Bookmaker and bettor predict: Get used to Hendrick domination

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Marcus DiNitto

Three weeks ago at Dover International Speedway, they took the top four finishing spots. The next week at Circuit of The Americas, they finished one-two. At Charlotte Motor Speedway over Memorial Day weekend, they took first, second, fourth and fifth.

Short track, road course, intermediate track – it hasn’t mattered. Regardless of the layout or racing package, Hendrick Motorsports drivers have asserted their dominance over the rest of the Cup Series field, and it’s something we should probably get used to.

“I think it’s sustainable. I don’t think it’s just a three-race run,” said sharp NASCAR bettor Blake Phillips. “There’s been a lot of signs pointing to Hendrick having a dominant season, and it’s happening. They’ve had the speed, they’ve had the runs.”

That sentiment is consistent with the championship futures pricing at Las Vegas-based SuperBook USA, where Hendrick’s Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott are listed as the top two favorites to hoist the Cup in November. Larson boasts the shortest odds at 9/2 (+450, or bet $100 to win $450), followed by Elliott at 6/1 (+600). William Bryon and Alex Bowman are also getting respect in the futures market, offered at 12/1 and 14/1, respectively, after both opening the season at long odds of 30/1.

Ed Salmons, vice president of risk management at the SuperBook, pointed to this past Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 as a prime example of the garage’s superiority.

In addition to Larson’s wins in Charlotte and Las Vegas, “there was so many races he dominated that he didn’t win,” Salmons said. “Chase was all over the place in these races (early in this season); he’s finally now putting it together. If it wasn’t for Larson, he would have been the dominant winner (in Charlotte). It seemed like (Byron) was faster than Kyle, but he just couldn’t figure out how to pass them. Bowman had (a shock issue), and he ran fifth. So yeah, I think that says how fast these guys have been.”

Elliott is the easy early favorite to win Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, eyeing his second straight road course victory after finishing first two weeks ago in Austin. The SuperBook opened the No. 9 at 9/4 odds (+225) and he now sits at 2/1 odds. He’s followed by Martin Truex Jr. – who won the two most recent races here (2018, 2019) – at 5/1. Larson and Kyle Busch are next on the oddsboard, priced at 7/1 apiece, while oddsmakers give Denny Hamlin a reasonable shot at 10/1 odds.

The betting market, in other words, expects Hendrick drivers to be occupying many of the top spots once again.

“This season, we have an unusual mix of different formats, track sizes, track types, and Hendrick’s been good at all of them so far,” said Phillips. “They’ve been good at the short tracks and, and they’ve been good at the mile-and-a-halfs, and of course you’ve got really great road course guys, like Chase Elliott. It’s hard to count them out for any track. …. They’ve had speed across the board. I don’t think they’re unbeatable by any means, but I think that we should expect to see all four of those cars up there in the top 10, top 15 for the foreseeable future. And you’re at least gonna see one or two of those guys in the top three pretty much every race.”

This is NASCAR, though, so of course there will be some ebbs and flows throughout the season.

“NASCAR is just such a sport of change,” said Salmons. “…. You’re going to get into some different tracks, like Pocono, which is more just straight horsepower, and usually that changes some things. The Hendrick cars are really good on these turning tracks. …. I’m interested to see how they do at Pocono because they haven’t really run all that well there. But the way they’re running this year, it’s hard to tell they’re not going to do it again, just because every week now it’s just complete domination.”

And under the current playoff format, the oddsmaker anticipates the top drivers being around at the end with a chance to claim the championship. After accounting for bonus points for wins and stage wins, Larson, for example, figures to advance with little trouble.

“Kyle Larson should probably just start each of the three (first-round playoff) races, run a lap and go home,” Salmons said. “That’s how many points he’s going to be up. He’s guaranteed to move through. And even in the second round, it’s not going to take much for him to move through. It’s such a low bar to cross to get the good guys to at least the final eight. …. It’s just hard to think that between Larson and Elliott, that those two guys aren’t going to have (a chance at the title).”

Marcus DiNitto is a writer and editor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has been covering sports for nearly two-and-a-half decades and sports betting for more than 10 years. His first NASCAR betting experience was in 1995 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, where he went 0-for-3 on his matchup picks. Read his articles and follow him on Twitter; do not bet his picks.

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Cara Cooper

When Jeff Sarver retired from the United States Army in 2011, there were times he felt lost, “not knowing where I’m supposed to be, what I’m supposed to do,” he said. He was looking for something to keep him occupied and moving, and he found it at the race track.

