NASCAR announces revised May schedule as racing returns beginning at Darlington Raceway

Posted on April 30, 2020April 30, 2020 by Brad Norman

NASCAR is scheduled to make its return to racing on Sunday, May 17, at Darlington Raceway with a NASCAR Cup Series race that will serve as the first of seven races over an 11-day span at two different race tracks throughout May, the sanctioning body announced Thursday.

The race at the historic South Carolina track will be held without fans in attendance and is slated to be NASCAR’s first on-track action in more than two months as the sport and world in general have been on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The May 17 race is a 400-miler, scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET, live on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. It also is the first of three races at the track, including a second Cup Series race held midweek under the lights three days later.

The May schedule also includes the crown jewel Coca-Cola 600 in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend home for the 60th consecutive season, plus midweek races in prime time.

Below are the races announced Thursday:

Date	Series	Venue	Distance	Network	Start
Sun., May 17	Cup Series	Darlington	400 miles	FOX	3:30 p.m. ET
Tue., May 19	Xfinity Series	Darlington	200 miles	FS1	8 p.m. ET
Wed., May 20	Cup Series	Darlington	500 km	FS1	7:30 p.m. ET
Sun., May 24	Cup Series	Charlotte	600 miles	FOX	6 p.m. ET
Mon., May 25	Xfinity Series	Charlotte	300 miles	FS1	7:30 p.m. ET
Tue., May 26	Gander Trucks	Charlotte	200 miles	FS1	8 p.m. ET
Wed., May 27	Cup Series	Charlotte	500 km	FS1	8 p.m. ET

“NASCAR and its teams are eager and excited to return to racing, and have great respect for the responsibility that comes with a return to competition,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “NASCAR will return in an environment that will ensure the safety of our competitors, officials and all those in the local community. We thank local, state and federal officials and medical experts, as well as everyone in the industry, for the unprecedented support in our return to racing, and we look forward to joining our passionate fans in watching cars return to the track.”

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 the above events. All races will be strictly tailored, in every way, to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Event procedures will be significantly modified in accordance with CDC, OSHA and state and local government recommendations — including hosting one-day shows at the above tracks, which are all within driving distance of North Carolina race shops to minimize travel and time spent in a community.

There will be no practice sessions for any event, and qualifying will only be held for the Coca-Cola 600.

Other adjustments include mandating the use of protective equipment, health screenings for all individuals before entering the facility and maintaining social distancing protocols throughout the event.

Of note, the May 17 race — and then the May 20 Cup Series race at Darlington — will not replace the scheduled Southern 500 on Labor Day Weekend, the opener of the NASCAR Playoffs. NASCAR intends to keep its 10-race postseason format and tracks involved unchanged, but the situation remains fluid.

No dates beyond May 27 have been announced, but NASCAR officials have said on multiple occasions that the sanctioning body intends to run a full 36-race NASCAR Cup Series slate in 2020.

Additional schedule updates specific to tracks that have had races postponed, and are not part of this new May schedule, will be revealed at a later date.

MORE: A special look at Darlington Raceway in the springtime

NASCAR’s most recent race of the 2020 season saw Joey Logano win his second event of the year at Phoenix Raceway on March 8, the fourth race weekend of the season.

The series was slated to visit Atlanta Motor Speedway the following weekend, but worldwide impact from the novel coronavirus led to NASCAR postponing the Atlanta weekend and the ensuing race weekend, scheduled to be at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

In response to public health officials’ advice regarding the outbreak of coronavirus in the United States and abroad, ensuing races scheduled for Texas Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Talladega Superspeedway, Dover International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway later were postponed as well.

Posted on April 29, 2020April 29, 2020 by Staff Report

NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham is ready to take you back in time with some of the most iconic names in the sport. Now, all you have to do is log onto TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold, starting Wednesday, in order to get all 16 episodes of Evernham’s “Glory Road.”

Hear from legends like Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott, Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett — and more — as Evernham takes them on a ride to explore NASCAR’s historic tracks in a way that will nourish your grass-roots-racing soul.

Find out how NASCAR was done back in the day and how some of those same foundations are still true today in behind-the-scenes interviews told like only those who are closest to the action are able to convey.

