Welcome to Week 3 of iRacing! We’re taking you to virtual Bristol for Sunday’s great race.
Get your engine going because the action starts at 1 pm ET on FS1.
Who ya got to win today’s #ProInvitationalSeries race at Bristol???
(1p ET on FOX, FS1 and the FOX Sports App) pic.twitter.com/p4Ey2zP2BI
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
If you haven’t heard about WrestleMania 36, well, now you have. It’s taking place this weekend, and we thought we’d bring some WWE stars to join our party.
Rob Gronkowski and Mojo Rawley will your Grand Marshals for today.
Sunday, April 5th.@NASCARONFOX iRacing.
Virtual @BMSupdates.
1pm ET.@FOXTV, @FS1 & @FOXSports app.Invocation: @AllWaltrip & wife, Stevie.
Anthem: @RitaWilson.
Grand Marshals: @RobGronkowski & @MojoRawleyWWE.?♂️?♀️ if you’ll be watching!#NASCAR#TeamJG pic.twitter.com/0urYOd2Z6k
— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) April 5, 2020
It’s just a star studded cast at virtual Bristol.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and four-time Super Bowl champion Terry Bradshaw is ready for racing and pulling for last week’s winner NASCAR Cup Series driver Timmy Hill.
Terry Bradshaw is pulling for @TimmyHillRacer in today’s #ProInvitationalSeries race at Bristol. 1p ET on FOX & FS1. pic.twitter.com/C5s7qzns9G
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
2019 NASCAR Cup Series champion joined NASCAR studio host Lindsay Czarniak to discuss his strategy and how he has incorporated practice on the rig back into his routine.
“The cars are driven way different here than they are in real life. You can take advantage of situations on the game, because obviously there’s no repercussions, right? There’s no crashing, no torn up equipment. So you’re trying to figure that out and engulf into that system – into the game – to figure out how you can do that to be faster and more competitive.”
.@KyleBusch on getting back into @iRacing and what he’s doing to improve. pic.twitter.com/GjVz7zRF4U
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
And our NASCAR Insider Bob Pockrass is here to answer all your questions before the light turns green!
IT’S (virtual) BRISTOL, BABY! @bobpockrass is LIVE to answer your questions before today’s #ProInvitationalSeries race. https://t.co/xkotNOCWGU
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
We had two-time winner of the Daytona 500 Michael Waltrip visit the “virtual” track. But somehow he got lost in cyberspace.
“I love looking around … and seeing the empty grandstands, and hearing the silence of pit road. Oh no, I’m at the work track again!”
Aw, man. @MW55‘s at the WRONG TRACK again. pic.twitter.com/dIfd1I0yFS
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Ah yes, that’s what it’s supposed to look like.
Hello, beautiful.#ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/Ys5RbJsPGr
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
We started our Sunday off with some heat races.
HEAT RACES! pic.twitter.com/tqnsui4kU7
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron had a cake-walk first heat win. His qualifying lap was a thing of beauty, and set himself up nicely for the race ahead.
Winner! @WilliamByron gets it done for today’s first #ProInvitationalSeries heat race to set the starting lineup. pic.twitter.com/Pl8GeddYQp
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Not everyone had such smooth sailing. 2020 Daytona 500 Winner Denny Hamlin will have to use a reset.
Sorry, @dennyhamlin. No caution flags during these heat races.#ProInvitationalSeries pic.twitter.com/pvva27HLdN
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
It was a tight finish in this heat. NASCAR Cup Series driver John Hunter Nemechek edged out Ryan Preece for the win.
WHAT A FINISH! @JHNemechek vs. @RyanPreece_. pic.twitter.com/2C3TGImCtA
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Now that we’ve finished the qualifiers, it’s time to move onto the main event.
We mentioned our WWE stars earlier, and boy, did they not disappoint. WE ARE READY!
LET’S GOOOOOOO! @MojoRawleyWWE and @RobGronkowski give the #ProInvitationalSeries command to fire engines. pic.twitter.com/Ccqy445XPr
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Green means go!
RETWEET IF YOU’RE WATCHING! We are GREEEEEN for the #ProInvitationalSeries at Bristol. pic.twitter.com/CspSPSwyrI
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
If you think this is easy, think again. NASCAR Cup Series driver and “in-race” analyst Clint Bowyer was having his fair share of problems today.
“This is worse than real life.”
Yeahhhhh. Car high homie. Still there still there https://t.co/qN73mdB39S
— Bubba Wallace (@BubbaWallace) April 5, 2020
Our in race analysts are having a tough time today. NASCAR Cup Series driver and two-time Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson is dealing with cautions and heavy damage early on.
“Just trying to stay clean … I mean, we’re all trying to deal. It’s just difficult to do so in the game.”
Virtual @Tjmajors isn’t working out for @JimmieJohnson. pic.twitter.com/vZzOcPRoU8
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Sometimes a driver and his crew chief don’t quite get a long. Former NASCAR crew chief and racing analyst Larry McReynolds volunteered to help out Bowyer this week, but maybe Larry bit off more than he can chew.
“I need you to stay out. I’m a little bit busy right now. Look, I know tires are free, but I think we’ve already put eight sets in 50 laps on you. Just stay out.”
Sorry, @ClintBowyer. @LarryMac28 is a little busy right now. pic.twitter.com/TyCT4osAx0
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
After eight restarts, tensions are high on the track. NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suarez and Kyle Larson are trying to settle some scores from earlier.
Parked: @Daniel_SuarezG and @KyleLarsonRacin.
Real Bristol AND virtual Bristol = Tempers pic.twitter.com/ZdUnzK9Xj2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
There have been so many cautions, so we’re not surprised two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. came out a little too early and clipped a cone. Oops!
We feel like we’ve seen this somewhere before … pic.twitter.com/YAqEdMQy05
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 5, 2020
Stay tuned for more updates.