CHARLOTTE, NC — With racetracks shut down across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one may think that auto racers are done racing for awhile. That is not the case thanks to current wave of racing simulators.
iRacing, a subscription-based online racing simulation game, has taken center stage in the sports world with national broadcasts for multiple NASCAR series and online streams for popular short track series.
WVU graduate and Wheeling native Travis Braden is taking advantage and getting his name out there even more.
Braden, who moved to Charlotte to chase his NASCAR dreams in January after big short track wins, is competing in the Rowdy Energy SuperSelect Series every Saturday night streamed on popular auto racing site Speed51.com.
“As this has happened, it’s almost been a good opportunity in some ways as far as getting my name out there,” Braden told MetroNews.
“Obviously, it hurts just like anyone else with making the income very difficult. Hopefully, once racing and life rebound, everything will fix itself to an extent.”
He said that iRacing may look like a video game on the surface but it’s far from it with the simulator rigs. Braden said he’s had an iRacing account since 2011 when he got into stock car racing, and used the simulation for real testing in 2015 at tracks like Daytona and Talladega when competing in the ARCA Menard’s Series, now associated with NASCAR.
When competing in iRacing, Braden says the simulators put everyone on an even playing field and bring out a driver’s talent.
“There is zero advantage from one car to the next, none,” he told MetroNews. “It’s completely up to the driver to manage their line and how they drive the car. There are a few tactics you can use with saving tires. This is what makes it so unique.”
The virtual setups in the Rowdy Energy SuperSelect Series are the super late models and Braden competes with the likes of NASCAR great Kyle Busch. Braden has also stated there may be chances in other star-studded series in the future.
The virtual tracks in Braden’s regular series, which are uploaded by iRacing using scanners for consistency, include Five Flags Speedway, The Milwaukee Mile, Lucas Oil Raceway, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and South Boston Speedway.
Braden has made noise in recent years at those tracks, winning his ARCA debut at Lucas Oil and recently capturing the checkered flag at the prestigious Snowball Derby at Five Flags in the No. 26 super late model.
His No. 26 virtual super late model ride rolls off the grid every week sponsored by West Virginia based Prop Me LLC with the paint scheme designed by WVU graduate Ethan Ball.
Braden has even taken the sponsorship further with PropMe, a gambling platform for Esports and social wagering app, that has helped the company to partner with the series and hold free iRacing contests. The winner of the prop bets contest every week wins cash and Braden said he hopes to partner with local restaurants/businesses around West Virginia for more prizes.
He has stated in the past to MetroNews the importance of carrying the West Virginia brand with him no matter what track in the country he races on. Now he’s doing so online for the world to see, trying to make the most out of a dark situation.