eNASCAR College iRacing Series Returns for Nine Races in 2023-24
August 1st, 2023 by Chris Leone
$60,000 in total scholarships available; top 25 racers to compete for $30,000 in prizes in finale
NASCAR, iRacing, and Playfly Esports are pleased to announce the return of the eNASCAR College iRacing Series for the 2023-24 academic year, with the popular series for student sim racers looking ahead to its biggest season yet. Instead of running two separate semesters, the calendar will be combined into a single nine-race season for the first time, with a $60,000 eNASCAR Scholarship Fund on the table—including a $30,000 championship race from the virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on May 3.
“We are excited to announce our first full academic year offering of the eNASCAR College iRacing Series,” said Ray Smith, Director of Gaming/eSports, NASCAR. “NASCAR is proud of the collaborative efforts of iRacing, Playfly and NACE Starleague to introduce sim racing to the college esports scene. As we strive to enhance awareness and foster the growth of sim racing in North America, the college esports arena remains a vital initiative.”
The eNASCAR College iRacing Series is NASCAR’s premier college esports division. Over its history, the series has awarded tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to top iRacers looking to further their academic careers. Many past and present stars of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, NASCAR and iRacing’s premier professional sim racing championship, are regulars in the eNASCAR College iRacing Series as well.
As in the previous season, drivers will take on NASCAR’s top tracks in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro, and Toyota Supra with the addition of the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks for certain races. They’ll have two weeks to take on Time Attack qualifying at each track for a chance to make the 40-car A-Main, with each school eligible to be represented by up to three drivers in the premier race. Drivers who don’t make the cut for the A-Main will have the chance to run in lower-level Mains.
The first eight rounds of the season will see $3,750 available apiece in the A-Mains, with $1,000 available to each winner down to $100 for 10th place. In the championship race, the prizes increase substantially, with $30,000 available and $10,000 in scholarship money going to the winner. In addition, the winners of the B-Main and C-Main will receive $30 and $15 in iRacing credits, respectively.
The 2023-24 eNASCAR College iRacing Series schedule is as follows:
Rd. |
Track |
Qualifying Dates |
Race Date |
1 | Daytona International Speedway | Aug. 21-Sept. 3 | September 19 |
2 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Sept. 27-Oct. 10 | October 17 |
3 | Dover Motor Speedway | Oct. 21-Oct. 31 | November 7 |
4 | Watkins Glen International | Nov. 11-Nov. 21 | November 28 |
5 | Michigan International Speedway | Jan. 3-Jan. 16 | January 23 |
6 | Darlington Raceway | Jan. 31-Feb. 13 | February 20 |
7 | Talladega Superspeedway | Feb. 21-Mar. 3 | March 19 |
8 | Nashville Superspeedway | Mar. 27-Apr. 9 | April 16 |
9 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | N/A (top 25 in points) | May 3 |
The eight A-Main races from Daytona through Nashville will award points to all 40 racers. The championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be open to the top 25 point scorers from those eight events, with each driver’s top four A-Main finishes counting in the standings.
More than 18,000 students are eligible to compete in the series through NACE Starleague, the largest collegiate esports league in North America. NACE Starleague was established in 2021 as a strategic partnership between the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and Playfly Esports. Each time attack is open to all eligible students with the top 40 students who post the fastest qualifying times advancing to the race.
Competition will once again be led via iRacing, the official simulation partner of NASCAR, which provides one of the top online racing simulation portals and features officially-sanctioned, laser-scanned replicas of race tracks around the world.
For more information or to register, visit https://www.enascar.com or http://playflyesports.com/.