While New Jersey bettors do not have a lot of sports wagering options due to the coronavirus issue, they will soon be able to wager on virtual NASCAR races.
PlaySugarHouse.com recently became one of the first online sportsbooks in the United States to offer betting odds for the 2020 eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The first race available to SugarHouse customers is the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 19.
The races will feature some of the most popular present-day NASCAR drivers and a few blasts from the past, including household names such as Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Clint Bowyer, and Jimmy Johnson. The series started in March and has drawn a significant following already, with over a million people tuning into live broadcasts on the FOX network.
Although the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is a virtual competition, the true-to-life driving controls and track simulations make for an ultra-realistic experience. Indeed, virtual racing technology is now so advanced that many teams are recruiting drivers from gaming competitions such as the F1 Esports Series.
Rush Street Interactive COO Mattias Stetz said, “We are happy to be able to offer such an exciting and competitive entertainment event. It’s also fun to see how these talented drivers will compare in the virtual world of competitive racing.”
The schedule for the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series will be the same as the NASCAR Cup Series. Upcoming events include the Geico 500 at Talladega on April 26 and the Cup Series Race at Dover on May 3.