NASCAR’s faithful is set to receive more tasty racing morsels.
NASCAR and NBC announced Friday they’ll stage the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge. The four-race Cup Series will take place next week over four consecutive nights on virtual versions of famed tracks such as Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis and Martinsville Speedway. It will will feature superstars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and 15 other drivers, who’ll compete for iRacing’s latest prize.
“Of all of the events we’ve been putting together for real-world pros, the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge should be one of the most fun,” iRacing executive producer Steve Myers said in a statement. “So many of the top drivers in NASCAR have honed their skills on both local short tracks and iRacing, and combining the two for a virtual week-long showdown should deliver plenty of excitement. We can’t wait to see who takes the checkered flag and bragging rights!”
The NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, with Busch, William Byron, Austin Dillon, Parker Kligerman, Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace racing at a virtual Rockingham Speedway.
Hamlin Justin Allgaier, Christopher Bell, Chase Briscoe, Harrison Burton, and Kyle Larson will race at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday at a virtual Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.
Earnhardt Jr., Landon Cassill, Matt DiBenedetto, Timmy Hill, Ryan Preece and Myatt Snider will race at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday at a virtual Myrtle Beach Speedway.
The top two finishers in each race will compete at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday night at a virtual Martinsville Speedway in the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge championship race.
Viewers can watch each race on NBCSN.
The popularity of eNASCAR iRacing has spiked recently, with fans flocking to view its Pro Invitational Series races, which have been taking place in the absence of real-life NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series due to the coronavirus outbreak.