In 2013, Sarver put in an offer for a race car he said was “sleeping under a tarp” at his neighbor’s house. He had raced dirt bikes and ATVs when he was really young, and had always had a love for race cars and mechanical work that challenged him mentally.

There was a lot more to racing than he realized, though.

Jeff Sarver (Forte Design/Mary Schill)

“I was an idiot. I had no clue,” Sarver said with a laugh. “I had three different sized wheels on the car. I didn’t know about wedge. I didn’t know anything about that stuff. I just thought you just jump in it and go, and the majority of the work is really setting the car up and making changes.”

The work and learning has been healing for Sarver, though. He finds working on the car comforting, and gives him something to do in retirement.

Sarver spent 17 years in the Army. In 2005, a reporter spent 38 days embedded with him on a deployment, and took all the videos, pictures, and notes from that time and made it into the movie, “The Hurt Locker,” which was released in 2008 and was awarded Best Picture and five other Oscars.

Sarver began racing at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway — a 1/4-mile and 5/8-mile asphalt oval track in West Salem, Wisconsin, in 2013.

Since he began eight years ago, he said the sport of racing has helped him “more than anybody could ever understand.”

“Ever since I retired I’ve always felt lost,” Sarver said. “This kind of keeps me grounded, keeps me occupied, keeps me moving. Because if you’re not doing anything you’re just sitting around thinking about 20 years of being away from home in other countries and the whole combat.

“With other drivers, they’re kind of thick-headed and have big egos, but they also have a human side where they remember how they felt when they started off. The majority of them are really personable. A lot of them have helped me out in many ways that they don’t even know.

“There’s friendships I have at La Crosse that are probably as tight as the friendships I had in the Army.”

Even though he’s been racing eight years, Sarver said he’s never really ran a full season, and there are still learning curves he’s trying to overcome.

“I want to race a little bit harder. I’ve always been afraid of either tearing my car up or tearing somebody else’s car up and I’ve been really, really, really reserved,” he said. “I don’t have that background of go-kart racing for years and four-cylinder racing for years. I don’t have that. So it’s taken me several years to try to figure it out and now that I’ve finally figured it out at the end of last year and was finally getting comfortable in the car, this year it’s like, OK, I’m comfortable now in the car. Now I’ve just got to push.’”

Racing has grown into a family sport for the Sarvers, and Sarver said the sport allows him to spend even more time with his children. His 13-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter are at all the races, and get in the cars themselves, racing a 4-cylinder enduro car last summer.

And this year will be “a lot more racing” for the whole family. Sarver and his son are putting together a car to take to street drags at the track, and this week they picked up another limited late model they’re going to put together this summer so his two kids can get in some practice laps on a bigger track. His son also has 16 shows scheduled for this season.

“My kids, we do everything together,” he said. “I enjoy spending time with my kids. My kids come first before racing and if it was something my kids wanted to do, we’ll go do it.”

Sarver said his car got “tore up,” in an Octoberfest event, and between getting his car and his son’s car ready, he hopes both can be on the track in the next couple weeks.

When he’s not racing, though, he’s at the track, his new comfort zone.

“Between my kids and gymnastics and wrestling and their racing and my dogs, the rest of my time goes to the cars,” Sarver said.

“I love the car, I love working on the car, but it’s just something about being at the track with other people with the same like-minded hobbies or passions. But then you also have all the little kids walking round talking to the drivers.

“It’s just the people. It’s the little kids that come to watch.”

Posted on June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 by Staff Report

See where your favorite driver will pit for the Toyota / Save Mart 350 Sunday at Sonoma Raceway (4 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM).

Posted on June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 by Staff Report

Stewart-Haas Racing announced Wednesday that Autodesk Fusion 360 has agreed to an extension of its partnership with the team, serving as primary sponsor for its No. 41 Ford and driver Cole Custer for six NASCAR Cup Series races this season.

Autodesk’s 2021 livery debuts this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, not far from the software company’s San Francisco headquarters. Autodesk will also serve as primary sponsor of the No. 41 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course (Aug. 15), Daytona International Speedway (Aug. 28), Bristol Motor Speedway (Sept. 18), Talladega Superspeedway (Oct. 3) and Charlotte Motor Speedway’s road course (Oct. 10).

