Chicago to Host Race on eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series

Chicago Sports Commission is exited to share that the city will host the 5th race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The first race of the series kicks off tonight at a virtual Bristol Motor Speedway, with live coverage broadcast on FOX Sports. Thanks to iRacing’s cutting-edge technology, NASCAR Cup Series drivers will make their virtual street-course debut in Chicago, live on June 2nd.

NASCAR and iRacing have partnered to create the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series – a virtual racing exhibition featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. In collaboration with the City of Chicago, NASCAR and iRacing scanned real-life city streets and avenues to develop the virtual rendition of the course.  The virtual street course will run past the city’s iconic skyline and Lake Shore Drive, around Buckingham Fountain and Grant Park.

“Today’s announcement marks a huge milestone for Chicago and the Chicago Sports Commission,” said Executive Director, Kara Bachman. “CSC and its partners, such as TSMGI who has been integral in securing this event, have long awaited the opportunity to collaborate with NASCAR. The iRacing Pro Invitational Series is the perfect virtual launching pad and a testament to NASCAR’s innovation.”

Conducted live, the race will be broadcast on FOX Sports from 7:00pm – 8:30pm CDT on June 2, 2021. The 2020 Pro Invitational reached 6.8 million unique viewers, and with the NASCAR Cup Series set to visit new tracks and new markets in 2021, including Chicago, the series helps fill a crucial void in FOX/NBC’s respective programming schedules in the era of reduced practice/qualifying sessions. Check out @NASCAR and @ChiSportsComm on social for more visuals, and visit NASCAR.com for more information.