NHRA’s Antron Brown offers good advice to budding NASCAR star Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace

By Mar 6, 2014, 12:31 PM EST
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NHRA star Antron Brown is watching the career of budding NASCAR star Darrell “Bubba” Wallace quite closely.

As the first African-American driver to win an NHRA championship (Top Fuel, 2012), Brown is proud of what the young Wallace has done thus far in his career, including winning a Camping World Trucks Series race last fall at Martinsville (see video below), becoming the first African-American driver to win a major series NASCAR event since Wendell Scott in 1964.

Brown was asked in this week’s NHRA teleconference if he has any advice for Wallace as he continues to climb the drag racing success ladder.

“Well, my advice would be to Darrell to keep doing what he’s doing,” Brown said. “I’m actually really good friends with Darrell. He has a really good demeanor where he’s definitely got an open mind and is eager to learn and his determination.

“My deal is for him not to ever lose that. To never get to a point where you think you are the best. Even if you won that championship or you won a race, to never let that stuff sidetrack you, but to always keep focused, keep working and keep building.

“That’s why you look at people like Jimmie Johnson. A lot of people look at him and how many championships he’s won. Jimmie’s won championships, but as soon as that day is over and he’s got that championship check and trophy, that joker is back in the gym, he’s training. He’s still honing his skills to be better.

“That’s one thing that I would tell Darrell. He’s got the talent, he’s got the drive, but to never stop working. To always constantly improve himself. When you do that, you stay on top of the curve and you stay at the top of your game.

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IndyCar disappointed by delay of video game but aiming to launch at start of 2024

By Mar 27, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
IndyCar video game 2024
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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”