Nick Rend’s Post

In the realm of motorsports, innovation and tradition intersect in the most thrilling ways. Over the past decade, NASCAR has pioneered a journey into the digital frontier with its sim racing initiatives, an endeavor that began in 2010 with the vision of expanding the sport's reach and accessibility. This innovative approach was designed not just to introduce NASCAR to a wider, more diverse audience but to uncover and nurture the next generation of racing talent. The fruits of these efforts have been nothing short of remarkable. This year's Daytona International Speedway 500 champion, William Byron, is a testament to the success of these initiatives. Unlike many of his counterparts, Byron's journey to the pinnacle of NASCAR began not on traditional racetracks, but in the virtual world of sim racing. Learn more about his story in NASCAR Full Speed on Netflix. His transition from virtual to real-world racing underscores the potential of sim racing as a legitimate pathway to professional motorsport. Equally compelling is the story of Rajah Caruth, whose entry into NASCAR began in 2018 through the eNASCAR Ignite Series. This sim-racing initiative, specifically designed to make the sport more accessible to younger and diverse audiences, played a pivotal role in Caruth's rise within the motorsport ranks, culminating in his historic victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last night. These stories are more than just individual achievements; they are a validation of our vision and efforts over the past decade. They underscore the power of technology and innovation to not only transform how we engage with sports but also how we discover and support emerging talent. As we celebrate these milestones, we also look forward to the future, excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. The journey of NASCAR’s sim racing initiatives is a compelling reminder of how embracing change and innovation (and staying the course) can lead to incredible outcomes, both in the digital world and on the asphalt. Let's continue to support and champion these groundbreaking initiatives as they pave the way for the next generation of motorsport legends. The race is on, and everyone is invited to the starting line 🏁 Thank you to all of our colleagues, teammates, sponsors and partners who have helped pave the path from virtual to reality. Brianna Nicole Clark, Tim Clark, Jusan Hamilton, Taylor Gach Bowers, Ben Kennedy, Steve O'Donnell, Mitch Rasmussen, Raymond Smith, Brandon M Thompson, Jazz Warren, Jason Weaver, Anthony Gardner and everyone at iRacing.com, The Coca-Cola Company, and Logitech G 🏆

Years ago, we had our eye on collaborating with Peter Hansen-Chambers when he was with another racing games publisher. Following his transition to Hutch, we became enamored with the titles they were producing. Today marks an exciting milestone as we officially unveil the outcome of our teams' collaboration in a brand-new mobile game – NASCAR Manager. This game blends the adrenaline of NASCAR racing with the strategic depth of a manager-style game. You're at the helm, making the calls. I want to give a big shout out to my colleague Jazz Warren, who joined us midway through last season and has done an outstanding job on his inaugural game launch. I'll drop a QR code in the comments. Give it a download, dive in, and kindly consider leaving us a 5-star review. Cheers! Thank you to the supporting cast: April H., Martha Valentine, Laura Milford, Jason Weaver, Keegan Girodo, James Hallas, Mitch Rasmussen, Brianna Nicole Clark, Raymond Smith, Heather Greene and many others 🤝

NASCAR Full Speed debuts today! Congrats to all involved in bringing our sport to life with Words + Pictures on Netflix. Check out the trailer 👀

It’s NASCAR Championship Weekend in Phoenix, and we're bringing the rumble to the Valley of the Sun 🏁 As we launch the NASCAR Speed Hub Phoenix Raceway edition on Roblox, we're not just celebrating the final lap of our 75-year celebration—we're also marking a milestone where we introduced NASCAR to millions of new fans across the world. This year, we ignited the NASCAR Speed Hub, allied once more with Jailbreak, pioneered our first virtual (and real!) street race in Chicago, and now we’re wrapping up an incredible year on the platform with the sport’s legend, Dale Earnhardt Jr., at Phoenix Raceway. A huge shout-out to Morgan Overstreet and Tony Mayhoff at DEJ Management, and a heartfelt thanks to Dale for always being game for innovation! Play now: roblox.com/NASCAR

Breaking News! Together with iRacing.com, we're set to deliver a completely new NASCAR simulation-style console game in 2025 with everything the community has been craving.   Every Driver. Every Track. Every Feeling.   Congratulations to everyone who contributed to making this a reality, including iRacing.com President and CFO, Anthony Gardner, as well as the NASCAR teams and leadership. More: https://lnkd.in/gUR5Ybu7 🤝 Linda Anderton Estrada, Brooks Busby, Tim Clark, Gregory Datre, Keegan Girodo, Dan Guffey, Jim Hannigan, James Hallas, Michael Holland, Megan Malayter, Joe Mattes, Matt Nordby, Melinda Norfleet, Ty Norris, Linda Robinson, Jamie Ruiz, Jason Weaver, Jennifer White, Daryl Wolfe

Excited to share a game changer: we’re launching the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in Mixed Reality #MR for the first time ever on the Meta Quest headset via XTADIUM, a #VR app from YBVR° This step into #MR is more than just a tech leap. Like everything our team is doing, it's about creating unique experiences where fans are already hanging out digitally, making the sport we love more accessible and engaging. Congrats Mitch Rasmussen 🎉 And to our colleagues in Media and Event Tech, John Martin, David Luke, and Chris Wolford for helping us innovate with YBVR° See you in XTADIUM!

We don't always issue notes for missing midterms, but when it's to race for a championship, we'll make an exception...🏁 The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Championship Four take the stage tonight at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, each vying for a grand prize of $100,000 and the coveted Dale Earnhardt Jr. Championship Trophy. Countdown to Green Pre-race show kicks off at 8:00 p.m. ET on eNASCAR.com/live. More: https://lnkd.in/gBp5-3-g

Today, we are excited to announce that another critical piece of building our #gaming channels has fallen into place, unlocking new levels of fan engagement across the global mobile gaming community. Congratulations to Peter Hansen-Chambers, April H., Martha Valentine, Peter Scott and everyone at Hutch who helped put this together. And to my esteemed colleagues from NASCAR, Megan Malayter and Jason Weaver, critical sounding boards in the deal making process. We can’t wait for fans to get their hands on this one! 📱👏

Can't think of a better way to commemorate National Video Game Day (it's a real thing!) than by breaking some news. NASCAR's 75th anniversary celebration is coming to Rocket League from Sep 13-26! The full throttle experience includes: 🎉 16 all-new Team Decals, spotlighting the real-life 23XI Racing livery 🚘 The entire 2022 Fan Pass car lineup 💎 Exclusive NASCAR 75th Anniversary decal Rev up in iconic vehicles including the Next Gen Toyota Camry, Ford Mustang, and Chevy Camaro and more, all available in the complete 1100 credits bundle. Find out more: http://rl.gg/NASCAR75th