champion
  • Has a total of seven career Gander Truck wins

 

Overall iRacing Stats

  • 1,032 starts, 237 wins, 557 top fives and 132 poles
  • Finished 27th at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway
  • Finished 34th at virtual Texas Motor Speedway
  • Finished 12th at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway
  • Finished 24th at virtual Richmond Raceway
  • Finished 13th at virtual Talladega Superspeedway
  • Finished 2nd at virtual Dover International Speedway
Views: 781
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Coverage Resources and News & Notes – Virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway Read More

Friday Night Thunder TONIGHT From Virtual Martinsville Speedway

by Mike
Friday Night Thunder TONIGHT From Virtual Martinsville Speedway

Friday Night Thunder

The Place: Virtual Martinsville Speedway

The Date: Friday, May 8

The Time: 8 p.m. ET

Online: enascar.com/live, NASCAR’s YouTube Channel

Distance: Four heat races – 10 laps each; one LCQ – 15 laps; Main Event – 125 laps

Friday Night Thunder at virtual Martinsville Speedway

With such a big response from competitors to join the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, NASCAR and iRacing introduced Saturday Night Thunder in the beginning of April to allow drivers from all series to compete on the platform during the real-time racing postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This weekend the event returns, but this time the action will take place on Friday night, at virtual Martinsville Speedway.

The Friday Night Thunder entry list includes drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

There will be single-car qualifying to set the heat race grids. From there, the format will feature four 10-lap heat races to set the first 24 spots for the main feature.

Then, there will be one 15-lap last chance qualifier to fill out the six remaining spots in the 30-car field.

The event will be live streamed at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, May 8, on enascar.com/live, and on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

The main event will be a 125-lap feature that will allow for one reset, with manual cautions and three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

The format will be as follows (all times ET):

7 p.m.: One-hour practice session

8 p.m.: Stream starts on eNASCAR.com/NASCAR YouTube Channel

8:05 p.m.: Three-minute, two-lap single-car qualifying session. Sets the starting grid for the heats.

8:08 p.m.:

  • Heat 1 starts. All heats will be 10 laps with no cautions and one reset. There will be four heats and 26 cars will advance.
  • Heats will set the starting grid for main race with a field of 26 cars.
  • Heats will be followed by a 15-lap last chance qualifier with six drivers advancing to the main event (30-car field).
  • Main event will be 125 laps with manual cautions and one reset. There will also be three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.
Views: 610
Friday Night Thunder TONIGHT From Virtual Martinsville Speedway Read More

Remembering Ray Lee Wood

by Mike
Remembering Ray Lee Wood

For decades people in southern Virginia and beyond knew Ray Lee Wood for the beautiful flowers growing in front of his home in the community of Buffalo Ridge and for the sourwood honey that he collected from his beehives.

They knew of his prized Persian cats and Siberian Huskies, and the goldfish he raised in ponds on his family property.

Others were amazed at his knowledge of the Bible and his loyalty to the Pentecostal Holiness Church.

And there were some that knew the rest of the story, about how Wood was an integral part of some of the grandest triumphs in motor racing history – among them victories in the 1963 Daytona 500, the 1965 Indianapolis 500 and the inaugural American 500 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham in 1965.

Ray Lee Wood, who died May 5 at the age of 92, was the third son of J. Walter and Ada Wood. In the early 1950s, he and his brothers Glenn, Clay, Delano and Leonard, took on the world of automobile racing with the same passion and determination that they applied to every task they ever took on.

Early in the Wood Brothers’ career, they worked on their race cars under a giant beech tree, its limbs serving as support for pulling engines with a chain hoist. Ray Lee Wood spent the last half of his life serving as caretaker of the famous tree, one that attracted visitors including Edsel Ford II.

As the team began competing in the series now known as Cup, Ray Lee changed front tires and helped prepare the Fords initially driven by his brother Glenn but later driven by some of the biggest names in motorsports.

Leonard Wood said his brother could have added his name to that list had he chosen to do so.

“Ray Lee could have been a race driver as well as Glenn,” he said. In 1958, on the sands of Daytona Beach, Ray Lee hit 142 miles per hour on the measured mile in a hopped-up street car, topping the speed chart for that day.

When the Wood Brothers won the Car Owner’s Championship in 1963 using multiple drivers, Ray Lee Wood was the car owner of record and the Championship trophy bears his name.

When the Woods scored the first of their five Daytona 500 victories, with Tiny Lund filling in for a badly burned Marvin Panch, Ray Lee played a key role in the team’s winning pit strategy.

After the first 10 laps of the 500 were run under the yellow flag because of rain, the Woods saw an opportunity to play a pit strategy similar to those used in road-course races today. They began making their pit stops with the intention of making one fewer stop than their competitors.

They also were hoping to run the race on a single set of tires.

Firestone representative John Laux and Ray Lee were in charge of checking the tires. Both agreed on each early stop that the tires were good to go.

On the final stop, Laux wasn’t so certain. Ray Lee said the tires were good for another 100 miles. His brothers took his advice, and Lund drove on to the checkered flag.

Wood played a similar role in the Indianapolis 500, as he and his brothers pitted the Lotus Ford driven by Jim Clark. Again, Wood checked tires on each stop, and again the call was made to continue. The result was another major win for the Stuart, Va.-based team.

That trip to Indianapolis was a life-changer for Wood.

“When we were up there in Indiana, I felt the calling of the Lord,” Wood said in a 2010 interview. “He had something else for me to do.”

It was the same calling his brother Delano, the family jack man, would feel at the end of the 1983 season.

Not wanting to leave his brothers in mid-season, in an era when good tire changers were hard to find, Ray Lee decided to stay on through the end of that year.

His racing career ended in storybook fashion, with his old friend Curtis Turner driving the Woods’ Ford to victory at Rockingham.

Wood and Turner had become close over the years, and Wood often flew back from races with Turner, so he could be back at work with his grading business on Monday morning.

That race, Turner’s 17th and final Cup win, also was the final NASCAR appearance for Ray Lee Wood, who began spending his Sunday’s at his beloved church, located near his home in Buffalo Ridge.

In the years after that, he never attended another NASCAR race, although he did participate in a Fan Appreciation event at the Wood Brothers Museum in 2011.

His nephew Eddie Wood said that in a family of cool brothers, Ray Lee stood out.

“He had the coolest cars,” Eddie Wood said. “He had lots of girlfriends. He had one of the first color TVs in our county. He was just a happy-go-lucky guy.”

Like his brothers, Ray Lee didn’t do things halfway.

“He started a rose garden, and the next thing you know he had 500 of them, and then a thousand,” Wood said. “He bought two expensive Persian cats, Sam and George, and kept getting more until he had 50 show cats.

“He got into Siberian Huskies and had giant goldfish… Whatever he did, he went at it 100 percent.”

Ray Lee Wood lived in the same house where he grew up, and in his latter years was content with a simple life, far removed from the cheering crowds and checkered flags of his early years.

“He was just laid back, in no hurry,” his nephew Len Wood said. “Nothing ruffled his feathers.”

With his racing career behind him, Ray Lee was close to his sister Crystal and his church family, and remained supportive of the racing side of his family.

“Ray never went back to the track after 1965, but he supported us all the way and always followed our races on the radio or TV,” Leonard Wood said. “He was a great brother and a great all-around person.

“I can’t say enough good words about him.”

Wood Brothers Racing

Wood Brothers Racing was formed in 1950 in Stuart, Va., by Hall of Famer Glen Wood. Wood Brothers Racing is the oldest active team and one of the winningest teams in NASCAR history. Since its founding, the team won 99 races (including at least one race in every decade for the last seven decades) and 120 poles in NASCAR’s top-tier series. Fielding only Ford products for its entire history, the Wood Brothers own the longest association of any motorsports team with a single manufacturer. Glen’s brother, Leonard, is known for inventing the modern pit stop. The team currently runs the Ford driven by Paul Menard in the famous No. 21 racer.

Views: 835
Remembering Ray Lee Wood Read More

Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth Set to Join Chip Ganassi Racing

by Mike
Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth Set to Join Chip Ganassi Racing

Kenseth Will Assume Driving Duties in the No. 42 for Remainder of 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Season

 

CONCORD, N.C. (Apr. 27, 2020) – Chip Ganassi Racing announces today that when the NASCAR Cup Series returns to the track for the remainder of the 2020 season, Matt Kenseth will be behind the wheel of the No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro. Kenseth, the former Cup Series Champion and two-time Daytona 500 Champion, most recently competed full-time at NASCAR’s highest level in 2017, where he finished seventh in the points and won the second to last race of the season at Phoenix Raceway.

The Wisconsin native is a 39-time Cup Series winner and will join a talented group on the No. 42 team, which entered the 2020 season following a best-ever sixth place finish in the 2019 point standings, a fourth consecutive trip to the playoffs, and a playoff race win at Dover International Speedway. With a newly designed Chevrolet Camaro for the 2020 season, the No. 42 team started the year strong, with three top-10 finishes in the first four races.

 

NOTES OF INTEREST:

  • Running Up Front – With 18 years of experience in the Cup Series, Kenseth has consistently run near the front, averaging 10 top-five and just over 18 top-10 finishes a year in his 18 full-time seasons behind the wheel. During his career, Kenseth posted at least one win in all but four seasons and made the playoffs in all but one season in which he was eligible, finishing his full-time career with eight consecutive appearances.

  • A Winning Attitude:  Overall, the former Cup Champion, has 39 Cup wins including the Daytona 500 twice, the Coke 600, the Southern 500 and the All-Star race. He has 181 top-5s and has finished in the top-10 in points in 13 of his 18 seasons. When Kenseth scored his first Dayton 500 victory in 2009, he became only the fifth driver in NASCAR history to win a Cup Series Championship, the Rookie of the Year Award and the Daytona 500 — joining Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, David Pearson, and Richard Petty.

  • Return to Team Chevy: While this marks the first time Kenseth will race with Team Chevy in the Cup Series, he is no stranger to the manufacturer. Kenseth began his racing career in 1988 in a Camaro and made his debut in the NASCAR Southeast Series in 1994 behind the wheel of a Chevrolet, and continued racing Chevrolet’s in the Xfinity Series through the 2001 season.

QUOTEBOARD:

  • Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing: “I have always said that when we have to fill a driver spot, that I owe it to our team, our partners and our fans to put the best available driver in the car. We are doing exactly that with Matt. Throughout my time in NASCAR, I have always admired the way Matt Kenseth raced. He has proven to be a consistent winner, strong competitor, and respectful driver, and I’m glad we are able to add another NASCAR champion to the team for the remainder of this season.”

  • Matt Kenseth, Driver No. 42 Chevrolet Camaro: “This was an unexpected opportunity for sure. I can’t say racing was even on my radar two weeks ago. After spending some time thinking about it and all the unique circumstances surrounding all of us right now, it just seemed the timing and the opportunity was perfect to come back. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get up to speed in a relatively short period of time, but I’m looking forward to the challenge. I’m excited to work with Kurt again and to meet all my new CGR team members, and I’m really looking forward to getting back in a Chevrolet. In 1988, I started my career in a Camaro and I can’t wait to finally race a Chevy in the Cup Series. I also need to thank Chip and all his partners for this opportunity. Hopefully we will be on the track soon.”

About Chip Ganassi Racing:

Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 30 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the NTT IndyCar Series and two cars in the NASCAR Cup Series. Overall his teams have 19 championships and over 220 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400, eight Rolex 24 At Daytonas, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Views: 631
Former NASCAR Cup Series Champion Matt Kenseth Set to Join Chip Ganassi Racing Read More

RCR Event Preview – Virtual Talladega Superspeedway

by Mike
RCR Event Preview – Virtual Talladega Superspeedway
Richard Childress Racing at Talladega Superspeedway … Richard Childress began his driving career at Talladega Superspeedway in 1969 and is in a tie for the most all-time car owner victories at the storied Alabama-based race track with 12 NASCAR Cup Series wins. He also owns two additional wins at the track as a car owner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the ARCA Racing Series. This weekend marks a new chapter for RCR at Talladega Superspeedway with the organization’s first attempt at the track in a virtual race.
The Format … NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports are teaming up to deliver the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a selection of simulation-style esports races that include NASCAR Cup Series drivers Austin Dillon (No. 3 Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Chevrolet) and Tyler Reddick (No. 31 Cat Realtree Chevrolet). The series heads to the virtual Talladega Superspeedway for a fixed set-up race this Sunday, April 26. Drivers will compete in a qualifying session to set the starting field for the 70-lap race.
But Wait, There’s More … In addition to Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race, RCR will compete in a special Saturday night race at virtual Talladega Superspeedway with our roster of NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, including Anthony Alfredo (No. 33 DUDE Wipes Chevrolet), Myatt Snider (No. 93 TaxSlayer Chevrolet) and Kaz Grala (No. 29 HotScream Chevrolet). The race features NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and NASCAR Whelen Euro Series drivers competing within the iRacing platform, complete with qualifying times to set heat races and a last chance qualifier race to round out starting lineup. Fans can watch all the action at eNASCAR.com.
The Car Designs … Each RCR driver’s paint scheme was designed in-house by the RCR Graphics Center Powered by Roland, an in-house full-service design and production facility located on the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina. Local graphic artist John Dragonetti then rendered these designs for the iRacing platform. Learn more about Dragonetti’s designs at twitter.com/JohnRDragonetti.
COVID-19 Relief … Own a piece of history by participating in a recently launched auction and sale of Richard Childress’ personal collection of memorabilia. All proceeds will assist COVID-19 relief efforts. Thousands of rare, hard-to-find and exclusive items from Richard Childress’ 50+ years in NASCAR are up for bid or sale, including an original No. 3 Chevrolet once raced by Dale Earnhardt, complete with engine. To bid or purchase items from Childress’ personal collection, visit https://www.ebay.com/str/RichardChildresscollection. Bidders interested in the Dale Earnhardt racecar should contact RCR directly.
Did You Know … Talladega Superspeedway is the track where Richard Childress Racing claimed its 100th NASCAR Cup Series win when Clint Bowyer visited victory lane for the storied organization in October 2011.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR eSports Twitter page – @RCR_eSports, the RCR NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup and the RCR NASCAR Xfinity Series team Twitter page – @RCRNXS. Information about the 16-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and on Instagram at Instagram.com/rcrracing. Visit www.RCRracing.com.
Catch the Action … The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway will be televised live Sunday, April 26 beginning at 1 p.m. ET on the FOX broadcast network (where available), FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing. Catch our Xfinity Series drivers Saturday night by visiting eNASCAR.com.
Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView on Instagram
This Week’s Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway … In 13 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Talladega Superspeedway, Dillon’s best finish at the track is third (April 2016). He is also a former pole winner at the track (April 2019). This weekend marks the Welcome, North Carolina driver’s first virtual start at Talladega Superspeedway.
Welcome, Coca-Cola … The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries and territories. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Costa coffee, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, helping bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
A Commitment to eSports … Dillon is a long-time iRacing team owner. For the past two years, he has fielded two cars in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, which is a $300,000 eSport World Championship series officially sanctioned by NASCAR featuring the world’s most elite oval simracers. Dillon’s two drivers, Blake Reynolds (No. 30) and Michael Guest (No. 33) compete on simulated versions of the actual real-world NASCAR tracks and Gen6 cars available on iRacing. The rounds run every other Tuesday night and is broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube.
The Crew … Dillon will be competing in a rig provided by Sim Seats and will have a talented support system on Sunday, including his eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver, Blake Reynolds (@breynolds_66). Reynolds was a Champ 4 contender in 2019.
 
