Talladega

Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Darlington

by Mike
Roush Fenway Weekly Advance | Darlington

Racing is back this weekend at Darlington Raceway for the first of two NASCAR Cup Series races in four days. Following Sunday’s return to racing – the first time on track since March 8 at the end of the West Coast swing – the NCS will again visit ‘The Lady in Black’ for a primetime event under the lights Wednesday night. Roush Fenway Racing has five Cup Series wins all-time at Darlington and has finished in the top-ten in nearly half the events it has raced it.



Darlington Raceway
The Real Heroes 400

Sunday, May 17, 2020 | 3:30 p.m. ET

FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

  • Ryan Newman, No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
  • Chris Buescher, No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang



NASCAR Returns to Action

  • NASCAR makes its return to racing this weekend with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven national series races over an 11-day span at two different tracks throughout May.
  • The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world have been on pause during COVID-19.
  • Following the initial race back on Sunday, the NCS will again visit Darlington for a midweek race under the lights three days later. The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season, plus other midweek races in prime time.
  • Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the outbreak before races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville were later postponed.

 

Newman Returns to the Seat Following Daytona 500

Newman makes his return to the No. 6 car this weekend following a last-lap crash in the Daytona 500 in which he was leading coming to the checkered flag. After recovering from the injuries sustained in the crash, Newman was cleared for racing activity on April 28 and granted a playoff waiver from NASCAR after missing three races (Las Vegas, Fontana, Phoenix).

 

Darlington Two-Step

Roush Fenway has twice won consecutive NCS races at Darlington, including a season sweep in 1999 with former driver and current NBC commentator Jeff Burton. Roush Fenway also earned victories in consecutive seasons at the egg-shaped oval in 2005 and 2006 with Biffle.

 

Tale of the Tape

In 244 all-time NASCAR starts at ‘The Lady in Black,’ Jack Roush’s Fords have 20 wins, 69 top-five and 116 top-10 finishes, along with 20 poles. Over the years RFR has led 4500+ laps across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series, with more than 84,000 miles logged at the 1.366-mile track. In NCS action alone, RFR has finished top-10 in 44 percent (69-of-158) of the races with 35 top-five results and five wins.

 

Kickin’ It Old School

Legendary Roush Fenway drivers Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Greg Biffle are responsible for the five Cup wins for Jack Roush at Darlington. Martin earned Roush’s first Cup win back in 1993 after leading 178 laps. Burton swept the 1999 events as the dominant car, and Biffle earned the two most recent victories in 2005 and 2006.

 

Most All-Time

It’s no secret that when Roush has dominated in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 79 starts, the organization has 15 wins, 33 top-five and 44 top-10s. Mark Martin is responsible for eight of the victories, second-most for him among any track, after winning five of the first seven races at the track for Roush from 1993-96. He also went on to win in 1999, and swept again in 2000. Jeff Burton got in on the fun with wins in 1997, 2001 and 2002, while Biffle earned a win in 2004. Most recently, Kenseth drove to victory lane in 2005 and 2009.

 

The Real Heroes Project Debuts at Darlington

NASCAR is collaborating with other professional sports properties across the country to embark on The Real Heroes Project. The goal is to motivate and inspire healthcare workers as sports only can, by turning its greatest heroes (the athletes) into their greatest fans. To that end, the name of a COVID-19 frontline worker will be displayed above the driver’s side door on each entry this weekend at Darlington.

For the first race back on May 17, NASCAR worked in partnership with FOX and their tune-in priority market affiliate program to select the COVID-19 worker being recognized. FOX affiliates from around the country were asked to nominate a local hero from their community to be recognized during the return.

 

Roush Fenway Darlington Wins

 

1993-2   Martin  Cup

1999-1   Burton  Cup

1999-2   Burton  Cup

2005       Biffle     Cup

2006       Biffle     Cup

1993-2   Martin  NXS

1994-1   Martin  NXS

1994-2   Martin  NXS

1995-2   Martin  NXS

1996-1   Martin  NXS

1997-2   Burton  NXS

1999-2   Martin  NXS

2000-1   Martin  NXS

2000-2   Martin  NXS

2001-2   Burton  NXS

2002-1   Burton  NXS

2002-2   Burton  NXS

2004-1   Biffle     NXS

2005       Kenseth NXS

2009       Kenseth NXS

 

 

By the Numbers at Darlington Raceway

Race      Win       T5           T10         Pole       Laps       Led        AvSt      AvFn     Miles

                   158         5              35           69           7              50552    2718       16.6        16.0        69054.0

                    79           15           33           44           12           10616    1856       9.9          12.9        14501.4

               7              0              1              3              1              944         9              16.0        15.9        1289.50

244         20           69           116         20           62112    4583       14.4        15.0        84844.9

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Ryan Newman on Darlington: I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy to get back into the race car.

by Mike
Ryan Newman on Darlington: I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy to get back into the race car.

