The American Sim Racing Series has announced plans to bring back the “Cup Series” after a two year absence. The formula will change from what was used in 2015, the last season of Cup Series racing at ASRS. Race lengths are being increased to bring race lengths to 150-200 Miles.
While race lengths are being increased fuel loads are being decreased to 50% bringing more race strategy into the races, with tire and fuel management being at the forefront of the race winning strategy. The additional distance also allows a driver to overcome an early mistake.
Adding another wrinkle to the strategy of the races, a championship point will be awarded to the leader at the half-way point of the race. Additionally, bonus points will continue to be awarded for laps led and leading the most laps in a race.
Races will be held at NASCAR’s greatest race tracks, including Daytona, Martinsville, Texas and Indianapolis. Furthermore, a short “Raceoff” for the championship will take place with the final four races being contested with an elimination round prior to the season ending championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“The schedule is very similar to 2014 in terms of us taking the best tracks and the most historical tracks and give them races while eliminating some redundancy with intermediate tracks” said ASRS President Jim Foose. “As it sits with the preliminary schedule we sent out to our drivers, Atlanta, Dover , Kansas, Michigan, Phoenix, Sonoma and Watkins Glen got left off the schedule. My plan is to rotate Atlanta and Texas each year, and possibly a rotation between a mile and a half track like Kentucky or Chicagoland will allow Michigan to be added to future schedules”. The Charlotte “Roval” also does not appear on the schedule and is awaiting an official iRacing scan of the exact layout being used.
Broadcasting is on the horizon for the ASRS Premier Cup Series, but is dependent on funding. Foose stated that “everything is on schedule to get that done before the current season wraps up”.
The official hashtag for the ASRS Cup Series will be #Back2Cup and several announcements will be coming throughout the remainder of the 2017 season as anticipation builds for the 2018 season.