World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois, will present its second iRace event on Friday, April 24. The WWTR eLeague CK Power 125 presented by Raceway Gives for the Elite Racing League will start at 7:30 p.m. Eastern (6:30 p.m. Central) and will be aired free-of-charge on Speed51 (www.Speed51.com).
Professional drivers from NASCAR, INDYCAR, NHRA, ARCA and USAC will compete in NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Trucks for 100 laps (125 miles). The 30-car field will consist of 25 professional drivers and five sim racers. Drivers will compete in preliminary heats to race their way into the 100-lap feature.
“We had a tremendous response from our iRacing INDYCAR event last month and we’re excited to add additional eSports content with another series that is loved here in St. Louis,” said WWTR Executive Vice President and General Manager Chris Blair. “We’ve fine-tuned this event with lessons learned from our last race, and other races that have been held online. We’ve shortened the distance to compact the show and our starting field is smaller to reduce the number of cautions. Those changes, as well as the intense competition from the NASCAR Trucks, will make this event even more exciting.”
The iRacing drivers will compete from home – on computer sim racing rigs (sim is short for simulator) – on a digital replica of WWTR’s 1.25-mile oval. A sim racing rig consists of a computer, monitor, steering wheel and pedals. Many pro drivers invest thousands of dollars into elaborate sim rigs but one of the most successful racers cobbled his together with items purchased online and at a local discount store.
WWTR’s inaugural eLeague iRacing event, held on March 29, was won by Australian sports car driver Scott Andrews. The professional racer who now makes his home in the United States is a 10-year veteran of iRacing.
Practice sessions will take place Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8-11 p.m. Eastern. The open race will take place on Friday at 6 p.m. Eastern, with qualifying for the CK Power 125 slated for 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
PROFESSIONAL DRIVER ENTRY ROSTER INCLUDES:
NTT IndyCar Series
• Ed Carpenter – Three Indianapolis 500 poles; three NTT IndyCar Series wins.
• Santino Ferrucci – racing again in the U.S. after serving as a Formula 1 development driver in Europe.
• James Davison – the native of Melbourne, Australia has competed in seven INDYCAR races and four NASCAR Xfinity Series events.
• Conor Daly – Competing on road courses and street courses for Ed Carpenter Racing in 2020.
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
• Ron Capps – 2016 Funny Car world champion.
• Shawn Langdon – 2013 Top Fuel Dragster world champion.
NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle
- Matt Smith – 24 NHRA wins on two wheels.
NASCAR Xfinity Series
• Ryan Vargas – Made his Xfinity Series debut in 2019 at Iowa Speedway.
• Josh Bilicki – Returns to the Xfinity Series in 2020 on a limited schedule with team owner BJ McLeod.
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series
• Spencer Boyd – Born in St. Louis in 1995, Boyd won his first Truck race at Talladega in 2019.
• Jordan Anderson – A local favorite, sponsored by the Bommarito Automotive Group.
• Christian Eckes – Seven ARCA Menards Series victories.
• Stewart Friesen – From Ontario, Canada –
• Raphael Lessard – From Quebec, Canada – 2019 winner in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series (Canada).
ARCA Menards Series
- Travis Braden – West Virginia driver earned a dual degree in aerospace and mechanical engineering.
USAC
• Austin Blair – Silver Crown Series, from Fairview Heights, Illinois. FAA-certified drone pilot.
WWTR PR