Team:                   No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Scott Graves

Twitter:                @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format:     400.2 miles, 293 laps, Stage Lengths: 90-95-108

Darlington 400 – Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

                                                                                                                                                                 

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

  • NASCAR makes its return to racing this weekend with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven national series races over an 11-day span at two different tracks throughout May.
  • The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world have been on pause during COVID-19.
  • Following the initial race back on Sunday, the NCS will again visit Darlington for a midweek race under the lights three days later. The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season, plus other midweek races in prime time.
  • Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the outbreak before races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville were later postponed.

 

Newman at Darlington Raceway

  • Newman makes his return to the car this weekend following a last-lap crash in the Daytona 500 in which he was leading coming to the checkered flag. After recovering from the injuries sustained in the crash, Newman was cleared for racing activity on April 28 and granted a playoff waiver from NASCAR after missing three races (Las Vegas, Fontana, Phoenix).
  • Newman will make his 22nd Cup Series start at Darlington on Sunday, a track he has 13 top-10s at with seven top-five finishes. He has an average finish of 12.6 – his second best of any track on the circuit behind only Richmond (12.3).
  • Newman has finished top-10 in 62 percent of the races at the 1.366-mile track, including a runner-up finish in is first ever-Southern 500 back in 2002. Dating back seven events, Newman has five finishes of 13th or better including four top-10s.
  • Newman has one career pole at ‘The Lady in Black’, which came back in the 2003 Southern 500. Overall he has an average starting position of 10.6 with 13 top-10 starts, eight of which were inside the top five.
  • Newman also made five starts at Darlington in the Xfinity Series, earning the pole in each of the first two events in 2001. He went on to finish fourth in the 2001 fall race – his best career Xfinity result – with an overall finish of 13.6 in the series at the famed track.

Scott Graves at Darlington Raceway

  • Graves will call his fifth NCS race at Darlington atop the pit box. In four prior events, Graves has an average finish of 27th (two starts with Daniel Suarez, one each with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., and Ryan Newman).
  • In Xfinity Series action, Graves led Suarez to a third-place finish in 2016 after starting fifth. A year prior, he and Chris Buescher paired up for a fifth-place result.

QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on return to racing:
“I’m so excited and thankful to be healthy to get back into the race car. I am thankful for all the people and support that have prayed for me and given me a multitude of miracles. I cannot think of a better track to start back at than Darlington, my favorite track and one we feel confident in. I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer Ford.”

The Real Heroes Project Debuts at Darlington
NASCAR is collaborating with other professional sports properties across the country to embark on The Real Heroes Project. The goal is to motivate and inspire healthcare workers as sports only can, by turning its greatest heroes (the athletes) into their greatest fans. To that end, the name of a COVID-19 frontline worker will be displayed above the driver’s side door on each entry this weekend at Darlington.

For the first race back on May 17, NASCAR worked in partnership with FOX and their tune-in priority market affiliate program to select the COVID-19 worker being recognized. FOX affiliates from around the country were asked to nominate a local hero from their community to be recognized during the return. Newman’s frontline worker will be Dr. Benjamin Petty, an Emergency Medicine Physician at IU Health West Hospital in Avon, selected by WXIN FOX 59 in the Indianapolis market.

On the Car
Oscar Mayer returns to the No. 6 Ford this weekend at Darlington. Oscar Mayer and Roush Fenway announced their continued partnership at the end of the 2019 season, as the company continues to highlight its quality meat offerings via its paint schemes throughout the season.

