Posted on by Steve Luvender

You’ve no doubt heard the buzz about NASCAR iRacing recently, whether it’s the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, the new eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, or watching Chad Knaus try his very best. If you’re wondering about the iRacing fundamentals, here’s some must-know info.

It’s online by design. 

This might be obvious, but let’s be clear: iRacing is not only an exceptional racing simulation, it’s just as much a competition service. It’s a massive multiplayer online racing community. Generally, iRacers are serious about racing; not to gatekeep, but iRacing isn’t a grab-off-the-shelf-and-drive-backward-into-the-other-cars-then-reset-and-do-it-again sort of thing.

You’ll be connected to the Internet at all times. You’re racing against real people who are also trying to prove themselves or experience the thrill of racing. You’ll make friends and enemies. Maybe you’ll make a name for yourself.

There are more than 100,000 active subscribers on iRacing from all over the world and racing all disciplines of cars. While there are dozens of NASCAR stars competing, there are also Formula 1 drivers, dirt-racing phenoms, open-wheel standouts, rallycross daredevils and just about any other type of racer you can think of.

RELATED: Special deal to join iRacing

2020 Feb25 Jimmie Johnson Iracing Main Image
@JimmieJohnson

You’ll need some equipment. 

iRacing exists only on the PC platform. That means no consoles and no mobile devices; you’ll need a computer. Most computers built within the past couple of years, particularly those labeled “gaming computers,” should fit the bill just fine.

iRacing’s System Requirements page is a good reference for your computer’s technical specifications. For the most part, iRacing can handle a decent range of PCs, but the tighter your budget, the fewer graphical treats like advanced shadows, reflections, and trackside objects you’ll see.

You’ll also need a racing wheel and pedals, just like a real race car — imagine that! The Logitech G29 is the go-to entry-level wheel-and-pedals combination. It’s got all the bells and whistles and it’s quite reliable. It’s available online and in big box stores, and probably the best bang for the buck. Other popular wheel-and-pedal manufacturers include Thrustmaster and Fanatec, and there are dozens more at higher price points. For most racers, though, the Logitech is a fine wheel.

While you’ll definitely, definitely want to race with a steering wheel and pedals, technically, you can race with a traditional Xbox or PlayStation controller. You’ll probably have a very tough time, however. iRacing is not a forgiving sim, and you’ll want precise inputs from your steering, throttle and brake.

Adaptive controls are also available for drivers with physical challenges.

In terms of equipment, yes, there’s a bit of an investment and quite a bit of range.

Ty Majeski is the highest-ranked oval iRacer in the world, and he races on a single-screen laptop with an off-the-shelf Logitech wheel and a miniature table fan.

Denny Hamlin races on a high-end motion rig that looks awfully expensive. (We wish he’d invite us over to turn, like, even one lap.)

Both the Majeski and Hamlin setups put you on the same virtual track and competing for the same races. What happens in the virtual world is up to the driver’s skill.

You’ll also need a high-speed Internet connection. A WiFi hotspot from your phone won’t cut it. The better your connection speed, the more reliable and predictable cars will appear on the screen. When you’re racing close-quarters, this is important.

If you’ve got a headset and microphone, you can also communicate with fellow racers or teammates, though it’s not a requirement.

RELATED: Complete eNASCAR coverage

Iracing Setup Inset

There’s accountability. 

When you join iRacing, you’re required to use your real name — no screen names or anonymity here. Because of that, there’s built-in accountability: you only get one reputation tied to your name.

This level of accountability also means you can’t just crash into people intentionally without repercussions. iRacing takes competition issues very seriously — it’s a necessity for the merit of the service — and you might find yourself taking a vacation involuntarily if you’re a menace.

Generally speaking, the iRacing Sporting Code isn’t too lenient, but that’s a good thing if you want quality racing.

You can race anytime you want.

Official iRacing series races are scheduled to occur at designated times around the clock. Good news if you live in Australia, work night shifts, or can’t fall asleep!

You can’t just hop in a Cup car. 

One of the fun parts about iRacing is, like real-world racing, you’ve got to work your way up the ranks. Everybody starts their virtual careers as equal-footed rookies in entry-level cars.

Once you prove you can race street stocks or legends cars safely, your license level advances from the Rookie level to the next step, Class D — late models if you’re going the NASCAR route. Then, repeat the process for Class C (Gander Trucks), Class B (Xfinity Series cars), and finally Class A (NASCAR Cup Series cars).

Usedaytona Iracing 2020

The license progression process is time-consuming and takes a lot of work, like any racing career. Battling your way through the ranks is a challenge, but that’s the fun of it all.

The iRacing license-class system prioritizes safety before speed. There’s a whole other rating for speed, called iRating, but it’s a lot to explain in an introduction to iRacing.

And, of course, there’s the esports part of iRacing. The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series offers a $300,000 purse and plenty of starpower, but it’s reserved for the best of the best.

MORE: Pro Series Invitational rankings

Well, you technically can hop in a Cup car …

Of course, if you really want to jump into a Cup car, iRacing offers unofficial races that don’t affect your license or rankings (though the Sporting Code is always in effect, so no funny business).

Hosted races — that is, user-created races — run around the clock with any car and track combination imaginable. If you’re bored, looking to sharpen your skills, or looking for something a little more relaxing, take a look at iRacing’s Hosted Racing section.

Private racing leagues are also quite popular on iRacing, where you can race under a custom set of rules at a designated time each week against a field of the same field of drivers.

You’re also able to partake in private testing in any car or track combination you have.

Speaking of cars and tracks …

You have to pay for content.

iRacing offers dozens of scary-accurate cars and laser-scanned race tracks of all different types. A base membership to iRacing includes about 20 cars and tracks, but if you want to get serious, you’ll need to pay for access to additional cars and tracks as your license progresses (or you just want to try cool new stuff).

The cost adds up, but the quality is well worth the price. You also unlock discounts with the more content you have.

MORE: FOX to televise remaining iRacing events

It’s addictive. 

When you start iRacing, it’s hard to stop. From hearing the perfectly tuned engine noises to watching the shadows and reflections pass over the cars to seeing the virtual sun set while you work on setting up the perfect pass, it’s a blast.

It can get frustrating when a car spins out in front of you and you get collected with no place to go. You’ll feel like a rockstar every time you take a checkered flag. Yes, you’ll lose track of time and probably stay on the computer way longer than you should. No, your boss probably won’t like “I was too busy iRacing last night” as an excuse when work piles up.

For a limited time, iRacing is offering 50% off for new memberships. Sign up at iRacing.com.

Posted on by Holly Cain

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Even with NASCAR’s regular schedule on hold, the Roush Fenway Racing team has found a way to provide the thrill of competition by pitting its long list of drivers against one another in a March Madness-style bracket of fun, intrigue and suspense called #RoushMadness.

The idea is to have fans decide on social media the “greatest driver” in Roush Fenway Racing history and includes a “Who’s Who” list of all 58 names who have started a NASCAR race for the team – from competitors who only raced a single time under the RFR banner like USAC star Kevin Swindell and IndyCar’s Conor Daly to former competitors such as Kenny Wallace, Greg Biffle and NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, and current drivers Ryan Newman and Chris Buescher.

RELATED: Follow #RoushMadness on the team’s Twitter feed

Just looking at the list of drivers is a stark reminder of the storied history of Roush Fenway Racing. Narrowing down the roster to a single favorite may be almost as hard as it was competing against some of these great talents. And it’s all been a good outlet as the country continues to deal with the COVID-19 virus pandemic that has postponed sports competition for now.

Daly, a 28-year old open-wheel star, advanced farther in the contest than he says he imagined. He made only a single NASCAR Xfinity Series start for Roush – starting 15th and finishing 31st on the iconic Road America road course race in 2018. But Daly earned what the Roush Fenway team considers the “tournament upset” to date. Daly was a No. 15 seed and defeated the No. 2 seed, Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner  – who raced in both the NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series with Roush – by a margin of 10 votes.

Daly ultimately lost to the team’s No. 7 seed Newman in the next round. But he was humbled to be included in the contest and said he hopes fans had as much fun with it as he did.

“It’s pretty cool to be honest,” Daly said. “I thought it was a really creative idea but also, I never even expected to be a part of something like that. I thought it was super cool and an honor to be in a bracket with so many talented guys and legends of the sport as well. 

“I was only a one-race guy, but would have loved to do more. I really enjoyed my time with Roush. It was fun.”

Buescher, the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion who currently drives the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, said he also had a lot of fun with the project and was happy to find a way to engage with fans. He advanced to the Round of 16, defeating Brian Ickler and Erik Darnell, but ultimately fell to Carl Edwards.

“How are they going to put me on same side of the bracket as Carl Edwards, that’s what I want to know,” Buescher joked.

“It’s been neat,” he continued. “I’m not a big sports fan outside of racing so I was joking that I’d only filled out two [March Madness basketball] brackets in my life, the first in Xfinity days when they had me fill out a bracket and I just picked the ones with the coolest names. I ended up getting knocked out the first three games.

“I took a similar approach to this bracket,” he conceded. “It was a mix of people. I took Billy Johnson pretty far into it, basing that on road racing. Naturally, I brought myself all the way to the end because I’m hopeful like that. I think I had Stanton Barrett beating out Carl Edwards just so I wouldn’t have to go against Carl Edwards. But here we are.”

RELATED: Carl Edwards through the years 

Aside from the competition element of the game, Buescher said he was impressed with the long list of names who had driven for his boss.

Brian Ickler, for example, who made five Xfinity Series starts for Roush (earning a top-10 finish at Daytona) in 2010 competed. Barrett drove 15 races of the 2003 season for Roush, winning the pole position in back-to-back weeks at Las Vegas and Darlington, and earning four of his seven career top 10s while driving for the team. 

“There’s a ton of names on there I hadn’t heard of in a long time and some I hadn’t heard of at all,” Buescher said. “I had not really realized how many people had driven there. But it’s really neat. It got people buzzing on social media a little bit and keeping their mind off things – a good distraction through all of this.”

Fans have certainly been participating. Roush Fenway Racing says that since it began the contest on social media, the posts have garnered more than two million impressions, more than 100,000 engagements in the contest and garnered more than 40,000 votes through the opening two rounds of #RoushMadness competition. Not only does it say a lot about the team, but it’s promising for the team’s sponsors – SunnyD, Fastenal, Acronis, Oscar Mayer, Castrol and Fifth Third – that have been worked into the tournament in the absence of having race cars to carry their brand.

And now the contest has entered the “Elite Eight” – pairing some of the team’s most famous competitors in the contest. The No. 1 seed, NASCAR Hall of Famer Martin, faces current driver Newman – ironically both drivers of the team’s No. 6 Ford. Roush’s former series champion driver Kenseth – another No. 1 seed – faces FOX Sports television analyst Jeff Burton in the other side of that bracket.

Greg Biffle, who won the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series championships for Roush, faces David Ragan. And longtime Roush driver and a No. 1 seed Carl Edwards faces No. 3 seeded Jamie McMurray in the other side of that bracket.

RELATED: Martin through the years | Kenseth through the years

Martin said he’s certainly been watching this Roush competition and humbly suggests he’s just happy to have advanced to this point along with so many drivers he genuinely admires. 

“You know me, if I was voting I would be voting for someone else, there have been some absolute greats at Roush Fenway Racing that have accomplished more than I ever accomplished and are my favorite people in the world,” Martin said this week. “That’s a huge compliment in itself [to be a part of the contest].”

If he were to pick the true champion in it all, Martin would certainly be selecting Roush. His former team owner is still someone he admires greatly and someone who he credits for not only providing him the professional chance of a lifetime, but the chance to capitalize on it.

For Martin, the “Roush Madness” bracket is part fun and engaging and part opportunity to remind people of the amazing organization that Jack Roush built from the ground up – hiring talented people and believing in their potential before they were big names. He includes himself in that category as well as all the others remaining in the bracket. From driver to crew chief to crewman, Martin points out that Roush’s entire bracket features raw talent that prevailed thanks to the unwavering belief and support of an owner with a key eye and genius mind.

“What’s important to your story is that nobody in NASCAR has done as much for the little guy as Jack Roush has – period,” Martin said.

“Jack Roush should be in the Hall of Fame for that alone. What he did. Jack was not the guy to go buy it, he built it. He looked at people and said, ‘That guy wanted it like I want it.’ And that’s important to me.

“That is a Hall of Fame contribution above and beyond anyone else in NASCAR history to this point, in my opinion.”

As for which driver will prevail in the team’s compelling contest, there are no losers here.

“The fact I had to go against Ryan Newman in the second round was wild, I mean I was like, I’m voting for Ryan here, that guy definitely deserves to be in the Final Four without a doubt or the final match-up,” Daly said emphatically.

“It’s all been so fun.”

And that’s the idea, after all.

Posted on by Staff Report

At 81-year-old Richard Brooks has no plans of slowing down.

For the past 50 years, “Brooksie” as he‘s affectionately known, has been a fixture at the Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in northeast Connecticut and on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

“I just love modified racing,” Richard Brooks said. “It‘s in my blood. I love working at Thompson and the Tour.”

Before he became an official, Brooks was destined to get involved in racing. After graduating from high school, the Waterford, Connecticut, native went to work at a toothpaste factory. With his love of cars and the money he saved from his job, Brooks purchased a garage and radiator shop on April 1, 1965. He even donated radiators to the winners of races held at Thompson.

“I built a lot of radiators for the modifieds and late model cars,” he said. “It kept me involved after I sold two of my race cars to guys in New York.”

Growing up behind the New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Brooks started selling Speedway papers and quickly became friends with Modified legends.

“Johnny Whitehouse must have had a disagreement at Waterford,” Brooks recalled. “He took me to Thompson with him and I‘ve been there ever since. I don‘t think there has been any other official who‘s worked in the same place for the last 50 years.”

Six-time NASCAR Modified champion Jerry Cook, who served as the Whelen Modified Tour’s director, enlisted Brooks’ help in 1985 to help get the series off the ground.

While he now serves as an official at the historic oval at Thompson, Brooks said he flagged there for over 20 years and held the role of chief steward. Some of his duties include the inspection of the race cars to make sure they are up to the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour‘s standards.

Brooksie has seen a lot of changes over the years.

“It started with little Coop cars,” Brooks said. “To see where it is now is crazy. Racing is a lot faster now. The advancements with race cars and aerodynamics have made the difference.”

Aside from his long tenure at Thompson, Brooks also did a 19-year stint with the now defunct Riverside Park Speedway from 1979-98. He also worked at the Westboro Speedway.

“Wherever and whenever there was a modified race, I was involved somehow,” Brooks mentioned.

Looking back on his 50 years at the iconic speedway, Brooks said he was proud of himself for participating in it all these years.

“It‘s something I‘ve loved all my life. It‘s something I hope I can keep doing.”

Posted on by Terrin Waack

Kyle Busch had quite the storybook season in 2015.

Before the NASCAR Cup Series could even begin with the annual opening Daytona 500, the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota was sidelined with injuries to both legs. Busch missed the first 11 races but later won five of the 25 he did compete in, including the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Nov. 22, 2015, victory granted Busch his first championship — he added a second in 2019.

RELATED: Watch more classic races | Full results 2015 Miami

Tbt 2015homestead IgBusch started third in the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 with a chance at the title. The three drivers he really had to worry about were Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Martin Truex Jr., as they were also still alive in the NASCAR Playoffs. But that didn’t mean others weren’t racing for the checkered flag.

