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Time for drivers to crank up those sim-racing rigs, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is back in action this weekend at virtual Richmond Raceway for the Toyota Owners 150 presented by Toyota (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, FS1 and the FOX Sports App).

The 150-lap eNASCAR iRacing event this weekend will feature a 30-car field (26 invited entries and four transferring from a Sunday morning qualifying race). The starting lineup will be set by a qualifying session. No car-repair resets will be allotted during the main event, a change from previous races.

RELATED: Power Rankings | Entry list, details for Richmond

Sunday morning’s Richmond qualifier will consist of 13 drivers, ranging from fan-favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte to current NASCAR Cup Series drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Daniel Suarez. The top two finishers from the 25-lap event will advance to the main race, as well as two additional provisionals chosen by FOX.

Since the inaugural eNASCAR iRacing race back at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, the series has consisted of three different race winners, three different pole winners and various rule changes to shake things up.

During a time when a lot of things weren’t guaranteed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NASCAR industry has rallied behind something that would still give fans their weekly dose of racing competition.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin won the first race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway. Timmy Hill, an underdog competitor in the NASCAR Cup Series, won the second iRacing event at virtual Texas Motor Speedway. And, William Byron, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, won the most recent race at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway.

SHOP: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series gear

Drivers who haven’t spent a lot of time iRacing in the past, such as seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, are now just as involved in the virtual events as veteran iRacers like Byron, Hill and Garrett Smithley.

NASCAR Cup Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, Tyler Reddick, is another driver who didn’t have much iRacing experience but has really taken it seriously and practiced getting better in the virtual world. Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and other big names in NASCAR are in the same boat.

Johnson, who has been practicing for hours each day on his new sim rig to feel a sense of normalcy, has a newfound understanding of the virtual racing world and why drivers and fans enjoy it so much.

“It brought a little bit of structure for me; more than I anticipated honestly, because I was just so far behind in the sim experience. But to see the viewership numbers and understand how much fun the fans are having watching it, it has motivated me and has me highly interested to keep it going,” Johnson said. “As we look around and see other sports try to figure out how to virtually offer something for their fans, we were one of the first, if not the first, to do it and do it well and break all kinds of records in the process. So, hats off to everybody to pull it though and our partners on the television-side to allow this to happen.”

The series was idle last weekend in observance of the Easter holiday, but the weekend before that the series visited virtual Bristol Motor Speedway. Byron was on the pole for the event and ended up dominating the caution-filled race, taking home his 293rd iRacing victory.

MORE: Byron rolls at virtual Bristol

Byron, who got his racing start partially by using iRacing as a learning tool, treats each virtual race the same way he would a regular race at the track.

“Yeah, I think the easy excuse is to say, oh, it’s a game and all that, but at the end of the day, everyone is racing, and seeing how much time some guys have put in, I know that it means something to them,” Byron said. “You’ve got to race. It’s race craft, and I feel like race craft is the same no matter what you’re racing; whether it’s on a computer or at the dirt track or at an asphalt race, it’s the same.”

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series has given drivers of all different levels the opportunity to compete on an equal platform, and it’s showcased some of the drivers you might not hear about as much.

“For me personally, what I’ll gain from this is recognition,” said Hill, winner of virtual Texas Motor Speedway. “For us, it’s hard to get that recognition because of the level of competition that we are in, in real life. But this win will hopefully gain us some recognition and attract more sponsors in the real world when we get back racing because they know Timmy Hill from iRacing, from FOX, from this invitational. That’s what I hope from it. Hopefully it will help me in the real world.”

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series drew in such a crowd that iRacing introduced Saturday Night Thunder. This event features drivers from the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, ARCA Menards Series, NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

The inaugural event was two weeks ago at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway and real-life dirt racer Logan Seavey took the checkered flag after passing Chase Cabre with 13 laps to go. Saturday Night Thunder is now an event that will be on the weekly iRacing schedule, continuing in order to provide a platform for everyone involved in NASCAR to keep racing.

This weekend at virtual Richmond Raceway, the Saturday Night Thunder event will take place at 8 p.m. ET and fans can catch the race on eNASCAR.com/live and streamed live on NASCAR’s YouTube Channel.

