NASCAR Names iRacing As Official Simulation Partner

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NASCAR has named iRacing as the official simulation partner of the league after maintaining a licensing agreement since 2010. The two organizations will work closely to promote the various eNASCAR series which live on the iRacing platform, while also collaborating around a number of innovation initiatives which have far-reaching implications on the future of NASCAR.

iRacing and NASCAR will also work together including the design of new and proposed NASCAR race tracks, collaboration and technical support on the NASCAR NextGen race car project, the creation of sim racing-oriented content for NASCAR Digital Media channels, and the use of iRacing as a training tool for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity class.

“NASCAR fans know and love iRacing for their accomplishments in the development of virtual racing series, but what many may not realize is that the company is so much more than just an esports partner,” says Tim Clark, NASCAR senior vice president and chief digital officer. “iRacing is a full-on technology partner in every sense of the word, and their best-in-class simulation and engineering capabilities are helping us innovate across multiple layers of our business — whether that be in designing new race tracks, developing new race cars, creating compelling digital content, or providing a virtual training ground for the next generation of NASCAR stars.”

iRacing has provided NASCAR’s first officially sanctioned professional virtual racing series, what is now known as the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. It also played a central role in the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series in 2020, which bridged the gap between events during the early stages of COVID-19. The seven-race series set records for the most viewed esports events in U.S. television history, earned both Sports Emmy Outstanding Esports Coverage and Sports Business Awards Breakthrough of the Year nominations, and was renewed for a 2021 season .

“NASCAR has been immensely supportive of iRacing over the past decade, and a huge contributing factor in our growth as an organization,” says iRacing President Tony Gardner. “From their world-class support of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for more than a decade, to the explosion of new initiatives like Pro Invitational events and track development projects, NASCAR’s assistance has helped iRacing remain at the forefront of the esports industry while also taking our organization to exciting new places. We’re incredibly excited to extend our partnership, and look forward to continuing to evolve these efforts for years to come.”

iRacing first collaborated with NASCAR in 2020 on the reconfiguration of the Auto Club Speedway into a half-mile short track, and later scanned the streets of Chicago to create a proposed street circuit that debuted during an eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event which aired live on FS1 this month. In addition to track development, iRacing assisted NASCAR in developing the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series NextGen car, which was revealed to the public earlier this year and made its racing debut during the Pro Invitational events.

Steven Boero
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