By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
Short track racing sanctioning body CARS Tour has expanded their partnership with Podium eSports for the CARS eSport Tour in 2020.
The CARS eSport Tour is based on the iRacing simulation service. Like the real-life Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour, the sim racing series will utilize Late Model Stock Cars and Super Late Models.
The partnership turns the CARS eSports Tour into the largest short-track racing series in sim racing. The CARS eSport Tour is the only short-track series on sim racing to be sanctioned by a real-life sanctioning body.
2020 marks the fifth consecutive season that the CARS Tour has sanctioned the eSport Tour. The 2020 CARS eSport Tour features a 13-race schedule, three of which are tracks that the real-life tour visits. Those tracks are Southern National Motorsport Park, Langley Speedway, and South Boston Speedway.
“The esports arena is constantly growing, and we are excited to see what season five of the CARS eSport Tour brings,” said CARS Tour owner Jack McNelly. “The 2020 CARS eSport Tour stands to be our greatest season yet.”
The 2020 CARS eSport Tour will not only mirror, on iRacing, the real-life series with track choice, when possible, but the actual schedule. Some of the tracks that the real-life Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour visits are not yet on iRacing’s service.
The sim racing series will run the Wednesday before the real-life Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour competes. All of the CARS eSport Tour races are doubleheaders with one Late Model Stock Car race and one Super Late Model race.
“The CARS eSport Tour has been one of Podium eSports’ strongest series from the beginning,” said Podium eSports CEO James Pike. “The expanded partnership with the CARS Tour for 2020 will take the CARS eSport Tour to places short-track sim racing has never been before, and we cannot wait for the new season of racing to unfold.”
All of the CARS eSport Tour races will be streamed live on the Podium eSports Twitch channel.
There is a $35 entry fee for each car class. Further information about the CARS eSport Tour, including the series rulebook and registration forms can be found here: www.podiumesports.com/cars-esport-tour
The full schedule, including two races still to be determined, can be found below:
| March 11 | Southern National Motorsports Park | 150 | 3/7/2020, 3 p.m. |
| March 18 | Richmond Raceway | 100 | 3/21/2020, 7 p.m. |
| April 1 | Five Flags Speedway | 150 | 4/4/2020, 7 p.m. |
| April 29 | New Smyrna Speedway | 125 | 5/1/2020, 8 p.m. |
| May 14 | Lanier National Speedway | 150 | 5/17/2020, 3 p.m. |
| May 27 | Bristol Motor Speedway | 100 | 5/30/2020, 7 p.m. |
| June 3 | Langley Speedway | 125 | 6/6/2020, 7 p.m. |
| June 17 | Martinsville Speedway | 125 | 6/20/2020, 7 p.m. |
| July 1 | TBD | TBD | 7/4/2020, 7 p.m. |
| July 8 | Myrtle Beach Speedway | 100 | 7/11/2020, 7 p.m. |
| July 29 | Charlotte Legends Oval | 150 | 8/1/2020, 8 p.m. |
| August 19 | TBD | TBD | 8/22/2020, 7 p.m. |
| September 16 | South Boston Speedway | 125 | 9/19/2020, 3 p.m. |