NASCAR has been searching for new ways to connect with racing fans, and officials have decided to follow other racing series by venturing into Esports.
Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal reported that NASCAR is finalizing a deal where it would host Esports events at several different tracks during the 2018 season.
.@NASCAR is finalizing an esports venture that would stage racing-themed video game competitions during event weekends across the sport starting this season, per sources ?
?: https://t.co/IEMdii0zRE pic.twitter.com/ATGweRORaK
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) January 8, 2018
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It's unclear how many tracks would be involved in the Esports venture, but NESN reported that NASCAR's Blake Davidson is working with International Speedway Corp. and Speedway Motorsports Inc., and that includes 20 different racetracks.
There will be tournaments for gamers of every skill level at each participating track. Casual gamers can play NASCAR Heat 2, which is a regular video game available on Xbox and PlayStation.
There will also be iRacing simulators for more advanced gamers, and it will give fans a more realistic glimpse of what an actual race is like.
It is a necessary move for NASCAR to include more Esports. It's an easy way to get fans involved and to see them interact more. Formula 1 held its first F1 Esports Championship in 2017, and the World Endurance Championship also had an Esports class for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
NASCAR struggled reaching fans last season, but this is a step in the right direction for the sport to enhance the overall fan experience.