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Riley Herbst / No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra Preview Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway

by MikeMay 18, 2020

No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra News and Notes:

HERBST AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Four races in to his rookie season, Riley Herbst will visit Darlington Raceway for the first time in his young career when the Xfinity Series returns to the track on Tuesday, May 19.
STARTING LINEUP: With the starting lineup for Tuesday’s race selected by a random draw, Herbst and the No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra team will roll off from the fifth position for the Toyota 200.
JGR AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 58 total starts at Darlington Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In those starts, the team has earned 10 wins, 29 top-five finishes, 39 top-10 finishes and seven pole starting positions. The team has led 1,114 laps, completed 8,001 of 8,482 attempted laps (94.3%) and earned an average start of 12.6 and an average finish of 10.6. Denny Hamlin leads the team with five wins followed by Kyle Busch with two wins and Bobby Labonte, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano each earning one win at the famed South Carolina track.
PHOENIX RECAP: In the last race before NASCAR action was halted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Riley Herbst and the No. 18 Monster Energy Toyota Supra team started the race at Phoenix Raceway from the 11th position. Herbst struggled with handling most of the race before crossing the finish line in the 10th position. The finish marked Herbst third top-10 finish in just four starts in the 2020 season.
POINTS STANDINGS: After four races in the 2020 season, Herbst sits 11th in the Xfinity Series point standings, 67 points out of first place.
THIS WEEK ON THE NO. 18 SUPRA: This week, Monster Energy will serve as the primary partner for the No. 18 Toyota Supra team.
RACE INFO: The Toyota 200 at Darlington Raceway is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2020. Coverage will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1, MRN Radio and SIRIUS XM Channel 90.

Herbst Career Xfinity Series Stats at Darlington Raceway:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
0	0	0	0	0	0	0.0	0.0

Herbst 2020 Season NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
4	0	1	3	0	0	8.8	13.2

Herbst Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:

Starts	Wins	Top 5	Top 10	Poles	Laps Led	Avg. Start	Avg. Finish
14	0	1	7	0	1	10.2	15.1

From the Driver’s Seat:

Riley Herbst: “I’m really looking forward to getting to Darlington Raceway. It’ll be kind of interesting because I’ve never been there before. With no practice or qualifying, we just fire off and drop the green flag. It’ll be pretty interesting, but I’m looking forward to it. All of us on the No. 18 team are really prepared. I’ve been watching a lot of race film, working on the simulator and asking my super smart crew chief Dave (Rogers) a bunch of questions. I think we’ve done all of our homework and we’re ready to go out there and prove it at Darlington.”

Richmond Preview: Harvick and Bowyer Similarly Locked In for Sunday’s Invitational

by MikeApril 17, 2020

Details:

• Race: Toyota Owners 150 (Round 4)

• Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

• Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 19

• Location: Virtual Richmond Raceway (.75-mile oval)

• Distance: 150 laps (112.5 miles)

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?:

• Trivia Question: What are the three most-watched esports events on TV in United States history? Answer: The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The March 29 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway was the most-watched esports event on TV in United States history. Simulcast on FOX and FS1, 1.34 million viewers tuned in, breaking the previous record set by the first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race March 22 at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway by 47 percent. That broadcast earned 903,000 viewers on FS1 alone, which bested the previous record of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.

• But Wait, There’s More!: The last eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race April 5 at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway averaged 1.179 million viewers across FOX and FS1, making it the second most-watched sports telecast of the weekend and the No. 1 sport among adults age 18-49.

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

Overview:

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

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

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

• The iRacing undercard event the day prior to Sunday’s headlining eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race is the Saturday Night Thunder race where 43 drivers will compete in virtual NASCAR Xfinity Series cars. The Thunder event complements the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, and NASCAR Cup Series drivers not competing in Sunday’s race are eligible for this race. Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe will compete in Saturday Night Thunder.

• The livestream of Saturday Night Thunder begins at 8 p.m. EDT on eNASCAR.com/live. Single-car qualifying begins at 8:05 p.m., which sets the lineup for the four, 10-lap heat races, with each heat race including as many as 15 drivers. Six cars advance from each heat to the feature, with the final two spots in the 26-car field coming from the top-two finishers of a 15-lap consolation race, which takes place after the heat races and is comprised of drivers who have not yet qualified. The 125-lap feature race then follows.

