NASCAR back in action after Easter weekend off

After taking this past weekend off for Easter, NASCAR is back in action in the virtual world with the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at virtual Richmond Raceway.

When NASCAR and iRacing introduced the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series within a week or so after the coronavirus pandemic brought the 2020 season to a screeching halt, they announced that the schedule for this series would correlate with the real-life Cup Series schedule.

For each real-life race that had to be postponed, a virtual race at the same venue would be contested in its place. The lone exception was the race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, as this scheduled race weekend came and went before the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series had been established.

As a result, the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series had off for Easter weekend, just as NASCAR would have anyway in a world without the threat of COVID-19.

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But this weekend, the series is scheduled to get back in action.

The fourth race of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is scheduled to take place at virtual Richmond Raceway this Sunday, April 19.

The four-turn, 0.75-mile (1.207-kilometer) oval in Richmond, Virginia is the second short track race on the schedule, which includes six races but could very well be extended depending on whether or not the resumption of the actual 2020 season ends up being further delayed.

Through the first three races of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series, there have been three different winners. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin won at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway, MBM Motorsports’ Timmy Hill won at virtual Texas Motor Speedway and Hendrick Motorsports’ William Byron won at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway.

Hill leads the unofficial championship standings ahead of JTG Daugherty Racing’s Ryan Preece in second place and Rick Ware Racing’s Garrett Smithley in third. Hill has yet to finish a race outside of the top three and owns a series-best average finish of 2.33.

This Sunday’s eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race is set to be simulcast live from virtual Richmond Raceway on Fox, Fox Sports 1 and the Fox Sports app beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET.