It is time for race fans to rejoice, this is NASCAR’s virtual solution in face of COVID-19
Racing fans were set to take in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway this Sunday.
Then the novel coronavirus and it’s COVID-19 disease created a worldwide pandemic that saw President Donald Trump declare a national emergency and all major sports leagues began suspending operations or in the case of the NCAA, canceling March Madness and other national championship events.
The postponement also hit NASCAR, but racing fans can still get a taste of the Dixie Vodka 400 this Sunday, albeit in a different form, and it will be on TV (FS1).
NASCAR and iRacing — an online racing simulator — announced this week they’re partnering for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, which will hold races over multiple weeks in lieu of real racing.
The first race is slated for Sunday at 1:30 p.m. on the virtual Homestead track.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Lawson and Christopher Bell are scheduled to compete in the eSports racing series.
According to Autoweek, NASCAR is aiming to air Sunday’s race on the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on either Fox Sports or the NBC Sports Network.
“Until we have cars back on track, the entire NASCAR community has aligned to provide our passionate fans with a unique, fun and competitive experience on race day,” NASCAR vice president of racing development Ben Kennedy said in a press release, according to Autoweek. “Our longtime partners at iRacing offer an incredible product, and we are excited to see how many of our best drivers will stack up in the virtual domain of competitive racing.”
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 12:12 PM.
