eNASCAR field set to return at virtual Richmond

(Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography)

By Aaron Bearden

After taking the Easter holiday off, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will be back in action on Sunday at Richmond Raceway. 

A field of NASCAR stars will contest the Toyota Owners 150 at 1 p.m. ET, with coverage once again on FS1 and various regional FOX affiliates. Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon and Larry McReynolds will handle the call, with Clint Bowyer returning as an in-race contributor. 

The fourth round of the iRacing tour, which started as a means to continue racing during the current COVID-19 delays, will feature 30 competitors – the smallest amount of entrants allowed in a race thus far. 

Initially the event was meant only to include 26 NASCAR Cup Series drivers, but a qualifying race was added to the mix on Thursday. 

The 25-lap qualifier will feature 13 drivers, with the top-two finishers advancing to the main event. Two additional provisional entrants will be added to complete the 30-car field. The qualifier will run at 10:30 a.m. and have no caution flags or resets. 

Sunday’s main event is scheduled for 150 laps. The cars will have fixed setups, and competitors won’t be allowed resets, meaning they’ll need to drive more carefully and will sit through lengthy pit stops should they require repairs. 

Prior to Sunday’s festivities, the second Saturday Night Thunder race will be held at virtual Richmond. The event will take place at 8 p.m. and be aired on NASCAR’s YouTube channel.

Like in the first race, Saturday’s event will feature NASCAR stars not competing in Sunday’s Pro Invitational Series race. Cup Series competitors not locked into Sunday’s race will be allowed into the Saturday Night Thunder event for the first time, joining competitors from the Xfinity Series, Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and other NASCAR-led tours. 

The field for Saturday’s main event will be set by four 10-lap heat races. Qualifying will lock competitors into the heats, and the top six finishers in each heat will advance to the feature. 

Those that fail to secure a feature position in the heats will be given one final opportunity to advance in a pair of 15-lap consolation races. The top finisher from each last chance qualifier will join the 26-car field for the main event. 

The evening will be wrapped up with a 125-lap feature race, with one damage reset allotted to the field. Up to three green-white-checkered attempts can be held if necessary. 

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