NASCAR’s stars outside the United States will get another chance to battle it out on the virtual stage. The eNASCAR International iRacing Series has been renewed for a second season in 2022, with an expanded schedule of five races. The series has also partnered with D-BOX Technologies and Digital Motorsports, branding it the D-BOX eNASCAR International iRacing Series presented by Digital Motorsports.
Débuting in 2021, the series is one of many sim racing divisions created since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020. NASCAR’s iRacing leagues grew in popularity, while the months-long pause of real-life racing that spring resulted in the formation of the Pro Invitational Series, an exhibition series that features Cup Series drivers. The International Series seeks to bridge the gap between NASCAR’s non-American series: the PEAK Mexico Series, the Pinty’s Series in Canada, and the Whelen Euro Series; each of the three also host individual sim racing series. Various members of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity programme will also take part.
The 2021 schedule saw three races at Brands Hatch, Circuit of the Americas, and the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. EuroNASCAR 2 driver Simon Pilate dominated at Brands Hatch, which perhaps came with little surprise as he finished on the podium in two races there in 2021, while four-time Turismo Carretera champion and sports car sim racer Agustín Canapino wiped the floor at COTA. Leonel Pernía, also a regular in TC who placed second behind Canapino for an Argentine 1–2 finish, won the finale.
Unlike the road course-only 2021 schedule, the 2022 season will begin on 8 January with an oval race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which NASCAR’s three American national series (Cup, Xfinity, Truck) competes at. A week later, the series visits Pinty’s Series and former Truck Series stop Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. Circuit Zolder in Belgium, where the Euro Series races, is scheduled for 22 January.
The Daytona RC returns on 29 January; the layout welcomed NASCAR in 2020 and 2021 as temporary dates. The final race on 5 February aligns with the NASCAR Championship Weekend in reality at Phoenix Raceway.
D-BOX Technologies is a haptic motion technology company based in Canada, and it has worked with various non-esports entities like movie theaters. Digital Motorsports is a sim racing equipment provider.
“With the support of D-BOX and Digital Motorsports, we’re able to continue growing the sport on an international stage, reaching new fans and showcasing the talent of our international drivers,” commented NASCAR’s Vice President of International Business Development and Partnerships Chad Seigler. “We’ll also see several new tracks on the schedule, giving drivers the chance to test their skills around the globe.”
Races are livestreamed on the eNASCAR website.