For a limited time, TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold is free, perfect for a time when most of us are at home and looking for binge-watching options.

Find out more about TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and start watching Glory Road today.

Posted on April 29, 2020May 2, 2020 by Staff Report

Next up for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is Dover International Speedway’s virtual Monster Mile for Sunday’s eNASCAR Finish Line 150. Hendrick Motorsports will try to make it four wins in a row after Alex Bowman was victorious last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and William Byron won the previous two eNASCAR races at Richmond Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway.

While the younger Hendrick drivers continue to make gains on the virtual tracks, it’s the team’s elder statesman, Jimmie Johnson, who owns a record 11 wins at the concrete, 1-mile track in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Coverage of Sunday’s eNASCAR Finish Line 150 will start at 1 p.m. ET on FOX (where available), FS1 and the FOX Sports App. This will be the sixth race in the inaugural Pro Invitational Series as iRacing continues to fill a void for on-track action due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The race procedures for this week’s event will be as follows: 150 laps, one reset, manual cautions and three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish. Qualifying will consist of two laps of single-car runs to set the initial grid, with the top 10 inverted. The top three finishers from Talladega (Bowman, Corey LaJoie and Ryan Preece) will be relegated to the back of the starting lineup. Green flag time is approximately 1:13 p.m. ET.

In addition to television coverage, you can also follow the race on our live leaderboard here. Please bookmark that page and come back Sunday.

While you’re waiting for the race to begin, be sure to log into the NASCAR Finish Line app and play for your chance to win $5,000. It’s free to play.

As in previous weeks, a Saturday Night Thunder program will precede Sunday’s race. The program will start at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday with a live stream at eNASCAR.com/live and NASCAR’s YouTube channel. The feature race will be 125 laps long and include drivers from other NASCAR national series and other NASCAR divisions competing in Xfinity Series cars.

Qualifying will consist of single-car runs and the field will be capped at 26 drivers. There will be four heat races that are 10 laps each to determine the starting grid for the main event.

Here are the entry lists for Saturday Night Thunder and Sunday’s iRacing Pro Invitational Series at Dover (subject to changes):

Pro Invitational Series

No.	Name	Team
1	Kurt Busch	Ganassi
2	Brad Keselowski	Penske
3	Austin Dillon	RCR
4	Kevin Harvick	SHR
6	Ross Chastain	Roush
8	Dale Earnhardt Jr	Invitation
10	Aric Almirola	SHR
11	Denny Hamlin	JGR
12	Ryan Blaney	Penske
13	Ty Dillon	Germain
15	Brennan Poole	Premium
17	Chris Buescher	Roush
18	Kyle Busch	JGR
19	Bobby Labonte	Invitation
20	Erik Jones	JGR
21	Matt DiBenedetto	Wood Bros.
22	Joey Logano	Penske
24	William Byron	HMS
31	Tyler Reddick	RCR
32	Corey LaJoie	GoFas
34	Michael McDowell	Front Row
37	Ryan Preece	JTG
38	John Hunter Nemechek	Front Row
41	Cole Custer	SHR
48	Jimmie Johnson	HMS
49	Chad Finchum	MBM
51	Garrett Smithley	Invitation
52	JJ Yeley	Rick Ware
53	Joey Gase	Rick Ware
66	Timmy Hill	Invitation
77	Parker Kligerman	Invitation
78	Regan Smith	Invitation
88	Alex Bowman	HMS
89	Landon Cassill	Invitation
95	Christopher Bell	LFR
96	Daniel Suarez	Gaunt Bros.

