Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 14, 2020) – As NASCAR returns to the race track for the first time in more than two months, the sport will honor frontline healthcare workers in The Real Heroes 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17, at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

The special NASCAR Cup Series race entitlement at Darlington Raceway follows the launch of The Real Heroes Project, a collaborative initiative by 14 sports leagues including NASCAR to recognize and pay tribute to medical professionals serving on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19.

“As the coronavirus challenges our country in unprecedented ways, the frontline healthcare workers – the nurses, paramedics, emergency physicians and many others – continue to inspire us with their strength and bravery in caring for their fellow Americans,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing and content officer. “These men and women are the real heroes and the NASCAR industry is incredibly proud to honor their selflessness and service as we return to racing on Sunday.”

MORE: NASCAR rallies around Real Heroes

Through a collaboration with NASCAR, FOX Sports and the race teams, each driver’s name will be replaced above the driver-side window with the name of an individual healthcare worker currently battling the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, The Real Heroes Project logo will be displayed on the side panel of each race car.

The healthcare workers honored on the cars, selected in part by local FOX affiliates from cities across the country, will serve as grand marshals for The Real Heroes 400 and appear in an on-air mosaic to simultaneously give the command for drivers to start their engines for the race.

“Real heroes” from the state of South Carolina include healthcare workers from St. Francis Downtown hospital in Greenville, South Carolina, and McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence, South Carolina, located just south of Darlington Raceway.

RELATED: Cup Series entry list

The sports leagues behind the Real Heroes Project launched a public service announcement on May 6 that featured some of the biggest names in sports, including a pair of NASCAR Cup Series champions in Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch and Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick. The PSA features more than 30 athletes sharing personal thank-you messages with their healthcare heroes and replacing the names on their own jerseys and uniforms with the names of individual medical professionals.

The campaign encourages sports fans to pay tribute to the frontline healthcare workers in their lives on social media using #TheRealHeroes.

As NASCAR resumes the 2020 race season on Sunday, The Real Heroes 400 will be the first of three national series races at Darlington Raceway in the span of four days – all taking place without fans in attendance. The NASCAR Xfinity Series will return to action on Tuesday, May 19 (8 p.m. ET on FS1), followed by the second NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington on Wednesday, May 20 (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1).

Posted on by Staff Report

Under the charter system that was established in 2016, NASCAR Cup Series events can have up to 40 cars in the field. Each finishing spot in the field earns a driver points, from a maximum of 40 points to the driver who finishes first, down to one point for the driver who finishes 40th. These points accrue over a season and determine the driver standings, as well as the owner standings.

The addition of three stages to every points-paying race adds a new element. Drivers can earn race points through their performances in Stage 1 and Stage 2. Drivers who are running first through 10th at the conclusion of Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 will receive points, starting with 10 points for first place, nine points for second place, down to one point for 10th place. Points earned in those two stages are then added to what drivers earn after the Final Stage, which sets the full race results.

Points are accumulated over each of the 36 races. There is a reset for the 16 drivers in the playoffs after the regular-season finale at Daytona, the series’ 26th race of the season. There are additional points resets in the postseason after the completion of each three-race postseason round.

Additionally, a driver can earn bonus playoff points for the following:

— Five playoff points to the race-winning driver
— One playoff bonus point to the driver who wins Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 in every event

Those points are added on to a driver’s total once the postseason starts. The accumulated playoff points will carry over at the start of the Round of 16, Round of 12 and Round of 8.

Other key items to know:
• The driver who starts the race receives the points; a relief driver does not earn points.
• Bonus points are not awarded in the final race of the season to the Championship 4 drivers.

Below is a look at how a driver earns points based on finishing position at the end of the Final Stage.

HOW POINTS ARE AWARDED PER RACE

 Finish in Race Finish Points
 1  40
 2  35
 3  34
 4  33
 5  32
 6  31
 7  30
 8  29
 9  28
 10  27
 11  26
 12  25
 13  24
 14  23
 15  22
 16  21
 17  20
 18  19
 19  18
 20  17
 21  16
 22  15
 23  14
 24  13
 25  12
 26  11
 27  10
 28  9
 29  8
 30  7
 31  6
 32  5
 33  4
 34  3
 35  2
 36  1
 37  1
 38  1
 39  1
 40  1

 

Posted on by RJ Kraft

NASCAR Fantasy Live is back in action with the resumption of the 2020 season at Darlington Raceway with a few tweaks from last year’s game. Players can sign up right now to jump in on the action or continue their season.