Brad Keselowski led a race-high 86 laps around the 1.5-mile track and held the lead with seven laps to go in the 267-lap event. The race had been under caution, though. When the field went back to green, Busch reclaimed the No. 1 spot after restarting second — and never let it go.

Overall, Busch led six times for 41 laps and won by 1.552 seconds to hoist the ultimate Cup trophy.

Check out the 2015 NASCAR Cup Series season championship finale and watch Kyle Busch win his first title with this Classic Race Replay of the 2015 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Posted on by Staff Report

A convergence for rebroadcasts of archival NASCAR races is shaping up to be a special remembrance of manufacturer milestones.

On Wednesday at noon ET, NASCAR.com is set to re-air the 2015 Cup Series finale from Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Kyle Busch became the first Toyota driver to win the championship in NASCAR’s top division. Later that day at 6:30 p.m. ET, Toyota Racing’s social media channels plan to show the 2007 Kroger 200 from Indianapolis Raceway Park, where Jason Leffler claimed the first Camry victory in what is now called the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

RELATED: Classic NASCAR races playlist

Busch’s Homestead triumph for his first Cup Series crown marks a more recent pull from the memory banks. But Leffler’s win nearly 13 years ago at the .686-mile Indiana short track digs a bit further back in the record books.

Without revealing too many spoilers before the later rebroadcast, Leffler rallied late and held off Cup Series regulars Greg Biffle and David Reutimann on July 28, 2007. “This is a lot more exciting to come to the end like that, beating and banging and doing those slide jobs,” said Leffler, who drove the Braun Motorsports No. 38 Toyota to his second and final victory in the series.

Toyota has encouraged social media interaction with both race broadcasts, and the automaker’s reps also plan to release post-race notes and quotes from the 2007 race Wednesday evening.

Posted on by George Winkler

With NASCAR on hiatus because of the ongoing battle against the coronavirus, checking the 2020 driver standings has probably been sporadic at best — and rightfully so. But by reflecting back on the first four races of the season, it becomes apparent there were some pretty incredible early developments. And although it’s a small sample size of races in order to draw forth many statistical conclusions, it’s still fun to ask: Which NASCAR Cup Series driver in the top 10 in points is the biggest surprise?

NASCAR.com’s RJ Kraft and George Winkler analyzed the situation, and here’s where each of them landed:

RELATED: NASCAR Cup Series driver standings

George Winkler: The two names that jump out to me are Alex Bowman and Matt DiBenedetto as they rank fourth and ninth, respectively, in the points standings. And although he has been an amazing story in his own right during the first four races of the season with Hendrick Motorsports, Bowman doesn’t surprise me as much as DiBenedetto does. That’s because when I wrote about expecting DiBenedetto to thrive with his new team in one of our preseason debates, I thought the main reason would be Wood Brothers Racing being affiliated with Team Penske’s superspeedway program. But instead, it was a second-place finish on 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway that has DiBenedetto perched in a somewhat unlikely position in the standings to this point.

That’s a really good sign for him, because having speed on 1.5-mile tracks usually portends to good things since the majority of races are held on those types of tracks. But he also has been in the top 15 in two other races at Auto Club Speedway and Phoenix Raceway. So not only has he shown speed on an intermediate track, but he’s also making some noise on a superspeedway and a shorter track with a different rules package this year as well. Plus, if you take it back to last year when he finished second to Denny Hamlin in that memorable battle in August at Bristol Motor Speedway, one really starts to get the sense this could be the start of a special season for DiBenedetto. How high he can take it will be something worth watching once we get back to racing.

RJ Kraft: Matt DiBenedetto being in the top 10 in points through four races is certainly a surprise, but I am going with the other driver you considered: Alex Bowman. I was very much on the fence about him even making the playoffs, and it took just three races for him to make me eat crow on that thought with his dominating victory at Auto Club Speedway to start the month. The way Bowman was running down Ryan Blaney prior to a late caution at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that led to a strategy split among the field, he may have been sitting on two wins at this point.

