Masks will be required to attend the 2021 Chili Bowl Nationals; offenders face expulsion

By Dec 29, 2020, 5:00 PM EST
Masks Chili Bowl
Chase Elliott Instagram
0 Comments

Masks will be mandatory for attending the 2021 Chili Bowl Nationals, and those who refuse to wear them will be escorted out of the event.

The same rule applies for the Tulsa Shootout that will be run Dec. 30-Jan. 2.

“If you are attending the Tulsa Shootout this week, you must wear a mask that properly covers your nose and mouth while inside the River Spirit Expo Center,” officials from the Nationals posted on their Facebook page. “If you refuse to do so, you’ll be escorted out of the event.

“This is per the Tulsa Health Department and is not up for debate.”

NASCAR DRIVERS EXCEL IN MIDGET WARMUP: Larson, Elliott, Briscoe earn top fives at Millbridge

Matt Ward, Competition Director for the Nationals said, “If masks are not worn at the Shootout, [the Tulsa Health Department] said they will shut down the Chili Bowl,” per a tweet from Walkapedia.

The 2021 Chili Bowl entry list features nearly 300 drivers so far, including drivers from the NASCAR and IndyCar series.

Entrants from NASCAR include Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Ryan Newman, Christopher Bell, Kasey Kahne, JJ Yeley, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Chase Briscoe. Santino Ferrucci is among those representing the IndyCar series.

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
IndyCar
0 Comments

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.”