April 5th is shaping up to be a huge day in the altered state of sports betting in the USA. For one, you’ve got WrestleMania 36 to wager on, but what has most people excited is the next edition of the iRacing Pro Invitational Series. The eSports offering is a lifesaver, with actual NASCAR pros getting behind the wheel (of their at-home consoles) to compete in a high-stakes race to the virtual finish line. So far the series has two winners in the bag – Denny Hamlin (who won at Homestead-Miami) and Timmy Hill (who won Texas Motor Speedway). Now we make our way to a digitized Bristol Motor Speedway this Sunday. Will Hamlin or Hill make it two for the season? Or will another driver claim victory? Let’s find out.
Timmy Hill now has a first and third in the iRacing series. In last Sunday’s win at Texas Motor Speedway he added to his illustrious number of iRacing wins – 674 to be exact! Yet the sportsbook inexplicably gives Hill +250 odds to win in a roundabout way, as the odds apply to whether or not a Toyota driver will win. At +250 there’s some money to be made by betting on the real favorite to win at Bristol.
Garret Smithley – Chevrolet Camaro for Rick Ware Racing (-150)
We predicted a Garret Smithley win at last week’s Texas Motor Speedway race. While he didn’t win, the young buck came in second, which is an improvement over his admirable 5th place at the season opener at Homestead-Miami. These results, along with the fact that he’s a seasoned “veteran” in the iRacing circuit, make him a serious contender to claim the checkered flag at Bristol.
Denny Hamlin already has one victory at Homestead-Miami, but more importantly he has the most expensive at-home rig among his iRacing rivals. Hamlin’s set-up cost a whopping $40,000, making it the most advanced in the field, complete with state of the art motion sensors. That said, Smithley, who bested Hamlin at Texas Motor Speedway, uses nothing more than a wheel and a desktop computer so Hamlin’s bells and whistles may be a distraction.
28 year old Ty Dillon was involved in the first disqualification in the iRacing series in Texas Motor Speedway. Toyota’s Daniel Suarez tried to retaliate against Dillon for an earlier incident, but missed his mark and destroyed his car. The violation led to iRacing officials parking him for the remainder of the event. We told you this is serious business! While he only got a 16th in last Sunday’s race, Ty Dillon got away with some sneaky racing at Texas Motor Speedway which makes him one to watch going into Bristol. He has the opportunity to wear the “bad guy” hat and if he embraces it he may get a top five finish, and maybe top the entire field.
Dale Earnhardt Jr – Chevrolet for JR Motorsports (-150)
Junior was one of our favorite picks for Texas Motor Speedway but has since dropped in value to sleeper status after he came in 6th. That said, he led for a total of 16 laps which is enough to give him confidence going into the April 5th race. Plus, he has a new baby on the way so he is counting on some of that iRacing money to cover the bills until the NASCAR Cup Series returns.
William Byron – Chevrolet Camero for Hendrick Motorsports (-150)
We had to throw one more sleeper in here – William Bryon. He may not be getting a lot of attention in the iRacing Pro Invitational so far, but he had a very strong showing in Texas, leading for 80 laps. He fell victim to a bump-and-run courtesy of Timmy Hill last Sunday and will be looking for payback.
LONG SHOTS
Kurt Busch – Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing (-150)
It’s about time for a Busch to put forth a strong showing at the iRacing Pro Invitational Series. Kyle may have overshadowed his brother on the NASCAR Cup Series but Kurt placed seven cars better than his bro to finish 10th at Texas Motor Speedway. Kurt didn’t didn’t lead in any laps, but admitted after the race that he could have been more aggressive. Assume that he will do so leading into this coming race at BMS where he could turn that 10th into a 1st.
Writer’s Prediction
Timmy Hill is on fire right now and will be the first to win two races early in the iRacing Pro Invitational Series. With +250 odds to win (as a Toyota driver) he’s a great investment, even as a favorite.