Saturday Night Thunder

Name	Car No.
Alex Labbe	90
Angela Ruch	OO
Anthony Alfredo	33
Austin Cindric	22
Bayley Currey	74
Blake Koch	57
Brandon Brown	68
Brett Moffitt	23
Chase Briscoe	98
Chase Cabre	4
Christian Eckes	81
CJ Mclaughlin	39
Derek Kraus	19
Donny Lia	O7
Drew Dollar	O15
Drew Herring	3
Elliott Sadler	O99
Gus Dean	56
Jeb Burton	8
Jeffrey Earnhardt	50
Jesse Iwuji	36
Joe Graf Jr.	80
Josh Berry	88
Josh Bilicki	99
Josh Williams	92
Justin Allgaier	7
Justin Haley	11
Kaz Grala	29
Landon Huffman	75
Logan Seavey	67
Matt Mills	5
Michael Annett	1
Myatt Snider	93
Noah Gragson	9
Raphael Lessard	O4
Ruben Garcia	27
Ryan Ellis	78
Ryan Truex	40
Ryan Vargas	51
Sam Mayer	21
Scott Stenzel	63
Sheldon Creed	74
Spencer Boyd	0 2
Stephen Leicht	25
Stewart Friesen	52
Thad Moffitt	46
Todd Gilliland	38
Tommy Joe Martins	44
Ty Majeski	45
Tyler Ankrum	26
Will Rodgers	55

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials have granted Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman waivers for eligibility in the 2020 Cup Series playoffs.

The two drivers missed races at the start of the season but have been confirmed to compete full time once the racing schedule resumes after the coronavirus outbreak begins to subside. The waivers were announced Tuesday afternoon.

Playoff eligibility hinges on drivers competing in all 36 Cup Series races and maintaining at least a top-30 ranking in the points standings. The waiver removes the first of those two requirements. Drivers qualify for one of the 16 berths by either winning a regular-season race or being among the top points earners without a win.

RELATED: Cup Series points standings

Kenseth’s waiver comes one day after Chip Ganassi Racing announced his return to NASCAR’s top division as the new driver of its No. 42 Chevrolet. The former series champ replaces Kyle Larson, who was indefinitely suspended by NASCAR and dismissed by Ganassi after his use of a racial slur during an iRacing event April 12.

MORE: Kenseth back behind the wheel

Kenseth’s last Cup Series start came in 2018 and he began this year without a ride, but he and Ganassi indicated Monday he plans to finish the 2020 season in the No. 42.

Newman has been out of action since he was seriously injured in a final-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in February. He missed the last three Cup Series races before the coronavirus pandemic forced the sports world’s work stoppage.

MORE: Newman cleared, set to return

During an iRacing broadcast that aired Sunday on FOX Sports, Newman said he planned to return to the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford once the racing schedule resumes. NASCAR officials provided medical clearance the next day. Despite sitting out three races during his recovery, Newman ranks 29th in Cup Series points with his ninth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway.

Posted on April 28, 2020April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Ten years ago Gina Schild-Knowles started a Texas Racing Facebook page, where fans can post photos of old tracks around the state and share their stories and memories.

“Let‘s say it a picture of a wreck, and you get like so many different stories from someone that was a kid in the stands eating his hot dog, or someone that was there in the pits watching the race or a pit crew member or the two that are involved. It’s really, really unique,” Schild-Knowles said.

It’s those memories Schild-Knowles is hoping to recreate for race fans, both new and old, at Houston Motorsports Park. In July, Schild-Knowles and her husband took over the lease for the 3/8-mile banked asphalt oval track in Houston, and she’s the promoter of the Texas Short Track Racing Series there. The track will be going NASCAR-sanctioned this year for the first time in a decade.

Houston Motorsports Park closed down and didn’t host a race for a few years a before Raymond Delahoussaye decided to open it back up a little over two years ago, with very minimal racing. Delahoussaye and another friend called Schild-Knowles asking if she could help the track get some sponsors. She was able to get contributions from drivers and a corporate sponsorship from Advance Auto Parts, “and it just grew from there,” she said.

Houston Motorsports Park | Facebook | Twitter

Delahoussaye passed away last year, a few months after Schild-Knowles took over. It was important to her to keep the track open to give drivers in the area a place to race. HMP is the only asphalt short track in the state of Texas.

“Texas is a real hard state,” Schild-Knowles said. “We‘re a big football state. Racing, it comes on and it goes strong and it fades out.”

“It feels good to do this for the racers because if this track doesn‘t work, they‘ll have nowhere to race,” Schild-Knowles said. “And they‘ll be stuck with a lot of parts and a lot of cars and trucks and nothing to do with them. They won’t even be able to sell them because the closest track is far away so it devalues everything.

“Everyone I know that is involved in racing is like family. That kind of hurts my heart to think of them not having anywhere to go.”