Do I think Bowman can keep up a top-five spot in the standings during the summer months? Likely not, especially when some drivers and teams off to slower than usual starts — looking at you, Joe Gibbs Racing — get into gear. But he is certainly a top-10 driver who may carry some additional bonus points into the playoffs. He is going to be a contender on the intermediate tracks — which have been the No. 88’s team strength over the past year-plus. Both of Bowman’s Cup victories have come on intermediates, and he has routinely been a top-10 finisher at races in the 1.5-to-2-mile range. What is especially intriguing is I think Bowman will continue to fly under the radar given his high-profile Hendrick Motorsports teammates in two-time NMPA Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson in his final full-time season.

Look for more H2H debates on Wednesdays and Fridays during NASCAR’s on-track hiatus.

Posted on by FOX Release

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Last Sunday, NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports teamed up to deliver the first-ever eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series event. Today, FOX Sports is committing to coverage of the remainder of the season, beginning Sunday, March 29, at 1:00 PM ET live from virtual Texas Motor Speedway. Entitled FOX NASCAR iRACING, the races will be simulcast on the FOX broadcast network*, FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing.

Last Sunday’s inaugural event, won by three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin, drew 903,000 viewers on FS1, according to Nielsen Media Research.  FOX SPORTS iRACING was the most-watched telecast on FS1 since the pandemic-induced sports shutdown began on March 12 and Sunday’s most-watched sports telecast on cable television, as well as ranks as the highest-rated esports TV program in history.

Additionally, according to rankings by Twitter interactions, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series on FS1 was the #1 most-social TV program overall on Sunday. NASCAR-owned content related to the event also produced more than one million engagements throughout the weekend.

RACE 1: Hamlin holds off Junior for win

“This rapid-fire collaboration between FOX Sports, NASCAR and iRacing obviously has resonated with race fans, gamers and television viewers across the country in a very positive way,” said Brad Zager, FOX Sports Executive Producer, EVP/Head of Production & Operations. “We have learned so much in a relatively short period of time, and we are excited to expand coverage of this brand-new NASCAR esports series to an even wider audience.”

The FOX NASCAR broadcast team of Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy and Larry McReynolds continues to call the action from FOX NASCAR studios in Charlotte, with NASCAR CUP SERIES driver Clint Bowyer providing “in-car” commentary.

“The response on social media to last Sunday’s race has been incredible,” Gordon said. “We were able to broadcast a virtual race that was exciting and entertaining. It brought a little bit of ‘normalcy’ back to the weekend, and I can’t wait to call the action Sunday at Texas.”

Under the banner FOX NASCAR iRACING, FOX Sports covers simulation-style esports races that include a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR CUP SERIES, NASCAR XFINITY SERIES, NASCAR GANDER RV & OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES and a group of NASCAR dignitaries.

WATCH: Recapping Race 1

“We’re overwhelmed by the positive feedback and encouragement sent by industry stakeholders, drivers, partners, media and most importantly, our fans. We all can’t wait to get back to racing and our partners at iRacing and FOX have worked with us to do just that – race,” said Tim Clark, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, NASCAR. “We are committed to running these eNASCAR iRacing events as long as necessary. Providing a platform for our fans to watch and engage with their favorite drivers is our number one priority.”

For more information on FOX Sports motor sports coverage, including photography and talent bios, visit FOX Sports Press Pass.

*Where available and subject to change

Posted on by Holly Cain

Timmy Hill and Garrett Smithley did not hoist any virtual trophies at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, but they certainly finished Sunday’s inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational with a real smile and very real sense of accomplishment.

Normally, the two drivers compete for smaller teams in the NASCAR Cup Series and are just happy to make races or contend for a top-20 showing. But in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race, Smithley and Hill were the drivers setting the pace in a virtual competition that allowed them to challenge the sport’s biggest names for a victory.

