On This Day in NASCAR History….

On This Day in NASCAR History….

Sunday, April 4, 2004 – On this day in history, Elliott Sadler beat Kasey Kahne to the line by just 0.028 second – the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway. Kahne dominated the race leading 148 laps driving for Evernham Motorsports, but Sadler driving for Yates Racing jumped out front with 27 to go and never relinquished the top spot. It was Sadler’s second of three career NASCAR Cup Series wins. (more…)

On This Day in NASCAR History…. Read More

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

FedEx Racing Express Facts – Virtual Bristol Motor Speedway

Virtual Race Info:

Race: Food City Showdown

Date/Time: Sunday, April 5/1 p.m. ET

Race Distance: 150 Laps

Track Length: 0.533 miles

Track Shape: Oval

Banking: 24-28 degrees

eNASCAR Texas Recap: Denny Hamlin finished 24th in Sunday’s iRacing Pro Invitational Series virtual NASCAR race at Texas Motor Speedway, after a late-race speeding penalty put him back in the running order followed by an on-track incident in the closing laps. Timmy Hill was the race winner. Hamlin qualified 17th and decided to fall to the back of the field at the start to avoid wrecks near the front. With only one “reset” in the race, meaning a new car with no damage, Hamlin felt it was imperative to keep his nose clean early on. He moved up in the order following a pit strategy to stay out during a caution mid-race to take the lead for a restart, but the older tires proved disadvantageous, as he slid back near 20th position. From there, he worked back up near the top 10 before a round of green-flag pit stops. However, Hamlin sped entering pit road and incurred a 40-second penalty, dropping him two laps down.

eNASCAR Bristol Preview: Three weeks into the iRacing series, the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series is virtually traveling to Bristol Motor Speedway for its first event at a short track. Hamlin will look to get the FedEx Freight Toyota to Victory Lane again like he did two weeks ago in virtual Homestead.

FedEx “Thank You” Paint Scheme: For Sunday’s eNASCAR event at virtual Bristol, the #11 car will pay tribute to the 475,000 FedEx team members who are working to deliver shipments around the world safely and securely during the COVID-19 pandemic. A special “Thank You” FedEx paint scheme will recognize all the FedEx team members who are working hard to deliver critical medical supplies and equipment to the healthcare community as well as basic goods to people at home.

Hamlin Conversation – Virtual Bristol:

Will you change your strategy for Bristol, knowing it didn’t pan out for Texas?

“Bristol is a completely different kind of racetrack, so the strategy we used at Texas probably wouldn’t work for a short track like Bristol. I’ll definitely be getting my practice laps in to make sure we get a good finish. The last time we were at the real Bristol Motor Speedway, we went to Victory Lane. So, we’d love to do that virtually, too, for sure. We have a special paint scheme again to thank all the FedEx team members for their hard work during challenging times. We didn’t really get a great finish for them last week, so we want to make it up to them.”

Have you been encouraged by the number of fans who are watching the virtual races on TV?

“It’s been great to see how many fans are watching on TV, following on my Twitch stream and keeping up on social media. Sports fans don’t have a lot to watch right now, so the fact that we can put on a show for them, keep them interested and get them cheering, that’s great for our sport.”

DATEEVENTLOCATIONSTARTFINISHLAPSSTATUSLED
Mar. 22Dixie Vodka 150Homestead91100/100Running14
Mar. 29O’Reilly 125Texas1724125/125Running0
Averages/Totals1312.5100% 14
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JUSTIN MOORE TO PERFORM PRE-RACE CONCERT AHEAD OF eNASCAR iRACING PRO INVITATIONAL ON SUN., APR. 5

JUSTIN MOORE TO PERFORM PRE-RACE CONCERT AHEAD OF eNASCAR iRACING PRO INVITATIONAL ON SUN., APR. 5
Country music singer Justin Moore will perform a virtual pre-race concert this Sunday, Apr. 5 before the third eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race. Moore will join NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Dillon and NASCAR.com digital host Alex Weaver for the online event.
Moore, an award-winning singer/songwriter who has released five albums since his 2009 debut, will perform a couple of his songs and chat about the upcoming race at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway. The race, which is set to air at 1 PM ET on FOX/FS1 (subject to change) and the FOX Sports App, will feature some of NASCAR’s biggest names.
The Arkansas native joins the list of virtual pre-race acts since the Pro Invitational Series developed in advance of the Dixie Vodka 125 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 22.
Fans can catch the virtual pre-race concert Sun., Apr. 5 at 12:30 PM ET on NASCAR’s YouTubeFacebook and Twitter.
JUSTIN MOORE TO PERFORM PRE-RACE CONCERT AHEAD OF eNASCAR iRACING PRO INVITATIONAL ON SUN., APR. 5 Read More

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

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

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

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

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

• Distance:  250 laps (133.25 miles)

 

Where to Watch:
Overview:
 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

About Stewart-Haas eSports:
 

NASCAR is the ultimate test of driver acumen and mechanical know-how, where teams scrutinize every detail in a never-ending quest for speed. Stewart-Haas Racing has thrived in this environment, winning races and championships to firmly establish its presence in NASCAR. Stewart-Haas eSports emulates these efforts in the virtual world, where sim technology provides a visceral experience that amplifies the grit and determination of NASCAR drivers in the real world. Stewart-Haas eSports is a natural extension of Stewart-Haas Racing, where competition and simulation are one. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com and follow on Twitter @SHR_eSports.

 

About Stewart-Haas Racing:
 

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR team co-owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in North America. The Kannapolis, North Carolina-based organization has won two NASCAR Cup Series titles, one NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and more than 70 NASCAR races, including such crown-jewel events as the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and Southern 500. For more information, please visit us online at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing, on Twitter @StewartHaasRcng and on Instagram @StewartHaasRacing.

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

NASCAR Classic Full Race: Chase Elliott beats big names for first Xfinity Series win

NASCAR Classic Full Race: Chase Elliott beats big names for first Xfinity Series win

NASCAR Classic Full Race: Chase Elliott beats big names for first Xfinity Series win

Chase Elliott announced his arrival in a big way back in 2014, beating out a field that included Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kyle Larson and more for his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory.

NASCAR Classic Full Race: Chase Elliott beats big names for first Xfinity Series win Read More

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

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

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

• WinnerTimmy Hill of MBM Motorsports in Overtime

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

 

Kyle Busch Result:
 

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

 

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of actual racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

 

• While the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicked off last weekend at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway and continued at Texas this afternoon, it is a multiweek series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

 

• With the sports world on a necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series exists in place of actual NASCAR events.

 

•Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series consists of 35 drivers.

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