Mobile Roster Screen
A view of the roster screen on the NASCAR Mobile App. (NASCAR Digital Media)

Accessing the game to set your roster can be done by logging into your account and going to the Fantasy page (NASCAR.com/Fantasy). You also can access the game by opening the NASCAR Mobile App, logging into your account and clicking the Fantasy icon on the bottom of the app. Mobile users can also opt in to receive fantasy alerts to help stay on top of your roster each week.

What is the roster composition?
The roster will consist of five starting drivers as well as a garage driver in reserve (more below on that). Driver and garage selections lock five minutes before the race start time.

How does the garage driver work?
Players can substitute their one garage driver for any starting driver up until the start of the Final Stage. Once the Final Stage starts, there are no more switches allowed.

So which drivers end up scoring points?
The drivers ending the race in your main roster will comprise the drivers that make up your total score. These are also the drivers who will be counted as being used for that particular race. A driver that ends the race in the garage would not count as being used nor would their results count toward your score.

Are there any limits to how much a driver can be used?
Yes, players can only use a particular driver up to 10 times over the 26 regular-season races. A usage tracker will be displayed on your roster screen, showing the number of remaining driver uses you have during the season.

NEW THIS YEAR!!! For the playoffs, driver uses will reset and you can only use a particular driver up to five times over the 10 races of the playoffs. Playoff rosters will consist of five starters and one garage driver. There will be no restrictions on how many playoff or non-playoff drivers you can or can’t use, but you will only be able to use drivers five times during the scheduled playoff portion of the season (slated to be Darlington on Sept. 6 to Phoenix on Nov. 8). There will be no playoff-specific bonus pick as in past years.

Desktop Live Scoring
A look at the live scoring in NASCAR Fantasy Live. (NASCAR Digital Media)

What is the scoring system?
The scoring will reflect the NASCAR’s scoring system. For example, if Kevin Harvick wins Stage 1 and Stage 2 and wins the race, he will earn players 60 fantasy points for that particular race just as he would earn 60 points for himself in the season standings.

Drivers running in the top 10 at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 receive points, starting with 10 points for first, nine for second, etc. The race winner receives 40 points, while second place receives 35 points, third receives 34 points and all the way down to 1 point for drivers that finish 36th through 40th.

Will the at-track post-race inspection model have an impact on scoring?
The results won’t be official until the at-track post-race inspection is complete — that should be about 90-120 minutes after the race. Since scoring mirrors that of the drivers in real life, it means that if a driver in your lineup fails post-race inspection, your lineup would be subject to the same impact as the driver is — last-place points. On the positive side, if you didn’t have a penalized driver in your lineup, the rest of the finishing order moves up, meaning you could potentially pick up points.

Are there any additional bonus picks?
Yes, players can make bonus picks for the pole winner, Stage 1 winner, Stage 2 winner, race winner and manufacturer winner. The pole winner bonus pick selection will lock approximately five minutes before the start time of qualifying. All other bonus picks lock five minutes before the race start time. Bonus picks DO NOT count against driver usage.

What is the value of each bonus pick?
Stage 1 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Stage 2 Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Race Winner (10 points for correct pick)
Winning Manufacturer (10 points for correct pick)

Will my leagues and teams from last year be available?
Yes, any team or league that was active at the end of last season or active prior to the COVID-19 stoppage will be available once you log in.

Can I copy my roster for multiple leagues?
Yes, you can copy your picks from one entry to another by using the copy icon located next to your entry name.

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

This is the third installment in a series were NASCAR.com looks back at each race this season and gets you caught up for Sunday’s return at Darlington Raceway. The Auto Club 400 took place on March 1, 2020 at Auto Club Speedway.

WINNER: Alex Bowman earned his second career NASCAR Cup Series victory, securing a spot in the 2020 NASCAR Playoffs. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports driver dominated much of the race, winning Stage 1 and leading 110 of the 200 total laps.

