Posted on by Holly Cain

Denny Hamlin’s bump-and-run virtual victory in the North Wilkesboro 160 at the historic North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday afternoon book-ended an impressive showing in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series for Hamlin, this year’s Daytona 500 winner. The race served as a competitive send-off for the resumption of the marquee NASCAR Cup Series next weekend at the very real Darlington Raceway.

Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, also won the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series inaugural race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway seven weeks ago kicking off a fun, well-received series of virtual races as the sport took time off during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Full results | Paint schemes

This weekend, Hamlin had to nudge Ross Chastain’s car in the waning laps to take the checkered flag, holding off one of iRacing’s best, Timmy Hill, by 0.914 seconds to claim a dramatic second win. Hamlin joins Hendrick Motorsport’s William Byron, a three-time race winner, as the only two multi-time race winners during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series competition.

“Talk about a bump-and-run, it’s a textbook way to do it, move him out of the groove, but you don’t wreck him,” Hamlin said of his battle with Chastain, who spun Hamlin in retribution on the virtual cool-down lap.

NASCAR Cup Series rookie and Richard Childress Racing driver Tyler Reddick finished third. Chastain rallied to fourth, and Austin Dillon out-dueled another iRacing star, Garrett Smithley, for the fifth position.

Smithley, Brennan Poole, Parker Kligerman, Kevin Harvick and Landon Cassill rounded out the top 10 in what was a high-action day at the historic venue’s iRacing debut. The race was essentially made possible by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who led the charge in getting the .625-mile oval on the iRacing platform, which opened it up for its first-ever competition Saturday.

Earnhardt finished 15th, and NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon, who won the last NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro on Sept. 29, 1996, finished 18th.

It was a busy day at the track, with eight caution periods for 53 laps. NASCAR Cup Series rookie Christopher Bell led a race-high 61 laps, finishing 14th in the Leavine Family Racing Toyota. Chastain led 31 laps, and Hamlin was out front for 24 of the 160 laps.

Hamlin conceded getting the last win heading back into regular-season competition was a boost in confidence. Prior to the break in action, Hamlin had already earned his third Daytona 500 victory in the season opener and is ranked 11th in the championship points standings with his NASCAR Playoffs ticket already punched.

“I can only speak for me, but yeah, sure, I’m way more excited than if I wouldn’t have won,” Hamlin said. “Winning the last iRace, the first and the last one, it’s significant. We have millions of people watching. It’s good publicity for my sponsors. It’s good for me and my confidence.

“We know, every driver knows, that everything is equal. There is no advantage for anybody. It’s about who can hone their craft in iRacing. … It’s not like playing Madden or NBA 2K where you’re using your hand-eye coordination pushing the buttons. You’re using the gas, brakes, running two at the same time, steering wheel. Everything is the same. I take pride in that.”

Hill, who started 25th in the 29-car grid, earned his sixth top-three finish in the seven eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series events.

“Well, it’s been a fun experience, we had the best average and capped the finish off finishing second at North Wilkesboro,” Hill said. “We can’t wait to get back to racing at Darlington next week. I’ve really enjoyed what this was but can’t wait to get back to driving what we normally do.”

Regular competition resumes at the venerable Darlington egg-shaped oval May 17 (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) with a 400-miler. Kevin Harvick, who finished ninth Saturday, leads the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings by a single point over Joey Logano, whose already won twice in the four races to date.

Hamlin was, as one may anticipate, extremely eager to get racing again. No fans will be allowed at Darlington, and there are strict social distancing standards applied to teams, drivers and crews. But Hamlin is optimistic the racing will be as good and compelling as ever.

“I think all-in-all it’s going to be like an old shoe,” Hamlin said. “I don’t think from the TV’s perspective, fans will see anything different than just a normal race that they would normally see at Darlington.”

In addition to the NASCAR Cup Series race, the NASCAR action will continue at Darlington with a 200-mile NASCAR Xfinity Series race May 19 (8 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) and a second NASCAR Cup Series event (500K) May 20 (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Posted on by Staff Report

This is your hub for NASCAR news and information in regards to the coronavirus outbreak and its impact in the sport. Bookmark this page and check back often for updates.

LATEST NASCAR CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS

On August 15, Richard Childress Racing announced that Austin Dillon had self-reported a positive COVID-19 test and would miss the race at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Kaz Grala will fill in behind the wheel of the No. 3 for that event. | Full story

On August 6, NASCAR set the remainder of its 2020 schedule including the playoff schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The Cup Playoffs were unchanged while there were a handful of changes to the tracks that will make up the Xfinity and Gander Trucks postseasons. | Full story

On July 8, NASCAR set the remainder of its August schedule that will include six NASCAR Cup Series races, five NASCAR Xfinity Series race, four Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races and four ARCA Menards Series races. All four series will race at the Daytona road course, which takes the place at Watkins Glen International on the schedule. | Full story

On July 8, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Jimmie Johnson had been cleared to return to action for the July 12 race at Kentucky Speedway. Johnson had self-reported a positive COVID-19 test last week. | Full story

On July 3, Hendrick Motorsports revealed that Jimmie Johnson self-reported that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would miss the Indianapolis race. Justin Allgaier will fill in for Johnson in the No. 48 in the July 5 race. | Full story 

On June 19, Stewart-Haas Racing issued a statement that two of its shop employees tested positive for COVID-19. The following day Team Penske issued a statement indicating an employee had tested positive. | Full story

On June 15, The NASCAR All-Star Race was shifted from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway for the July 15 event that is expected to have fans in attendance. Texas Motor Speedway announced on June 19 that its Sunday Cup race on July 19 will also have fans in attendance. | Full story

On June 9, NASCAR announced its plans to reintroduce guests at select NASCAR Cup Series races beginning with the June 14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and June 21 at Talladega Superspeedway. It will be a limited number at the outset: Up to 1,000 South Florida service members as honorary guests for the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami and up to 5,000 guests in the frontstretch grandstands/towers for the GEICO 500 at Talladega. | Full story 

On June 4, NASCAR announced its third installment in the revamped 2020 schedule. This update included events taking place at Pocono Raceway on the final weekend of June through a NASCAR Cup Series race on Aug. 2 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The NASCAR All-Star Race is in this batch of updates, and that will take place on July 15 (a Wednesday) at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This round of updates includes seven points-paying Cup Series races, six Xfinity races, five Gander Trucks races and three ARCA Menards Series races.| Full story

On May 14, NASCAR added to its return to racing schedule with the addition of dates at Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. Dates at these tracks will include the three national series and the ARCA Menards Series will make its return with a date at Talladega. Spring dates at Kansas Speedway, Michigan International Speedway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course have been postponed while the slate set for Iowa Speedway this year has been canceled. One of Iowa’s Xfinity Series race has been reassigned to Homestead-Miami Speedway. | Full story

NASCAR announced May 8 a 2020 schedule realignment that shifts dates away from Chicagoland Speedway, Richmond Raceway (spring) and Sonoma Raceway. The races originally scheduled for those tracks have been reassigned to Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. | Full story

NASCAR announced April 30 a revised May schedule as racing returns May 17 at Darlington Raceway, the first of seven races in an 11-day span that will also include events at Charlotte Motor Speedway. These races will be conducted without fans in attendance as NASCAR officials have collaborated with public health officials, medical experts and local, state and federal officials to create a comprehensive plan to ensure the health and safety of competitors and surrounding communities at these events. | Full story

Previous updates:

NASCAR postpones all races through May 9

NASCAR statement on Virginia’s stay-at-home order

NASCAR President Steve Phelps’ letter to the fans

Steve Phelps provides industry update to media

NASCAR postpones all races through May 3

TRACK/OTHER RESPONSES

• NASCAR R&D Center: The NASCAR Research & Development Center is printing face shields for local hospitals and doctors to help protect medical professionals as they treat COVID-19. Right now, hospitals in North Carolina and Georgia will be receiving masks that are made at the Concord, North Carolina, facility. NASCAR’s senior director of aerodynamics and vehicle performance, Eric Jacuzzi, explained the process to NASCAR.com’s Alex Weaver in this video.

• Charlotte Motor Speedway: In partnership with the speedway, Atrium Health has created a Coronavirus Testing Center at zMAX Dragway, part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex. The remote testing site provides a convenient location for residents of northern Mecklenburg and Cabarrus Counties to have their tests performed, when ordered by their physician. Testing for COVID-19 is conducted without patients having to get out of their cars, which reduces the possibility of infecting other patients and healthcare workers. Tests are administered by appointment only from your physician.

• Atlanta Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for March 13-15 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for June 6-7.

• Bristol Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for April 3-5 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for May 30-31. Message to fans and ticket-holders about having a limited number of fans for the Sept. 18-19 events at the track.

• Canadian Tire Motorsport Park: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the cancellation of the Sept. 4-6 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race weekend. 

• Charlotte Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the running of the Coca-Cola 600 on May 24 without fans in attendance. The track also has a message to ticketholders for the 2020 NASCAR All-Star Race, which has been moved to July 15 and will now be held at Bristol Motor Speedway.

• Chicagoland Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the June 18-21 race weekend cancellation.

• Darlington Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about limited fan attendance for Sept. 6 Southern 500.

• Daytona International Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the addition of the Aug. 14-16 race weekend. A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend the Aug. 14-16 race weekend at the Daytona road course as well as the Aug. 28-29 race weekend adhering to social distancing policies and procedures.