Schild-Knowles was born into the world of racing. Her grandfather, uncles, dad, brothers, sons, cousin, basically everyone in her family raced.

“If you‘re a male in the Schild family and the Crofford family, you raced,” she said. “The women didn‘t get to race. I always told my stepfather that if he would have let me drive we would have been living in North Carolina and be very wealthy.”

Instead, Schild-Knowles went to school and studied marketing, a passion she said she gets from her mom, Sondra Crofford, who did all the marketing for the drivers in their family. Looking at marketing also helped Schild-Knowles see racing from a different perspective, and she learned how to run a track for the fans.

Texas Racing Facebook

After stepping away from the track for about three years to work in the corporate world in sales and have a daughter, it only took one trip to the track for Schild-Knowles to know where her heart truly belonged.

“The first time I went around it again, I think I got out of the car and I can remember it,” she said. “I heard the cars and it just hit me. Like, wow. This is what I should always be around in some capacity. Always. It just feels, I guess like home you could say. It just feels like I belong there.”

In the time since Schild-Knowles took over HMP, she’s worked to make changes that cater to the fans, like making sure races are over early and bringing in face painters and other entertainment specifically for kids. It wasn’t always easy to get the old school racers to conform to her new ideas, but she’s thankful they oblige and are willing to work with her to make sure the track is able to stick around.

Texas Short Track Racing Series | Facebook

She’s also found that the drivers are her biggest helpers. After Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, it was the drivers who helped clean up after the track’s offices were flooded, and they helped put up dry wall in the ticket office.

“All I have to do is ask the racers to come help and they help,” Schild-Knowles said. “They work with me. They know that we‘re still in a phase to where money is super tight. We‘re still trying to put it back on the map in Houston as a top venue to where we can get crowds coming consistently. I couldn’t ask for better racers. They really do cut me a lot of slack in this grace period and I greatly appreciate that. They‘re great people.”

Presenting a track both drivers and fans can be proud of is part of the reason Schild-Knowles wanted to invest in NASCAR sanctioning this season. HMP has a drag strip that is well-known, but being in one of the biggest cities in America, she wanted the race track to have a name and brand all on its own.

She was also able to invest more into the track thanks to Advance Auto and inkDOTS as sponsors. Having NASCAR sanctioning will be hugely beneficial to solidifying those relationships.

Everything Schild-Knowles does is in hopes that fans will be able to make new memories at HMP with stories that they can share among friends in the years to come.

Having drivers, fans, and sponsors on board is enough for her to know she’s on the right track.

“It‘s really good because all the drivers are on board, the fans give me comments. I don‘t solicit them, they email them to me,” she said. “It‘s fantastic. It really helps you know you‘re not guessing. You‘re on the right path because you‘re getting that feedback and you‘re growing. I guess it‘s the momentum that keeps you moving forward that‘s super important.

“Bottom line, I just did not want it to go away. I did not want that to happen. It was very sad to me the thought of that option.”

Schild-Knowles said she hopes to open the season on June 20, after delaying the season’s opening due to the coronavirus, with about two races per month through October. HMP will host Pro Trucks, Pro Mods, Outlaw Late Model, and Super Stocks as part of its NASCAR program, as well as Naskarts, Legacy, a limited schedule of Dwarfs, and Eco Stocks this season.

Posted on April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 by Staff Report

NASCAR officials gave driver Ryan Newman medical clearance Monday, officially opening the path to his return to the No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford once the 2020 Cup Series season resumes.

Newman indicated in a Sunday interview on FOX that he is healthy following a crash while battling Ryan Blaney and Denny Hamlin for the lead on the final lap of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway in February. He spent less than two days in the hospital before his release, walking out of Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, Florida, with his daughters by his side.

MORE: Newman indicates he’s ready to return

The 42-year-old driver initially announced he was ready to return to competition during Sunday’s FOX Sports broadcast of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Talladega Superspeedway. The next necessary step came Monday with a one-sentence update from NASCAR: “Ryan Newman has been medically cleared to resume all racing activities.”

For drivers to receive clearance to return to racing after an injury, NASCAR relies on medical experts to decide when a driver may resume activity without restrictions, which he has now received.