RELATED: Full race results

KEY MOMENTS: Clint Bowyer, who started on the Busch Pole, cut down a left-front tire in Turns 1 and 2 on Lap 94, bringing out the first incident caution of the race. Bowyer couldn’t completely recover and finished a lap down in 23rd.

Martin Truex Jr. was having a strong run when his rear-tire changer developed a cramp in his arm while changing a tire during a round of green-flag pit stops, dropping him back in the final stage. Truex fought back and finished 14th.

RELATED: Truex on radio: ‘They can both kiss my (expletive)’

Earlier in the race, Truex was outspoken on the radio regarding his frustrations with Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin and Erik Jones.

KEY DRIVERS: Ryan Blaney was the points leader coming into the race and showcased a lot of speed in the No. 12 Team Penske Ford, winning Stage 2 and leading 54 laps. But Blaney suffered a tire issue while running second to Bowman with three laps remaining, forcing him to come in for an unscheduled stop and leading to a 19th-place finish, one lap down.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  1. After finishes of 34th and 15th at Daytona International Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, respectively, Kyle Busch finished second at a track where he won the previous year. Busch finished third at Phoenix Raceway the next week, prior to the COVID-19 pause.
  2. Tyler Reddick was the top-finishing Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender in 11th place in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Stewart-Haas Racing’s No. 41 driver Cole Custer was the second-highest finishing rookie in 18th.
  3. Jimmie Johnson finished seventh in his final race at his home track, leading three times for 10 laps. Despite the break in the schedule, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver insists that 2020 will still serve as his final full-time NASCAR Cup Series season.

2020 SEASON REFRESHERS

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials released information Tuesday about starting lineup and pit-selection procedures, plus a modified competition caution process to allow for more wide-ranging adjustments for upcoming events scheduled without practice or qualifying.

RELATED: Field sizes grow in select Xfinity, Gander Trucks races

Three of the next four events on the revised NASCAR Cup Series schedule will be held without Busch Pole Qualifying to determine a starting lineup; only the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 will include time trials to set the field. The decision was made to host multiple events without practice and limited qualifying to restrict exposure and at-track time for crews in the wake of the coronavirus health crisis.

Starting lineup procedures for events without qualifying

When the series hosts its first event after the pandemic outbreak on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, the lineup will be determined in part by a random draw for starting positions:

  • Positions 1-12 will be determined by a random draw from charter teams in those positions in team owner points
  • Positions 13-24: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 25-36: Random draw among charter teams in those positions in owner points
  • Positions 37-40 will be filled out by open, non-chartered teams in order of owner points

The starting lineup for the next Cup Series event, scheduled May 20 at Darlington, will use the finishing order from May 17 as the basis for the lineup with one inversion:

  • Starting positions 1-20: The top 20 finishers from the May 17 event will be inverted for the start of the May 20 race
  • Starting positions 21-40: The bottom 20 finishers from the May 17 event will start from their finishing positions for the start of the May 20 race; any new entries will be placed at the tail of the field

Pit-stall selection for the May 17 event will be based on charter team owner points, then open team owner points. Pit selection for May 20 will be determined by the finishing order of the May 17 race.

For the two NASCAR Cup Series events scheduled at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the starting lineup will be determined by:

  • May 24: Same-day qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600
  • May 27: An inversion of positions 1-20, then positions 21-40 from the Coca-Cola 600 results

Pit-selection for Charlotte events will be determined May 24 by qualifying and then May 27 by the results of Coca-Cola 600.

Modified competition caution process introduced for events with no practice

All three NASCAR national series will have a modified competition caution in the early portions of each race. Those stoppages will include freezing the field to accommodate longer pit stops, allowing teams to make more extended in-race adjustments that might normally be made during practice.