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

“I’ve been trying to practice one hour a day. I’ve got Busch Light on my Ford Mustang and I’m going to have fun with it. I did win a street stock race this week (on iRacing)…after I wrecked in the first four. I won a Legends race by default because the whole field crashed. But those are really my only two iRacing wins. They’re not pretty. I did wreck the whole field in a Legends race the other day after starting on the front row on lap one. So, that was high entertainment. I figure the whole iRacing thing is really something that’s supposed to be fun for everybody, supposed to be filler for a gap in time during this crazy pandemic. The whole iRacing thing has introduced me to a whole new network of people and it’s opened my eyes to a whole new group of racers. It’s a different culture, but it’s still a racing culture.”

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

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Richmond, Harvick has three wins, 15 top-five and 25 top-10 finishes in 38 career starts.

• Harvick’s three wins came in September 2006, September 2011 and April 2013.

Clint Bowyer, driver of the No. 14 PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang:

“iRacing is extremely realistic. You’re using the same mechanics, the same forces, and the same movements you use in real life to make your car go fast, and that includes your hand-eye coordination and your feet. You drive these things so much with the pedals, with the gas, the brake, the steering input. All of those inputs in your mind are the exact same thing we use to put our car to the front of the field on any given Sunday. That being said, the only sense that you don’ t have in a simulator is the feel from the seat of your pants. We kind of call it the ‘butt dyno’. You balance a racecar kind of like if you put a plate on the end of an ink pen. That’s how you balance a racecar. That thing wants to go on all four different axis’, whether it’s the right-front, left-front, right-rear, left-rear, you can feel all those things, and that’s how you balance a car is through the seat of your pants. In iRacing, you don’t have that. All you have is your visuals, so once you have the hang of that and your mind finally catches on, it’s kind of like riding a bike. It’s a struggle for a little while, but once you catch on to that and realize what’s going on with the movements of your car and the movements of the track and things like that – when to pick up the gas, your timing – once you get all that set, it’s exactly like what we do in real life with our PEAK Coolant & Antifreeze Ford Mustang.”

• Bowyer started 32nd and finished 11th in the previous eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Bristol.

• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. Sunday’s race at Richmond will be just his fourth official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

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

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Richmond, Bowyer has two wins, five top-five and 16 top-10 finishes in 28 career starts.

• Bowyer’s two wins came in May 2008 and September 2012.

Cole Custer, driver of the No. 41 Haas Automation/Ford Project Apollo Ford Mustang:

“My goal is to just finish the race clean in my Haas Automation/Ford Project Apollo Ford Mustang. I haven’t done much iRacing before, so it’s definitely a little hard to get used to, but hopefully I can get some laps under my belt and get better as I go. I’ll look at the format and figure out what type of strategy I want, and see how I’m running and go from there. There’s going to be some learning because I’ve never done it. I’m definitely going to have someone around me helping through the race. It will be hard keeping track of everything because it is new to me and there’s a lot to handle. I’ve been talking with Chase Briscoe a little about it. He’s had iRacing for a little while now and is pretty good at it, so just getting a general idea of what to look for is important. I’ve also asked Justin Bolton, SHR’s iRacing driver, some questions. I’ve worked with him in the past because he was an engineer on my Xfinity team last year and he obviously knows a lot about it.”

• This is Custer’s first Saturday Night Thunder race.

• In actual racing, Custer has made a total of eight starts at Richmond – one in the NASCAR Cup Series and seven in the Xfinity Series.

• Custer is a winner at Richmond, as he earned an Xfinity Series victory at the track in April 2019.

• Custer also has the opportunity to race his way into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race. After the Saturday Night Thunder event, Custer will compete in a 25-lap race at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Sunday. Should he finish first or second in that race, he will earn a starting spot in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race.

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

“I’m ready to get back in my No. 98 HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang at Richmond. In the real world, Richmond is a track that I struggled at my first time there, but like anywhere else, I was able to improve with experience. The same things apply to sim racing. The more you do it, the more comfortable you get. Richmond is a tough track, so if you haven’t put in the time to test it out, it’s probably going to be a struggle. I enjoy short-track racing. It’s always exciting and I think we’ll see a lot of those same short-track racing characteristics in the iRacing event Saturday night. Hopefully, I’ll qualify well and have a good run in the heat race to lock into the main so we can put on a show.”

