FOX Sports will continue to provide coverage of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series on FOX, Fox Sports 1 and the Fox Sports app, it announced Tuesday (March 24).
Last Sunday’s Dixie Vodka 150 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway brought over 900,000 viewers.
.@FS1 earned a 0.53 rating and 903,000 viewers for Sunday's inaugural @NASCAR #ProInvitationalSeries esports event, per @ShowBuzzDaily. pic.twitter.com/AI20jhSN1O
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) March 24, 2020
Denny Hamlin edged out Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the inaugural event, which featured a field of 35 cars raced by current NASCAR drivers and former stars like Dale Jr. and Bobby Labonte.
“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,” Brad Zager, FOX Sports Executive Producer, EVP/Head of Production & Operations, said in a press release. “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.”
Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Larry McReynolds will announce the simulcasts, while NASCAR Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer will be the “in-car” commentator.
“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.”
Drivers competing in the Pro Invitational Series come from the Cup, Xfinity or Gander RV & Outdoors Truck series, as well as past drivers and NASCAR dignitaries. The series offers racing fans a form of entertainment while the regular season is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The next race will be at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m. ET
About the author
Joy joined Frontstretch in 2019 as a NASCAR DraftKings writer, expanding to news and iRacing coverage in 2020. She's currently an assistant editor while continuing to write daily fantasy and news articles. A California native, Joy was raised as a motorsports fan and started watching NASCAR extensively in 2001. She earned her B.A. degree in Liberal Studies at California State University Bakersfield in 2010.
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Can’t wait!
Yay!
Do they have the phantom debris cautions with 10 laps to go? That would make it really authentic.