That modified competition caution procedure includes:

  • Freezing the running order at the time of the caution period
  • Granting the free pass for the first car one lap down
  • No wave-around rule will be in effect for the competition caution
  • Pit road opens to the top 20, then the next 20 on the following lap
  • Each car will keep its position at the time of the caution, provided it beats the pace car off pit road
  • The pit cycle repeats, with the top 20 then next 20 allowed to pit a second time
  • Teams that do not beat the pace car off pit road will lose a lap and restart at the tail of the field; teams that pit more than twice or outside of their designated pit window will also restart at the tail of the field.
  • The lineup will be reset according to the frozen running order for the restart

The competition cautions will occur at or around the following laps:

  • May 17: Cup Series, Darlington: Lap 30
  • May 19: Xfinity Series, Darlington: Lap 15
  • May 20: Cup Series, Darlington: TBD
  • May 24: Cup Series, Charlotte: TBD
  • May 25: Xfinity Series, Charlotte: TBD
  • May 26: Gander Trucks, Charlotte: TBD
  • May 27: Cup Series, Charlotte: TBD

Xfinity, Gander Trucks lineup procedures

The Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will use random draws in part to determine starting lineups for their upcoming events without qualifying.

For the Xfinity Series’ May 19 event at Darlington and May 25 race at Charlotte:

  • Starting positions 1-12 among teams in those positions in owner points will be determined by a random draw
  • Starting positions 12-24 among teams in those positions in owner points will be determined by a random draw
  • Starting positions 25-36 among teams in those positions in owner points will be determined by a random draw
  • Starting positions 37-40 among teams in those positions in owner points will be assigned starting positions based on their order of eligibility

Pit selection for the Xfinity Series race at Darlington will be based on qualifying from the series’ most recent race, at Phoenix Raceway, which gives the first selection to the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 Toyota.

The Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will use a similar system to determine the starting lineup for its May 26 return at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Teams will draw for starting position based on groups in team owner points:

  • Starting positions 1-10 among teams in those positions in owner points
  • Starting positions 11-21 among teams in those positions in owner points
  • Starting positions 22-32 among teams in those positions in owner points
  • Starting positions 33-40 among teams in those positions in owner points, followed by a draw among new teams without owner points

The order of pit selection for the May 26 Gander Trucks event will be determined by the qualifying results from the series’ most recent race, Feb. 21 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That means the ThorSport Racing No. 13 Ford entry of Johnny Sauter will have the first selection.

MORE: NASCAR reveals revised May schedule

Posted on by George Winkler

Welcome back, old friend. Or, for some of you, welcome aboard as you follow NASCAR for the very first time. We want to make this an enjoyable experience for all of you as we get back to providing the world’s best racing for your entertainment.

Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, NASCAR has not been on the track since the March 8 Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway. However, with NASCAR set to return in the safest manner possible on May 17 at Darlington Raceway (without fans in the stands and with strict guidelines in place), we would like to share some tips on how to follow the races.

WHERE TO WATCH

Besides the coverage on NASCAR.com, which we will explain in the next section, here are the broadcast details for the revised May schedule that NASCAR recently released:

Date Series Venue Time TV Radio
May 17 Cup Series Darlington 3:30 p.m.* FOX MRN/Sirius
May 19 Xfinity Darlington 8 p.m. FS1 MRN/Sirius
May 20 Cup Series Darlington 7:30 p.m. FS1 MRN/Sirius
May 24 Cup Series Charlotte 6 p.m. FOX PRN/Sirius
May 25 Xfinity Charlotte 7:30 p.m. FS1 PRN/Sirius
May 26 Gander Charlotte 8 p.m. FS1 MRN/Sirius
May 27 Cup Series Charlotte 8 p.m. FS1 PRN/Sirius

* = All times are ET.

We will provide more schedule updates as they become available (Update: They are available). Log on to NASCAR.com and visit the following pages regularly for the latest news:

Full NASCAR schedule

TV schedule

Weekend track schedule

NASCAR.COM COVERAGE

Besides news, video and analysis from a talented group of content producers, NASCAR.com offers these highlights to our race coverage:

Race Center: During any of our national series races — Cup Series, Xfinity Series or Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series — Race Center is the best place to be for live leaderboard look-ins that include live lap times, lap-by-lap notes and in-race highlights. Customize the leaderboard experience and see the stats you like most displayed prominently. Bonus: Free for the next two months, listen to radio broadcast, NASCAR officials, and driver team communications during Cup, Xfinity, and Truck races with Scanner, sponsored by Sugarlands. For more details on how to follow NASCAR and to log-in to Scanner, visit our Follow Live page.

