NBCSN is to broadcast the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge, a sim racing event with 18 NASCAR drivers.
NBCSN will air live coverage of the series which begins on April 6th and concludes on April 9th, in which the top two drivers from each daily heat will battle it out in a championship race.
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NBC is the second North American broadcaster to air sim racing as a response to coronavirus postponing events. FOX Sports has been broadcasting the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational, reaching 903,000 viewers with its debut event.
Jeff Behnke, Vice President of Production of NASCAR on NBC, spoke on the event in a release: “We’re proud to continue our successful collaboration with iRacing and NASCAR, which began last year, to produce the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge. Thanks to all the drivers from the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series for joining in what should be four consecutive nights of entertainment and fun for all the great race fans and viewers.”
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NBC Sports is no stranger to broadcasting iRacing events. In 2019, the broadcaster produced coverage of the inaugural eNASCAR live event. Later this year, six races of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Playoffs will be broadcast live on NBCSN.
Steve Myers, Executive Producer of iRacing, added: “Of all of the events we’ve been putting together for real-world pros, the NBC eSports Short Track iRacing Challenge should be one of the most fun. So many of the top drivers in NASCAR have honed their skills on both local short tracks and iRacing, and combining the two for a virtual week-long showdown should deliver plenty of excitement. We can’t wait to see who takes the checkered flag and bragging rights!”
Esports Insider says: The recent explosion of interest in the sim racing scene does not appear to be slowing down. It’ll be interesting to see what NBC can bring to the table as FOX Sports smashed its coverage out the park.