iRacing: SARA & Can-Am Announce SARA vs CARS All-Star Invitational Race‏

Series Release

The Sim Auto Racing Association and Can-Am Racing Series, two sim
racing leagues on the iRacing service, announced this week a special
league vs league event scheduled for May 19th. The SARA vs CARS
All-Star Invitational race will feature each league’s top 12 late
model drivers competing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for what has
become one of the biggest prize purses in iRacing hosted race history.

The event, which will be broadcast live by E-TV at 9:45 PM, will
include a two-segment 75-lap feature race as well as two “win and
you’re in” showdown races around New Hampshire’s cup oval.

The event is only open to regular competitors of the SARA Matt Rolfe
Designs Outlaw Late Model Series and Can-Am’s M.Rolfe Designs Late
Model Tour who will be competing for over $375 worth of prizes.

Through the efforts of Matt Rolfe, who’s design firm M. Rolfe Designs
is the naming sponsor for both divisions, the winner of the race will
be awarded two tickets to the July NASCAR weekend at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. The ticket package, which includes
Global Rallycross, Whelen Modifieds, the Nationwide Series and NASCAR
Sprint Cup’s New England 300, is valued at $250. First place will also
win a trophy and a custom paint job for an iRacing oval car.

Three other contingency awards have been announced, including tickets
to the Southern Super Series 125 at Montgomery Motor Speedway in
Montgomery, AL, a case of XS Energy drinks from GotXSEnergy.com and a
t-shirt from M. Rolfe Designs.

“Matt (Rolfe) has put together a fantastic event on behalf of the SARA
& Can-Am organizations. The show was his idea, and the race is his
format. Greg (Netherwood, CARS’ administrator) and I both had input,
but this is Matt’s baby. ” Said SARA promoter Paul Miles. He
continued, “This is going to be a great show. I believe we have some
of the best short trackers in sim racing, and this will be an
opportunity for us to show the sim racing community what we’re made
of. To steal a line from Bull Durham, we’re going to announce our
presence with authority.”

After a testy negotiation regarding race format, Can-Am co-founder and
driver of the MacAttack Taxidermy #57 Pure Stock at New York’s
Canadaigua Motorsports Park Greg Netherwood said, ““We truly believe
our late model tour has some of the best short track drivers iRacing
has to offer, and while this race falls outside of our norm of fixed
setups, that won’t stop us from dominating.”

To prevent interlopers and ringers from running in this
first-of-its-kind event, qualifying rules were drafted.

For the SARA, drivers must have competed in 7 of last season’s 10 races,
or 5 races through week 7 of the current season. CARS drivers
must have 9 races scored from last season or 4 races in the current
season. The top 10 drivers in each series’ point standings earn an
automatic entry to the race, and are locked in to the top 20 spots on
the grid. Row 11 will be decided by a pair of showdown races. 25 lap
sprints with no cautions and no fast repairs. Row 12 will feature two
Promoters’ Provisionals. Each organization can name a driver who did
not qualify to participate.

Qualifying for the main show will have the added twist of lane choice
for the league. The driver who qualifies on pole gets lane choice, and
his series will line up behind him. For example, if SARA MRD Outlaws
defending champion Chris Roberts qualifies on pole and chooses the
inside lane, all SARA drivers will start on the inside. If Can-Am’s
Mike King qualifies on pole and chooses the outside lane, all Can-Am
drivers will start from the outside. Besides lane choice, drivers will
line up in qualfiying order, 2nd fastest SARA driver will be on row 2,
3rd fastest Can-Am driver will be in row 3, etc.

An additional twist, cooked up by Matt Rolfe, is the two segment
format. The feature will start with a 25 lap sprint followed by a
competition yellow. During there will be an invert. The number of cars
to be inverted has yet to be determined, and will not be announced
prior to the competition yellow. When the second segment is a 50 lap
race to the checkers for all the glory.

Drivers from both organizations are excited to be part of an
outstanding sim racing event, and are looking forward to putting on a
show for ETV viewers.

For more information on Sim Auto Racing Association, visit their website at http://www.simautoracingassociation.com.