eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race Preview: Bristol

Another season of eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series action kicks off this Wednesday at Bristol Motor Speedway, but the action will look quite a bit different from last spring’s virtual race at The Last Great Colosseum. Just like its real-world counterpart later in the week, the virtual Bristol has undergone a dirt makeover, turning the high-banked half-mile into a festival of sideways driving sure to entertain race fans of all types. Coverage starts on FS1 at 6PM ET as part of NASCAR Race Hub, while the racing itself begins at 8PM ET.

Much like in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event, the sport’s biggest stars will need to race their way through elimination rounds in order to crack the main event. After qualifying, the field will split into three groups, with seven drivers advancing from each of the 20-lap heats on offer. From there, it’s a 70-lap dash to the finish among the 21 drivers in the main event, with up to three attempts at a green-white-checkered finish.

As was the case last year, NASCAR’s current front-runners will be joined by a hand-picked lineup of stars from the sport’s recent history. For Bristol, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Clint Bowyer will line up alongside 2020 Pro Invitational race winners like William Byron, Denny Hamlin, and Alex Bowman; past NASCAR Cup Series champions like Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, and Martin Truex Jr.; and 2021 race winners like Michael McDowell, Christopher Bell, and Kyle Larson.

This year’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series events will also add a charitable element for the first time. The winner of each of the 10 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series events throughout 2021 will receive $5,000 to be donated to the charity of their choice.

The tentative entry list* for Wednesday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway is as follows:

No.

Driver

Entry

00Quin HouffStarCom Racing
1Kurt BuschChip Ganassi Racing
2Austin CindricTeam Penske
3Austin DillonRichard Childress Racing
5Kyle LarsonHendrick Motorsports
6Ryan NewmanRoush Fenway Racing
7Corey LajoieSpire Motorsports
8Tyler ReddickRichard Childress Racing
9Chase ElliottHendrick Motorsports
10Aric AlmirolaStewart-Haas Racing
11Denny HamlinJoe Gibbs Racing
12Ryan BlaneyTeam Penske
14Chase BriscoeStewart-Haas Racing
15James DavisonRick Ware Racing
17Chris BuescherRoush Fenway Racing
18Kyle BuschJoe Gibbs Racing
19Martin Truex, Jr.Joe Gibbs Racing
20Christopher BellJoe Gibbs Racing
21Matt DiBenedettoWood Brothers Racing
22Joey LoganoTeam Penske
23Bubba Wallace23XI Racing
24William ByronHendrick Motorsports
34Michael McDowellFront Row Motorsports
37Ryan PreeceJTG Daugherty Racing
38Anthony AlfredoFront Row Motorsports
41Cole CusterStewart-Haas Racing
42Ross ChastainChip Ganassi Racing
43Erik JonesRichard Petty Motorsports
47Ricky Stenhouse Jr.JTG Daugherty Racing
48Alex BowmanHendrick Motorsports
51Garrett SmithleyPetty Ware Racing
52Josh BilickiRick Ware Racing
53Joey GaseRick Ware Racing
77Justin HaleySpire Motorsports
78BJ McLeodLive Fast Racing
79Clint BowyerClint Bowyer Racing
88Dale Earnhardt Jr.JR Motorsports
99Daniel SuarezTrackhouse Racing

 

*subject to change

eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series practice from Bristol Motor Speedway begins on Wednesday at 6PM ET, with the first green flag on heat racing set to drop just before 8PM ET and an estimated green flag on the 70-lap main event at 8:45PM ET. FS1 will carry live and exclusive coverage of the event. Following Bristol, the 10-race invitational series continues on April 21 at Talladega Superspeedway, while the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for the world’s fastest sim racers continues its season with a visit to Auto Club Speedway on March 30 at 9PM ET that will stream live on eNASCAR.com.

For more information on the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, visit www.eNASCAR.com. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.