NASCAR, iRacing.com Announce Official Partnership

NASCAR and iRacing.com have agreed to a new partnership that will grant the developer of PC-based racing simulations the title of “official simulation partner of NASCAR,” elevating a relationship that had been classified previously as a licensing deal.

The partnership will allow the two groups to work closer on promoting various eNASCAR series that live on the iRacing platform while collaborating around a number of initiatives on the future of NASCAR. Those initiatives will include the design of new and proposed race tracks, collaboration and technical support on the NASCAR NextGen race car project, the creation of sim racing-oriented content for NASCAR Digital Media channels and the use of iRacing as a training tool for NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity class.

“NASCAR fans know and love iRacing for their accomplishments in the development of virtual racing series, but what many may not realize is that the company is so much more than just an esports partner,” said Tim Clark, NASCAR’s senior vice president and chief digital officer. “iRacing is a full-on technology partner in every sense of the word, and their best-in-class simulation and engineering capabilities are helping us innovate across multiple layers of our business — whether that be in designing new race tracks, developing new race cars, creating compelling digital content, or providing a virtual training ground for the next generation of NASCAR stars.”

iRacing has been a NASCAR licensee since 2010 and provided the platform for the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, and also played a central role in the formation of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series in 2020, a seven-race series which bridged the gap between events during the early stages of the pandemic and set records for the most viewed esports events in United States television history.

iRacing is currently assisting the sanctioning body around multiple race track and facility development projects. iRacing first collaborated with NASCAR on the reconfiguration of Auto Club Speedway into a half-mile short track in 2020, and later scanned the streets of Chicago in the fall to create a street circuit that debuted during an eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series event in June.

“NASCAR has been immensely supportive of iRacing over the past decade and a huge contributing factor in our growth as an organization,” said iRacing President Tony Gardner. “From their world-class support of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for more than a decade, to the explosion of new initiatives like Pro Invitational events and track development projects, NASCAR’s assistance has helped iRacing remain at the forefront of the esports industry while also taking our organization to exciting new places. We’re incredibly excited to extend our partnership, and look forward to continuing to evolve these efforts for years to come.”