Blue-Emu sponsored both Landon Cassill and Bubba Wallace in yesterday's eventGETTY IMAGES
NASCAR teams and drivers are "doing anything they can to keep the sport moving as all incoming revenue has frozen," with Hendrick Motorsports becoming the first team to "actively involve its sponsors" during eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series events, according to Jenna Fryer of the AP. Hendrick drivers Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman took part in a "live conference with guests who would typically get a pre-race visit with the drivers in a hospitality suite at the track." Driver Landon Cassill signed Blue-Emu as an iRacing sponsor and had the joint/muscle cream's logos "prominently behind him as he raced." He also "gave fans a tour of his borrowed rig in a plug to help the simulator company sell the setup." NASCAR during yesterday's Food City Showdown at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway aired a PSA with "top drivers thanking front-line health care workers." NASCAR has been "donating face shields made on the five 3-D printers at its research center, and several other industry participants are either producing personal protective equipment or making donations" (AP, 4/5).
THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN: In Charlotte, Alex Andrejev noted the eNASCAR series has created "exposure for a sport that has suffered from declining sponsorship and viewership in recent years," and "provided revenue-generating opportunities for teams forced to cut its staff and salaries" amid the pandemic. Team Owner Rick Ware "has been able to leverage the success" of driver Garrett Smithley with a "five-race deal with GunBroker.com for remaining iRacing events" for the No. 51 (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/5). Driver William Byron, who won yesterday's race, said “we're fortunate during this time” to have iRacing. Byron: “We have to use this. ... Right now, this is kind of what we have, and it's our chance to show the world what racing is really like and ... relate to young kids” (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 4/6). IndyCar also has started an iRacing series, and driver Sage Karam said, “We’re having a lot of fun with this. Having the guys on here, giving the fans something to watch. The sponsors having the cars out there and everything” (“Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama,” NBCSN, 4/4).
DESPITE ALL MY RAGE: CBSSPORT.com's Pete Blackburn notes driver Bubba Wallace wrecked during the 11th lap and was so "peeved by it that he wound up 'rage-quitting.'" Wallace's short fuse "not only gave him a DQ/DNF in the virtual event but they also proved to have real-life consequences from a business standpoint." Wallace quickly "took to Twitter to mock the blowback from his decision." Unfortunately, one of Wallace's sponsors -- Blue-Emu -- "didn't take too kindly to his flippant attitude and decided to pull their sponsorship." The company has "sponsored Wallace's real-life racing team and just recently signed a multi-year contract to become an official partner of NASCAR" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/6). The OBSERVER's Andrejev notes yesterday's event was a "caution-filled short track race," with 12 cautions called. There have been as "many as 20 cautions at the real Bristol Motor Speedway during Cup Series races that run 500 laps, but the virtual race ran just 150." The crashes "showcased the competitive nature of Cup Series drivers as well as some frustrations with the sim driving" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/6).