• This is Briscoe’s first Saturday Night Thunder race, but he is a regular iRacer, with most of his races coming in the Xfinity Series.

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

• Briscoe has three Xfinity Series starts at Richmond. He has two top-10s, with a best finish of fifth in September 2019.

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.

Bristol Invitational Advance – Clint Bowyer Simultaneously Simracing and Broadcasting

by MikeApril 3, 2020

Details:

• Race: Food City Showdown (Round 3)

• Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

• Time/Date: 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 5

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

• Format: Two 50-lap heat races followed by a 150-lap main event

• Note: Finish of each heat race determines starting order of main event.

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 Go app

• FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada

• Twitch.tv/StewartHaaseSports (Stream begins at 12:30 p.m. EDT)

DYK?:

• Last Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway was the most-watched esports event on TV in United States history. Simulcast on FOX and FS1, 1.34 million viewers tuned in, breaking the previous record set by the first eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race March 22 at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway by 47 percent. That broadcast earned 903,000 viewers on FS1 alone, which bested the previous record of 770,000 viewers when Mortal Kombat aired on The CW in 2016.

Overview:

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

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

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

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Smithfield Ford Mustang:

“It’s as if iRacing had been started and built 15 years ago for this very moment, for this very situation. I’ve watched these races and, production-wise, I’ve known that it was good and it keeps getting better. The camera angles, everything, it’s pretty damn realistic and pretty damn good, and I think this weekend at Bristol will be even bigger.

“There are certain guys that when you get on the sim in any given week, whether it’s the day or the evening, that you look for because you know that they’ve got experience and track time and seat time in the sim and on iRacing. Parker Kligerman, Garrett Smithley, Timmy Hill, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. – these are all guys that have a ton of experience. When they get on the racetrack, trust me, you need to get out there with them and learn as much as you can, follow them and everything else. You’ll see my Smithfield Ford Mustang behind them so I can figure out how to eventually get in front of them.”

• Bowyer started 15th and finished 11th in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Texas.

• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. Sunday’s race at Bristol will be just his third official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Bristol, Bowyer has seven top-five and 15 top-10 finishes in 28 career starts.

• Bowyer’s best Bristol finish is second, earned in April 2017.

About Stewart-Haas eSports:

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

NBC SPORTS’ RACING WEEK IN AMERICA BEGINS MONDAY, APRIL 6 ON NBCSN

by MikeApril 2, 2020

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:

Monday, April 6: “Mayhem Monday”
Tuesday, April 7: “Twists and Turns Tuesday”
Wednesday, April 8: “WednesDale”
Thursday, April 9: “Best at the Brickyard”
Friday, April 10: “Daytona Speed Day”
Saturday, April 11: “Championship Saturday”
Sunday, April 12: “Sunday Funday”

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

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

by MikeApril 1, 2020

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:

• eNASCAR.com/live

• Facebook.com/NASCAR

• YouTube.com/NASCAR

• Twitch.tv/iRacing

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:

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Clint Bowyer Finishes 11th in O’Reilly Auto Parts 125; Chase Briscoe Gets Spun in Qualifying Race, Doesn’t Advance to Feature

by MikeMarch 30, 2020

Details:

• Race: O’Reilly Auto Parts 125 (Round 2)

• Series: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

• Date: Sunday, March 29

• Location: Virtual Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

• Distance: 125 laps (187.5 miles)

• Winner: Timmy Hill of MBM Motorsports

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

Stewart-Haas eSports Results:

• O’Reilly Auto Parts 125

• Clint Bowyer (Started 15th, Finished 11th / Running, completed 130 of 130 laps)

• Qualifying race

• Chase Briscoe (Started 7th, Finished 15th / Running, completed 30 of 30 laps)

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang:

“Today was all about survival, guys. I needed a redo for my Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang because I got together with (Greg) Biffle, ‘The Biff’, off of (turn) two. I guess we were three-wide. I didn’t realize we were three-wide. My spotter Jeff Gordon, I had to fire him halfway through the race and moved to Larry McReynolds. Larry said nothing when we were three-wide and I wrecked and collected a bunch of them. But again, a great time was had by all. Timmy Hill, big win for him and his brand. It’s going to be a lot of fun to compete in this over the next few weeks. But, man we are all in this together! Looking forward to next week.”

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

“Unfortunately, we didn’t make it through the qualifying race this week, so we’ll have to wait and give it another shot next weekend at Bristol. We had a really fast Ford Performance Racing School/HighPoint.com Mustang and it would’ve been interesting to see how we stacked up against the Cup drivers.”

Notes:

• 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.

• Xfinity and Truck Series drivers have to race their way into the feature event, and only four open spots were available for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 125. Alex Labbe won the 30-lap qualifying race, followed by Anthony Alfredo, Ty Majeski and Ruben Garcia, Jr.

• As an Xfinity Series driver, Briscoe was one of 32 drivers in the qualifying race attempting to finish in the top-four to earn a place in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 125. Briscoe was spun on lap 14 while running sixth, effectively ending his opportunity for a top-four finish.

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

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

• Each race in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series consists of 35 drivers and all races are broadcast by FOX Sports.

Next Up:

• Stewart-Haas eSports returns to action on Tuesday, March 31 in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race at the virtual Bristol Motor Speedway with drivers Justin Bolton and Dylan Duval.

• The race starts at 9 p.m. EDT with live coverage via:

• eNASCAR.com/live

• Facebook.com/NASCAR

• YouTube.com/NASCAR

• Twitch.tv/iRacing

• Duval and Bolton 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.

About Stewart-Haas eSports:

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

View From the Virtual Pit Box – SHR Crew Chiefs Offer Their Take on iRacing

by MikeMarch 27, 2020

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (March 27, 2020) – “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” This is an ancient Chinese proverb, and it’s particularly apt when it comes to NASCAR and its embrace of iRacing.

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Clint Bowyer and Chase Briscoe Continue Sim Racing Assimilation

by MikeMarch 26, 2020

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)

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 Go app

• FOX Sports Racing for fans in Canada

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.

Overview:

• 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.

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang:

“We’ve had a partnership with iRacing on our dirt late model team for several years and we’ve run an iRacing team since last year. I’ve always jumped on it from time to time even though a lot of people don’t know that. My favorite thing to do on iRacing is not my day job. I came from dirt racing, so I love to get on there and burn laps on a dirt late model, a sprint car or midget. Heck, I’ve even done off-road truck racing. Those are my favorite things to do. A lot of my fans and peers get on and run Cup races and tracks we race on every week. For me, iRacing gives me a chance to drive something I’ve always wanted to drive, but never had the chance. That’s why I love iRacing, and I love the fact that this Pro Invitational Series has made more people aware of iRacing. Now, that means more eyeballs on us this Sunday, so I need to step up my game and put my Rush Truck Centers Ford Mustang up front.”

• Bowyer started 11th and finished 16th in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Homestead.

• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. Last Sunday’s race at Homestead was his first official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

• In actual NASCAR Cup Series racing at Texas, Bowyer has four top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 28 career starts.

• Bowyer’s best Texas finish is second, earned twice (April 2011 and March 2019).

• Anheuser-Busch, the country’s largest sponsor of live sports and entertainment, is redirecting it sports and entertainment investments to its non-profit partners to respond to the coronavirus public health crisis. As part of a $5 million donation to the American Red Cross, Anheuser-Busch, alongside its sports partners, will identify available arenas and stadiums to be used for temporary blood drive centers. As part of the donation, Anheuser-Busch is donating media air time to the Red Cross in support of its public service announcements. To learn more about how to attend a blood drive, visit RedCross.org. Additionally, Anheuser-Busch is using its supply and logistics network to produce and distribute bottles of hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer will be utilized at Red Cross blood donation centers and to support emergency shelters for future relief efforts.

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

“It obviously hasn’t been the greatest time for anybody right now, so it’s cool to have a way to keep your mind off of it. There isn’t really anything on TV and there are no other sporting events going on, so to be the only sport that can still continue, it’s been really cool to see everybody embrace it. When the idea first came out to run iRacing on FOX, I think people were curious to see how it was going to go and concerned that it wouldn’t be like ‘real life’, but it’s as close as we can get to it. It fills that void for the racing we don’t have right now, and it’s an awesome way to keep us occupied, keep the fans involved, and the sponsors as well. And maybe we’re opening the sport up to people that normally wouldn’t pay attention. It’s been really cool to see how many fans have gotten behind it.