• Dover International Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the doubleheader weekend set for Aug. 21-23 that will be held without fans in attendance. 

• Eldora Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the cancellation of the July 29-30 Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race week.

• Homestead-Miami Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for March 20-22 and rescheduling for June 13-14. See the track message about the track hosting up to 1,000 South Florida service members for the June 14 Dixie Vodka 400.

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about holding July 4-5 race weekend without fans.

• Iowa Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the June 12-13 and July 31-August 1 race weekend cancellations.

• Kansas Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for May 30-31 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for July 23-25.

• Kentucky Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about holding July 9-11 race weekend without fans.

• Martinsville Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for May 8-9 and rescheduling without fans in attendance for June 10.

• Michigan International Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for June 5-7 and the rescheduling to a doubleheader weekend on Aug. 7-9 without fans in attendance.

• Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for May 29-30. The race has since been canceled. 

• NASCAR Hall of Fame and team shops: Read here to learn about how the Hall and teams are taking precautions and closing to the public.

• New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders regarding the moving of the Cup race from July 19 to August 2. Read the message about track allowing fans via social distancing guidelines for Aug. 2 race.

• Pocono Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about holding June 26-28 race weekend without fans. 

• Richmond Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the April 17-19 race weekend cancellation. Message to fans and ticket-holders about the Sept. 10-12 race weekend to be run without fans. 

• Sonoma Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the June 12-14 race weekend cancellation.

• Talladega Superspeedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for April 24-26 and rescheduling for June 20-21. See the track message about limited fan attendance for the June 21 GEICO 500. 

• Texas Motor Speedway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the postponements for March 27-29 and the rescheduling to July 18-19. See the track message regarding fans being allowed at the track for the July 19 O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

• Watkins Glen International: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the Aug. 14-16 race weekend cancellation.

• World Wide Technology Raceway: Message to fans and ticket-holders about the change in race weekend for the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series to August 30.

• Racing Electronics: Message to subscribers about postponed NASCAR events.

• Wood Brothers Racing: Providing tablets for seniors; find out more.

• Richard Childress Racing: Team owner Richard Childress is auctioning off rare memorabilia to help the effort against COVID-19; learn more here.

• Roush Fenway Racing: The race team’s shop is manufacturing a device similar to that of a “sneeze guard” at a salad bar; learn more here.

• Team Penske: The organization is assisting Stratasys — a technical partner for Team Penske — by making 3D-printed face shields at the race shop.

• TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold: Free access to racing fans through May 1; find out more here.

MORE: NASCAR Acceleration Nation offers at-home STEM learning

NASCAR TIMELINE

  • August 6: NASCAR set the remainder of its 2020 schedule including the playoff schedules for the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. The Cup Playoffs were unchanged while there were a handful of changes to the tracks that will make up the Xfinity and Gander Trucks postseasons. The lineup formula for all three national series was altered with that adjustment taking place starting with the Daytona Road Course race weekend on Aug. 14-16. A choose rule will also be in play for restarts across all three national series with the exception of road courses and the superspeedways of Daytona and Talladega and that rule will take effect starting with the Michigan race weekend on Aug. 7-9.
  • July 8: NASCAR set the remainder of its August schedule that will include six NASCAR Cup Series races, five NASCAR Xfinity Series race, four Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races and four ARCA Menards Series races. All four series will race at the Daytona road course, which takes the place at Watkins Glen International on the schedule.
  • June 15: The NASCAR All-Star Race shifts from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Bristol Motor Speedway. The plan is to have a limited number of fans in attendance for the July 15 event. 
  • June 9: NASCAR reveals its third round of 2020 schedule updates that includes events at Pocono Raceway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
  • May 14: NASCAR adds to its return to racing schedule with dates at Bristol Motor Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. NASCAR also announces plans to reassign 2020 races at Iowa Speedway and postpones spring race weekends at Kansas Speedway, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Michigan International Speedway.
  • May 8: NASCAR reassigns 2020 races at Chicagoland Speedway, Sonoma Raceway and Richmond Raceway to new COVID-19 schedule.
  • May 5: NASCAR postpones Hall of Fame voting originally scheduled for May 20. 
  • April 30: NASCAR announces revised May schedule with racing set to return at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
  • April 17: NASCAR postpones race event at Martinsville Speedway scheduled for May 8-9.
  • April 2: NASCAR delays the Next Gen car debut until the 2022 NASCAR Cup series season.
  • March 24: FOX announces commitment to air eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.
  • March 17: NASCAR bans all testing (not directly related to the Next Gen car) until further notice.
  • March 16: NASCAR postpones race events through May 3, in accordance with recent CDC guidance.
  • March 13: NASCAR postpones race weekends at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway because of the coronavirus outbreak.

