Virtual racing drama dulls shine on popular NASCAR platform

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Scott Dixon, five-time IndyCar champion and relatively new iRacing competitor, received a brief set of instructions from boss Chip Ganassi about the world of virtual racing.

“I did get a text from him that said ‘Just lay low,’” Dixon said Friday.

What started out as a fun way for racing leagues to fill time and engage fans during the sports shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic has taken a dark turn.

Kyle Larson was fired by Ganassi this week for using a racial slur during a virtual race. Bubba Wallace lost a sponsor for “rage quitting” the game a week earlier. And NASCAR's iRacing event this Sunday is drawing criticism after the series decided to trim the field of lesser-known drivers.

The decision was intended to avoid the wreckfest of two weeks ago at virtual Bristol Motor Speedway. But it came at the expense of drivers such as Landon Cassill and Michael McDowell, who have sponsorship for the events and then learned they were not invited to compete on the virtual Richmond track. Retired star Dale Earnhardt Jr. even pulled out in an effort to give his spot to one of the excluded drivers, but it was clear the shine is wearing off.

NASCAR came up with a solution: A heat race Sunday morning for drivers not already invited, with the top two finishers eligible to compete in the nationally televised virtual race and two other drivers selected by broadcast partner Fox.

It seemed a fair concession for Cassill, who does not currently have a Cup Series ride. He has competed in the first three official NASCAR virtual races, hosted other virtual events and signed topical pain reliever Blue-Emu — the sponsor that dropped Wallace — as a backer.

“The best thing that I've learned from this week is that my sponsor Blue-Emu is behind...