DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 2, 2020) – “Due to challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic, the debut of the Next Gen car will be delayed until 2022. The decision was made in collaboration with the OEMs and team owners. We will continue to develop the Next Gen car, and a revised testing timeline will be shared when more information is available.” – John Probst, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Innovation
More Than 65 Hours of Motorsports Coverage from NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, Supercross and More
Themed Nights of Memorable Races on NBCSN Include “Mayhem Monday,” “WednesDale,” “Best at the Brickyard,” and “Daytona Speed Day”
NASCAR America Presents NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN; Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin Headline Competitors
Content to Stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 2, 2020 – Beginning April 6, NBC Sports will present Racing Week in America on NBCSN, providing racing fans with a chance to relive the most thrilling motorsports moments from the past two decades on NBC and NBCSN.
Featuring races from NASCAR, INDYCAR, IMSA, Supercross and other series, Racing Week in America will have a specific theme for each day, starting with “Mayhem Monday” on April 6. NBC Sports will air 12 hours of motorsports coverage (1 p.m.-3 a.m. ET) Monday-Thursday and seven hours (8 p.m.-3 a.m. ET) on Friday-Saturday. Sunday’s coverage airs 2-4 p.m. ET and 10:30 p.m.-3 a.m. ET. Below is each day’s highlighted content throughout the week:
Programming will also stream on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
In addition, NASCAR America will present the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge from Monday-Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN, as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin headline a group of 18 drivers competing at virtual versions of iconic race tracks across America. Click here for more information.
MONDAY, APRIL 6 – MAYHEM MONDAY
“Mayhem Monday” will feature some of the most intense battles across NASCAR, INDYCAR, Supercross, and American Flat Track, including two classics from Martinsville Speedway. The 2017 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race saw Kyle Busch win in overtime and Chase Elliott confront Denny Hamlin for costing him the victory. Two years earlier at Martinsville, Jeff Gordon earned his final win after Matt Kenseth put his feud with Joey Logano to rest. “Mayhem Monday” also has the 2015 INDYCAR race from Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, which produced a record 80 lead changes before Graham Rahal finally won out.
| COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| NASCAR – Bristol Motor Speedway 2019 | 1 p.m. | NBCSN |
| INDYCAR – Auto Club Speedway 2015 | 3 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge – Rockingham | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Martinsville Speedway 2017 | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Martinsville Speedway 2015 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Supercross – Anaheim #2 2020 | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| American Flat Track – Buffalo Chip TT 2019 | 2 a.m. | NBCSN |
TUESDAY, APRIL 7 – TWISTS AND TURNS TUESDAY
From city streets to massive dirt jumps, NBCSN will showcase the best twists and turns that motorsports have to offer starting Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. “Twists and Turns Tuesday” includes the NASCAR Cup Series’ thrilling first race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL; a return to INDYCAR Victory Lane for NBC Sports’ own James Hinchcliffe at iconic Long Beach; and the closest finish in Supercross history from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
| COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| IMSA – Long Beach 2019 | 1 p.m. | NBCSN |
| INDYCAR – Long Beach 2017 | 3 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge – Lucas Oil Raceway | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL 2018 | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Watkins Glen 2017 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Supercross – Arlington 2019 | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Monster Jam World Finals 2019 | 2 a.m. | NBCSN |
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8 – WEDNESDALE
NBC Sports presents a full day dedicated to motorsports icon and NBC Sports analyst Dale Earnhardt. Jr. From his emotional victory at Daytona in 2001 to making “Slide Job!” go viral in his broadcasting debut at Chicago in 2018, fans will see highlights from his memorable career, as well as an episode of his popular podcast/TV show, The Dale Jr. Download.
| COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| NASCAR – Talladega Superspeedway 2019 | 1 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Chicagoland Speedway 2018 | 3 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge – Myrtle Beach | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Daytona International Speedway, July 2001 | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Talladega Superspeedway 2017 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Martinsville Speedway 2005 | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| The Dale Jr. Download | 2 a.m. | NBCSN |
THURSDAY, APRIL 9 – BEST AT THE BRICKYARD
Thursday takes a look back on NBC Sports’ exciting history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, highlighted by Simon Pagenaud’s win last May in NBC Sports’ first-ever Indianapolis 500 broadcast. Also included are emotional Brickyard 400 wins for Indiana native Tony Stewart and transplant Jeff Gordon, and Drive Like Andretti, NBC Sports’ captivating documentary on the life and times of racing icon Mario Andretti.
| COVERAGE | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| INDYCAR – Grand Prix of Indianapolis 2019 | 1 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – 2005 Brickyard 400 | 3 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge Championship – Martinsville | 7 p.m. | NBCSN |
| INDYCAR – 103rd Indianapolis 500 (2019) | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| Drive Like Andretti | 11 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – 2004 Brickyard 400 | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| 100th Indy 500 Special | 2 a.m. | NBCSN |
FRIDAY, APRIL 10 – DAYTONA SPEED DAY
Whether they’re on two or four wheels, legends are made at Daytona International Speedway. On Friday, NBCSN focuses on ‘The World Center of Racing’ with exciting races from NASCAR and Supercross, plus highlights from this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona – better known as the Rolex 24.
| EVENT | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| NASCAR – 2004 Daytona 500 | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR – Daytona International Speedway, July 2001 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN |
| 2020 Daytona Supercross | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| IMSA – 2020 Rolex 24 | 2 a.m. | NBCSN |
SATURDAY, APRIL 11 – CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY
It’s what every driver works for. On Saturday, NBCSN gives fans some of the best championship moments, starting at 8 p.m. ET. The day’s schedule includes Jimmie Johnson claiming his record-tying 7th NASCAR Cup Series title in 2016; Kurt Busch’s stirring rally to become the first champion of the NASCAR Playoff era in 2004; and Scott Dixon’s triumph over Juan Pablo Montoya by the slimmest of margins to win the 2015 INDYCAR crown.
| EVENT | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Miami 2016 | 8 p.m. | NBCSN |
| INDYCAR Championship – Sonoma 2015 | 10 p.m. | NBCSN |
| NASCAR Cup Series Championship – Miami 2004 | 12 a.m. | NBCSN |
| American Flat Track – Meadowlands 2018 | 2 a.m. | NBCSN |
SUNDAY, APRIL 12 – SUNDAY FUNDAY
Above all else, racing is fun – and that’s what the final day of Racing Week in America is about. “Sunday Funday” has the incredible 2019 NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race from Talladega (won by Ryan Blaney over Ryan Newman by .007 of a second), as well as INDYCAR’s Texas thriller from 2016, where four drivers – Graham Rahal, James Hinchcliffe, Tony Kanaan and Simon Pagenaud – went wheel-to-wheel in a pulse-pounding dash to the checkered flag.
| EVENT | TIME (ET) | NETWORK |
| NASCAR – Talladega Superspeedway 2019 | 10:30 p.m. | NBCSN |
| INDYCAR – Texas Motor Speedway 2016 | 12:30 a.m. | NBCSN |
| Racing Roots – Kyle Larson | 2:30 a.m. | NBCSN |
Car racing is a high paced, exciting sport enjoyed by millions. The vehicles that are driven during this contest are specially built for this. Here are a few differences that set them apart. (more…)
| Details: |
| • Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Round 2) • Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series • Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 29 • Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval) • Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)
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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
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| Overview?: |
| • The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of actual racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicked off last Sunday at Homestead and it is a multi-week series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
• With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists in place of actual NASCAR events.
• Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series consists of 35 drivers and all races are broadcast by FOX Sports.
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| DYK?: |
| • Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway was the single most-watched esports event in U.S. history. The race drew 903,000 viewers on FS1, besting the previous high of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.
• The race was the highest-rated broadcast on FS1 since mass postponements of sporting events began on March 15.
• During the race, the #ProInvitationalSeries was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States.
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| Daniel Suárez, Driver of the No. 96 CommScope Toyota Camry |
| “I don’t even know what to expect, to be honest. Obviously, I think we’re going to have some fun, but at the same time I’m very competitive and I want to do well. I’ve never done iRacing before, I’ve never had an account before and I really didn’t know much about iRacing. I had an old GT25 simulator that I bought used about 10 years ago to race on the PlayStation. As for iRacing, I have no experience before, but for me, that’s not an excuse. I’ve done a lot on other simulators, like the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) simulator, that might help some. But this is way different, it’s its own animal. iRacing is still very realistic and does an amazing job, but it’s still a game. The simulator we use at TRD, that’s not a game, but a lot of things about what iRacing does is very impressive. I borrowed a rig from Toyota and hopefully I can use it for as many races as I need to. A kid named Eric who’s a professional iRacing guy, he’s been helping me with the things I knew I was going to need help with. He’s been great, and he’s going to be my spotter. The whole point is to have some fun and be competitive and get better and give the fans some excitement, like we saw in the first race last week. I don’t know how long this is going to last, but hopefully we’ll be able to have some fun and keep getting better. Overall, I think it’s good for our sport. It’s one advantage we have against some other sports, that we can do stuff like this. Soccer, basketball, American football, they can’t do it like this. I feel it’s fun. We just have to take it for what it is.”
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| Daniel Suárez Texas Invitational Notes: |
| • This will be Suárez’s first start in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and first-ever iRacing event.
• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Texas, Suárez has six career starts with best finishes of third in each of last year’s two races – his only career top-fives and top-10s on the 1.5-mile oval.
• In NASCAR Xfinity Series competition at Texas, Suárez has five career starts with a best finish of fifth the fall 2016 race en route to that year’s series championship. He had another top-10 finish of sixth in the fall 2015 race.
• Suarez finished second in both 2015 races in his first two career NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Texas. He added a fifth-place finish in his only other Truck Series start there in the fall 2016 race. |
Details:
Where to Watch:
DYK?:
Overview:
Erik Jones, driver of the No. 20 Craftsman Toyota Camry:
“I honestly did not know how I’d do in last week’s race at Homestead. It had been forever since I last went iRacing, so it was like I was a rookie all over again. But things came to me fairly quickly, although I’m still nowhere near where I want to be. Performance aside, I think we all came away from that race impressed with how the entire industry rallied around it, and fans seemed to like it too. Now we’re on big FOX this Sunday, so even more people will be watching. Obviously, that’s good, but it does kind of ramp up the pressure. You want to do well. Even though it’s a simulation, we’re all competitors and we want to win. And it’s appropriate that I’ve got CRAFTSMAN on my Toyota Camry this Sunday at Texas. I moved into a new house this week and between putting furniture together, hanging stuff up and even fixing a few things that broke, if I wasn’t carrying a box I was carrying a screwdriver or a wrench. iRacing practice time took a backseat to the move, so I hope my limited practice time doesn’t show up in the race.”
By Holly Cain
Denny Hamlin edged Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a door-banging final push to the checkered flag in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut event, the Dixie Vodka 150, at iRacing’s virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Social Distancing Efforts Has NASCAR Engaging & Entertaining Fans In Exciting Way
CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 21, 2020 (Newswire.com) – The highly anticipated eNASCAR iRacing
NASCAR and iRacing announced Tuesday the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition eSports series featuring many of the sport’s most talented drivers.
Among the most popular will be Dale Earnhardt Jr., who announced Friday he will be racing for FilterTime™, a home subscription air filter company in which he is part owner with fellow retired NASCAR driver Blake Koch.
“FilterTime is thrilled to have our co-owner Dale Jr. racing the FilterTime #8 Chevrolet in the eNASCAR race this Sunday,” said Koch, FilterTime’s founder and CEO. “When I stopped racing myself and started this company, I never dreamed I would be able to see the FilterTime.com logo on a car driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. on national television. Most importantly in these difficult times of social distancing and concern across the globe, we are excited to be a part of a unique experience that breathes life into these difficult times. Ironically, FilterTime home air filter subscription service does a similar thing by delivering air filters to our customers across the nation without having to leave the comfort of their homes.”
FOX NASCAR broadcasters Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds will call the action. The live broadcast will start at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 and FOX Sports app.
About FilterTime™
FilterTime™ was founded in 2017, a leading air filter subscription service via the web that allows you to choose your air filter and how often you want it delivered – without ever having to go through the hassle again. Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined the FilterTime™ organization as co-owner in 2018. For more information, visit: www.FilterTime.com
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – Advance
Teams: No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang & No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Drivers: Ross Chastain (No. 6) & Chris Buescher (No. 17)
Twitter: @RoushFenway, @Roush6Team, @17RoushTeam
Hashtag: #ProInvitationalSeries
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – Sunday, March 22 at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, FOX Sports App
ADVANCE NOTES
Event Details
Buescher at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Chastain at Homestead-Miami Speedway
On the eCar
Keeping true to their on-track Roush Fenway Racing schemes, both Buescher and Chastain will run their respective partner colors in Sunday’s iRacing event at Homestead. Buescher will carry longtime No. 17 team partner Fastenal aboard his Ford Mustang, while Chastain will run the bright orange and yellow Oscar Mayer scheme.
NASCAR/iRacing History
NASCAR and iRacing have an unprecedented history in the esports space, currently in the 11th season of the longest-running officially sanctioned esports racing series, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. It features 40 of the best sim racers in the world competing for more than $300,000, one of the richest payouts in esports racing competition.
Roush Fenway’s 2020 lineup includes Nathan Lyon, driver of the No. 6 and a native of St. Louis Missouri, and Kollin Keister, driver of the No. 17, who hails from Frostburg, Maryland.
Roush Fenway Gaming Familiar with Homestead
Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway is the site of Roush Fenway Gaming’s 2019 Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship, where Zack Novak drove the No. 6 Ford to the series title and claimed the $40,000 top prize.
Since I’m working from home, and a little bored as a result, I went out to the NASCAR Media site to see if I could dig up something interesting…. and I came across these official car photos from 2007! That was one of the years we had the “NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series”. Who was driving back then, and who for? Let’s take a look…
THE MODERATOR: Welcome, everyone, to today’s media teleconference here with NASCAR president Steve Phelps. We appreciate you all making the time. We also realize that you have a number of questions for Steve here today. We’re going to try to get through as many questions as we have for this teleconference. We’re planning to set aside 20 minutes, a lot of activity going on here as you might imagine. (more…)