JAYSKI: NASCAR expands its partnership with Clean Harbors

SCHEDULE UPDATES

NASCAR HALL OF FAME/RACE SHOPS

DRIVER RESPONSE

  • Denny Hamlin: Hamlin and sponsor FedEx are teaming up to donate 60,000 meals to the food bank in his hometown of Chesterfield, Virginia. | LEARN MORE …. Hamlin is the latest athlete to join the ALL IN Challenge, which has pegged itself as the largest digital fundraiser ever. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver and three-time Daytona 500 winner announced Tuesday he’s offering up the opportunity to play Michael Jordan’s new exclusive golf club in Florida alongside himself and PGA Tour’s Bubba Watson. That’s not all. In addition to the round of golf, the package will feature a private flight and VIP access to the 2021 Daytona 500. | LEARN MORE
  • Kyle Busch: Like Hamlin, the reigning Cup Series champion has joined Fanatics’ ALL IN Challenge, offering up a VIP experience for two guests to a future race. | LEARN MORE
  • Watch as drivers give thanks to those fighting COVID-19
  • Kurt Busch: Joins the ALL IN Challenge by offering a dream Las Vegas race weekend that is up for bid. | LEARN MORE
  • Joey Logano: The Joey Logano Foundation in partnership with Elevation Outreach has established a $1 million COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. The funding will address a variety of needs throughout the greater Charlotte area and communities across the United States, including educational equity and access, medical supplies, food distribution and financial shortages. | LEARN MORE
  • Jimmie Johnson: The seven-time champ has set up a fundraising effort for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Inc. where anyone who donates at least $25 will be entered to win signed Jimmie Johnson race-worn shoes. The winner will be selected randomly at the conclusion of the fundraising period after May 1. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Inc. is an organization that has started the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund which focuses on supporting local nonprofit organizations working in areas identified as having high numbers of affected individuals and those who are working with the most vulnerable populations in these areas to help build their capacity for response. Learn more about the efforts | DONATE TODAY
  • How industry, drivers, partners are responding to coronavirus

eNASCAR

NASCAR and iRacing announced the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition esports series featuring many of the sport’s most talented and popular drivers. The multi-week series kicked off March 22 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway and continued while NASCAR regulars were away from the track. | More about the series

Make iRacing picks with the eNASCAR Finish Line app

FOX commits to televising Pro Invitational Series iRacing events

THROWBACK RACES ON YOUTUBE

Check back with us regularly as we unearth some gems from our vault for your viewing enjoyment.

  • This week’s race: Tim Richmond outduels Dale Earnhardt in 1986 at Riverside for Richmond’s seventh win of the season. | WATCH

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION

Posted on by PJ Walsh

The Action Network specializes in providing sports betting insights/analytics and is a content partner with NASCAR. Check out more NASCAR betting analysis here.

In the final race before cars return to the track on May 17 at Darlington Raceway, the Pro Invitational Series will visit North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Not familiar with it? Again, you’re not alone.

While attending Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, I passed this racetrack more times than I can count, however, the NASCAR Cup Series has not hosted an event at North Wilkesboro since Sept. 29, 1996.

But thanks to iRacing, this track is coming back to life, albeit digitally, for Saturday’s North Wilkesboro 160 (3 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1 and FOX Sports App).

The big news this week is that a handful of Pro Invitational Series regulars are sitting out to get ready for Darlington, including William Byron, who has won the last three races. This opens the door for other drivers to make their way to Victory Lane, and here are two that I’m betting to do just that.

NASCAR iRacing North Wilkesboro 160 Odds, Picks

*Odds as Saturday at 7 a.m. ET

Denny Hamlin (+700) to Win

When Hamlin is engaged, he’s one of the best at iRacing and boy has he been engaged this week.

North Wilkesboro is new to iRacing, meaning everyone came into this week with the same amount of experience at the track … none. That provides a huge advantage for the drivers putting in practice time this week, and Hamlin has been making plenty of laps at virtual North Wilkesboro to prepare for today’s race.

In Hamlin we get a very experienced sim racer, who is putting in the time to get ready, in a race without Byron. Be sure to shop the market and grab nothing short of 7-1 odds.

[Bet now at DraftKings. NJ, PA, IN and WV only.]

Ryan Preece (+700) to Win

Preece has quietly been one of the best drivers in the iRacing Pro Invitational Series, leading the second-most laps (trailing only Byron) this season.

RELATED: Laps led in the Pro Invitational Series 

He has also been seen practicing throughout the week at North Wilkesboro, giving us a second skilled sim racer making sure he’s prepared for race day. In addition to Byron not racing, the Pro Invitational Series’ second-best performer, Timmy Hill, has to start the race at the rear of the field after finishing in the top three last week.

