NASCAR has launched the first Esports competition which was created to identify and attract young talent. This series is hosted in iRacing, which is the world’s premier race simulation platform. NASCAR’s youth Esports series has established an easily accessible entry point to the real-world racing, which will in turn provide young competitors with an unparalleled simulation experience on the unrealistic iRacing software.

 

This youth series has kicked off with a bang. An inaugural 12 week season had started in June with virtual renderings of short iconic tracks like Langley Speedway, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and the Thompson Speedway at Motorsports Park.

 

The regular season comprised an open to all participants 8 events. 50 racers accumulated the points over a regular season to qualify and compete in the 4 week playoff. The top 30 point winner after playoffs will advance to a final championship event that will be held at the iconic Martinsville Speedway. The season will also include a mix of heat and single race formats and interested participants can register at NASCAR.com/iRacing.

 

Currently NASCAR sanctions the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze iRacing Series, which is an Esports series in its 9 th season. It features the most elite of oval simulation-racers competing on virtual versions of NASCAR – sanctioned race tracks. This addition of a youth series in iRacing will provide a driver seat experience for gamer competitors looking to express their talent, including some with actual aspirations for professional racing.

 

Blake Davidson, the NASCAR Vice President of consumer innovation was quoted to say, “As we expand our presence in Esports, NASCAR is uniquely positioned as the only sport that can develop skills transferable to real world competition. We’re excited to see the young, diverse and global talent pool this series attracts, especially as we cultivate our next generation of drivers”.

 

A rookie driving the No.24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series started his career on iRacing in 2011 at just 14 years of age! In just 2 years time, he accumulated more than a hundred wins and finished at the top 5 in an additional 203 races.

 

Tony Gardner the iRacing President said, “NASCAR has been at the forefront of competitive online racing for years and its enhanced involvement in Esports will be even more evident through the launch of its youth Esports series on iRacing. NASCAR drivers have used iRacing to accelerate their development beginning at a young age, as well as to hone their skills throughout their careers. We look forward to cheering on the alumni from the youth series when they compete at the highest levels of NASCAR in the years to come.”