PlayVS has officially renewed its partnership with NASCAR and iRacing for the 2025–26 season of the eNASCAR College iRacing Series, further deepening its role in collegiate sim racing while expanding its post-acquisition ambitions in the amateur esports ecosystem. The new season will mark a major transition, as the competition will now operate directly on the PlayVS platform following the company’s acquisition of Playfly College Esports earlier this year.
Since its launch in 2022, the eNASCAR College iRacing Series has grown into a key talent pipeline within the sim racing ecosystem, engaging nearly 5,000 students from over 300 U.S. colleges. Built on iRacing’s simulation platform and sanctioned by NASCAR, the series offers college students a rare combination of high-level virtual racing competition, scholarship prizes, and exposure to potential careers in motorsports and esports.
In the recently concluded 2024–25 season, Logan Clampitt from California State University, Fullerton claimed the championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway, earning a $10,000 scholarship. Clampitt, along with past winner Steven Wilson of the University of Iowa, is among the elite college racers who also compete in iRacing’s top-tier eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series, where Wilson notably won the overall championship in 2023. These dual appearances reinforce the College Series’ growing relevance as a feeder for pro-level sim racing.
Charles O’Donnell, Sr. Director of College Esports at PlayVS, framed the renewed partnership as a strategic investment:
“The eNASCAR College iRacing Series is not just about virtual racing—it’s a launchpad for future talent in motorsports, gaming, and media.”
The coming season will feature new tracks, a revamped competitive format, and larger prize pools. Details are set to be released later this summer. Students will continue to compete using iRacing’s hyper-realistic racing simulation from dorm rooms, campus facilities, or home setups, maintaining accessibility while preserving competitive rigor.
Ray Smith, Sr. Director of Esports at NASCAR, echoed the league’s wider ambitions:
“The eNASCAR College iRacing Series is more than just competition—it’s a foundational bridge between the collegiate esports ecosystem and the world of NASCAR.”
The 2025–26 season marks the first time the competition will be hosted natively on the PlayVS platform, following its acquisition of both Playfly College Esports and Generation Esports in April. This consolidation gave PlayVS control over a scholastic-to-collegiate pipeline spanning more than 5,500 K–12 institutions and 900 colleges across North America.
PlayVS CEO Jon Chapman has described these moves as essential to establishing a “unified platform” that connects students’ gaming experiences across age groups, from middle school to college. The company has been backed by more than $106 million in venture funding and has previously partnered with high-profile brands including the NFL, Zenni, and JBL Quantum.
The renewed iRacing partnership also comes at a time when PlayVS is rebuilding credibility and expanding access after a series of controversies under its previous leadership. With the College Series now under its platform, the company aims to anchor its collegiate efforts in a globally recognized sports IP with career viability, mainstream awareness, and simulation-based competitive integrity.
For NASCAR, the partnership adds further structure to its growing esports strategy, complementing its existing tiers across grassroots, regional, and international competition.