“It’s just been a great relationship and it’s been awesome having them on the car,” Custer said. “We use their software a ton at the race shop to be able to design parts and do different things, so they’re a huge part of what we do.”

The partnership extends beyond mere product placement on the car, as Autodesk is in its fourth year helping SHR develop lightweight, durable components for its vehicles. Among those advances was Stewart-Haas’ redesign of a lighter brake pedal, made through Autodesk’s Fusion 360 program.

“Autodesk is more than just a sponsor — it’s a key asset in making our cars perform every weekend,” said Greg Zipadelli, SHR’s vice president of competition. “How we stay on top of new technologies while ensuring reliability is directly attributable to Autodesk and its technical support.”

Autodesk was a featured or associate sponsor on the No. 41 Ford in six Cup Series races last year, sharing space with HaasTooling.

Posted on June 2, 2021June 2, 2021 by Staff Report

Kyle Larson has claimed the Busch Pole Award for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (4 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Sonoma Raceway.

Larson, who won last weekend’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway, will start his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet from the pole position. Larson is one of three drivers with multiple wins in 2021, joining Joe Gibbs Racing’s Martin Truex Jr. and teammate Alex Bowman.

Austin Cindric’s No. 22 Team Penske Ford is on the pole for Saturday’s B&L Transport 170 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

As NASCAR adapted to COVID-19 protocols last season, practice and qualifying were eliminated at a majority of national-series events to limit at-track time, exposure and to cut race weekend costs. To determine starting lineups, competition officials used grouped draws, added inversions for weekend doubleheaders, and eventually adopted a performance-metrics formula. That metrics format remains in place this season, drawing on performance from both individual races and season-long results.

NASCAR’s metrics formula for 2021 weighs:

- 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race
- 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race
- 35 percent: Team owner points ranking
- 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race

See the full lineup for Sunday’s Cup Series race below.

Start pos.	Driver	Car #	Team
1	Kyle Larson	5	Hendrick Motorsports
2	Chase Elliott	9	Hendrick Motorsports
3	William Byron	24	Hendrick Motorsports
4	Denny Hamlin	11	Joe Gibbs Racing
5	Kyle Busch	18	Joe Gibbs Racing
6	Austin Dillon	3	Richard Childress Racing
7	Alex Bowman	48	Hendrick Motorsports
8	Kevin Harvick	4	Stewart-Haas Racing
9	Brad Keselowski	2	Team Penske
10	Tyler Reddick	8	Richard Childress Racing
11	Ryan Blaney	12	Team Penske
12	Chris Buescher	17	Roush Fenway Racing
13	Joey Logano	22	Team Penske
14	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	47	JTG Daugherty Racing
15	Bubba Wallace	23	23XI Racing
16	Daniel Suarez	99	Trackhouse Racing Team
17	Matt DiBenedetto	21	Wood Brothers Racing
18	Erik Jones	43	Richard Petty Motorsports
19	Martin Truex Jr.	19	Joe Gibbs Racing
20	Christopher Bell	20	Joe Gibbs Racing
21	Michael McDowell	34	Front Row Motorsports
22	Corey LaJoie	7	Spire Motorsports
23	Cole Custer	41	Stewart-Haas Racing
24	Ryan Newman	6	Roush Fenway Racing
25	Chase Briscoe	14	Stewart-Haas Racing
26	Aric Almirola	10	Stewart-Haas Racing
27	Ryan Preece	37	JTG Daugherty Racing
28	Anthony Alfredo	38	Front Row Motorsports
29	Ross Chastain	42	Chip Ganassi Racing
30	Kurt Busch	1	Chip Ganassi Racing
31	Ben Rhodes	77	Spire Motorsports
32	James Davison	15	Rick Ware Racing
33	Quin Houff	00	StarCom Racing
34	Garrett Smithley	53	Rick Ware Racing
35	Scott Heckert	78	Live Fast Motorsports
36	Josh Bilicki	52	Rick Ware Racing
37	Cody Ware	51	Petty Ware Racing

Practice and qualifying are tentatively scheduled for eight Cup Series races this year. Busch Pole Qualifying was held for the season-opening Daytona 500, and rain canceled the qualifying races for Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt-track race. The next Cup Series event with qualifying scheduled is before the June 20 debut at Nashville Superspeedway.

Posted on June 1, 2021June 1, 2021 by NASCAR.com

Meet the NASCAR Fan Council Member of the Month for June 2021!

Name: Matt
Current City: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Member Since: 2019

GETTING TO KNOW MATT:

Q: How did you first become interested in NASCAR?