NASCAR Mobile: The official app of NASCAR. Access all the Race Center features listed above in addition to Scanner with enhanced telemetry and NASCAR Drive in-car cameras. Purchase a subscription and get an ad-free experience (no commercials or ads). Bonus: You can also listen for free here to radio broadcast, officials, and driver team communications during Cup, Xfinity, and Truck races, qualifying sessions and practices for May and June.

NASCAR Drive: Live video of up to six driver in-car cameras and other cameras (battle cams, stationary cams, aerial cams) streamed throughout the race. Free access for all NASCAR Cup Series races and companion Xfinity Series races. Available on desktop and mobile web at www.nascar.com/drive or inside the NASCAR Mobile app (iOS and Android phone and tablet) by clicking on the Drive icon in the navigation.

NASCAR SOCIAL CHANNELS

Interact with NASCAR’s social team on a variety of different topics and get live updates during the races. Pick your preferred social media outlet and become a loyal follower:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube

GAMING

The NASCAR Finish Line app by Penn Gaming is free to play and your chance to win $25,000 during every race. Pick the correct drivers in the categories and you will be well on your way to big bucks, big bucks, and no whammies! It’s that simple.

NASCAR Fantasy Live is back, and now is the perfect time to begin a new league — or pick up where you left off in an existing league. Our “garage pick” gives players the option to replace an underperforming driver during the race — a “do over” because who couldn’t use a “do over” every once in a while?

ENASCAR

Don’t forget these talented athletes! iRacing has provided fans with a large measure of enjoyment during a difficult time. Don’t worry, they aren’t going away.

Watch the Coca-Cola iRacing Series compete on NASCAR tracks every other Tuesday from now until the championship race on Nov. 1 on eNASCAR.com/live.

On Wednesdays, tune in to the NASCAR Heat Pro League, also on eNASCAR.com/live. Drivers will compete in two sessions, one for PS4 and the other for Xbox One.

NASCAR ROOTS

Keep tabs on the hottest prospects coming up the NASCAR ranks, including Hailie Deegan. See them before they become stars and celebrate the sport’s Saturday night roots with full ARCA Menards Series coverage and more.

NASCAR TERMINOLOGY

First-time follower? Let’s get you up to speed with the lingo. We’ll guide you through the NASCAR terms that may seem odd at first so you can be talking like a pro in no time.

Camber: The amount a tire is tilted in or out from vertical. Described in degrees, either positive or negative.

Dirty air: Aerodynamic term for the turbulent air currents caused by fast-moving cars that can cause a particular car to lose control.

Downforce: A combination of aerodynamic and centrifugal forces. The more downforce, the more grip a car has. But more downforce also means more drag, which can rob a race car of speed.

LEARN MORE TERMS

GETTING BACK UP TO SPEED

Series Recent race winner Venue Standings leader ’19 champ
Cup Joey Logano Phoenix Kevin Harvick* Kyle Busch
Xfinity Brandon Jones Phoenix Harrison Burton* Tyler Reddick
Gander Kyle Busch Las Vegas Austin Hill* Matt Crafton

* = Click on the standings leader to get access to standings, other stats.

For more details on how to follow NASCAR, visit our Follow Live page.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials announced Friday three tracks will have races reassigned to Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway later this month as the sport attempts to hold its first events since the COVID-19 outbreak.

The realignment shifts events away from Chicagoland Speedway, Richmond Raceway (spring) and Sonoma Raceway on the 2020 calendar. According to officials from the sanctioning body, future adjustments to this season’s schedule “will be released in the near future.”

NASCAR initially announced portions of a revised May schedule on April 30, adding national series events at Darlington and Charlotte. Those tracks were chosen for NASCAR’s return to competition in part because of their proximity to the industry’s Charlotte-area hub, as officials try to minimize travel demands and limit the amount of at-track personnel with one-day events.

