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[Ed. note: More and more people are staying home as a result of quarantines and social distancing. Car customization was the high-tech platform for many years. Then came computers where nerds had a different target for things to tweak and optimize. Car racing has perhaps even more followers today than ever before. Given the technical background and underpinnings, and realizing people may be looking for something to do this weekend, I thought to give this story a try. Are there any Soylentils who have any racing experience? --martyb]
Shortly after the US entry into World War 2, President Roosevelt requested that professional baseball continue to be played during the war because of its importance to maintain the morale of the nation. NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed similar sentiment after the almost complete shutdown of professional sports due to the coronavirus outbreak. Formula 1 and NASCAR are already taking steps to resume, though with virtual races instead of cars physically on track.
Last weekend, iRacing and Podium organized the Replacements 100, which was streamed on multiple platforms including YouTube. The drivers included William Byron, whose success in iRacing helped him find the opportunity to drive real race cars, retired fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr., and current cup series drivers Bubba Wallace and Alex Bowman. The race was 100 laps at Atlanta Motor Speedway, which was set to host all three of NASCAR's national series last weekend before being postponed.
This weekend, NASCAR's national series were scheduled to race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but these races have also been postponed. Instead, NASCAR has started the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, a series of virtual races using iRacing that will include current drivers from all three of the national series. This weekend, the race will be at Homestead and will be televised by FOX Sports 1. The race will include 35 drivers including current Cup Series champion Kyle Busch and many other drivers from NASCAR's top series. The race commentators will be Mike Joy, Jeff Gordon, and Larry McReynolds, all of whom are commentators for Fox's regular NASCAR Cup Series broadcasts.
Formula 1 will also be live streaming a virtual Bahrain Grand Prix this weekend with two drivers representing each of F1's ten teams. This race will be run using the F1 2019 game and the level of difficulty for each driver will be adjusted based on their skill in virtual racing in order to produce a competitive race. This is in lieu of the postponed Bahrain Grand Prix, originally scheduled for this weekend. Although many of the regular F1 drivers will not be competing in this race, Nicholas Latifi will drive for Williams and Nico Hulkenberg will be returning to F1.
None of these races are points races in their respective series. And professional esports races are not new at all. However, it is novel that they are being used as stand-in events in the absence of being able to have teams physically present at the tracks. However, the use of commentators from the regular broadcasts, the number of drivers from NASCAR's top series, and the expectation that each of F1's teams will select two drivers will certainly draw the interest of fans who might not otherwise want to watch esports. In particular, Dale Jr. has a large following among NASCAR fans and his participation will likely increase fan interest in these virtual races.
As a fan, if NASCAR races continue to be postponed for an extended period of time, I'd like to see North Wilkesboro Speedway return in virtual races. The North Carolina short track last hosted a Cup Series race in 1996 and is now in deteriorating condition, much to the chagrin of many of NASCAR's older fans. It was one of NASCAR's oldest tracks and a part of the schedule for many decades, with the unique feature of the track being on a small incline. With the backing of Dale Jr., the track was cleaned and scanned for its addition to iRacing. Hopefully this historic track will return to NASCAR's schedule, even if only virtually.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @08:04AM (12 children)
Continue baseball?! This ain't no war, this is a god damn plague. Stay the fuck home, cocksuckers.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @08:18AM (1 child)
No, you. Stay home and suck a cock.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @08:32AM
Cocksucker says what?
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @08:48AM (3 children)
No one is suggesting that baseball should continue right now. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has indicated that Opening Day wouldn't happen until mid-May at the earliest. It will probably be later than that. Pretty much all sports in the US and most of the world are shut down right now because of the need for social distancing. FDR's request that baseball continue during WW2 provides a historical context for why something like baseball that might seem frivolous during a crisis like world war or a pandemic actually has value.
NASCAR and F1 are trying to provide entertainment for people who might be quarantined, ordered to shelter in place, or are just panicky about the pandemic. Although there's probably very little risk that drivers could spread the coronavirus to other drivers while in their cars, officials and pit crews would be at much greater risk. The original impetus for F1 postponing the Australian Grand Prix was that one of the McLaren team members tested positive and the team withdrew from the race. Virtual racing doesn't involve pit crews and officials going to the tracks and being in close proximity to other people. The drivers can race from home. Virtual racing is a safe way to provide entertainment for fans who are looking for something to do during this time. The simulations won't replicate the feel of a real race car and many of the drivers won't really be familiar with the simulations they'll be using. The quality of racing won't be as good as actually having cars on real tracks or professional esports racers competing virtually. It's just something to entertain fans while maintaining social distancing.
If you want something to be angry about, you should be far more concerned about why entire NBA teams have been tested for the coronavirus regardless of whether their players have symptoms or not, but the general public has difficulty getting tested even with symptoms (Sources: 1 [washingtonpost.com], 2 [nytimes.com], 3 [latimes.com]). It seems that if you have enough money, you can jump to the front of the line and be tested, whether you're actually ill or not. Meanwhile, people who really need to be tested, can't get tested. If you want to be angry about something, that's what it should be. Nobody is actually suggesting baseball or other sports can or will resume anytime soon.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @09:02AM (2 children)
You are pissing me off, man. Shut the fuck up and stay the fuck home.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @09:35AM (1 child)
Take your trolling somewhere else. I made it very clear that the purpose of these esports competitions is so people are staying at home. And if people are watching esports on their TVs and computers at home, that means they're not violating quarantines and stay at home orders. It's also good for their mental health during this crisis, if they have entertainment to keep their morale up. No one is suggesting that baseball or other sports should continue in person right now. No one at all. Go troll somewhere else.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday March 22 2020, @10:26AM
The need of entertainment to keep one's morale up... I find this terrible depressing. (grin)
On a serious note, simply sewing face masks [forbes.com] for healthcare workers or to distribute to homeless people would result in a better social outcome.
But, yeah, entertainment be the king - let's have a laugh, may be our last one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Insightful) by FatPhil on Sunday March 22 2020, @09:15AM (5 children)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday March 22 2020, @10:16AM (4 children)
What's worse, they believe they can win those "wars" (any war for the matter). Otherwise I can't explain how they maintain the appetite for declaring new "wars".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 22 2020, @10:22AM (1 child)
Generally, when a government starts spewing "war against ...." blah blah, the shit is already fucked up and has been for a while.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by c0lo on Sunday March 22 2020, @10:31AM
Generally, mofo clowns spewing non-sense should never get in government.
Of course the shit is already fucked up since a long time ago if they actually do get in govt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday March 22 2020, @10:25AM (1 child)
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday March 22 2020, @10:34AM
Nah, just sell 'em enough rope, made in Wuhan preferably
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford