Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Motorsports
  • Tennis

Timmy Hill virtual winner of NASCAR's live iRacing event

by AP

CHARLOTTE Mar 30, 2020 - 11:06 am GMT+3
Cars race during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race O'Reilly Auto Parts 125 at virtual Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, March 29, 2020. (AFP Photo)
Cars race during the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series Race O'Reilly Auto Parts 125 at virtual Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, March 29, 2020. (AFP Photo)
by AP Mar 30, 2020 11:06 am

As coronavirus pandemic halts almost all sports worldwide, NASCAR races resume online, with the second iRacing series having taken place on Sunday

RECOMMENDED
Netherlands' Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk on stage next to Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Oracle Red Bull Racing during the Oracle Red Bull Racing Season Launch 2023 at Classic Car Club Manhattan, New York City, Feb. 3, 2023. (Getty Images Photo)

Verstappen backs Hamilton's title bid 'if he has the car to do it'

FORMULA-1

Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead sang the national anthem from a remote location. Troy Aikman, borrowing Matthew McConaughey's trademark “All right, all right, all right,” commanded drivers to start their, uh, simulators.

NASCAR's new norm resumed Sunday with another virtual event, the second in an iRacing series thrown together after the coronavirus pandemic stopped nearly all sports. NASCAR's 36-race season was suspended four events into the year.

Timmy Hill won the virtual race at Texas Motor Speedway, where a highlight came when Daniel Suarez was parked by iRacing officials for intentionally trying – but failing – to crash Ty Dillon.

Hill is considered among the top competitors in iRacing, a subscription-based gaming platform. His virtual victory was his 674th in the game.

Fox Sports again used its team of Mike Joy and Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon to call the race, which was aired both on Fox in some markets and nationwide on its cable channel.

The first iRacing event last Sunday drew 903,000 viewers to Fox Sports One and was the most-watched esports event in U.S. history, bettering the 770,000 viewers Mortal Combat drew to The CW in 2016. That led Fox to offer affiliates the option to air the Texas virtual race on the broadcast.

Those who tuned in watched a live video game of 35 NASCAR racers competing at an exact replica of Texas Motor Speedway, where the series was scheduled to be Sunday before the coronavirus shutdown. Fox was able to obtain feeds of drivers racing on simulators everywhere from their bedrooms, basements, garages and, in the case of last week's winner, Denny Hamlin's living room.

Clint Bowyer was the in-race reporter again, but when the booth cut to him to ask about an early race incident, he gave a quick update and shooed Joy and Gordon away.

“You guys are bothering me, sorry,” Bowyer said.

Alex Bowman again entertained fans via social media with commentary. It included his tweet “I just virtually drove through somebody,” after a wreck. Bowman also missed his pit stall, was speeding on pit road, bemoaned his need for a snack and ultimately decided “I'm a disaster.”

Chase Elliott, racing in striped socks, posted a video during a commercial break of his feet working the pedals. Michael McDowell talked fans through his pit decisions. With racing on hold and drivers desperate to give exposure to their teams and sponsors, Hill's virtual victory gave the NASCAR journeyman a rare live opportunity to thank his sponsors, the staple speech of any successful racer.

The Texas event was done with a fixed setup and drivers used varying levels of rigs. Hamlin's, at more than $40,000, is one of the most advanced in the field, with motion sensors and premium technology. Alternatively, Fox showed Garrett Smithley racing with a wheel and a computer at a desk, under a framed poster of Richard Petty, in what appeared to be Smithley's bedroom.

With nothing else to do, Texas track President Eddie Gossage tweeted live during the race, joking he was going to bill Christopher Bell for virtually tearing up the grass and paint with a spin through the infield. Gossage also continued Texas' tradition of awarding mid-race prizes to fans – even though his speedway is currently closed.

IndyCar made its iRacing debut Saturday in a race entered by 25 drivers and won by Sage Karam. NASCAR seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson was a special guest in the race as he works toward an obvious IndyCar debut. He'd been scheduled to test a car in Alabama next month before the coronavirus shutdown.

NASCAR, IndyCar, IMSA and many of Formula One's drivers are using iRacing as a tool to keep their skills sharp during this pause, and now iRacing has seized on the popularity of esports and absence of live sporting events to create events for the idled leagues.

IRacing is one of the very few professional sports that can come close to delivering a decent show because of the granular detail and precise rendering of each NASCAR track. The venues are laser-scanned to capture the bumps and imperfections in the asphalt, as well as duplicate the grandstands and billboards and pit lane.

RECOMMENDED
Netherlands' Max Verstappen and Oracle Red Bull Racing talk on stage next to Sergio Perez of Mexico and Oracle Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Oracle Red Bull Racing during the Oracle Red Bull Racing Season Launch 2023 at Classic Car Club Manhattan, New York City, Feb. 3, 2023. (Getty Images Photo)

Verstappen backs Hamilton's title bid 'if he has the car to do it'

FORMULA-1
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Mar 30, 2020 12:38 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    motorsports nascar racing
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A Turkish Airlines aircraft is seen as a snow plow cleans runway at Istanbul Airport, Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 24, 2022. (DHA Photo)

    Over 200 flights cancelled in Istanbul due to expected snowstorm

    snowstorm
    A view of the rubble of a building hit by the earthquake in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş, Feb. 6, 2023. (AA Photo)

    Death toll rises to 1,121 after magnitude 7.7 quake rocks SE Türkiye

    EARTHQUAKE

    Gaziantep Castle collapses after magnitude 7.7 quake hit Türkiye

    EARTHQUAKE

    Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep suspend flights after 7.7 earthquake

    EARTHQUAKE
    No Image
    Mosques, bridges and Formula 1 cars: Istanbul streets see F1 action
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021