MORE: NASCAR revises May schedule

“Due to the current pandemic, NASCAR has faced several difficult decisions, including realigning race dates from several race tracks,” the NASCAR statement read. “These decisions were made following thorough collaboration with local and state government officials from across the country, including the areas of the affected race tracks. We thank all our fans for their support, and we look forward to our return to racing.”

Further details about the changes to the 2020 racing schedule:

• Chicagoland’s NASCAR Cup Series race — originally set for June 21 — has been reassigned to Darlington on May 17. The 1.5-mile Illinois track’s Xfinity Series race that was scheduled June 20 will be held May 19 at Darlington. Chicagoland was also set to host the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (June 19) and ARCA Menards Series (June 18); officials indicated those races will be reassigned at a later date.

• Richmond Raceway’s springtime Cup Series event on the initial schedule for April 19 has been moved to Darlington on May 20. A Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race that was to be run April 18 remains postponed, with officials saying details would come later for rescheduling. The .75-mile Virginia track’s Sept. 11-12 race weekend remains on the schedule.

• Sonoma Raceway’s Cup Series date for June 14 has been moved to Charlotte on May 27. Officials for the road course said in a release they had worked with NASCAR to find an alternate date on the schedule, but a suitable replacement could not be reached, “given the ongoing uncertainty around large events in California.”

Each of the three tracks released statements, saying ticketholders for the canceled races would receive a full refund or a 120-percent credit toward a future event.

• Chicagoland Speedway president Scott Paddock: “The difficult decision to realign our race events was a combination of where we fell on the schedule, proximity to NASCAR’s teams and the safety and well-being of our community and larger NASCAR industry. We will miss the roar of the engines at Chicagoland Speedway this season, but we will be rooting for and supporting our NASCAR colleagues at Darlington Raceway as competition returns on Sunday, May 17.”

• Richmond Raceway president Dennis Bickmeier: “As a sport, we continue to be united in the best interests of the safety and well-being of our fans, competitors, stakeholders, and track personnel. There will be brighter and healthier days ahead in the greater Richmond region when NASCAR returns to Richmond Raceway for the NASCAR Playoff Race Weekend on Sept. 11-12. We look forward to NASCAR’s best getting back on the track at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 17 as we launch a new countdown to the return of racing in RVA this fall.”

• Sonoma Raceway president and general manager Steve Page: “We work all year for this event, so this is a huge disappointment for us, for our fans and our sponsors, but we realize it’s part of a larger challenge facing our nation and everyone in the live events business. We are excited that NASCAR is coming back to broadcast television and are ready to support the upcoming events at our Speedway Motorsports tracks. We look forward to NASCAR’s return to Sonoma in 2021.”

Posted on by Staff Report

Three-time Grammy Award-winning country music artist Darius Rucker is set to perform the national anthem before Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

RELATED: Ways to follow NASCAR from home

Rucker recently performed the pre-race concert before this year’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February. The Charleston, South Carolina, native is longtime NASCAR fan and expressed excitement for the opportunity to perform leading up to the race in his home state.

First achieving multi-platinum status as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the iconic pop-rock band, Hootie & the Blowfish, Rucker has also enjoyed success as a solo artist. Rucker has earned four No. 1 albums on the Billboard country chart and nine No. 1 singles at country radio, including his eight-time platinum version of Old Crow Medicine’s “Wagon Wheel.”

Sunday’s 400.2-mile event at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval restarts the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season after a halt due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Posted on by Steve Luvender

Jimmie Johnson’s time in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series was off to a rough start.

The seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 83-time race winner is considered among the greatest stock car drivers of all time — and rightfully so. Naturally, when racing paused amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson put himself up to the challenge of competing against his peers virtually in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, despite zero prior sim racing experience.

RELATED: Learn about the Pro Invitational Series  | Recap every Cup win of Johnson’s career

However, as Johnson quickly learned, getting up to speed in iRacing requires a bit of a different skill set than what made him one of NASCAR’s all-time greats. 

Johnson’s iRacing debut at Homestead-Miami Speedway was, in a word, memorable. Not in the gutsy-drive-to-win-a-seventh-championship sense, but, well … let’s just say it provided some meme fodder. 

It was clear after his Pro Invitational Series debut that Seven-Time needed some remedial lessons in virtual racing. That’s when one G.O.A.T. connected with another. 