The combination of Preece and Hamlin gives us two drivers who can take control of this race early, which is huge in short, caution-filled iRacing events.

[Bet now at PointsBet. NJ and IN only.]

Posted on by Alex Weaver

Recording artist Chase Rice will perform a virtual pre-race concert Saturday before the seventh eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at historic North Wilkesboro Speedway. Rice will join NASCAR.com digital host Alex Weaver for the online event to chat about the upcoming race and the release of his new project, The Album Part II, due out May 15.

RELATED: iRacing finale stacked with talent | Official details, entry list for North Wilkesboro

With more than 1.7 million albums sold and at least 1.3 billion total streams, plus a legion of passionate fans at his high-energy concerts across the globe, Rice has established himself as a powerful force in Nashville, Tennessee, and beyond. Rice’s music features chart-topping hits: “Eyes On You” — Rice’s first No. 1 as an artist and the most-streamed song of his career with more than 350 million streams — and a pair of top-five hits in “Ready Set Roll” and “Gonna Wanna Tonight.”

A former NASCAR pit-crew member himself, Rice will entertain fans with his music before the Pro Invitational Series finale. The race, which is set to air at 3 p.m. ET on FOX (check local listings), FS1 and the FOX Sports App, will feature some of NASCAR’s biggest names, including Jeff Gordon, returning to the iconic old-school track.

Rice joins the list of virtual pre-race acts since the Pro Invitational Series was conceived and developed in advance of the Dixie Vodka 150 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 22. Tim Dugger, Cole Swindell, Justin Moore, Cody Cannon of Whiskey Myers and Randy Owen of supergroup Alabama have all played a virtual pre-race show for the events, with Travis Denning taking the reins last week.

Fans can catch the virtual pre-race concert Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on NASCAR’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR officials released stage lengths and at-track schedules Friday for the revised Cup Series slate this month at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, including that the information for the mandatory drivers and crew chiefs meetings will be distributed electronically.

Competition officials revealed stage lengths for the three new races added to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The events were developed as the sanctioning body seeks out one-day events close to the industry’s Charlotte-area hub in an effort to resume operations as stay-at-home orders related to the COVID-19 health crisis begin to loosen.

MORE: Revised May schedule announced

Stage lengths for the seven new races added to the 2020 national series schedule:

Date Venue Series Distance Stages Network Start
Sun., May 17 Darlington Cup Series 400.2 miles 90-185-293 laps FOX 3:30 p.m. ET
Tue., May 19 Darlington Xfinity Series 200.1 miles 45-90-147 laps FS1 8 p.m. ET
Wed., May 20 Darlington Cup Series 311.4 miles 60-125-228 laps FS1 7:30 p.m. ET
Sun., May 24 Charlotte Cup Series 600 miles 100-200-300-400 laps FOX 6 p.m. ET
Mon., May 25 Charlotte Xfinity Series 300 miles 45-90-200 laps FS1 7:30 p.m. ET
Tue., May 26 Charlotte Gander Trucks 201 miles 30-60-134 laps FS1 8 p.m. ET
Wed., May 27 Charlotte Cup Series 312 miles 55-115-208 laps FS1 8 p.m. ET

Stage lengths for the Coca-Cola 600, which keeps its originally scheduled May 24 race date at the Charlotte track, will remain at 100, 200 and 300 laps with the full 600-mile distance set to end at 400 laps.

MORE: Stage lengths for 2020 NASCAR national series

Events in May for the Xfinity and Gander Trucks Series will follow the same stage lengths laid out in the preseason for each track. For the NASCAR Xfinity Series, that means stages of 45-90-147 laps at Darlington on May 19 and 45-90-200 for Charlotte on May 25. The NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race scheduled for Charlotte on May 26 is set for stage lengths of 30-60-134 laps.

The revised race schedules include details on the at-track logistics of holding events with health-safety protocols in place. Those include information that would normally be presented in driver and crew chief meetings and rookie orientation meetings for each series to be distributed by electronic communication.

Access to the track will be restricted to essential personnel, with health screening procedures in place each day.

As previously announced, these events will have no practice or qualifying — except for Busch Pole Qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600, which will be held at 2:05 p.m. ET on May 24. Teams will be allotted a 60- or 90-minute window for priming engines and making final adjustments to their cars from their spot on the pre-race starting grid.

NASCAR Cup Series haulers are set to enter Darlington on May 16 at 5:30 p.m. ET to set up for the first race back the next day. In subsequent Darlington events, the haulers for each series will load in and load out on race day. A similar schedule is in place for Charlotte events.