“I’m sure my father introduced me to NASCAR but I’ve loved it ever since I can remember! I remember at a very young age (7-8), my father taking us to Harvey’s Lake, PA to see Rusty Wallace’s show car. They fired it up that day and I remember standing there scared, excited, curious and all around just fired up! Never looked back!”

Q: What is your favorite part about NASCAR?

“I don’t think I could narrow it down to one thing I like most. The competition, the noises, the characters, the ingenuity, teamwork, excitement, accessibility, air guns, it’s all just great! For me, NASCAR brings my family together each week to share a meal and watch the race. That is probably my favorite thing about NASCAR.”

Q: What is your favorite NASCAR memory?

“I took my wife to her first NASCAR race at Pocono a few years back. Dale Jr won the race when Brad Keselowski got held up by Danica Patrick allowing Jr. to make a pass for the lead with just a few to go. The place went insane and my wife was just as excited as everyone else! She wasn’t a fan of anyone really at the point but we were sort of Junior Nation that day and it was a blast. She is pregnant with our first child right now, Gatlin James (this Fan Council Q&A was done before Gatlin was born in March). I’m hoping to make some new favorite memories with him by side like I have with my father!”

Q: Do you have a favorite in any of the following categories?

Current Driver: “Corey LaJoie.”

Past Driver: “Jeff Gordon.”

Up and Coming Driver: “Chase Briscoe.”

Team: “Stewart-Haas.”

Track: “Martinsville Speedway.”

Q: What do you like to do in your free time?

“I’m an outdoorsman so most of my free time is hunting and fishing related. I enjoy dirt track racing as well and have found a real love of Port Royal in Pennsylvania. This is about to shift I’m sure as we welcomed our first child Gatlin James!”

FROM ALL OF US AT NASCAR, WE THANK MATT FOR HIS CONTINUED SUPPORT AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM HIM IN 2021!

Look for Matt on the Official NASCAR Fan Council page on NASCAR.COM.

Posted on June 1, 2021June 2, 2021 by Staff Report

The fifth round of the 2021 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is set for Wednesday at virtual Chicago Street Course, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. The race, a 51-lapper featuring 37 cars and two resets, will get underway at 8 p.m. ET, also on FS1. Practice will be an extension of Race Hub/pre-race programming from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET on FS1.

The fan-vote winner, as revealed on FS1’s NASCAR Race Hub is once again Jesse Iwuji. The popular NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver will join promoter’s provisional pick Dale Earnhardt Jr. as special entries into the race.

Wednesday’s race was designed with the idea to give fans a preview of the Chicago Street Course, which has a tentative configuration of the virtual circuit measuring roughly 2.2 miles and connecting some of Chicago’s landmark streets, including Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, lapping the perimeter of Grant Park with the downtown skyline as a backdrop.

Here is the entry list for Wednesday’s Pro Invitational Series race (subject to change).

No.	Team	Driver
00	StarCom Racing	Quin Houff
2	Team Penske	Brad Keselowski
3	Richard Childress Racing	Austin Dillon
4	Stewart-Haas Racing	Kevin Harvick
5	Hendrick Motorsports	Kyle Larson
6	Roush Fenway Racing	Ryan Newman
7	Spire Motorsports	Corey LaJoie
8	Richard Childress Racing	Tyler Reddick
9	Hendrick Motorsports	Chase Elliott
10	Stewart-Haas Racing	Aric Almirola
11	Joe Gibbs Racing	Denny Hamlin
12	Team Penske	Ryan Blaney
14	Stewart-Haas Racing	Chase Briscoe
15	Rick Ware Racing	James Davison
17	Roush Fenway Racing	Chris Buescher
19	Joe Gibbs Racing	Martin Truex Jr.
20	Joe Gibbs Racing	Christopher Bell
21	Wood Brothers Racing	Matt DiBenedetto
22	Team Penske	Joey Logano
23	23XI	Bubba Wallace
24	Hendrick Motorsports	William Byron
38	Front Row Motorsports	Anthony Alfredo
41	Stewart-Haas Racing	Cole Custer
42	Chip Ganassi Racing	Ross Chastain
43	Richard Petty Motorsports	Erik Jones
47	JTG Daugherty Racing	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
48	Hendrick Motorsports	Alex Bowman
51	Petty Ware Racing	Garrett Smithley
52	Rick Ware Racing	Josh Bilicki
53	Rick Ware Racing	Joey Gase
77	Spire Motorsports	Justin Haley
78	Live Fast Motorsports	Kyle Tilley
99	Trackhouse Racing Team	Daniel Suarez
66	MBM Motorsports	Timmy Hill
88	Promoter’s Provisional	Dale Earnhardt Jr.
87	Fan Vote	Jesse Iwuji

