Some of the biggest crossover drivers and motorsports industry members that compete in the Monday Night Racing presented by Rowdy Energy Pro Series will compete in front of a live audience for the Season 4 Championship Finale at the Carolina Esports Hub on 7th February.
Monday Night Racing Season 4 concludes at the virtual Auto Club Speedway and will utilize iRacing’s NASCAR Xfinity Series “B” Car. Two races will take place before that to decide the final four, at Iowa Speedway tonight (24th January) in the NASCAR Trucks and next week at Nashville Superspeedway in the Super Late Model.
The Charlotte Esports Hub facility, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is home to the Charlotte Phoenix, the professional esports team that fields an entry on Monday nights for James Bickford. The deal was announced on Monday with support from Rowdy Energy, Tufco Flooring, Podium eSports and the Carolina Esports Hub.
The Championship 4 drivers, which are still to be determined among seven drivers still competing in the playoffs, will race on center stage in the arena. Other Monday Night Racing members will also compete in house at the arena while talent from Podium Esports will be on the call. The race will simulcast on iRacing’s social media channels over on Twitch, YouTube and on iRacing’s own live site.
“We at MNR are proud and excited to announce a first of its kind premiere event where the drivers and the fans can interact for the first time in-person,” said Ford Martin, Founder & Co-Owner of MNR. “Over the last four seasons, MNR has reached new heights, and this event is the next step in our mission of helping grow the sport of simulated auto racing. We can’t thank all of our sponsors enough for helping us pull off this event.”
This iRacing event at the Carolina Esports Hub was put together in conjunction with the newest team in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, the Charlotte Phoenix. Tickets will be sold online via Eventbrite for the event for $25, and it includes food and drink. The doors open at 6:00 p.m. ET with the Sponsor Panels and Award part of the pre-race activities starting at 7:00 p.m. ET. The race will go green just after 8:30 p.m. ET. A full schedule of events are included below.
The four Championship 4 drivers will compete on equal sim racing rigs provided by Sim Seats to determine this season’s champion. As it stands, the seven drivers fighting for a shot at the title include:
- David Schildhouse (eNASCAR Competition Director, Charlotte Phoenix)
- Collin Fern (Technical Director, Brandonbilt Motorsports)
- Will Rodgers (NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Sam Hunt Racing)
- Rajah Caruth (NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, Alpha Prime Racing)
- Ryan Vargas (NASCAR Xfinity Series driver, JD Motorsports)
- Max Kennon (Engineer, Kyle Busch Motorsports)
- Adam Cabot (Esports Racing League Season 3 Champion)
“We are incredibly excited to be hosting the Monday Night Racing team for their Championship on February 7,” said Rick Suarez, Managing Director of the Carolina Esports Hub. “Racing is woven into the fabric of Charlotte and to give fans the ability to come and enjoy this in person is exactly how it should be. Having MNR, which is one of the very best iRacing leagues, come in with some of the top drivers and members throughout motorsports to put on this event is thrilling. I suspect this will be an incredibly entertaining evening.”
Monday Night Racing’s live championship event will conclude with the championship celebration following the race. This is the league’s second live awards ceremony, and the first since Season 2 when members were invited to GoPro Motorplex for the Tufco Enduro Challenge for an exhibition kart race. NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Will Rodgers, the MNR Season 2 champion, won that event teamed up with former MNR driver, ARCA winner Nick Sanchez.
Other drivers expected to be competing live in Charlotte during the finale include MNR Co-Founder Ford Martin, as well as MNR competitors such as James Bickford (Charlotte Phoenix), DJ Cummings (NASCAR), Matt Stallknecht (NASCAR), Gary Sexton (Podium eSports), and our very own Justin Melillo (Traxion.GG).
MNR SEASON 4 LIVE FINALE SCHEDULE:
- 6:00 p.m. ET: Doors open for general admission ticket holders
- 7:00 p.m. ET: Sponsor Panel and Awards
- 7:30 p.m. ET: Driver Q&A
- 8:00 p.m. ET: Pre-Race
- 8:15 p.m. ET: Driver Introductions
- 8:25 p.m. ET: Qualifying
- 8:30 p.m. ET: Grid Set
- 8:35 p.m. ET: Green Flag!
- 10:30 p.m. ET: Championship Celebration
- 11:00 p.m. ET: Event Close
