Table of Contents
Richmond Raceway recently introduced its new interactive two-seat, in-car driving simulator. The new attraction will allow fans to get behind the wheel this year to drive Richmond’s famed three-quarter-mile D-shaped oval and 79 other tracks, including some select Racing Virginia tracks.
The car design is a nod to Richmond’s past with inspiration from the new branding of the track. The simulator sports a No. 46, which represents 1946 – the year the track was built and held its first race. The color scheme of red, black, and white incorporates the new Richmond brand identity.
“Getting behind the wheel of a race car is something all NASCAR fans wish they could do, so we are now giving them the chance with the Richmond Raceway Simulator,” said Richmond President Dennis Bickmeier. “The design of the car represents the track’s history as well as our new brand introduced last year. The interactive simulator will add a new level of experience to our outbound events. I look forward to its debut at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day.”
The new simulators are housed in a race car that was driven competitively by Racing Virginia motorsports athlete, Eric McClure. Richmond purchased the race car in the summer of 2017, and completely renovated it over the last six months. The Richmond Simulator now features a 2018 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Camry front and back end.
The Richmond Simulator is powered by iRacing. Some of the highlighted venues include Racing Virginia tracks such as Martinsville Speedway, Virginia International Raceway, Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway and South Boston Speedway.
The new Richmond Simulator will make its debut at the NASCAR Hall of Fame for NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day in Charlotte, N.C. Jan. 20. The simulator will be featured along with autograph sessions with drivers from all three NASCAR national series, plus Hall of Fame inductees and drivers in the NASCAR Next youth initiative. To learn more about NASCAR Fan Appreciation Day, visit NASCARHall.com.
The simulator will be in use for the first time in the Commonwealth at the inaugural Season Launch Spectacular Jan. 26 at the Richmond Raceway Complex’s Old Dominion Building. The Season Launch Spectacular will include fan photo opportunities with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup, meet and greet with 2018 Team Racing Virginia athletes, NASCAR Heat 2 Tournament, tailgate games with exclusive prizes, and much more.
The new simulator is one tier of Richmond’s new eSports program, Richmond Raceway eSports. In addition to the iRacing simulator, Richmond has developed an online racing league with 704Games and their NASCAR Heat 2 racing game on XBOX One and PlayStation 4. The virtual season will run the course of the NASCAR schedule and include weekly competitions and race weekend events. For details about Richmond Raceway eSports, visit richmondraceway.com/esports.