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

Ricky Rudd is a wheel man. Don’t believe me? Fast forward to the 2-hour, 18-minute mark in the latest NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay of the 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400.

With less than 20 laps to go at Richmond Raceway, Kevin Harvick put the bumper to Rudd as they come off the corner. Somehow, someway, the “Rooster” was able to gather it up and didn’t even lose second place to a closing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy.

RELATED: Full race results | Classic Race Replays | Relive Harvick’s first career win

Now, I didn’t take physics in school and don’t remember much from geometry, but 10 out of 10 average NASCAR drivers wreck a race car pointed at a 45-degree angle on the front stretch of any track. Rudd didn’t, and that was bad news for Harvick.

After leading 12 laps, Rudd caught Harvick and returned the favor, putting Rudd in the perfect position to go take the win with six laps to go.

This exchange sparked a rivalry between the “Rooster” and “Happy” many will remember boiled over two years later yet again at Richmond when Rudd put Harvick into the fence.

We all know the rest of the story: Harvick jumps on Rudd’s car post-race trying to fight, and Rudd famously says, “He’s got that little yap-yap mouth, I couldn’t tell what he was saying.”

Relive the origins of the Ricky Rudd-Kevin Harvick rivalry in this NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay of the 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400.


Posted on by Staff Report

A qualifying race comprised of 13 drivers has been added to Sunday’s schedule for the iRacing Pro Invitational Series event at virtual Richmond Raceway.

The 25-lap event will take place Sunday morning at approximately 10:30 a.m. ET, with four drivers transferring into the main event later Sunday afternoon — the Toyota Owners 150 presented by Toyota (1 p.m. ET, FOX, FS1, FOX Sports App). There will be no caution flags and no resets for the qualifier.

RELATED: More on race weekend

The top two finishers from the qualifying race will advance, and two additional drivers chosen by FOX will be given provisionals. That means the field for the Toyota Owners 150 presented by Toyota will expand from 26 cars to 30.

The qualifying race won’t air live, but will be sent to the FOX studios.

Below is the entry list for the qualifying race, subject to change.

No. Driver Affiliation
00 Quin Houff StarCom Racing
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Invitation
15 Brennan Poole Premium
19 Bobby Labonte Invitation
32 Corey LaJoie GoFas
34 Michael McDowell Front Row
41 Cole Custer SHR
47 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. JTG
49 Chad Finchum MBM
52 JJ Yeley Rick Ware
53 Joey Gase Rick Ware
89 Landon Cassill Invitation
96 Daniel Suarez Gaunt Bros.

 

Posted on by Staff Report

Dale Earnhardt Jr. found a unique way to surprise his wife, Amy, regarding the gender of their second child.

Earnhardt ordered a pair of baby shoes with the color providing a hint. With help from their 1-year-old daughter Isla, Amy opened the box, revealing the couple will have another girl in the family.

Watch the big reveal below. Congrats to the Earnhardt family.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_DkvYjFEG_/?igshid=141zojszdr7m0

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

Without looking it up, who won the NASCAR Cup Series race in the spring of 2008 at Richmond?

Unless you are a Clint Bowyer fan, odds are you may not remember immediately. What you likely remember is Kyle Busch door-slamming Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the end of the race in a battle for the top spot.

That wreck threw gasoline on a fiery rivalry between Earnhardt and Busch that started the previous year and was somewhat tied to Busch’s departure from Hendrick Motorsports, and Earnhardt Jr.’s eventual new home at HMS — 2008 marking their first seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing and HMS, respectively.

RELATED: Full race results | Classic Race Replays | Dale Jr., Kyle Busch revisit 2008 Richmond race

The two sat down in 2018 and hashed out the issue on Dale Jr.’s podcast where Busch and Earnhardt both agreed that the wreck wasn’t intentional or as a driver would say “just one of those racing deals.” Earnhardt even admitted in their interview that he was “consumed by our rivalry at different points of my life.”