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Kyle Long felt on top of the world at the start of the 2016 NFL season. Entering his fourth year with the Chicago Bears, the former offensive lineman was fresh off of three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. He had even recently bought a house in Lake Forrest, Illinois, where his team headquartered.

A season-ending ankle injury Week 10 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers then brought Long down from that high.

“When you’re home and you’re by yourself and you’re injured, that’s about as lonely as it gets,” Long told NASCAR.com. “You can’t even go to Starbucks to go say hello or whatever. You’re stuck at home. You’re looking for anything to do.

“Then, all of a sudden, you get on iRacing and you notice there’s an entire community of people coming together to create something that’s really magical.”

RELATED: How to get involved in iRacing

Long, a Virginia native who never claimed to be a diehard NASCAR fan growing up, became hooked.

“iRacing has provided the opportunity for me to feel what these drivers feel in preparation for a race, to understand the communication between a spotter and a driver,” said Long, who has his own Twitch stream. “I understand the respect between even the most heated of rivalries because of the nature of the sport, the inherent danger.”

Much like football.

Speaking of, Long returned to the gridiron in 2017 but missed games in each of the next three seasons before ultimately retiring from the sport at the end of the 2019 schedule. During those years, he continued his iRacing endeavors.

Long partnered up with Mode Media House and Mode Motorsports owner JR Rodriguez, who was actually the one to originally suggest iRacing to Long when sidelined, and together, they fielded a two-driver team in the 2019 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. Jake Nichols and Phillip Diaz are their pilots. They finished 13th and 22nd in last year’s standings, respectively.

The Coca-Cola iRacing Series’ next race is Tuesday at virtual Charlotte Motor Speedway. Nichols currently ranks 10th, while Diaz sits 26th.

“They wanted to be in … the Coca-Cola Series forever, and now they’re in it,” Long said. “I feel like I’m proud of that. So many people try to get into this stuff.”

Long himself is even in a league: the LeafFilter Replacements iRacing Series. It’s an eight-race bi-weekly showdown that features a variety of names. Former 15-time Most Popular Driver winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in it, along with full-time NASCAR Cup Series drivers William Byron and Bubba Wallace. Crew chief Chad Knaus and spotters TJ Majors, Coleman Pressley and Josh Williams take their turns behind the wheel, along with some other team personnel. Oh, and country music star Tim Dugger drives, too, so Long isn’t the only non-NASCAR name.

That series for Long is more so about having fun and learning from some of the best. Long tries not to get in the way, unless he feels like his car is truly competitive. Then he goes for the win.

Overall on iRacing, Long has tallied 57 victories — 26 in each of the oval and road-course settings, along with five in global rallycross. His car is No. 75, the same number Long’s NFL jersey sported.

“It’s a unique experience to be able to just dive into something,” Long said. “You don’t know how deep it is. You don’t know what the temperature is. You don’t know what the consistency of the liquid is. But we dove headfirst into NASCAR, and I got to tell you: Come on in, the water is fine.”

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR Cup Series driver Joey Logano joined an exclusive club Thursday morning — two-time dad.

Logano and wife Brittany welcomed son Jameson Jett Logano on May 7, with the Team Penske driver throwing in some racing vernacular in his Twitter post announcing the news.

The Loganos have another son, Hudson, who was born in January 2018.

Congratulations to the Loganos!

Posted on by Staff Report

NASCAR is teaming up with “The Real Heroes Project” to recognize and honor the courage of front-line workers who have stepped up and put others before themselves throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

After NASCAR and the rest of the sports world were sidelined in the beginning of March, athletes from 14 professional sports leagues got busy and came together to honor the real heroes using various social media platforms, community outreach and their charities. These everyday sports heroes flipped the script and became the fans for a change.

Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch and 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick are the drivers participating in “The Real Heroes Project” by honoring a special healthcare hero who is helping the community on forefront of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Real Heroes Project” also invites sports fans to join these world-class athletes on social media and dedicate their personal jerseys and team apparel to a frontline individual using the hashtag #TheRealHeroes.

“Recognizing heroes and honoring those who serve, whether its members of the military or first responders, has always been very true to the DNA of our sport, our competitors, and of course, our fans,” said Jill Gregory, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing and content officer.

RELATED: NASCAR returns on May 17 | NASCAR joins ‘The Real Heroes Project’

The multi-league public service announcement debuted across league and team platforms on Wednesday.

The PSA features athletes, including Busch and Harvick, recognizing heroes working on the front lines across the country and honoring them by sporting their names on the athletes’ most recognizable gear – their uniforms. The campaign also includes New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge and United States Women’s National Soccer Team stars Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan, among many other superstar athletes across both sports and esports.

On Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing Busch Beer fire suit is Dr. Josh Hughes, an emergency medicine physician with the Mid-Atlantic Emergency Medical Associates practice and the assistant director of the emergency department at Novant Health Presbyterian in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“My day-to-day is driven by what I did beforehand, and that is taking care of sick and injured patients in our community,” Hughes said. “In the emergency department this means triaging patients, working towards a diagnosis, treating and stabilizing patients and then determining a disposition for them, whether that be at home or in the hospital. 

“With COVID-19, there are, of course, additional challenges and considerations. I have to constantly consider whether a patient could have COVID-19 regardless of their presenting symptoms, and be more vigilant about keeping myself and staff safe.”

Harvick is a friend of Dr. Hughes and has made a point to be a support system during the COVID-19 situation.

“Kevin and I enjoy road bicycling,” Hughes said. “He’s been a great friend to me and I’m not sure I’d be dealing with the COVID-19 anxiety as well as I have been without the many rides we’ve been on during this.”

Hughes and his wife, Noel, have an 8-year-old son named Dixon and a 5-year-old daughter Ellie, and he is thankful for the support system his family has provided.

Meanwhile, Busch is honoring another vital person in the fight against COVID-19. The PSA features the No. 18 driver adding “EMT Heather Pleasant” to the back of his Joe Gibbs Racing M&M’s fire suit.

Pleasant is an avid NASCAR fan whose favorite driver is Busch. She and her husband, Chad, are both EMTs where they live in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with their three children. The couple continues to serve on the front lines as first responders, helping to transport patients with COVID-19 symptoms to area hospitals.

RELATED: How industry has responded to COVID-19 response

In addition to the symbolic gestures associated with “The Real Heroes” campaign, the NASCAR industry has stepped up in other ways throughout the crisis.

NASCAR has been utilizing 3D printers at the Research & Development Center located in Concord, North Carolina, to produce face shields for healthcare workers. In total, 2,000 face shields have been sent around the country for medical professionals.

Several well-known drivers participated in a public service announcement to thank the front-line individuals, encouraging people to stay home and social distance. FOX, NBC Sports and other channels joined the effort by airing the PSA for support. 

And while the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series has been entertaining fans in the absence of on-track activity, each week The NASCAR Foundation has teamed with charities or foundations affiliated with the local tracks to lend a helping hand to those affected by the pandemic. Most recently, the Foundation joined the #GivingTuesdayNow movement, standing together in unity with people around the world sharing the same mission of helping children in need.

The Pro Invitational Series will wrap up this Saturday in the debut of iRacing’s virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway. The race will air at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1 and the FOX Sports App.

Posted on by Holly Cain

In a much-applauded, highly-anticipated schedule move, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – featuring many of the sport’s top competitors – will conclude its inaugural run with the North Wilkesboro 160 at the virtual North Wilkesboro Speedway on Saturday, May 9 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX (where available and subject to change), FS1 and the FOX Sports app.

Jeff Gordon, who won the last NASCAR Cup Series race at the historic former stop on the series schedule (Sept. 29, 1996), will again step away from his FOX Sports commentating duties to compete in the virtual race this week. 

“It’ll be hard to top my last race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, but I’m going to give it a try,” Gordon said in confirming his entry on Twitter this week.

RELATED: Complete entry list | Relive the last Cup race at North Wilkesboro 

Joining him on the grid is Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is largely responsible for getting the iRacing Series to add the historic North Carolina 0.625-mile oval as a virtual track option. In December, Earnhardt and friends from the racing industry cleaned up the vacant facility and prepped the track. The mostly-retired two-time Daytona 500 winner even got behind the wheel of some heavy equipment himself – all with the goal of refurbishing the one-time popular venue to be scanned and added to the iRacing group of tracks.

Martin Truex Jr., the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will be making his eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series debut in the No. 19 Toyota. And Jon Wood, a third-generation member of the legendary Wood Brothers Racing family will steer their No. 21 Ford in place of the team’s current NASCAR Cup Series driver Matt DiBenedetto this week. William Byron – a three-time eNASCAR iRacing Invitational Series race winner – will not be competing this week – in fact, none of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates are either. 

There is a certain amount of irony in this week’s track stop – essentially a merger between NASCAR’s historic roots and its modern-day technical opportunity.

RELATED: Pro Invitational Series Power Rankings | See the schemes for the weekend

This level of virtual competition would have been unthinkable to the drivers who turned so many laps on the track during NASCAR’s early heyday. Bob Flock won the first North Wilkesboro Speedway NASCAR Cup Series race in October of 1949. And the history of the track features some of the sport’s most interesting milestones.

For example, Lee Petty (1959-60), Rex White (1960-61) and Richard Petty (1962-63) each won three consecutive races in a nine-race span. NASCAR Hall of Famer Darrell Waltrip set a one-of-a-kind mark – winning five straight races from 1981-1983. He also won six of seven as well. The late Tim Richmond was the only driver to steal one away during that particular Waltrip hot streak, winning in the spring, 1984 only to have “DW” return to Victory Lane that October.

