Richard Childress Racing at Texas Motor Speedway … While Richard Childress Racing has a storied history at Texas Motor Speedway that includes a NASCAR Cup Series win with Jeff Burton (1997), five NASCAR Xfinity Series wins and two NASCAR Truck Series wins, this weekend marks the organization’s first time racing competitively on the virtual Texas Motor Speedway track.
The Format … NASCAR, iRacing and FOX Sports are teaming up to deliver the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a selection of simulation-style esports races that include a cross-section of competitors from the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Truck Series and a group of NASCAR dignitaries. The series heads to the virtual Texas Motor Speedway for a fixed set-up race this Sunday, March 29. Several Richard Childress Racing-affiliated drivers are scheduled to compete.
The Lineup … All current NASCAR Cup Series drivers are locked into the 35-car field, including Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet) and Tyler Reddick (No. 31 Cat Oil and Gas Chevrolet). RCR’s roster of NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers, including Anthony Alfredo (No. 33 Death Wish Coffee Chevrolet), Myatt Snider (No. 93 TaxSlayer Chevrolet) and Kaz Grala (No. 29 HotScream Chevrolet) will attempt to qualify into the race via a heat race on Sunday morning.
The Setup … Dillon, Reddick and Alfredo will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Since 2009, Sim Seats has been designing and fabricating high quality made in USA driving simulators including motion systems, complete turnkey iRacing packages, and custom fabrication.
Did You Know … When he was a driver in NASCAR’s top division, Richard Childress earned a pair of top-10 finishes in the Lone Star State at the now defunct Texas World Speedway in College Station.
Interactive RCR … For up-to-date news and exclusive content, visit RCR’s corporate Twitter page – @RCRracing – along with the RCR NASCAR Cup Series team Twitter page – @RCRCup and the RCR NASCAR Xfinity Series team Twitter page – @RCRNXS. Information about the 16-time championship winning organization can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/RichardChildressRacing and on Instagram at Instagram.com/rcrracing. Visit RCRracing.com.
Catch the Action … The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway will be televised live Sunday, March 29 beginning at 1 p.m. ET on the FOX broadcast network (where available), FS1 and the FOX Sports app. Races will be available in Canada through FOX Sports Racing.
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This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Off Road/E-Z-GO Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Dillon is an accomplished driver at Texas Motor Speedway with 30 starts spread out across NASCAR’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series, but will be making his first competitive start on the virtual track this weekend. Dillon competed in the inaugural eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event last weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway but was slowed by connection issues at the start of the race.
TRACKER Off Road … Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE prominently features TRACKER ATVs, a game-changing new line of all-terrain vehicles and side-by-sides offering breakthrough performance, service and value in the off-road industry. TRACKER OFF ROAD was born out of a powerhouse partnership formed between Bass Pro Shops and TRACKER founder Johnny Morris and Textron Specialized Vehicles, bringing together the undisputed world leader in boating with a global leader in innovation and technology.
Bass Pro Shops … Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.” Bass Pro Shops has a long relationship with NASCAR, dating back to 1998. For more information, visit www.basspro.com.
E-Z-GO …E-Z-GO is an iconic, world-renowned brand in golf cars and personal transportation vehicles. Products sold under the E-Z-GO brand include RXV® and TXT® fleet golf cars, Freedom® RXV and Freedom TXT personal golf cars, E-Z-GO Express™ personal utility vehicles, and the 2Five® street-legal low-speed vehicle. Known for innovation in electric-vehicle technology, E-Z-GO’s newest offerings include the ELiTE series of lithium-ion powered golf cars and PTVs, and the company’s exclusive 72-volt AC electric powertrain found in its latest Express series vehicles. Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960, and today operates as part of the company’s Textron Specialized Vehicles division.
A Commitment to eSports … Dillon is a long-time iRacing team owner. For the past two years, he has fielded two cars in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, which is a $300,000 eSport World Championship series officially sanctioned by NASCAR featuring the world’s most elite oval simracers. Dillon’s two drivers, Blake Reynolds (No. 30) and Michael Guest (No. 33) compete on simulated versions of the actual real-world NASCAR tracks and Gen6 cars available on iRacing. The rounds run every other Tuesday night and is broadcast live on Twitch, Facebook and YouTube.
The Crew … From Team Dillon Management’s offices on the campus of Richard Childress Racing in Welcome, North Carolina, Dillon will be competing in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Dillon will have a talented support system on Sunday, including his eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series driver, Blake Reynolds (@breynolds_66). Reynolds was a Champ 4 contender in 2019.
AUSTIN DILLON QUOTE:
Did you learn anything at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway last week that you can apply to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend?
“I learned a lot at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend. We were able to get up to the top-10 for a little while but it was a messy race for us. I’ve been practicing a lot for Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway and the setup seems better this week. I’m also looking forward to a bit of drafting this week. I hope these eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series races tide us over until we get to the real racetrack, because this is fun but I’m looking forward to get back to real racing!”
This Week’s Cat Oil and Gas Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Reddick is scheduled to make his first competitive eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Start this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Reddick has competed in 11 races at Texas Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series, including two pole awards and six top-5 finishes.
