After kicking off the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series with a unique heat racing format on the dirt-covered banks of Bristol Motor Speedway, tonight’s return to racing action (7PM ET, FS1) at Talladega Superspeedway will be a little more familiar. The GEICO 70 returns from last year’s spring slate of Pro Invitational events, bringing back the single race, 70-lap format, with a deep field of NASCAR Cup Series stars set to take part as usual.
Alex Bowman enters Talladega as the defending race winner, having beaten Corey Lajoie to the finish line last year by .037 seconds in a thrilling photo finish. The timing is perfect for Bowman, who just punched his real-world playoff ticket with a victory at Richmond Raceway on Sunday and rides a wave of momentum into the race. Bowman’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron won the first Pro Invitational round of the year at Bristol and will also be looked at as a favorite.
Multiple teams will take advantage of the event to pay homage to legendary members of the Alabama Gang that called Talladega their home track. Rick Ware Racing’s Joey Gase will change from the #53 to the #28 in both the real and virtual world this weekend to honor Davey Allison and encourage organ donation. Trackhouse Racing and Daniel Suarez, meanwhile, will run an iRacing-only #97 tribute scheme to Red Farmer, who still regularly races at Talladega Short Track at 88 years old.
As always, the entry list will feature a number of special guest drivers. Six-time Talladega Cup race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be joined by NASCAR on FOX commentator Clint Bowyer and former Pro Invitational race winner Timmy Hill, while NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Jesse Iwuji won the fan vote over the weekend. Kevin Harvick also surprised the NASCAR world on Tuesday’s NASCAR RaceHub when he announced that his son, Keelan, will join the field.
eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race action from Talladega Superspeedway will kick off at 7PM ET on FS1. The race will be re-aired multiple times throughout the week, including on Sunday at 11AM ET on FS1 before NASCAR RaceDay kicks off coverage of the real-world GEICO 500. The Pro Invitational calendar continues on May 5 with a visit to Darlington Raceway, while the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series for the world’s top sim racers continues on April 27 at Kansas Speedway.
For more information on the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series and eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, visit www.eNASCAR.com. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.