  • Oscar Mayer’s Front Yard Cookout initiative inspired the No. 6 Oscar Mayer Ford scheme for Darlington. To celebrate the return of NASCAR and Ryan Newman, the brand is encouraging fans to recreate their own at-home infield experience by firing up the grill and connecting with fellow race fans and neighbors on their front lawn from a safe distance.
  • Snap a pic of your pre-race cookout and share for a good cause! Each usage of #FrontYardCookout on Twitter donates one additional meal to Feeding America on top of the brand’s 1 million-meal commitment. Oscar Mayer’s Front Yard Cookout runs through May 31, 2020.

About The Kraft Heinz Company
For 150 years, we have produced some of the world’s most beloved products at The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC). Our Vision is To Be the Best Food Company, Growing a Better World. We are one of the largest global food and beverage companies, with 2018 net sales of approximately $26 billion. Our portfolio is a diverse mix of iconic and emerging brands. As the guardians of these brands and the creators of innovative new products, we are dedicated to the sustainable health of our people and our planet. To learn more, visit https://www.kraftheinzcompany.com/or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Chris Buescher on Darlington: We’re definitely excited to get back to a real racetrack…

by Mike
Chris Buescher on Darlington: We’re definitely excited to get back to a real racetrack…

Team:                   No. 17 Fastenal Ford Mustang
Crew Chief:         Luke Lambert

Twitter:                @17RoushTeam, @RoushFenway and @Chris_Buescher
Race Format:     400.2 miles, 293 laps, Stage Lengths: 90-95-108


Darlington 400 – Sunday, May 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

                                                                                                                                                                 

ADVANCE NOTES

NASCAR Returns to Action

  • NASCAR makes its return to racing this weekend with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven national series races over an 11-day span at two different tracks throughout May.
  • The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world have been on pause during COVID-19.
  • Following the initial race back on Sunday, the NCS will again visit Darlington for a midweek race under the lights three days later. The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season, plus other midweek races in prime time.
  • Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the outbreak before races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville were later postponed.

 

Buescher at Darlington Raceway

  • Buescher makes his fifth Cup Series start at Darlington on Sunday, where he carries an average finish of 14.8 – his best of any track on the circuit.
  • Buescher finished 12th last fall at ‘The Lady in Black,’ his best in four starts, and has finished no worse than 17th dating back to 2016.
  • After qualifying 31st and 27th in his first two events at Darlington, Buescher followed that with qualifying efforts of 19th and 12th in the last two events.
  • Buescher earned a Xfinity career-best fifth-place run at Darlington back in 2015 in the No. 60 RFR entry. He also finished 12th two years prior in the No. 16 for Jack Roush.

Luke Lambert at Darlington Raceway

  • Lambert will be atop the box for his eighth NCS race at Darlington on Sunday. In seven prior events, he has an average finish of 16.4 including three top-10 runs.
  • All three of those came with Newman in the No. 31, with a 10th-place result in 2014, an eighth-place finish in 2016 followed by seventh a year later.
  • Lambert also has one Xfinity Series race under his belt at Darlington with Elliott Sadler in 2012, finishing 24th.

QUOTE WORTHY
Buescher on racing at Darlington:
“We’re definitely excited to get back to a real racetrack. Darlington is probably my second-favorite racetrack, so I’m stoked about kicking it off there. It’s going to be tough with no practice and no fans, the atmosphere is going to be a lot different, but it’ll be great to be back to a racing routine.”

The Real Heroes Project Debuts at Darlington
NASCAR is collaborating with other professional sports properties across the country to embark on The Real Heroes Project. The goal is to motivate and inspire healthcare workers as sports only can, by turning its greatest heroes (the athletes) into their greatest fans. To that end, the name of a COVID-19 frontline worker will be displayed above the driver’s side door on each entry this weekend at Darlington.

For the first race back on May 17, NASCAR worked in partnership with FOX and their tune-in priority market affiliate program to select the COVID-19 worker being recognized. FOX affiliates from around the country were asked to nominate a local hero from their community to be recognized during the return. Buescher’s frontline worker will be Kimberly W. Ebb, MD, selected by WFXT Boston 25. Ebb is a Hospitalist, Medical Director, Division of Palliative Care, Home Health Hospice at the UMass Memorial Medical Center, hailing from Leominster, MA.