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Staff Report

NASCAR issued penalties to three Cup Series teams Tuesday, including a one-race suspension to Kevin Bellicourt of Spire Motorsports after Sunday’s event at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Spire’s No. 77 Chevrolet was found with two unsecured lug nuts after Justin Haley drove the car to a 28th-place finish in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. The violation of Section 10.9.10.4 in the NASCAR Rule Book meant a $20,000 fine for Bellicourt, plus a one-race ban for the next points-paying event.

Spire announced Tuesday afternoon that veteran Peter Sospenzo would fill in for Bellicourt this weekend at Sonoma Raceway. Camping World Truck Series regular Ben Rhodes is set to make his Cup Series debut in Spire’s No. 77 in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 (4 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM).

Crew chiefs for two other teams — both from Hendrick Motorsports — were issued $10,000 fines for single-lug infractions after the 600-miler:

• No. 24 Chevrolet crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle (driver William Byron)
• No. 48 Chevrolet crew chief Greg Ives (driver Alex Bowman)

Posted on June 1, 2021June 1, 2021 by Staff Report

One of the sports world’s premier, fan-friendly venues is set to play host to NASCAR Championship Weekend in 2022, Phoenix Raceway announced Tuesday.

The Valley of the Sun will once again host the final weekend of the NASCAR season, scheduled for Nov. 4-6, 2022. The 1-mile Avondale, Arizona oval first hosted the sport’s pinnacle events in 2020 and is scheduled to crown four champions in three days for the second consecutive season this fall.

MORE: 2021 NASCAR schedule

“We’re so proud of the fact that we get to host NASCAR’s biggest weekend, crowning those four champions and celebrating the series, our drivers, our teams,” track president Julie Giese told NASCAR.com. “It’s going to be a great event. We’re really looking forward to it and honored that we have the opportunity to host this once again.”

The 2022 NASCAR Championship Weekend will again feature culminating events in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Menards Series West.

Phoenix played the backdrop to a historic weekend last fall, seeing Chase Elliott win his first career NASCAR Cup Series championship while teammate and seven-time title winner Jimmie Johnson wrapped up a Hall of Fame career behind the wheel of the No. 48 Chevrolet.

The scenic mountain views add to the ambiance, but the racing itself is front and center for some of the sport’s best fans as they get treated to a first-class sports-viewing experience.

“Not only is the weather amazing in Arizona in November, the experience at the race track is second to none,” said Giese. “We redeveloped the track a couple years ago and really made it about the fans. We reinvented that fan experience. It was all about immersing our fans into race weekend.

“I think what makes our sport so great anyway is the access, and just how much you can get into the sport when you’re at the race track and be part of it, for us it was taking that to the next level.”

The full 2022 NASCAR schedule will be unveiled at a later date, TBD.

Season ticket renewals are already underway for fans to lock in their seats for the 2022 championship weekend. To learn more about becoming a Phoenix Raceway Season Ticket Holder, please call 866-408-RACE (7223). Public on-sale for the 2022 NASCAR Championship Event will occur at a later date.

To learn more about all happenings and upcoming events Phoenix Raceway, including the 2021 NASCAR Championship Weekend later this season, Nov. 5-7, please visit PhoenixRaceway.com.

Posted on June 1, 2021June 1, 2021 by Zack Albert

This story first appeared on NASCAR.com on March 24, 2021:

Street-course racing is headed to NASCAR, at least in a virtual sense, as series officials confirmed that iRacing is developing a street circuit set in the downtown Chicago Loop. The layout is scheduled to debut on the racing simulation later this spring and host the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series on June 2.

The tentative configuration of the virtual circuit measures roughly 2.2 miles and connects some of Chicago’s landmark streets, including Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive, lapping the perimeter of Grant Park with the downtown skyline as a backdrop.

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s vice president, strategic initiatives, says he’s taken a test drive on an early unreleased version of the Chicago course, estimating that development of the track is 80 to 90 percent complete. He said the project was a joint effort among NASCAR officials, iRacing, The Specialized Marketing Group Inc. (TSMGI) agency, Chicago Sports Commission and the City of Chicago, which allowed the simulation team to laser-map the streets and surroundings under the cloak of early morning darkness last fall.