Ray Alfalla, four-time eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion, knows how to get the job done when it comes to sim racing. He’s racked up 24 victories — the most of anybody, and by a lot — in the Coca-Cola Series, NASCAR and iRacing’s elite level of professional gaming. He’s unquestionably the most successful driver in series history — the Jimmie Johnson of iRacing, if you will. If there were an iRacing Hall of Fame, he’d be a unanimous first-ballot lock.

RELATED: Catch Alfalla in the Coca-Cola iRacing Series 

Alfalla also is a coach for Virtual Racing School, a platform where sim racing pros provide tools and training for racers looking for more speed. And, when you think about it, who’s more qualified to teach than someone so immersed — not to mention successful — in iRacing? The raised-on-sim-racing 30-year-old cut his teeth racing online in pre-iRacing titles and even scored a championship in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s invitation-only DMP Racing League as a teenager. 

It was Dale Jr. who helped Alfalla make the connection with his newest student, Jimmie Johnson.

“Props to Junior for getting this going,” Alfalla said of pairing up with Johnson. “After seeing Jimmie struggle at Homestead, I went to Dale and asked him to put me in contact. Dale did, and Jimmie was immediately receptive to help.”

The duo’s first week was less focused on racing and more centered around navigating iRacing’s technical requirements — the computery part of it all. Walking before running. 

“The biggest challenge was probably operating Windows,” Alfalla laughed. “Getting him used to all the little details, from downloading third-party software, to learning how to navigate iRacing. All these things take time, and he had to do it within a few days.”

When Johnson eventually did hit the track with Alfalla, however, it was quickly evident that some of those natural racing skills transferred to the virtual world.

“His race craft was immediately there,” Alfalla said of his first on-track race session with Johnson. “He made several bold moves and left everyone quite impressed — but not surprised. He’s Jimmie freakin’ Johnson, after all.”

Still, there are adjustments — particularly around comfort and feeling — a driver needs to make in the transition from real-world racing to sim racing. Even a skilled champion like Jimmie Johnson isn’t immune to the learning curve. 

“Getting him used to not having a seat-of-the-pants feel was the biggest challenge,” Alfalla said. “Most real-world drivers are used to feeling the car with their entire body, and finding the grip limit that way. On iRacing, it’s mostly visual, with some feedback on the wheel and some auditory cues.”

After some initial lessons, Alfalla continued to support Johnson by working alongside real-world No. 48 crew chief Cliff Daniels on Pro Invitational Series race day. 

The improvement Johnson showed with just a week under Alfalla’s tutelage was impressive. In a week’s time, Seven-Time went from clueless to competent, putting up some not-half-bad efforts in the Pro Invitational events at Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, as well as an IndyCar crossover event. 

The iRacing champ might have even learned a thing or two himself from Seven-Time. 

“I learned quite a bit about Jimmie’s driving style, with input from his crew chief Cliff Daniels,” Alfalla said. “I had questions about how the real cars drove, and how they compared to what we have on iRacing; needless to say, Jimmie and Cliff had insightful answers.”

RELATED: Daniels details how the 48 team is prepping for return

Jimmie Johnson iRacing
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Now, as the NASCAR Cup Series prepares to return to action May 17 at Darlington Raceway, Alfalla turns his focus back from coaching Jimmie Johnson to his own eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series season, where he currently sits tied for 14th in points after six races in 2020. 

Like Johnson, Alfalla has struggled to reach Victory Lane recently; his last win came in the 2018 championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway — Alfalla’s home track, where he watched Johnson hoist all seven of his NASCAR Cup Series championship trophies.

“We’ve had very successful careers and get called G.O.A.T.,” Alfalla said of his similarities with Johnson. “With that being said, both of us have had a couple rough years and we’re looking to get back on top.”

Regardless, Alfalla’s goal to win a fifth Coca-Cola Series title and the champion’s $100,000 prize remains steadfast — once he reaches the top eight in points to become eligible for playoffs in October first, of course.

“Once you make that coveted top eight, anything can happen in those final four races. OK, fine — the goal is the championship.”

Catch the next round of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series from Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET at eNASCAR.com/live.