RELATED: Race results | Social buzz from iRacing opener

Smithley, 27, who drives the No. 51 Rick Ware Racing Chevrolet in NASCAR Cup Series competition and is currently ranked 36th in the standings, won the pole position for the iRacing event and ran up front for most of the race, ultimately finishing fifth.

Hill, 27, who drives the No. 66 Motorsports Business Management Toyota in NASCAR Cup Series competition and is ranked 37th in the standings, finished third. Both came to the race with extensive iRacing experience and were considered the “favorites” – a designation new for them in any competition that also includes NASCAR Cup Series champions Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson and more. But Hill and Smithley held their own.

While winner Denny Hamlin and runner-up Dale Earnhardt Jr. battled to the front in the closing laps, steering iRacing set-ups that cost tens of thousands of dollars, both Smithley and Hill kept the sport’s biggest names honest for most of the 100-lap race while driving virtual cars from steering wheels attached to desks at their homes.

“Me and Timmy’s set-ups are very similar,” Smithley said Monday. “We have just the regular wheel, it’s about a $250 wheel and pedal and shifter set, and I just mount it right on my computer desk. And I have one monitor and that’s what I’ve got.”

That the two were still able to compete with a long A-list of NASCAR drivers who spent massive amounts of money on their set-up?

“It’s definitely gratifying,” Smithley said. “That’s what’s so great about sim racing is that it’s an equalizer. Everybody’s on the same playing field and it doesn’t matter if you have a full motion, 40-50-thousand-dollar sim rig or if you have a couple hundred dollars on a simpler sim rig. You can still go out there and compete with the best of the best.

“This kind of gave us the unique opportunity to showcase what we can do. By no means am I saying it’s the same thing as real life, but it kind of sets us all on a more even platform. Some guys have more experience, but to be able to do that – to win a pole, lead laps and do that – we’re all racers, we all want to do those things so, it was nice to be in that seat for a change.”

Hill was similarly upbeat and encouraged with the outing.

“Obviously in the real world, there’s different setbacks that we face on a smaller-team level, setbacks that we face that an average fan may not even know about or they may second-guess what we’re up against,” Hill said. “This race was neat because I didn’t have to worry about putting scuffed tires on like I do or worry being down 250 horsepower or my car being five years old. Everything I was driving was the same thing Denny Hamlin won with or Dale Earnhardt Jr finished second with.

“I had the same car, I just didn’t do a good enough job to beat ’em.”

Both Hill and Smithley said they are eagerly preparing for the second eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational race – this Sunday afternoon at a virtual version of Texas Motor Speedway, where the NASCAR national series would have been racing under normal circumstances. Instead, the sport has declared a “hold” on the season, deferring to the safety priorities of its competitors and fans as the nation and world continue to deal with the COVID-19 epidemic.

Judging by the reaction on social media, the first eNASCAR iRacing event went a long way toward re-engaging with fans. And it provided a sporting outlet for the competitors and an audience that included rabid fans and many new eyes who were checking out the competition in essentially the only true game in town featuring a sport’s top competitors.

Hamlin was certainly impressed with the work of Hill and Smithley and considers them prime competition again this week.

“I think that guys with experience are going to shine, especially early on in this type of racing,” Hamlin said. “I mean, you couldn’t believe how long, how many hours I spent trying to find four hundredths of a second for qualifying for the last week and so I think that people that have experience and know all the tricks and know all the things you do to get speed out of the car, they’re going to shine right now for sure.

“Certainly, I think it’s great for those guys who normally you would not see up front, I thought for sure they were one of the top-five favorites going in along with William (Byron) and myself and Dale Jr., because they were fast through the week. So I think the guys you expected to be up front, they were up front, and it’s who you had to beat for the win.

“It’s great that those guys were able to participate and not only participate but challenge for the win. Normally on a normal week, they’re thinking, ‘Well, how can I run 30th,’ right? So it’s just a different beast when everything is all up and out.”