“That’s the absolute plan, for sure,” Newman told FOX Sports when asked about his return. “I’m healthy. I’ve been blessed with another layer of this situation giving me more time to heal and look forward to being back in the seat, for sure.”

Newman missed the three NASCAR Cup Series races following Daytona before the sport was forced to postpone due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview on NBC’s TODAY Show in March, Newman said he was diagnosed with a bruised brain and was unconscious in his car for a period after the wreck.

Newman is in his second year with Roush Fenway Racing. Last season, Newman drove the No. 6 Ford into the NASCAR Playoffs on the strength of solid, consistent finishes. The veteran known as “Rocket Man” has 18 wins and 51 Busch Pole Awards since his part-time debut in 2000.

Ross Chastain drove the No. 6 in Newman’s absence at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. He logged a best finish of 17th at Auto Club.

Posted on April 27, 2020April 27, 2020 by Track Release

CONCORD, N.C. (April 27, 2020) – Despite the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, Charlotte Motor Speedway is moving forward with plans to honor and recognize the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces through its third annual Mission 600 campaign.

In partnership with the Coca-Cola Racing Family of drivers and the U.S. Department of Defense, this year’s Mission 600 will take a different look. Instead of drivers donning camo fatigues and experiencing a day in the life of brave military heroes representing each of the five branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, they will instead offer virtual salutes through social media videos and connect with regional military bases online.

Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suárez and Ryan Newman are recording videos from home to salute the troops, while plans are underway with Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace for interactive virtual meetings with servicemen and women. In addition, the campaign, which launches today and runs through race day, will provide Coca-Cola Racing Family drivers a platform to recognize the fallen soldiers who will be honored with their names across racecar windshields during 600 Miles of Remembrance at the Coca-Cola 600.

“Mission 600 may look different this year, but the objective remains the same — to show the men and women who are on the front lines fighting and protecting our freedoms how much we appreciate them and all they do for our country,” said Greg Walter, executive vice president and general manager at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “This year the U.S. Armed Forces are also engaged in America’s fight against the coronavirus, so saying ‘thank you’ takes on even greater meaning. Until the time is right that we can honor our military at track again — and we all look forward to that day — hopefully this year’s virtual Mission 600 provides a few smiles and reminds both our U.S. Armed Forces and race fans around the world that brighter days are ahead.”

Fans can keep up with all the latest by following #Mission600 on social media.

Posted on April 27, 2020April 1, 2021 by Staff Report

Riverhead Raceway has always been an outlier when it comes to NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour success.

The quarter-mile track on the tip of Long Island has been a staple of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour since the inaugural season in 1985.

Over the years, the likes of Richie Evane, Mike Stefanik and Reggie Ruggiero visited Victory Lane. But the tight confines – and the fact the tour-type Modifieds is the track’s top division in its NASCAR Weekly Racing Series – has also been the great equalizer for the local drivers.

Mike Ewanitsko is the driver who took the greatest advantage. The North Babylon, New York, driver collected 11 of his 28 tour wins at Riverhead. Long Islanders Dan Jivanelli, Steve Park, Wayne Anderson, Don Howe, Ed Brunnhoelzl Jr., and Tom Baldwin all conquered the tour race through the years.

Heading into the 2010 stop, it was Donny Lia of Jericho, New York, who had picked up the mantle with wins in 2003-05 and 2007.

RACING-REFERENCE: Whelen Modified Tour Results at Riverhead | Driver Statistics at Riverhead

Enter 2010.

Lia had vacated the No. 4 Mystic Missile Dodge and was concentrating on running the NASCAR Truck Series.

Bobby Santos III stepped into the seat for long-time car owner Bob Garbarino. The Franklin, Massachsetts, driver promptly won three of the first four seasons – starting with the Icebreaker at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, and then the May race at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway and the combination race with the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour race at Martinsville Speedway.

Ted Christopher, who had wins at Riverhead in 2002, 2005 and 2006, came into the Riverhead 200 following a win at Monadnock Speedway two weeks prior. That allowed Christopher to close the gap on Santos to 56 points.

Former champions Todd Szegedy and Mike Stefanik entered the event third and fourth in points, respectively, while fifth-place Ryan Preece was 186 points back of Santos. Preece was the defending race winner, holding off Riverhead regulars Dave Brigati, Howie Brode and Justin Bonsignore to win the 2009 event.

RACING-REFERENCE: 2010 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Schedule & Results

Posted on April 27, 2020May 19, 2020 by Staff Report

Chip Ganassi Racing has picked former NASCAR Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth to drive the No. 42 Chevrolet for the rest of the 2020 season.

Kenseth has not driven in NASCAR’s top series since 2018, when he returned for a 15-race replacement stint in Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6 Ford. The Sports Business Journal and the Associated Press were among the first outlets to confirm the news.

MORE: Matt Kenseth career highlights

“This was an unexpected opportunity for sure,” Kenseth said in a release provided by the organization. “I can’t say racing was even on my radar two weeks ago. After spending some time thinking about it and all the unique circumstances surrounding all of us right now, it just seemed the timing and the opportunity was perfect to come back. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me to get up to speed in a relatively short period of time, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m excited to work with Kurt (Busch) again and to meet all my new CGR team members, and I’m really looking forward to getting back in a Chevrolet. In 1988, I started my career in a Camaro and I can’t wait to finally race a Chevy in the Cup Series. I also need to thank Chip and all his partners for this opportunity. Hopefully we will be on the track soon.”

The move comes after Chip Ganassi Racing ended its relationship with Kyle Larson following Larson’s use of a racial slur on a live stream during an iRacing event April 12. Larson, who had been under contract with the team since 2013, is indefinitely suspended from NASCAR, and reinstatement will only be evaluated after completion of mandatory sensitivity training.

The 48-year-old Wisconsin native has 39 Cup Series wins that include two Daytona 500 triumphs (2009, 2012). He won the series championship in 2003, the last year before a playoff format was instituted.

“I have always said that when we have to fill a driver spot, that I owe it to our team, our partners and our fans to put the best available driver in the car,” Ganassi said in the team release. “We are doing exactly that with Matt. Throughout my time in NASCAR, I have always admired the way Matt Kenseth raced. He has proven to be a consistent winner, strong competitor, and respectful driver, and I’m glad we are able to add another NASCAR champion to the team for the remainder of this season.”

Kenseth’s on-track duties with the No. 42 team will begin when the NASCAR Cup Series schedule resumes. The sports world has been on hold since mid-March as the nation continues to battle the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. NASCAR competition officials have not yet released a revised 2020 racing schedule.

Posted on April 26, 2020April 27, 2020 by Staff Report

Shortly after applying a digitized iRacing burnout on virtual Talladega Superspeedway, Alex Bowman provided a real-world update Sunday about his future in NASCAR’s top series and his intent to stay with Hendrick Motorsports long-term.

Bowman, who turned 27 on Saturday, prevailed in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race, the latest event in the virtual racing circuit that was created as a fill-in for competition while the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic. A return to real-life racing remains in a temporary holding pattern; so has sorting Bowman’s contract for 2021.

MORE: Bowman wins in iRacing

“Yeah, not really. I guess everything is kind of put on hold right now,” Bowman said in a post-race teleconference Sunday afternoon. “Obviously, I want to be at HMS for a long time, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Hopefully they’re working on it, for sure.”

Bowman is in his third full season driving the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet, a ride he first took over as a 10-race substitute for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2016. Since then, he scored his first Cup Series victory last season at Chicagoland Speedway.

Before the sports world slowed to a halt this spring amid the global public-health crisis, Bowman seemed to bolster his case for a contract extension with a dominant win at Auto Club Speedway in the third race of the season. After that victory, he said that “every year is a contract year,” referring to his journeyman career, while reaffirming his commitment to team owner Rick Hendrick.

“There’s never a situation that I feel completely comfortable in,” Bowman said March 1. “I feel like if somebody doesn’t want you driving their race cars, you’re not going to be there driving it. I’m as motivated as ever, doing everything I can to try to be the best on and off the race track as I can be. Hendrick Motorsports is where I want to be. It’s where I want to stay for the rest of my career. I don’t have ‑‑ it’s just where I’ve always wanted to be. It’s where I want to stay.”