Race Preview: eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Food City Showdown

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It’s Bristol, baby!

Today’s Food City Showdown (1PM ET, FOX/FS1/FOX Sports app) should produce one of the most thrilling shows in the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, if only because Bristol Motor Speedway is one of the most challenging tracks on the real-world NASCAR Cup Series schedule. The unforgiving high banks of the Tennessee half mile already challenged drivers in Saturday Night Thunder, where Logan Seavey bested dozens of top drivers from NASCAR’s lower divisions, and you can expect more of the same today.

The influx of pro drivers that have joined the eNASCAR ranks necessitated some format changes this week, the biggest of which was the shift to having non-Cup drivers run their own event yesterday. But for the 32 racers set to compete in the big show later today, they’ll also need to survive a pair of 50-lap heat races before taking the green flag for the main event.

If you’re basing your picks for today off of the real world, chances are you’re going to reach for a Busch; Kurt and Kyle have each won two of the last six races here in the real world, with Kyle taking a pair of spring victories and Kurt going back to back in the summer night race. Others who have made a habit of visiting the winner’s circle in the real world include past Cup champions Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski, and Joey Logano.

But the most recent real-world Bristol winner is also the first Pro Invitational Series winner, as Denny Hamlin got around Matt DiBenedetto with 12 laps to go last August to score the victory in the most recent Bristol night race. Invitational drivers like Texas winner Timmy Hill, Garrett Smithley, Parker Kligerman, Landon Cassill, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have also been consistently up front in Pro Invitational Series events, and William Byron will look to avenge two straight weeks of disappointing finishes after running up front in each race thus far.

Food City Showdown Entry List

The full entry list for today’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race from Bristol Motor Speedway is as follows:

No.

Driver

Sponsor

Manufacturer

1Kurt BuschMonster EnergyChevrolet
2Brad KeselowskiDiscount TireFord
3Austin DillonDowChevrolet
6Ross ChastainCoca-Cola/NutrienFord
8Dale Earnhardt Jr.FilterTimeChevrolet
9Chase ElliottNAPA Auto PartsChevrolet
11Denny HamlinFedExToyota
12Ryan BlaneyMenards/RichmondFord
13Ty DillonGeicoChevrolet
14Clint BowyerSmithfieldFord
17Chris BuescherSunny DFord
18Kyle BuschM&M’sToyota
19Bobby LabonteAuto Owners InsuranceToyota
20Erik JonesStanleyToyota
21Matt DiBenedettoReese/DrawTiteFord
22Joey LoganoAutoTraderFord
24William ByronAxaltaChevrolet
31Tyler ReddickAlscoChevrolet
34Michael McDowellCelsiusFord
37Ryan PreeceCottonelleChevrolet
38John Hunter NemechekYanmarFord
42Kyle LarsonMcDonald’s McDeliveryChevrolet
43Bubba WallaceBlue EmuChevrolet
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.KrogerChevrolet
48Jimmie JohnsonAllyChevrolet
51Garrett SmithleyGunBroker.comChevrolet
66Timmy HillRoofClaim.comToyota
77Parker KligermanValvoline/Food Country USAToyota
88Alex BowmanNOCOChevrolet
89Landon CassillBlue EmuChevrolet
95Christopher BellProcoreToyota
96Daniel SuarezToyotaToyota

 

Event entry lists are subject to change.

The eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Food City Showdown from Motor Speedway will air at 1PM ET/10AM PT on FOX, FS1, and the FOX Sports app. Check your local listings for more information. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.