MORE: Hamlin edges Earnhardt in iRacing opener

In addition to the competitive adrenaline rush in competing door-to-door with the sport’s highest-profile drivers, both Hill and Smithley concede their showing may be beneficial when the season resumes. They have certainly earned the respect of those they are racing against and those who are watching – longtime fans and new observers of NASCAR. It all is a positive when their small teams next look for a corporate sponsor.

Both drivers carried the sponsorship logo on their car last week that would have been with them in Miami. And both did upward of 10-15 media interviews in the positive aftermath – a completely new and welcome experience for the young drivers. There is a legitimate potential business uptick this eNASCAR iRacing provides.

“One big takeaway was, I ran my real-world sponsor on the car and they were supposed to go with us to Atlanta (Motor Speedway) and Homestead, and we’re not racing there right now,” Hill said. “It’s disappointing, but they got to see their race car on television, which they loved. And I love to give them more TV time than they might have gotten otherwise. It’s neat to provide that and have some good runs for them.”

Smithley and Garrett each remain enthusiastic about the coming weeks’ potential – both competitively and big picture.

“It was a good opportunity for all of us and I’m excited to see where it goes,” Smithley said. “I’m eager to see what those guys do to prep. I’ve probably done 1,000 laps from the time I found out the first race was going to happen to the green flag. I took it very seriously. …

“Without a doubt, no question those guys are going to try to outrun us, especially the guys up front. We’re all competitors. We all do this for a living. It doesn’t matter if we’re in go-karts, running an iRacing race, a Cup race or shopping carts in the mall, we all want to beat each other. It’s just in our DNA.”

Posted on by Chase Wilhelm

There had never been a tie for the NASCAR Cup Series championship … that was until the 2011 title came down to the wire between Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards.

Both known for their quick wit, Stewart and Edwards spent Media Day in Miami exchanging light-hearted jabs in an effort to trip up each other’s psyche going into the championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But once the helmets were strapped on the afternoon of Nov. 20, 2011, the head games were officially over.

RELATED: Watch more classic races | All of Stewart’s wins | Full results 2011 Miami

Tbt 2011homestead IgAlong with early cautions and a red flag for rain interrupting action, Stewart had to overcome pit-road issues and damage to the grille of the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet. Meanwhile, it was Edwards who appeared to be running away with the trophy, leading a total of 119 of 267 laps.

But Edwards didn’t lead the one that mattered the most — the last one. Stewart took the No. 1 spot from Brad Keselowski with 36 laps to go and later held off Edwards, who made a run for it at the end but finished second. Stewart took the checkered flag with a 1.306-second margin of victory.

What made it even more heartbreaking for Edwards: A tiebreaker was ultimately needed to settle the score, which Stewart won by earning more victories than Edwards during the 2011 season.

Check out the 2011 season championship finale and watch Tony Stewart win his third title with this Classic Race Replay of the 2011 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Posted on by Jason Christley

Stephen Nasse has never been one to shy from sharing his thoughts and opinions.

It’s earned the Florida driver a legion of fans and critics. He’s won his share of big money races, like last year’s Winchester 400, and made headlines for a Snowball Derby win in December that was taken away in post-race technical inspection.

At the end of the day, Nasse has carved a comfortable niche in the short-track community, following the well-worn road paved by the likes of Keith Rocco and Bubba Pollard, and the Dick Trickles and Steve Carlsons before them.

“If I could make a career out of racing, that’d be awesome. There’s no doubt about that,” Nasse told The Athletic. “I don’t know what’s going to happen and there hasn’t been any big deal that’s been holding me back, but I enjoy racing super late models and pro late models. They’re obviously a lot cheaper, and I feel like I made a pretty good name for myself doing that already and have a pretty decent fan base.”

David Smith of The Athletic caught up with the mercurial talent at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway in February, and provided an in-depth look at the driver alternately called “Classy” and “Nasty.”

THE ATHLETIC: To short-tracker Stephen Nasse, ‘classy and nasty’ appeals more than NASCAR fame