eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series enters 14th season in 2023

By Justin Melillo JuniorGamingandEsportsEditor, Traxion.GG

That'skind of crazy to think about right? Didn't we all just learn about this iRacing thing a few years ago, when everything shut down and NASCAR stars were forced on to their computers for our enjoyment? Actually, that's not the case. In reality, simulated racing games have been around since the late 1980s, and one of the companies that manufactured those NASCAR titles, namely Papyrus, evolved into what is now iRacing from the ashes of titles like NASCAR Racing.

While well-known names like Dale Earnhardt Jr and Denny Hamlin were utilizing sim racing back in the early 2000s, it wasn't until 2010 when iRacing and NASCAR decided to put together what we now know to be the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. The very first race included many of the biggest sim racers of that time, but when the checkered flag flew, it was Earnhardt Jr winning at Daytona.

The Coke Series and the technology alongside it have evolved over time. Today, in its 14th season, 40 of the top sim racers have qualified into the series through a series of ladder systems. Some drivers have been working a while on making it and are finally getting their first shot at it this year. Others were able to get back in after years of being out of it. Everyone else is back from the previous season of competition.

It's crazy when you realize that this is the first season that we won't see the most decorated driver of the series competing. If you've been to a NASCAR Championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway over the last 13 years, you've definitely seen Ray Alfalla accepting his eNASCAR trophies before.The series has gotten so competitive today that not even a four-time champion can be guaranteed a place on the roster.

You'll have regulars returning, guys like Nick Ottinger, Keegan Leahy,

Zack Novak and Ryan Luza, all past champions. The most recent champ, who was crowned in front of a live audience in October at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Casey Kirwan is also back in the game.

Michael Conti, the 2014 Series Champion, is calling it quits after this 2023 season. You know, he's only 25 years old, turning 26 in April. He gets to drive for Earnhardt Jr's JR Motorsports in the series. How could someone give up playing a video game? Well, he won his championship nearly nine years ago, back when he was around 18, so the majority of his adulthood has been spent competing at the highest level of virtual NASCAR racing. He's got his whole life ahead of him still.

The first race of the season, as you would have guessed it, was at Daytona on Valentine's Day this year. A rookie by the name of Tucker Minter was able to out-maneuver the defending series champion Kirwan as they came to the line. As it is in the real-world NASCAR Cup Series, the rookie Minter is all-butlocked into the 2023 playoffs with that win.

There are still 13 races left in the regular season to grab a win, plus four playoff races that conclude with a familiar Championship 4 setting. Once again, the series will crown a champion live at the NASCAR Hall of Fame later this year. You'll have to tune in to YouTube or Twitch to catch the action, as both iRacing and NASCAR stream the races with live commentary and realistic broadcasts on their respective channels every other Tuesday. Seeyouthere!