Last week, Earnhardt was named as one of 10 nominees to the Modern Era Ballot for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Relive the entire 2008 Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 from Richmond Raceway at 12 p.m. ET today in this NASCAR Classic Full Race Replay. (If you are a Dale Jr. fan, try not to throw anything through your computer screen.)

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As the sports world remains on pause, nurses and doctors across the nation are working tirelessly amid the COVID-19 outbreak. That includes Michael Palmer, an ER nurse in Michigan who was recognized Wednesday by NBCSN.

Little did Palmer know, his recognition came with a surprise. Before he could sign off, another face joined the broadcast: his favorite NASCAR driver, Jimmie Johnson.

RELATED: How the industry is lending a hand

“Thank you, Michael,” Johnson said. “You are such an inspiration to all of us. I just can’t imagine what you and your family are dealing with. I’m glad through my journey as a race-car driver and my values I’ve been able to inspire yourself, you’ve had something to connect with. But now it’s flipped. And you’re inspiring all of us.”

Palmer was certainly surprised and went on to share his personal at-track experiences with Johnson. Palmer’s son is also a fan, and Johnson has always made time for the father-son duo whenever he saw them.

Later, when Johnson shared the video on Twitter from his own account, he also mentioned giving Palmer the “full race experience” when the sport returns to racing.

“Wow, I’m just blown away by this,” Palmer said on air before Johnson’s tweet. “This just means so much. I have to work tonight — a midnight shift — so when I go into work, I’m sure I’ll be showing everybody this. This is just a dream come true.”

Posted on by Staff Report

The next installment of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is set for Sunday, and the virtual venue holds true to the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

The select field of current and former Cup Series regulars will compete at virtual Richmond Raceway in a 30-car field, returning to competition after a break for the Easter holiday. The Toyota Owners 150 presented by Toyota at the .75-mile track will be the fourth iRacing event in the series, created to fill the void of a real-world motorsports stoppage because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED: Qualifying race added prior to Sunday’s main event

FOX Sports will return as the broadcasting partner for the Toyota Owners 150 presented by Toyota (1 p.m. ET, FOX, FS1, FOX Sports App). Veteran Mike Joy remains on the call with analysts Jeff Gordon and Larry McReynolds, joined by in-race contributor Clint Bowyer. The fixed-setup race is scheduled for 150 laps with competitors not allowed any car resets for repairs.

The 30-car field is a change for the league and represents fewer entries than previous races. Here’s how the number was determined: 26 NASCAR Cup Series drivers were manually selected for this short-track event. Then, on Thursday, a qualifying race was announced with 13 entries.

The top two finishers in that qualifying race Sunday will advance to the feature later in the afternoon, and FOX will additionally pick two more drivers as provisional entries into the main event.

RELATED: More on qualifying race

Additionally, Saturday Night Thunder will return on Saturday — and continue moving forward — after its first race at Bristol Motor Speedway two weeks ago. The Thunder event complements the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, and NASCAR Cup Series drivers not competing in Sunday’s show are eligible for this race, a change from the Bristol weekend.

At Richmond, the Saturday Night Thunder field will use NASCAR Xfinity Series cars and the race will air on NASCAR’s YouTube channel and eNASCAR.com/live.

There’s a Saturday Night Thunder practice at 7 p.m. ET, and the stream will go live at 8 p.m. ET. Single-car qualifying begins at 8:05 p.m. ET, which sets the lineup for the four 10-lap heat races — with 15 cars possible for each heat.

Six cars advance from each heat race advance to the big show, putting in 24 cars. The final two spots in the 26-car field will come from the top two finishers of a 15-lap consolation race, which is scheduled for after the heat races and comprised of drivers who have not yet qualified.

The 125-lap feature race will follow, with one reset allowed and three green-white-checkered attempts. The projected entry list is below.

After a scheduled tripleheader at Atlanta Motor Speedway was postponed March 13, officials with NASCAR, FOX Sports and iRacing joined forces with drivers and teams to quickly create a stand-in series of esports events. Denny Hamlin won the series’ first race March 22 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, and wins came on subsequent Sundays by Timmy Hill (Texas Motor Speedway) and William Byron (Bristol). The series was idle Easter weekend.