On the Car
Fastenal celebrates its 10th season with Roush Fenway Racing in 2020. The Minnesota company spent three years on the No. 99 before jumping to the No. 17 Cup Series entry, and were the primary partner on the No. 60 Xfinity team that captured the owner’s championship in 2011.

About Fastenal
Fastenal [Nasdaq: FAST] is North America’s largest fastener distributor and a ‘one-stop’ source for hundreds of thousands of OEM, MRO and Construction products. With more than 2,600 stores worldwide, the company supports B2B customers with tailored local inventory and dedicated personnel, who visit regularly, quickly respond to emergency needs, and provide efficient inventory management solutions. Fastenal’s service-oriented business network includes the world’s largest industrial vending program, 14 regional distribution centers, 8 custom manufacturing facilities, thousands of delivery vehicles, and industry-leading sourcing, quality and engineering resources.

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Sim As It Ever Was: Harvick, Almirola, Bowyer and Custer Together Again On Track at Virtual Talladega

by Mike
Sim As It Ever Was: Harvick, Almirola, Bowyer and Custer Together Again On Track at Virtual Talladega
Details:
 

• Race:  GEICO 70 (Round 5)

• Series:  eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

• Time/Date:  1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 26

• Location:  Virtual Talladega Superspeedway (2.66-mile oval)

• Distance:  70 laps (186.2 miles)

 

Where to Watch:
 

• FOX network

• Announcers: Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds, with in-race commentary from Clint Bowyer.

• FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150)

• FOX Sports app

• FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada

• Twitch.tv/StewartHaaseSports

 

DYK?:
 

• We Need a Bigger Podium: Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race from virtual Richmond Raceway had 971,000 viewers tune in to the simulcast on FOX and FS1, making it the third-most watched esports event in U.S. television history. The March 29 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race from virtual Texas Motor Speedway remains on the podium’s top step with 1.34 million viewers. The April 5 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race from virtual Bristol Motor Speedway takes the second step with 1.179 million viewers. The first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race March 22 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway earned 903,000 viewers on FS1 alone. And while the Texas race dwarfed that number by 47 percent, the Homestead race was, for at least one week, the most watched esports event in U.S. television history, having bested the previous record of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.

 

• iRacing’s Real-World Context: Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race from Richmond was the second-most watched sports event of the weekend. The most-watched sports event? Michael Jordan ‘The Last Dance’ documentary on ESPN.

 

• New Viewers Assimilate to Sim Racing: According to Nielsen, one million unique viewers who did not watch any of the four real-life NASCAR Cup Series races prior to the sports industry’s necessary hiatus to combat the spread of the coronavirus did tune in to one of the four eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series races held thus far.

 

• Kind of a Big Deal: A total of 5.4 million unique viewers have watched at least one eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race via FOX, FS1 and the FOX Sports app.

 

• Bet On It: The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series has been cleared and approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board for wagering. Two types of bets are allowed for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series: winner of the race and head-to-head winner between drivers. Provisions for licensing the event includes a posting of the official rules for the tournament organizer and that all bets must cease once a race has started. Additionally, each bookmaker is allowed to create its own odds.

 

Overview:
 

• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is an exhibition esports series featuring a collection of past and present racecar drivers from the NASCAR Cup Series.

 

• The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is a multi-week series emulating the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

 

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

 

• The iRacing undercard event the day prior to Sunday’s headlining eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race is the Saturday Night Thunder race where 40 drivers will compete in virtual NASCAR Xfinity Series cars. The Thunder event complements the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Xfinity Series driver, Chase Briscoe, will compete in Saturday Night Thunder.

 

• The livestream of Saturday Night Thunder begins at 8 p.m. EDT on eNASCAR.com/live. Single-car qualifying begins at 8:05 p.m., which sets the lineup for two, 10-lap heat races. Twenty car cars will advance from each heat to compete in the 57-lap feature (151.62 miles).

