Teenagers around the globe soon will be able to experience racing at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 3/8-mile paved oval will be featured in NASCAR's newly launched youth esports series - the first esports competition created to attract and identify young talent - on iRacing, the world's premier racing simulation platform. The 12-week racing season will kick off in June, with The Bullring's event taking place on Wednesday, Aug. 1.
The youth series will be open to participants ages 13-16 worldwide. NASCAR's youth esports series establishes an easily accessible entry point to real-world racing and provides young competitors with an unparalleled simulation experience on iRacing's ultra-realistic software.
The regular season, comprised of the first eight events, will be open to all participants. The 50 racers accumulating the most points over the regular season will qualify to compete in the four-week playoffs.
The top 30 in points after the playoffs will advance to a final championship event at the iconic Martinsville Speedway. The season will include a mix of single and heat race formats, and participants can register today on NASCAR.com/iRacing.
NASCAR currently sanctions the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze iRacing Series, an esports series now in its ninth season that features the most elite oval sim racers competing on virtual versions of NASCAR-sanctioned race tracks. The addition of a youth series on iRacing will provide driver's-seat experience for competitors looking to hone their talent, including those with professional racing aspirations.
William Byron, a rookie driving the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, started his racing career on iRacing in 2011 at 14 years old. In just two years on iRacing, Byron accumulated more than 100 wins and finished in the top five in an additional 203 races.
Now, only seven years later, Byron is leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings in NASCAR's top series, complementing a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship (2017), NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship (2015), and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2016) and Xfinity Series (2017).
"NASCAR has been at the forefront of competitive online racing for years and its enhanced involvement in esports will be even more evident through the launch of its youth esports series on iRacing," said Tony Gardner, iRacing president. "NASCAR drivers have used iRacing to accelerate their development beginning at a young age, as well as to hone their skills throughout their careers. We look forward to cheering on the alumni from the youth series when they compete at the highest levels of NASCAR in the years to come."
Drivers like Monster Energy NASCAR Series Champions Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, as well as Brendan Gaughan, Ron Hornaday Jr., David Gilliland, Ken Schrader and Carl Edwards, have competed at The Bullring. The LVMS short track's next NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing night is set for Saturday, June 2.
Bullring tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the LVMS Ticket Office at 800.644.4444 or visiting LVMS.com, and children 12 and under receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult.
2018 NASCAR Youth eSports Series schedule
Regular season (Races at 11 a.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Pacific Time)
June 20--Charlotte Motor Speedway - Legends Oval
June 27--Thompson Speedway
July 11--South Boston Speedway
July 18--Atlanta Motor Speedway - Legends Oval
July 25--Brands Hatch - Indy Circuit
Aug. 1--The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Aug. 8--Myrtle Beach Speedway
Aug. 15--Langley Speedway
Playoffs (Heat racing) - 5 p.m. Pacific Time
Aug. 22--New Smyrna Speedway
Aug. 29--Irwindale Speedway
Sept. 5--Gateway Motorsports Park - Road Course
Sept. 12--Stafford Motor Speedway
Finale (5 p.m. Pacific Time)
Sept. 19--Martinsville Speedway
*Schedule is subject to change.