eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Race Preview: Logitech 45 at Chicago

The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series returns after a short week to the streets of Chicago for the second annual Logitech 45 at the Chicago Street Course.

On Tuesday night, 40 of the top-ranked eNASCAR drivers will take on the 2.14-mile circuit that traverses landmarks such as the Buckingham Fountain near Grant Park in a special Sprint and Main race format. Only three races remain in the 2024 Regular Season, as well as the third and final segment that runs from Iowa through the 14th race at Pocono Raceway.

Race coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET at eNASCAR.com/live and across iRacing social media channels. Tune in 30 minutes earlier to catch the Countdown to Green at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Race Format: In 2024, the road course races will have their own special format, similar to the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup, with a Sprint and Feature race in play. Back in April, the format was on display for the first time at Brands Hatch, that race ultimately won by Bobby Zalenski.

Up to 48 points are on the table, with qualifying points introduced for the first time in series history. The Pole Award winner will score eight points, and each position down through eighth will incrementally score one less point through eighth place.

The top eight qualifiers will then invert for the Sprint race, with the Pole Award recipient starting eighth and eighth place on the pole. The Sprint race will be 15 laps, and it will set the grid for the Feature. No points will be scored at the conclusion of the Sprint race. The Feature will be 30 laps, and the normal eNASCAR points will be awarded at the conclusion of that.

Last Race: We’re only one week removed from the 11th race of the season at Nashville SuperSpeedway, and that was won by Sophomore Tucker Minter. A bridesmaid on multiple occasions this season already, Minter teetered the prior 10 races on a points berth into the eNASCAR Playoffs. Unlike last season, when he won right out of the gate at Daytona, this season had more uncertainty, but with perfect pit execution in a long green flag stint, Minter passed Parker White with 15 laps to go to take the lead and cruise to victory for the first time in 2024, his fourth career win.

Last Year: With Fixed Setup racing in the cards last season, as it will be again this season, it was unclear if Road Course King Bobby Zalenski would still have a leg up on his competition given that all 40 competitors would be on the same setup. Parker White and Steven Wilson didn’t make it easy for him, but during the pit cycle, Zalenski was able to get into the lead for the first time, holding on for his third win on the season, the first on a street circuit in series history.

Track Facts: Conceived in the fall of 2020 and refined over the past three years, the Chicago Street Circuit was iRacing and NASCAR’s answer to “what if NASCAR held a street race?” Surrounding iconic Chicago landmarks like Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain, the unique new course brings the thrill of stock car racing to the heart of the city. The final course design counts 12 turns among its 2.14-mile layout. This Chicago course saw its first racing action live on FS1 as part of the 2021 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series.

Next Race: Following Chicago, only two races remain in the 2024 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Regular Season. In two weeks, the series returns to Indianapolis for oval racing on the new NASCAR Oval layout. Two weeks after that, the Regular Season concludes with racing at Pocono Raceway.

For more information on the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, visit eNASCAR.com or iRacing.com/eNASCAR. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit iRacing.com.­­

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