And as he does at so many venues, seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty holds the win record at North Wilkesboro Speedway – hoisting 15 trophies; the first in 1962 and the last in 1981.

Gordon’s win in the final NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway was indicative of the greatness of that era as well – a race decided by NASCAR Hall of Famers or newly-nominated candidates. Gordon took the checkered flag by 1.73-seconds over the late Dale Earnhardt. Dale Jarrett, Jeff Burton and Terry Labonte rounded out the top five that day. The win padded Gordon’s championship lead to 111 points over Labonte and 182 on Earnhardt but Gordon was ultimately unable to keep Labonte from overtaking him for the championship that Fall.

This week’s race certainly has a highly-motivated entry list as well including this year’s Daytona 500 winner and virtual Homestead race winner Denny Hamlin. Reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch will compete alongside former Cup champions Kevin Harvick and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte.

RELATED: Remembering North Wilkesboro

Timmy Hill, who has earned a lot of recognition for his iRacing prowess, is eager to finish the series on a high note before the NASCAR Cup Series schedule resumes at Darlington Raceway next weekend.

Hill has a victory (at virtual Texas) and five top-three finishes in the series’ six iRacing events and expects this week’s race to be as competitive as ever – despite the newness of the venue to so many. Other than Gordon, none of this week’s drivers have competed in a NASCAR Cup Series race at the track.

“I have never been there in real life or on iRacing,” Hill said Wednesday of the track. “So I’ve yet to turn laps on it.

“They [iRacing] just released it to the drivers who are participating this weekend. I was just tied up yesterday. I might get on this evening to run a few laps, maybe some tomorrow. It’s fair game.”

This entry list and classic locale certainly seems like a fitting back-drop to wave the checkered flag on the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and ready the green flag for on-track racing at Darlington. Hill and three-time winner Byron have certainly claimed a large and hard-earned share of the spotlight and he sees that as a welcome by-product as he prepares to climb into his real time No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota. 

“I think it’s definitely a confidence booster,” Hill said of his eNASCAR iRacing run during the downtime. “It gives you experience, makes yourself happy, motivated and also makes your team happy. I know speaking personally, our team MBM, they’re ecstatic that we have gotten this much publicity.

“Everybody’s talking about the success we had. Even though I’m the one driving the car, I feel like we all share the success together. I couldn’t be more thankful. We’re going into Darlington geared up. Everyone’s ecstatic, happy to go. We’re all ready to get back to racing.”

Hill will certainly need to use the enthusiastic boost this weekend. The third-place finisher last week, he and race runner-up Christopher Bell will be starting at the rear of Saturday’s grid. The race will be 160-laps with one ‘reset’. Cautions will be called manually. There will be three attempts at a Green-White-Checkered finish if necessary. And the top-10 qualifiers will be inverted at race start. Qualifying will take place at 2:50 p.m. – just before the 3 p.m. telecast start.

The popular Friday Night Thunder will take place at another popular NASCAR short track, virtual Martinsville Speedway. The race – featuring the best of NASCAR’s Xfinity and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck series – will be 125 laps with a 30-car field. Four 10-lap heat races set the first 24 spots on the grid and a 15-lap last-chance qualifier will fill the remaining six positions. The main event is at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on eNASCAR.com/live or on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

The 1996 season was the final year the NASCAR Cup Series ran at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The final race at the track that year came down to two of the biggest names in stock-car racing: “Wonderboy” Jeff Gordon and the worst thing to see in your rearview mirror since police lights, “The Intimidator” Dale Earnhardt.

That’s exactly what Gordon was facing in the closing stages of the 1996 Tyson Holly Farms 400. With the laps counting down, Earnhardt was charging, hungry for any type of momentum the No. 3 team could scrape up after an 11-race stretch with no top-five finishes. That same stretch saw Earnhardt drop from the points lead to fourth in the standings.

RELATED: Full race results | North Wilkesboro racing history | Memorable moments

However, Gordon wasn’t fazed and he never let Earnhardt get close enough to make a move. Gordon went on to win the final NASCAR Cup Series race at North Wilkesboro for his 10th victory of the season — his first of three straight seasons with at least 10 wins. The win was his third straight and kept him in the points lead over Terry Labonte. “Texas Terry” would take back the points lead back for good with two races to go after the series’ race at Rockingham.

Relive the 1996 Tyson Holly Farms 400 in this week’s NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay, and don’t miss the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series‘ virtual trip to North Wilkesboro on Saturday, May 9 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX* (check local listings), FS1 and FOX Sports App.