RELATED: Merch for iRacing Pro Invitational Series

Below is the entry list, subject to change.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bobby Labonte and Landon Cassill raced their way in Sunday morning as the two last-chance qualifiers.  Daniel Suarez and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were selected as the two FOX provisional drivers after finishing third and fourth in the qualifying race, respectively. 

TOYOTA OWNERS 150 PRESENTED BY TOYOTA ENTRY LIST

* Subject to change

 

No. Driver Affiliation
1 Kurt Busch Chip Ganassi Racing
2 Brad Keselowski Team Penske
3 Austin Dillon Richard Childress Racing
4 Kevin Harvick Stewart-Haas Racing
6 Ross Chastain Roush Fenway Racing
8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Invitational
9 Chase Elliott Hendrick Motorsports
11 Denny Hamlin Joe Gibbs Racing
12 Ryan Blaney Team Penske
13 Ty Dillon Germain Racing
14 Clint Bowyer Stewart-Haas Racing
17 Chris Buescher Roush Fenway Racing
18 Kyle Busch Joe Gibbs Racing
19 Bobby Labonte Invitational
20 Erik Jones Joe Gibbs Racing
21 Matt DiBenedetto Wood Brothers Racing
22 Joey Logano Team Penske
24 William Byron Hendrick Motorsports
024 Jeff Gordon Invitational
31 Tyler Reddick Richard Childress Racing
37 Ryan Preece JTG Daugherty Racing
38 John Hunter Nemechek Front Row Motorsports
43 Bubba Wallace Richard Petty Motorsports
48 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports
51 Garrett Smithley Invitational
66 Timmy Hill Invitational
77 Parker Kligerman Invitational
88 Alex Bowman Hendrick Motorsports
89 Landon Cassill Invitational
95 Christopher Bell Leavine Family Racing
96 Daniel Suarez Gaunt Brothers Racing

SATURDAY NIGHT THUNDER ENTRY LIST

* Subject to change

NAME CAR #
Alex Labbe 90
Angela Ruch 00
Anthony Alfredo 33
Austin Cindric 22
Bayley Currey 5
Blake Koch 57
Brennan Poole 15
Chad Finchum 13
Chase Briscoe 98
Chase Cabre 4
Christian Eckes 81
Cole Custer 41
Derek Kraus 19
Drew Dollar 015
Elliott Sadler 99
Harrison Burton 20
Jeb Burton 8
Jesse Iwuji 36
JJ Yeley 85
Joey Gase 53
Josh Berry 88
Josh Bilicki 099
Justin Allgaier 7
Justin Haley 10
Kyle Weatherman 54
Landon Cassill 89
Landon Huffman 75
Logan Seavey 67
Matt Mills 5
Michael Annett 1
Michael McDowell 34
Myatt Snider 93
Noah Gragson 9
Ruben Garcia 27
Ryan Ellis 78
Ryan Truex 40
Scott Stenzel 63
Spencer Boyd 2
Stephen Leicht 25
Stewart Friesen 52
Todd Gilliland 35
Ty Majeski 45
Will Rodgers 55
Posted on by Staff Report

Despite Riverhead Raceway being in his own backyard, Ken Massa didn‘t know about modified cars or the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. That all changed in the summer of 2009.

“To be honest, I didn‘t know what the modifieds were,” said Ken Massa, owner of Kenneth Massa Motorsports. “After the race ended I went to the pits and talked with everyone. I took it all in and thought that it was a great family sport and really enjoyed seeing the camaraderie between the drivers and crews.”

By the end of 2009, Massa would own a car, truck, trailer and had hired driver Justin Bonsignore, signaling the birth of Kenneth Massa Motorsports.

“It was something I wanted to see if I could actually pull it off and win,” he said.

Before Massa and Bonsignore could become the current longest car owner/ driver pairing on the Whelen Modified Tour with a decade spent together, Massa recalled his first interaction with the 2018 champion.

RACING-REFERENCE: Justin Bonsignore Career Statistics

“I think he finished fourth at Riverhead,” Massa said. “I went to the pits and introduced myself and told him I was thinking about starting my own team and if he was interested in talking about it.”