 

Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Busch Beer Flannel Ford Mustang:          
 

“The whole iRacing process is sort of overwhelming for me. I finally just said, ‘The heck with it. I’m going to go race.’ And it’s just like racing anything else – if you don’t go race, you just get further behind, because everyone is getting better. So, I decided to dive in at Richmond. I actually qualified in the middle of the pack and was running fine, but you’ve got your spotter in one ear, and you’ve also got the engine noise from the car. Plus, I was on Skype because the team was broadcasting on Twitch. So, I’ve got my laptop on my left, my iPad on my right, and my phone on the floor, and I’ve got all this stuff going on in my ear. I’m at the point in my iRacing career where if something flashes on the screen or something is in my ear, it distracts me because I have to be so focused on what I’m doing because I don’t really know what I’m doing. So, I’m running along there and have passed a couple of cars and all of a sudden we’re having trouble with the laptop with FOX connecting. Before the race, I sent them my other Skype account and said use this one because it’s on my iPad. Then in the race, I hit the car on the left side of me, and then I hit the guy on the right side of me and I brake checked the guy behind me. Well, it was because my iPad rings into my headset, so I don’t hear the engine noise, my spotter, nothing, because it’s that crazy Skype ring. I jerk the wheel to the right and to the left. I’m reaching over trying to shut the iPad off. I’m trying to hit end, but the facial recognition says use your passcode. So, I’m trying to reach over to grab the iPad and, meanwhile, I’m hitting everyone who is around me. From that point, it kind of spiraled out of control. But I still had fun. I was way more competitive than I thought I would be. I’ve learned a lot, too. I feel like I’m going to do a little bit better as we get to Talladega with our Busch Flannel Ford Mustang. The short tracks are hard. I should have started at Texas, because I was fine in practice at Texas. If it wasn’t for Ryan Preece, I wouldn’t even be close. He was kind enough to help me on a daily basis.”

 

 

• This is Harvick’s second eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race.

 

• Harvick started 17th and finished 29th in the previous eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Richmond.

 

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Talladega, Harvick has one win, seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes with 260 laps led in 38 career starts.

 

• Harvick’s Talladega victory came in April 2010.

 

Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 10 Smithfield Ford Mustang:
 

“Well, I’ve won at Talladega before, so it shouldn’t be that hard, right? In all seriousness, I’ve seen these veteran drivers and champions of the sport practice for hours and still struggle to finish the race, so the expectation for myself is low. It’ll be interesting to make my Pro Invitational debut at Talladega where we’ll just have to survive. Who knows, maybe I’ll be one of the last guys standing and have a shot at it. Whether we wreck on the first lap or have a decent day, this is just a lot of fun for race fans, my fans, and to get back on track – even a virtual track – with Smithfield on our Ford Mustang.”

 

 

• This is Almirola’s first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race.

 

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Talladega, Almirola has one win, four top-five and eight top-10 finishes with 46 laps led in 20 career starts.

 

• Almirola’s Talladega victory came in October 2018.

 

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 Barstool Sports Ford Mustang:
 

“I finished last Sunday at Richmond, so I can only get better this week at Talladega. We have to do better, especially since we’ve got Barstool Sports on the car and Dave Portnoy (Barstool Sports founder) will never let me hear the end of it if we don’t. Did I mention that I finished last? These races are fun, but the competition is tough. You have to give credit where credit is due, because the guys having success are the ones that are always on iRacing putting in the time. You go to these practice races during the week and you see guys like William Byron logging the laps and putting in the practice time. That shows up during the race. These guys are really good at what they do, so it’s hard for us to come in and compete with them. That’s OK, though. This is just a fun way to get together on a Sunday afternoon. I’m enjoying the heck out of all this but, truthfully, I can’t wait to get back to real racing.”

 

 

• Bowyer has competed in all four eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series races. His best finish is 11th, earned twice (March 29 at Texas and April 5 at Bristol).

 

• Bowyer started 30th and finished 30th in the previous eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Richmond.

 

• Bowyer’s eponymous iRacing team competes in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series with drivers Brandon Kettelle and Brian Schoenberg, and Bowyer’s dirt late model team has been sponsored by iRacing for several years.

 

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Talladega, Bowyer has two wins, seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes with 123 laps led in 28 career starts.

 

• Bowyer’s Talladega victories came in October 2010 and October 2011.

 

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Autodesk Fusion 360/Haas Automation Ford Mustang:
 

“Going into Talladega, I’m hoping we can just get to the end of the race. I’m expecting that we’ll have a few big ones. Hopefully, we can stay out of them and get our Autodesk Fusion 360/Haas Automation Ford Mustang to the end. I haven’t done much drafting on iRacing, but I think the hardest thing will just be getting a feel for how hard you’re pushing someone because you won’t have the actual feel of hitting someone. But it will definitely help having all of my teammates in the race, especially because it’s a superspeedway where you can push each other. We haven’t talked too much about a strategy yet but, overall, the biggest thing you try and do with your teammates is just not leave each other out, and you try and push each other whenever you can.”

