NASCAR has been focusing more and more on its eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing SeriesGETTY IMAGES
NASCAR is "now more committed than ever to growing its virtual presence, hoping that its continued partnership with iRacing will help the sport reach a whole new audience long after the pandemic is over," according to Gregory Leporati of the WASHINGTON POST. iRacing Exec VP & Exec Producer Steve Myers said, "When we first started in March, there were some reservations. People in the industry said, 'What, are we really playing video games now?' But it took only a couple of weeks for everyone to realize that this is not only a great way to connect with fans, but a great way to make new fans." Leporati notes NASCAR has been "focusing more and more on its eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, a dedicated esports league that wraps up its 2020 season on Monday with its Championship Finale race at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway." Now in its 11th season, the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series is "enjoying its most successful year to date with a $300,000 prize pool -- its largest yet." Although NASCAR does not release viewership numbers, officials "say that live views of the series have more than doubled and engagements have nearly tripled compared to last year." The series "streams on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and other major platforms, and the final playoff event will be rebroadcast on NBC Sports Network" on Nov. 8 (WASHINGTON POST, 10/30).
