Updates from the Armchair: iRacing playoffs start this week — plus paint schemes, 1998 Daytona 500 simulation

Steve Luvender

8 years ago

What did last weekend’s NASCAR winners have in common?

Yep, both Justin Allgaier and Justin Haley are active iRacers. Allgaier won Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at Road America, while Haley claimed the checkered flag in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park after some final-lap insanity. Nice work, road-course-winning, sim-racing Justins. Really, though -- iRacing helped, according to Haley, who "turned some serious sim laps" before heading north of the border last weekend.

Now, NASCAR drivers look ahead to Darlington Raceway, where racers like Christopher Bell plan to turn some virtual laps in hopes of avoiding a "Darlington Stripe" on their real race cars.

NASCAR PEAK ANTIFREEZE iRACING SERIES UPDATE Starting Tuesday at Darlington Raceway, eight drivers from the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series will compete for a $10,000 prize, a NASCAR trophy and a NASCAR championship ring throughout the five-race series playoffs. With four victories, including last week in his home track at Texas Motor Speedway, defending series champion Ryan Luza earned the top playoff seed over his rookie Phenom Racing Team teammate Keegan Leahy. Ray Alfalla, defending Darlington winner, will race for his fourth series championship. Nick Ottinger, Nick Shelton, Bobby Zalenski, Matt Bussa, and Michael Conti complete the top eight. The playoffs begin at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 28 at Darlington on iRacing.com/live. PAINT SCHEMES OF THE WEEK It’s throwback week! Keaton Jones re-created Ricky Carmichael's 2010 Camping World Truck Series ride for iRacing.

Painter Scott Pierchorowicz designed a beautiful retro-inspired Bill Elliott ride on a modern-day iRacing Ford Fusion.

VIDEO OF THE WEEK If you've got a few hours to spare, you need to check out this live iRacing throwback semi-re-creation of the 1998 Daytona 500, complete with era-accurate paint schemes on modern-day Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series-style cars. We won't spoil the winner.