“It’s been quite a bit different going from the Xfinity car to the Cup car, even though it’s iRacing. It’s realistic enough that even in simulation the cars don’t drive similarly at all. In the Cup Series car, there’s a lot more on throttle time and a lot less brake, so Texas will be a lot of the same. We’ll be on the gas a lot and drafting down the straightaway. They’re different, but it still takes the same characteristics to go fast and win, and I got that part figured out last weekend at Homestead. Texas is kind of an unknown to me. iRacing just updated the track a few weeks ago with the repaved surface and changes to the banking, so I don’t even have any laps around there. It’ll be a learning curve for sure, and it isn’t the best feeling to know I have to race my way into the main event. We saw last weekend that anything can happen to keep some of the better guys from being in the race. That being said, I feel good about our chances to run up front again with the Ford Performance Racing School/HighPoint.com Mustang.”

• Briscoe started sixth and finished fourth in last week’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Homestead.

• Briscoe is a regular iRacer, but mainly in the Xfinity Series. Prior to Homestead, The Replacements 100 March 17 at the virtual Atlanta Motor Speedway was Briscoe’s most recent iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

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

• Briscoe has three Xfinity Series starts at Texas with a best finish of fourth, earned last March.

• Briscoe also has two Truck Series starts at Texas with a best finish of second, earned in June 2017. And when the Truck Series returned to Texas that November, Briscoe finished fourth.

About Stewart-Haas eSports:

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Homestead Invitational Advance – Meet The Sims: Clint Bowyer and Chase Briscoe

by MikeMarch 20, 2020

Details:

• Event: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series
• Time/Date: 1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, March 22
• Location: Virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
• Distance: 100 laps (150 miles)

Where to Watch:

• FS1 (DIRECTV Channel 219 and Dish Channel 150)

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

• FOX Sports Go app

Overview:

• While the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series kicks off on Sunday at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, it will be 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 will consist of 35 drivers.

Clint Bowyer, Driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang:

“I don’t know if I will be able to keep up with all these young kids who do this all the time, so my goal is to have fun and keep the fans entertained on Sunday. I can’t thank iRacing, FOX and NASCAR enough for putting this together, and all the sponsors like Mobil 1 who made this event happen so quickly. Everyone needs some entertainment right now. We’re all in it together, man. This puts a new perspective on life and, when it all comes back, we will appreciate everything much more.”

• Bowyer considers himself a hobby iRacer. This will be his first official iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

• Bowyer, however, is an iRacing team owner. His eponymous 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 Homestead, Bowyer has three top-five and eight top-10 finishes in 14 career starts.

• Bowyer’s best Homestead finish is second, earned in 2012.

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

“I’m looking forward to going iRacing again. We had The Replacements 100 race last weekend at Atlanta and I felt like I learned quite a bit in that race because, obviously, I don’t run the Cup car very often on there. It’s got the actual Cup package with the big splitter and everything else, so it’s different than what I normally run. It felt like tire wear came into play at Atlanta and it definitely will again at Homestead, so finding that balance of how to save tires will be important. On iRacing, you wouldn’t think you’d have to save tires, but you actually do and it makes a difference. So, you get on there and just try to find that fine line of being able to go fast enough, but not too fast, to burn your tires up like you actually have to do when you go to Homestead. It’ll be fun to try to figure it out with our HighPoint.com/Ford Performance Racing School Ford Mustang.”

• Briscoe is a regular iRacer, but mainly in the Xfinity Series. Last Sunday’s The Replacements 100 at the virtual Atlanta Motor Speedway was Briscoe’s most recent iRacing start in a virtual NASCAR Cup Series race.

• 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 is a winner at Homestead. He won his first career Truck Series race at Homestead in 2017.

• Briscoe has two Xfinity Series starts at Homestead, with a best finish of third, earned last year.

About Stewart-Haas eSports:

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Tony Stewart ‘Free Wheeling’ with Newfound Free Time

by MikeMarch 18, 2020March 18, 2020

With No Races to Run, NASCAR Hall of Famer Goes Retro with 1979 Ford Bronco

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (March 18, 2020) – Born in 1971, Tony Stewart grew up in a robust era of car culture, where manufacturers catered directly to the consumer with unabashedly loud graphics splashed across premium versions of its cars and trucks.

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