eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series (formerly PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series and NASCAR iRacing World Championship) is the premiere esports league that is sanctioned by ENASCAR.[1] The league began in 2010 and is one of the longest running, officially sanctioned, esports racing series. Coca-Cola was named the entitlement sponsor for 2020 after they agreed to be a Premier Partner for NASCAR.[2] The series is run through the iRacing simulation platform.[3]
 | |
| Category | Esports (Racing) |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 2011 |
| Drivers | 40 |
| Teams | 20 |
| Drivers' champion | Keegan Leahy |
| Teams' champion | 23XI Racing |
| Official website | eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series |
History
With the growing popularity of professional e-sports in the 2000s, and growing viewership of the broadcasts, NASCAR decided to venture into the sport.[4] This mover pre-dated other popular series such as Forza Racing Championship, Formula One Esports Series and IMSA GT Championship.[5]
On February 9, 2010, the first ever NASCAR-sanctioned esports series began when Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the inaugural race at a simulated track of Daytona International Speedway.[6] The series became one of the eSport World Championships that is recognized by iRacing and one three recognized eSport series sanctioned by NASCAR.
In 2014, the series gained its first entitlement sponsor when PEAK Antifreeze gained the naming rights. At that time the money pool was increased to $100,000. PEAK would remain the primary sponsor until 2020, when Coca-Cola took over and the money pool was tripled to $300,000.[7]
Champions
| Season | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Richard Towler | Drill Aisle |
| 2011 | Ray Alfalla | JR Motorsports |
| 2012 | Ray Alfalla | JR Motorsports |
| 2013 | Tyler Hudson | One Up Motorsport |
| 2014 | Michael Conti | JScho Motorsports |
| 2015 | Kenny Humpe | The TEAM |
| 2016 | Ray Alfalla | Slip Angle Motorsports |
| 2017 | Ryan Luza | Simworx Racing |
| 2018 | Ray Alfalla | Slip Angle Motorsports |
| 2019 | Zack Novak | Roush Fenway Racing |
| 2020 | Nick Ottinger | William Byron eSports |
| 2021 | Keegan Leahy | 23XI Racing |
2022 Current teams and drivers
| Manufacturer | Team | No. | Race Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet | Elliott Sadler eSports | 2 | Liam Brotherton (R) |
| 31 | Garrett Manes | ||
| eRacr | 42 | Darik Bourdeau | |
| 69 | Collin Bowden (R) | ||
| JR Motorsports | 8 | Michael Conti | |
| 88 | Briar LaPradd (R) | ||
| Letarte eSports | 36 | Brian Mercurio (R) | |
| 40 | Dylan Ault (R) | ||
| Rise eSports | 5 | Zack Novak | |
| 46 | Jimmy Mullis | ||
| Team Dillon eSports | 3 | Corey Vincent | |
| 33 | Taylor Hurst | ||
| William Byron eSports | 25 | Nick Ottinger | |
| 97 | Logan Clampitt | ||
| XSET | 4 | Ryan Luza | |
| 95 | Casey Kirwan | ||
| Ford | Clint Bowyer Racing | 14 | Nicholas Shelton |
| 79 | Femi Olatunbosun | ||
| iRacing Motorsports | 7 | Malik Ray | |
| 12 | Derek Justis | ||
| Jim Beaver ESports | 9 | Michael Guest | |
| 15 | Blake Reynolds | ||
| Mode Motorsports | 24 | Cody Byus | |
| 75 | Matt Bussa | ||
| RFK Racing | 6 | Parker Retzlaff (R) | |
| 17 | Kaden Honeycutt (R) | ||
| Stewart-Haas eSports | 10 | Steven Wilson | |
| 41 | Dylan Duval | ||
| Wood Brothers Gaming | 16 | Blade Whitt | |
| 21 | Garrett Lowe | ||
| Toyota | 23XI Racing | 23 | Mitchell deJong |
| 45 | Keegan Leahy | ||
| Charlotte Phoenix | 43 | Kolin Keister | |
| 48 | Graham Bowling | ||
| Joe Gibbs Racing | 18 | Bobby Zelenski | |
| 51 | Ray Alfalla | ||
| Spacestation Gaming | 54 | Kyle Peddle (R) | |
| 55 | Allen Boes | ||
| Williams eSports | 19 | Vicente Salas | |
| 20 | Donovan Strauss (R) |
Tracks
Current
| Track | Track type | Track length |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Motor Speedway | Quad-oval | 1.5 mi |
| Bristol Motor Speedway | Dirt short track oval | .533 mi |
| Charlotte Motor Speedway | Quad-oval | 1.5 mi |
| Darlington Raceway | Oval | 1.366 mi |
| Daytona International Speedway | Superspeedway | 2.5 mi |
| Dover International Speedway | Oval | 1 mi |
| Homestead–Miami Speedway | Oval | 1.5 mi |
| LA Coliseum (exhibition) | Oval | .25 mi |
| Las Vegas Motor Speedway | Tri-oval | 1.5 mi |
| Kansas Speedway | Tri-oval | 1.5 mi |
| Phoenix Raceway | Dogleg Oval | 1.022 mi |
| Richmond Raceway | Short track oval | .75 mi |
| Talladega Superspeedway | Superspeedway | 2.66 mi |
| Watkins Glen International | Road course | 2.55 mi |
| World Wide Technology Raceway | Oval | 1.25 mi |
Former
| Track | Track type | Track length |
|---|---|---|
| Auto Club Speedway | D–shaped oval | 2 mi |
| Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval | Road course | 2.28 mi |
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Rectangular oval | 2.5 mi |
| New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Oval | 1.058 mi |
| Texas Motor Speedway | Oval | 1.5 mi |
Format
Regular season
The regular season consists of 16 rounds that begins in mid-February and ends in early October. A total of 40 racers compete for 8 spots in the playoffs. Points are gained for each race, earning one point per position (one point for 40th, two for 39th, etc.). Three bonus points are awarded for winning a race and one bonus point is awarded for leading a lap and leading the most laps. Only the best 12 out of 16 results count towards the driver's championship. The drivers with the most points qualify for the playoffs. Drivers receive $500 for a win, $300 for a second-place finish and $200 for a third-place finish for all races but the Daytona 500, which are increased.
Playoffs
Points are reset beginning week 17 for the playoff qualifying drivers who are all set at 2,000 points. After three races, the drivers in the top four of the standings qualify for the Championship race and their points are set to 3,000. The driver with the highest number of points at the end of the series is named the champion. In 2020, the Champion will be awarded $100,000, second will receive $20,000, $15,000 for third, and $10,000 for fourth.
References
- "eNASCAR | About eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series". eNASCAR. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- Nicholson, Jonno (2020-02-05). "Coca-Cola named entitlement sponsor of eNASCAR iRacing Series". Esports Insider. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- "eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series". iRacing.com. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- Tassi, Paul. "2012: The Year of eSports". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-03-11.
- Beckford, Andrew (December 11, 2018). "The Rise of eSports Racing". Super Street Network. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
- "An Online Racing Dream Come True". iRacing.com. 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
- Staff, SPEED SPORT (2020-02-05). "Coca-Cola Backing eNASCAR iRacing Series". SPEED SPORT. Retrieved 2020-03-09.
External links
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