Esports! It’s something that, just a few years ago, many could only dream of turning into a career. Now, it’s not only turned into a career path but a stepping stone into the pros. If there is one sport that has fully embraced the new phenomenon of esports, it’s NASCAR. America’s premier stock car racing series has fully immersed itself into the virtual world, combining it with the thrill and competition of physical racing. With enough similarity to the real world, fans and competitors can take advantage of an experience that resembles that of their real-life counterparts. With help from premier racing simulator iRacing, new avenues have been opened to bring a new audience to the sport that few sports can compare.
So, how big of a deal is esports to NASCAR? How has the sport taken advantage of it in ways other sports haven’t or can’t? Aside from competition and similarities to driving a real-world car, those similarities have allowed drivers to graduate from the virtual world to the top levels of stock-car racing. Not only have drivers used iRacing to begin their careers, but they have also accelerated them and built their brand to further their outreach in the sport. So, let’s dive into esports and its role in NASCAR.
NASCAR is a difficult sport to enter. With thousands of dollars needed to start in late models or legends cars, the financial burden could be difficult to overcome to get into the sport. In addition, some locations lack race tracks to compete at, which presents an additional challenge. That’s where iRacing has an advantage. While still a costly venture, with membership fees and purchasing tracks and cars, it is still a cheaper venue for racing than buying a car and all the equipment needed. In addition, it presents an easier path to start from before jumping into a real-life car to compete on the track.
Rajah Caruth spoke to the Daily Downforce in an exclusive interview in regards to his beginnings with iRacing. When asked about how his career would’ve gone without the sim platform, he said,
“I don’t think it would have started just because I started iRacing when I was 15 or 16 years old, and didn’t get into my first race in Legends Cars until I was 17. So I think if not for the platform I got from sim racing, I wouldn’t have got an opportunity to race in real life.”
Rajah Caruth
It’s not just Caruth who has found success starting his career on the sim. This year’s Daytona 500 winner, William Byron, was among the first to do so. He explained to the Daily Downforce when he realized he could turn sim racing into a career.
“When I saw a lot of people on there racing, you know, guys that were racing real professional cars and then kind of the crossover between that and the real racing. I would say that and just being able to go out to some of the legend car races at Charlotte and see how that all worked and get into a legend car.”
-William Byron
It’s safe to say that iRacing was a good building block for Byron. The foundation from the sim, in addition to racing in Legends Cars, led to him signing with JR Motorsports in 2014, where, over the next decade, he would find great success, including the 2017 Xfinity Series championship and the Daytona 500 win earlier this year.
iRacing has become a method that not only helps one get one’s foot in the door but also helps one learn the beginnings of being a race car driver. Caruth talked about what he learned during his time in iRacing.
“Aside from the basics of driving, there’s situational awareness and race management on there with everybody, especially the races I’ve primarily been in over the years. Being fixed setups so everyone’s cars are the same. How important it is to not give yourself damage, not implicate your race. How important it is to really put yourself in the best situation to finish well, and I think that has translated really well into real life and helped me out a little bit. I think also managing emotions, managing your reputation, and overall just doing things the right way.”
Rajah Caruth
Just because a driver reaches the sport’s top levels doesn’t make iRacing obsolete. While it’s not a 100% simulation and has been described as lacking in areas like drafting or some car models, the simulator still has many benefits drivers use throughout the season to get better, including learning tracks. When speaking with The Daily Downforce, Caruth mentioned tracks like Bristol, Nashville, Phoenix, and Charlotte that are similar in the sim to real life. The similarities allow him to sharpen his skillset at these tracks, which can give him a better understanding of how it drives come race day.
Typically, during the season, drivers spend time on their manufacturer’s simulator, which is different from iRacing. It uses different software that allows for a more accurate simulation of the cars and tracks. iRacing still has its benefits, however. Byron mentioned using it during the offseason to keep his skills sharp during the three-month break.
“During the season I’m mostly using the Chevy simulator, but I use iRacing a lot in the off-season, because it keeps me sharp and I feel like it helps refine some of my race craft. So, I’m typically on there almost every day in the offseason. I really enjoy racing a variety of cars and also just kind of getting a feel for the tracks.”
William Byron
This can apply to any driver from any era. Whether they’re a 20-year veteran who’s never seen a sim or a young driver who started on the sim, the benefits can apply to anyone.
“What sim racing does is just gives a great avenue for people to get started. Young kids, it doesn’t matter what age you are. You’re racing a car. You don’t have to be a certain age or be a certain geographical area so I think that’s really important.”
William Byron
Drivers spend a lot of time in the simulator preparing for a race. Whether during the season or in the offseason, sim racing allows them to improve their skills and stay fresh so when the next race comes, they are fully ready to take on the track.
Another way drivers have used sim racing is to build their brand. It’s an effective way to connect with fans and give back to the community that got them started in the sport. A driver can log onto iRacing, compete in online races with fans or host races, and invite others to race with them. Some drivers even start their own esports teams. Byron started his own esports team, William Byron Esports, in 2020. The team competes in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, supporting and developing talented drivers while allowing Byron to build his brand in the esports world.
“It’s a part of my roots. I stream very frequently on Twitch and I’m active in that community. I hope that’s going to be the case for the next few years until I move up to the Cup Series.”
Rajah Caruth
Sim racing has shown to be a great brand builder for these drivers. It’s where they got started and a way to give back to their community. Hosting races online or starting esports teams allows them to be present in the sim racing world and amongst their fans. For a fan to say that they competed against their favorite driver is something that most sports can’t compete with.
“It’s been great to have my relationship with iRacing and eNASCAR. All those guys and gals over there just build more awareness around the sport and help bring in a new batch of fans, and lower the barrier of entry.”
Rajah Caruth
One thing that really made iRacing take off was the COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was shut down, NASCAR took the chance to continue to put on a product through its relationship with iRacing. Around this time, Caruth was making a name for himself in the sim racing world. Caruth described iRacing during the pandemic as a fortunate opportunity to help propel his career.
“It really boosted the legitimacy of it. I was fortunate about the time that I really came up through the ladder in terms of really the years with the Ignite Series and COVID and the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series. I was really fortunate to come out at those current times.”
Rajah Caruth
iRacing has done wonders for the sport. It has provided a platform for fans to get involved and produced some of the sport’s biggest stars. Drivers have used it in many ways: to get their foot in the door, practice, or build their brand. iRacing has revolutionized how drivers approach racing and redefining how fans connect with the sport, bridging the gap between virtual and real-world competition.
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