NASCAR, 704Games and Race Team Alliance Announce Inaugural eNASCAR Heat Pro League Draft
Draft Scheduled as Live Fan Event Hosted at ISM Raceway; Chip Ganassi Racing Earns First Pick of Draft Via Social Fan Vote
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 1, 2019) – NASCAR, 704Games and the Race Team Alliance announced today the first-ever eNASCAR Heat Pro League Draft will take place at ISM Raceway on March 10 at 8:45 a.m. MST. The inaugural draft will be conducted in Gatorade Victory Lane inside the newly designed INfield at ISM Raceway.
“This year more than ever, there is increased energy and industry collaboration around our esports initiatives,” said Craig Neeb, executive vice president, innovation and development, NASCAR. “Since announcing the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, new and existing fans competed on their gaming consoles for a potential seat in our Pro League and engaged with NASCAR Heat at a higher rate than ever before. We’re excited for what the future holds in this emerging space.”
The eNASCAR Heat Pro League, a collaboration between 704Games, RTA, and NASCAR, is the first-ever NASCAR esports league on consoles. The newly formed esports league will feature 14 teams and 28 drivers, each owned and operated by prominent NASCAR race teams. On the clock, with the first pick of the 2019 eNASCAR Heat Pro League Draft is Chip Ganassi Racing. The first segment of the draft is specific to Xbox One gamers, upon completion the order will be inverted for the PlayStation®4 gamers (full draft order listed below).
“The eNASCAR Heat Pro League Draft will join race teams with the best NASCAR Heat players for the first time ever,” said Ed Martin of 704Games. “After months of fierce competition, teams will have some difficult decisions to make on Sunday, March 10. We look forward to delivering competitive and entertaining racing for fans and gamers alike when the season begins in May.”
ISM Raceway will host the inaugural 2019 eNASCAR Heat Pro League Draft and offer fans two-days of unique activities inside one of the most immersive fan experience zones in NASCAR – the INfield. Fans in the INfield will have the chance to receive copies of NASCAR Heat 3 and race head-to-head around the virtual ISM Raceway. Fan races will be shown on the Gatorade Victory Lane video board and Sunday’s draft will be broadcast across the ISM Vision video boards located around the track. Each race winner will receive a free download code for the 2019 Season Update to NASCAR Heat 3.
“We created the INfield to provide fans with an immersive, entertaining and technology-focused environment, which includes elements like the Gatorade Victory Lane video board and free Wi-Fi throughout the venue,” said Julie Giese, ISM Raceway President. “Hosting this two-day event along with our partners at NASCAR, 704Games and the Race Team Alliance, we anticipate delivering an unforgettable experience for fans at ISM Raceway.”
The INfield features exclusive access to the new interactive garages, driver appearances, post-race celebrations in Gatorade Victory Lane and events. Race fans can get INfield access wristbands with their purchase of a grandstand ticket. Tickets and INfield access, including junior pricing for each, may be purchased online at ISMRaceway.com, by phone 866-408-RACE (7223) or in person at the ISM Raceway ticket office.
Fans across the nation began qualifying for the first-ever eNASCAR Heat Pro League draft in December. Since then, competitors have competed in numerous qualifying and race sessions to increase their standing in the draft pool. Participating NASCAR teams monitored the events and hosted private tournaments to determine the best competitors. The draft order was determined by an online social fan vote driven by using the hashtag #eNASCARHeat and including their favorite teams’ twitter handle. Chip Ganassi Racing paced the field.
Official Draft Order (Xbox One):
Chip Ganassi Racing
Leavine Family Racing
JR Motorsports
Team Penske
Roush Fenway Racing
Richard Petty Motorsports
Stewart-Haas Racing
Hendrick Motorsports
Joe Gibbs Racing
JTG Daugherty Racing
GoFas Racing
Richard Childress Racing
Germain Racing
Wood Brothers Racing
Once the draft is completed, teams will compete in a 16-race season beginning in spring 2019 and culminating during the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs. All eNASCAR Heat Pro League races will be live streamed online at NASCAR.com and Motorsport.com. For more information, players can visit eNASCARHeatProLeague.com. Additional details about the eNASCAR Heat Pro League including sponsors, broadcast partners, and league rules will be announced prior to the season.
Fans can also see participating NASCAR Xfinity Series and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams hit the track at ISM Raceway on March 9 and 10, respectively on FS1 and FOX.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series™), three regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (‘NASCAR’).
About 704Games
704Games is a video game publisher and developer focused on delivering high-quality experiences on console and mobile. 704Games, a video game licensee of NASCAR, released NASCAR Heat 3 on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Xbox One in September 2018. The gaming company also released NASCAR Heat Mobile, the first authentic NASCAR mobile racing game on iOS and Android devices, in 2017. 704Games is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.704games.com.
About Race Team Alliance
The RTA is a 501(c)(6) not for profit business organization comprised of racing teams which compete in stock car racing’s premier professional series, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. It is an organization through which its members can collectively preserve, promote and grow the sport of stock car racing and thereby advance the long-term interests of the racing teams. More information regarding the RTA can be found at www.raceteamalliance.com.
About ISM Raceway
Since 1964, ISM Raceway has been the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. As part of a $178 million modernization project, the track officially became ISM Raceway in 2018 as a result of a naming rights partnership with ISM Connect, a pioneer in smart venue technology bringing the digital fan engagement experience to Phoenix. Phoenix hosts two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekends each year. The 2019 season at ISM Raceway will begin with the TicketGuardian 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race weekend on March 8, 9 and 10. The schedule is anchored on Nov. 8, 9 and 10, with the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Semifinal Playoff Weekend after which the field is reduced to the final four championship contenders. For more information, visit www.ISMRaceway.com.
Sources: Chris Tropeano/NASCAR Communications