Bonsignore, accompanied by his father and along with a few crewmembers, met with Massa.

“They were upfront from the beginning and they had some of the equipment,” the 45-year-old said. “I thought it was a good matching because I didn‘t even have a screwdriver.”

As a brand new owner, Massa‘s biggest battle came with learning the business.

“It was a lot of learning,” the Long Island native said. “We went through three different car manufacturers. We tried everything. We had some success early, but there were some personnel changes along the way. There were some ‘bad eggs‘ on the team and we had to sift through, but more than half the team has been with me since day one.”

According to Massa, it‘s not spending the most money or having the best equipment, driver or crew; it‘s the relationship you build with your team.

“The relationship with the entire team makes the difference,” he said. “It‘s a team sport.”

During the summer, Massa said he holds a ‘Sunday Fun Day‘ at his house where he invites his crew over to swim in his pool and enjoy a barbeque.

Despite being a “car guy,” Massa along with his wife founded M3 Technology, LLC in 1998.

“The Aerospace & Defense Solutions Company” supplies various parts to airplane companies used for commercial and military use.

Massa said his business, based in Bellport, New York, is a supplier to companies that are tasked with building Black Hawk, C-130 and “Huey” helicopters.

THOMPSON, MA - OCTOBER 12: Pit crew members for Justin Bonsignore, driver of the #51 Phoenix Communications Chevrolet, work during practice for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Sunoco World Series 150 on October 12, 2019 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut. (Adam Glanzman/NASCAR)

 

Posted on by Jonathan Merryman

In 1999, Tony Stewart put up incredible numbers for a rookie at NASCAR’s highest level. “Smoke” finished the season with 21 top 10s, 12 top fives and three wins that all came inside of the last 10 weeks of the season.

Tony Stewart Richmond 1999 graphic
NASCAR Creative Design

That first win came in the fall at Richmond Raceway. Stewart started the night on the outside pole and for a good part of the night battled Jeff Gordon, who at one point during the race radioed his crew and said “look at him go” after Stewart drove around him.

RELATED: Full race results | Classic Race Replays | See all of Stewart’s wins 

At the end of the night, it was Stewart’s teammate, Bobby Labonte, who would try to lead the charge to keep the rookie out of Victory Lane, but his efforts weren’t enough. Stewart went on to win the 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400, the first of 49 Hall-of-Fame-quality career wins that led to Stewart’s induction into the Class of 2020.

Relive all of action during Tony Stewart’s first career victory in the 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 at Richmond Raceway in the latest NASCAR Classic Race Replay.

Posted on by Staff Report

Editor’s note: This story was originally published on April 14, 2020 but was updated on April 22, 2020.

Denny Hamlin was the first NASCAR driver to join the ALL IN Challenge, which has pegged itself as the largest digital fundraiser ever, but Kyle and Kurt Busch have also hopped onboard.

Fanatics’ ALL IN challenges athletes across all sports to help raise $100 million for COVID-19 crisis relief. The money will provide food to those in need, specifically kids, elderly and frontline workers. The official statement says, “We challenge every athlete, sports owner, team, league, celebrity and artist to go ALL IN and donate one of their most prized possessions or create a once-in-a-lifetime fan experience.”

How it works: Fans bid on prizes and experiences of their choice through an auction. Those bids then double as the fundraiser’s donations.

RELATED: How the industry is lending a hand

Hamlin was first nominated by former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver and three-time Daytona 500 winner announced last 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.

Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and the reigning Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, followed up Monday with his participation in the challenge, offering a VIP experience to a future NASCAR race for the winner and a guest.

Kurt Busch then shared his new Wednesday. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver is offering a “dream race weekend” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, highlighted by a helicopter ride and VIP passes.

Many non-racing sports names have also accepted the challenged. Peyton and Eli Manning, Magic Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, Alex Rodriguez and Joel Embiid are just a few of the athletes. Leagues and teams are involved, too.

All of the money raised will benefit the following organizations: Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, America’s Food Fund, Feeding America and World Central Kitchen.