PODIUM eSPORTS ANNOUNCES RETURN OF RETRO 500
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 26, 2021) – Podium eSports has confirmed that the Retro 500 will return on Sept. 6 after a one-year hiatus. All qualifying races and the feature race will air live on the Podium eSports Twitch channel at twitch.tv/podiumesports.
The Retro 500 is Podium eSports’ tribute to the Winston Cup era of stock car racing. Utilizing iRacing’s 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Ford Thunderbird at Darlington Raceway, drivers will compete in qualifier races throughout August in order to earn their place in the 367-lap, 500-mile feature race on the evening of Labor Day. The winner will earn $500 in prize money and the bragging rights that come with victory in one of virtual stock car racing’s ultimate tests of skill.
The Retro 500 begins with four qualifier races, all to be run on Wednesday night throughout August. Qualifier races will be 123 laps in length. The top 10 finishers from each race will lock into the Retro 500 feature on the evening of Labor Day. If drivers fail to advance into the feature from one qualifier race, they may register for another qualifier race later in the month. The first Retro 500 qualifier race is at 9 p.m. ET on Aug. 4. The top 40 drivers from the qualifier races will join 2019 Retro 500 Champion Malik Ray in the feature race on the evening of Labor Day.
“Podium eSports is aware of how beloved the 1987 cars are within iRacing because of the test that they offer drivers,” said Podium eSports CEO James Pike. “They are the most difficult of all the oval cars in iRacing, but also two of the best cars in iRacing. We are excited to bring back the Retro 500 in 2021 as we honor the legacy of one of NASCAR’s greatest eras ever – one that as a Winston-Salem native carries special meaning to me, and means a great deal to many sim racing fans across the world.”
Registration forms and the rulebook for the Retro 500 are available at PodiumeSports.com/Retro500. For more information about Podium eSports, visit PodiumeSports.com.
Retro 500 Schedule
| Session | Date | Race Time | Laps |
| Qualifier 1 | August 4 | 9:00 p.m. ET | 123 |
| Qualifier 2 | August 11 | 9:00 p.m. ET | 123 |
| Qualifier 3 | August 18 | 11:00 p.m. ET | 123 |
| Qualifier 4 | August 25 | 9:00 p.m. ET | 123 |
| Feature | Sept. 6 | 6:00 p.m. ET | 367 |
About Podium eSports
Podium eSports, home of broadcasts on the iRacing.com Motorsports Simulation, launched in January 2019. In March 2020, Podium eSports produced the Replacements 100 from Atlanta Motor Speedway, which averaged over 20,000 live views and set a new record for viewership of an iRacing broadcast. Last year, Podium eSports earned over 325,000 views across all platforms, with over 4.6 million minutes of watched content across 300+ hours of streaming. Podium eSports is the home of Monday Night Racing, the eNASCAR Road to Pro iRacing Series, and the Porsche Club of America Sim Racing Series. Podium eSports races are broadcast live on the Podium eSports Twitch Channel, which can be found at twitch.tv/podiumesports. For more information, visit www.podiumesports.com.