Cat Oil and Gas … Caterpillar Oil & Gas, with headquarters in Houston, Texas, consolidates all the sales and service activities for Caterpillar Inc.’s oil and gas power solutions. Since the 1930s, Caterpillar has manufactured engines for the oilfield and today provides premier power solutions with outputs from 31 to 16,000 kW. The sales and service network includes more than 2,100 dealer locations world-wide dedicated to support customers in the drilling, production, well service and gas compression segments. More information is available at: cat.com/oilandgas
The Setup … From his home in North Carolina, Reddick will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats.
TYLER REDDICK QUOTE:
A lot of drivers have said that the virtual Texas Motor Speedway is very similar to the real Texas Motor Speedway, which could play well for you since you’ve been pretty successful at the real track. What will it take to transfer that knowledge and success into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro invitational Series race?
“The virtual track races identical to what Texas Motor Speedway was before the traction compound was introduced, and creates those crazy runs into Turn 1 with the current Cup package. Figuring out how to manage the front tires and keep someone from getting inside going into Turn 1 will be key for this virtual race.”
This Week’s Death Wish Coffee Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Alfredo is an accomplished competitor within the eNASCAR ranks but is not locked into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series field and will have to qualify into the race on Sunday afternoon via a heat race session on Sunday morning. Alfredo competed in last week’s event at the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he raced within the top-10 before a last-lap incident slowed his progression at the 1.5-mile track.
Death Wish Coffee … In 2012, Death Wish Coffee Co. started in a small coffee shop in Saratoga Springs, NY. Founder Mike Brown saw a need for coffee that was both strong and delicious to serve his groggy morning customers. After creating the perfect blend of beans and combining it with his unique roasting technique, the ‘World’s Strongest Coffee’ was born. Today, thousands of people trust Death Wish Coffee to wake them up and keep them going every day.
The Crew … From his home in North Carolina, Alfredo will be competing in Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race in a rig provided by Sim Seats. Alfredo has a talented support system on Sunday, including last year’s eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series champion Zack Novak and his teammate Jimmy Mullis, who will serve as crew chief and spotter, respectively.
ANTHONY ALFREDO QUOTE:
How similar is the virtual Texas Motor Speedway to the real Texas Motor Speedway?
“Texas Motor Speedway is my new favorite track on iRacing. It is one of my favorites in real life, too. To me, it feels even closer to real life than most of the other tracks do, so I really enjoy it. I actually just won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race there in iRacing today! I’ve been racing at Texas Motor Speedway all week in various series because it is so much fun and a great preparation for the weekend.”
This Week’s TaxSlayer Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway … Snider has four starts at the 1.5-mile track in the NASCAR Truck series but he will have to qualify into the virtual race on Sunday afternoon as he is not locked into the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series field. Snider and others not locked into the field will compete in a heat race session on Sunday morning to determine the final field for the afternoon event.
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MYATT SNIDER QUOTE:
What will it take to make the race at virtual Texas Motor Speedway with the race stacked with NASCAR Cup Series regulars and some iRacing pros? How does the virtual Texas Motor Speedway stack up to the real Texas Motor Speedway?
“It’s just so cool to be representing RCR and Tax Slayer in an awesome event like this. I’m really proud of NASCAR and the racing community as a whole for rallying behind this method of racing when we all can’t physically race. Also, the fact that the previous race drew almost a million viewers just goes to show how viable this is. It’s going to be tough racing against Cup guys and people who have a lot of iRacing experience, but I think with enough practice I’ll be able to compete. I can’t wait to take my Tax Slayer machine to virtual Texas.”
This Week’s HotScream Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway …
Grala is not locked into Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series field and will have to qualify into the race on Sunday afternoon via a heat race session on Sunday morning. Grala has collected two top-10 finishes in four starts at Texas Motor Speedway in NASCAR’s Xfinity and Truck Series.
HotScream … HotScream takes two concepts, dessert and spicy food, and combines them to form a product that can only be described as ‘HotScream The Spicy Ice Cream’. By taking ice cream with its cool creaminess and incorporating a spicy swirl, HotScream has created a new taste sensation, one that almost defies one’s own senses. At first, you taste the pureness of the vanilla, followed quickly by the sweetness of one of seven flavor swirls. As you continue to enjoy HotScream, things change: You feel a warming sensation that starts in the back of your mouth, creating a rush that only can come from spicy foods. The warming continues to linger but doesn’t engulf your mouth with fire. Taking another bite, you again taste the cool, creamy vanilla and the respective flavor profile while the heat dissipates, only to come back time and time again. HotScream is currently available at ACME Markets, Big Y, select ShopRites, Stop & Shop and 400 Walmart locations from Maine to Texas. For more information, visit HotScream.com.
KAZ GRALA QUOTE:
Sunday will be very challenging with some of the best drivers in NASCAR vying for a spot in the starting field at the virtual Texas Motor Speedway. What’s your strategy to make it into the main event and how does the virtual track compare to the real track?
“I’m really excited to drive the legendary, albeit virtual, No. 29 Chevrolet in this weekend’s race. As an Xfinity Series driver, I will have to race my way into the main event through the consolation race, which will be stacked with some of the best drivers on iRacing. With extremely limited experience on iRacing myself, it won’t be easy to transfer, but I’m going to give it my all and see how things shake out. I know from practice that the virtual track races very similarly to the real Texas Motor Speedway, but of course there are speed tricks on iRacing that I am still working on perfecting.”