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Do you look forward to superspeedway races like Talladega Superspeedway?
“Yeah, I really enjoy superspeedway races like Talladega. I feel like as a whole at Richard Childress Racing, we’ve been really close to winning. It’s a very cool track so it will be interesting to experience it virtually. The key is going to be avoiding the melee. I’m looking forward to representing Coca-Cola Zero Sugar on the virtual track.”
This Week’s Realtree Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway … Tyler Reddick is a former race winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Talladega Superspeedway. The two-time Xfinity Series champion will make his first virtual start at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series on Sunday.
Realtree … Realtree is the world’s leading camouflage designer, marketer, and licensor with over 2,000 licensees utilizing the Realtree camouflage brand. Thousands of outdoor and lifestyle products are available in Realtree camouflage patterns. In addition, Realtree is committed to supporting individuals and groups that work to ensure our outdoor heritage, the conservation of natural places, and the wildlife that resides there. Realtree promotes its products and relationships widely on television, as well as through Realtree.com and many other outlets.
The Crew … From his home in North Carolina, Reddick will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. His spotter, Derek Kneeland, will be assisting Reddick during the race. Joey Stone, who competes under the RCR eSports banner in the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, will also be assisting Reddick during the race.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on virtual racing at Talladega Superspeedway?
“Talladega Superspeedway is wild, both in real life and virtually. It’s a big, wide track that lends itself to being a little bit more aggressive than you can be at Daytona International Speedway. I’m excited to race there for Realtree.”
This Week’s DUDE Wipes Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway … Anthony Alfredo has one real-world start at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Truck Series and is an experienced competitor at the track competing in virtual conditions.
Welcome, DUDE Wipes …The DUDE Wipes revolution was born one fateful day in our Chicago apartment, when we switched from toilet paper to baby wipes and were forever changed. Today we make self-care products for DUDES that get the job done and leave you feeling refreshed, from our original flushable DUDE Wipes to face & shower wipes, and deodorant body powders & body sprays to DUDE performance underwear.
The Crew … From his home in North Carolina, Alfredo will be competing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Saturday Night Thunder race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Alfredo has a talented support system on Sunday, including Zack Novak and his teammate Jimmy Mullis, who will serve as crew chief and spotter, respectively. The duo race for Richmond Raceway eSports in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series and won the championship last year. Alfredo’s spotter, Derek Kneeland, will also be assisting this weekend.
ANTHONY ALFREDO QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on virtual racing at Talladega Superspeedway?
“I love superspeedway racing on iRacing so I am very excited for this weekend. That being said, it should be interesting since there are a lot of drivers still new to iRacing, which could make it eventful since it is some of the most difficult type of racing on the sim, much like it is in real life. I will have Zack Novak and Jimmy Mullis helping me on the pit box again, but this time I will have my real life spotter, Derek Kneeland, on the spotter stand. That will definitely give me some extra confidence! I have been practicing in online races this week and am looking forward to focusing on parking my No. 33 DUDE Wipes Camaro in Victory Lane!”
This Week’s TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Talladega Superspeedway … Snider has never finished worse than third in two career starts at Talladega Superspeedway in the NASCAR Truck Series. This weekend marks his first attempt at the virtual version of the track.
About TaxSlayer … TaxSlayer makes online tax filing accessible for millions of Americans, with an easy-to-use platform and unlimited support at a fraction of the cost of the competition. Trusted for over 50 years, the Augusta-based tech company successfully completed more than 10 million state and federal e-filed tax returns in 2019 and processed $12 billion in refunds. TaxSlayer achieved a 4.6/5 TrustScore on consumer review site Trustpilot, with 85% of its customers rating the tax filing platform Great or Excellent. For more information, visit www.TaxSlayer.com.
Tax Day … The IRS has extended the federal tax filing deadline for 2020. Tax Day is now July 15, 2020. This extension is automatic and applies to all taxpayers. For up-to-date information and advice, check out TaxSlayer.com/blog.
Save Now … When you file with TaxSlayer, the savings are around every turn. All the deductions, all the credits, and all the money you deserve comes back to you in your refund. Plus, when you enter promo code MYATT21 at checkout, you’ll save 21% off the cost of your federal return. Start for free at TaxSlayer.com
MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:
You’ve been very successful at Talladega Superspeedway in the past. How do you feel about transferring that success to the virtual version of the track?
“Talladega Superspeedway is so much of a wildcard. You never truly know what’s going to happen one minute to the next. But that chaos is what makes it so much fun. I’ve always enjoyed Talladega and have run really well there so I’m hoping to continue that streak of slaying it in my TaxSlayer Chevy Camaro this weekend.”
This Week’s HotScream Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Richmond Raceway … Grala has two starts at Talladega Superspeedway spread out among the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series. He will add the virtual version of the track to his resume this Saturday.
HotScream … HotScream takes two concepts, dessert and spicy food, and combines them to form a product that can only be described as ‘HotScream The Spicy Ice Cream’. By taking ice cream with its cool creaminess and incorporating a spicy swirl, HotScream has created a new taste sensation, one that almost defies one’s own senses. At first, you taste the pureness of the vanilla, followed quickly by the sweetness of one of seven flavor swirls. As you continue to enjoy HotScream, things change: You feel a warming sensation that starts in the back of your mouth, creating a rush that only can come from spicy foods. The warming continues to linger but doesn’t engulf your mouth with fire. Taking another bite, you again taste the cool, creamy vanilla and the respective flavor profile while the heat dissipates, only to come back time and time again. HotScream is currently available at ACME Markets, Big Y, select ShopRites, Stop & Shop and 400 Walmart locations from Maine to Texas. For more information, visit HotScream.com.
KAZ GRALA QUOTE:
What are your thoughts on virtual racing at Talladega Superspeedway this Saturday?
“Virtual Talladega this weekend should be a lot of fun. I have absolutely no idea what a plate race will be like on iRacing. I’ve never done one! But I know I love real plate races so I’m ready for it and looking forward to the opportunity. Some of my career highlights have come on superspeedway in the past, and I’m hoping some of my luck and experience will carry over into the virtual world. Let’s park the No. 29 HotScream Camaro ZL1 in Victory Lane on Saturday!”
Views: 645
RCR Event Preview – Virtual Talladega Superspeedway Read More