“Definitely not a traditional scan, and credit to Steve Myers and the group out at iRacing for being able to pull this off,” Kennedy said. “But it was one Sunday night in October at about 12:30 in the morning that they sent a scanner out there in the middle of the night and just made laps around the course. They were there for a little bit, captured some pictures and videos and some of the data that’s necessary to build that out.

“From there, they were able to build kind of that generic model and as you guys will see in some of the content today, you can really start to see it come to life with the buildings and walls and fencing and some of the street posts and lighting. Still a work in progress and we’ll have the final product on June 2nd to see, but certainly a very unique course and I think it’ll be an exciting one for our fans.”

Even though the rumble of racing engines echoing through the Chicago Loop will be a virtual one, city officials embraced the simulation’s debut there and the chance to host the real-life Cup Series drivers who participate in the invitational series.

“On behalf of the City of Chicago, I am thrilled to work with NASCAR and iRacing to showcase our great city to NASCAR fans who will be watching this cutting-edge event from around the country,” said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “Through this exciting and innovative exhibition, fans will be able to see and experience Chicago’s iconic downtown in a way that has never been done before. I am excited to partner with NASCAR and iRacing to produce this event and look forward to providing a new, uniquely Chicago experience to those near and far.”

Said Kara Bachman, executive director of the Chicago Sports Commission: “Today’s announcement marks a huge milestone for Chicago and the Chicago Sports Commission. CSC and its partners, such as TSMGI who has been integral in securing this event, have long awaited the opportunity to collaborate with NASCAR. The iRacing Pro Invitational Series is the perfect virtual launching pad and a testament to NASCAR’s innovation.”

NASCAR officials announced in January that the iRacing Pro Invitational Series would return for a second season in 2021, starting with Wednesday night’s opener at the Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track (8 p.m. ET, FS1). When the first five dates were announced, the site of the fifth race was left to be determined. Wednesday’s Chicago announcement fills that slot. The second half of the Pro Invitational Series’ 10-race schedule — to be broadcast by NBC Sports — will be revealed at a later date.

iRacing has scanned existing street circuits before, and the sim service offers virtual versions of the streets of Long Beach, California, and the Belle Isle circuit in Detroit. Chicago represents iRacing’s first street-course project based on a real-world location that’s yet to be raced on in real life.

“Certainly something new to us. I think the big things are really creating a good racing product for our fans at the end of the day, so wide streets, good corners and unique characteristics to the track, too,” Kennedy says, noting the natural chicane that Congress Plaza Drive creates and the circuit’s dogleg near Lake Michigan’s shore.

“I think that’s what led us to it and then compile that onto just the iconic location of it, right along Lake Michigan. You have the Chicago skyline in the background and then the middle of Grant Park. Such a unique opportunity and it will be really neat to see it all come together in the virtual world.”

NASCAR has a history of racing in Chicago’s vicinity, dating back to a Cup Series race in 1956 at Soldier Field — not far from the iRacing street circuit. NASCAR held two Camping World Truck Series events (2000-01) at the short-lived Chicago Motor Speedway in Cicero, Illinois, on the city’s outskirts. And Cup Series events were held from 2001-19 in Joliet at Chicagoland Speedway. Officials indicated they continue to work with the Chicagoland track on possible options beyond 2021.

This Chicago venture marks the latest collaboration between iRacing and NASCAR, a partnership that gained prominence under dire circumstances when the sports world shut down after COVID-19’s global outbreak a year ago. The Pro Invitational Series helped fill that void, allowing stock-car racing’s stars and cars to trade paint in pixelated form from remote locations.

More recently, iRacing helped create a sim model for Auto Club Speedway’s proposed reconfiguration into a short track, helping NASCAR officials determine the feasibility of the concept. That same modeling and cooperation will soon transform Chicago’s bustling city streets into a virtual racing venue for iRacing subscribers and NASCAR’s invitational field.

“I think the idea really came together in collaboration with the group out in Chicago and then really integrating iRacing throughout the process,” Kennedy says. “They’ve been great to work with whether it’s on the Auto Club project and what the redevelopment of that track looks like, as well as a handful of other developments as we think about what future tracks could be or look like. It’s been a great collaboration so far. This one is kind of a concept right now more than anything else, but certainly need to have them a part of the process.”