 

 

• Stewart-Haas eSports utilizes Autodesk 3ds Max software to create digital 3-D renderings of each of its virtual Ford Mustangs. The team’s graphic designers transfer their layouts into the program, wrapping the scheme onto the car. The team then creates a custom render scene in Autodesk 3ds Max that utilizes a floor and lighting effects, inducing the necessary reflective glare and shadows to provide a real-world look and feel to each design. Autodesk 3ds Max software allows users to render each car with any elements they desire, providing design freedom for any and all digital platforms.

 

• This is Custer’s first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race.

 

• Custer made his iRacing debut last Saturday in the Saturday Night Thunder race at Richmond. He started 11th and finished 18th.

 

• In actual racing, Custer has made a total of three Xfinity Series starts at Talladega with a best finish of ninth (April 2018). He is a NASCAR Cup Series rookie and has yet to make a Cup Series start at Talladega.

 

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

“I really don’t know what to expect in this weekend’s iRacing event at Talladega. I think the race will live up to the ‘anything can happen’ expectation that we all have when we go there normally. It’ll be interesting to see how everything plays out. Hopefully, I don’t get caught up in too big of a mess and I’ll be able to bring home a decent finish for Ford Performance Racing School and HighPoint.com.”

 

 

• This is Briscoe’s second Saturday Night Thunder race. He started seventh and finished 22nd in last Saturday’s race at Richmond.

 

• Briscoe is an iRacing regular, with most of his races coming in the Xfinity Series.

 

• In actual racing, Briscoe has never competed in the NASCAR Cup Series. He is currently in his second full season of Xfinity Series racing.

 

• Briscoe has made a total of four starts at Talladega – two in the Xfinity Series (best finish is fourth in April 2019), one in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors & RV Truck Series (finished 22nd in October 2017) and one in the ARCA Series (finished third in April 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/esports 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.

Views: 500
Sim As It Ever Was: Harvick, Almirola, Bowyer and Custer Together Again On Track at Virtual Talladega Read More

K-LOVE to Serve as Primary Sponsor for Michael McDowell at Virtual Talladega

by Mike
K-LOVE to Serve as Primary Sponsor for Michael McDowell at Virtual Talladega
MCDOWELL ON VIRTUAL TALLADEGA:
“It feels good to be back iRacing for this Sunday’s Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Talladega Superspeedway and to be able to help provide some entertainment for the millions of NASCAR fans around the world during this time of continued uncertainty.
“I’m really excited to have my longtime partner, K-LOVE back on board the No. 34 Ford Mustang. Especially in a time like right now, when we’re all in this together, experiencing quarantine and the Coronavirus. K-LOVE is all about spreading hope through their positive and encouraging messages and right now, that’s what people need. People need hope, because people are scared and uncertain of what the future holds, but just knowing that God holds the future and that nothing slides by Him helps. With K-LOVE’s messages of encouragement and hope, it allows you to navigate through those tough times that we’re all facing right now.
“This weekend’s race at virtual Talladega will be crazy. It is hard enough to not run into each other on tracks without drafting, so I really hope that we have a lot of resets.”
About K-LOVE
K-LOVE creates compelling media designed to inspire and encourage people to develop a meaningful relationship with Christ. K-LOVE is listener supported and delivers positive, encouraging contemporary Christian music through its 558 signals across 50 states. For more information visit: www.klove.com.
Views: 441
K-LOVE to Serve as Primary Sponsor for Michael McDowell at Virtual Talladega Read More

NASCAR is keeping racing in perspective, all while planning to get back on the track

by Mike
NASCAR is keeping racing in perspective, all while planning to get back on the track

(by Bob Pockrass for Fox Sports)

That was fun Sunday. A great distraction.

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race on Sunday, won by Denny Hamlin, was cool to see, a great way to spend a couple hours and to try to forget the nervousness of a country plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic. (more…)

Views: 512
NASCAR is keeping racing in perspective, all while planning to get back on the track Read More