Winter Heat Series on NASCAR Heat 5 Raises over $16,000 for Movember
The new Winter Heat Series, run on NASCAR Heat 5, got off to a great start both on and off the track with the first event, the Movember 50, raising over $16,000 for Movember.
In total the drivers raised over $11,000 for Movember, the leading global men’s health charity with a mission to change the face of men’s health. Motorsport Games, who develops and publishes the NASCAR Heat video game franchise and operates the esport, pledged a further $5,000 to the charity taking the total raised to a stunning $16,116.
“We’re thrilled to be able to team up with eNASCAR for the Winter Heat Series to help Movember change the face of men’s health. The Movember 50 really demonstrates the power of this incredible community and to see the participants come together for this cause was a real honor. Funds raised will help fund some of the world’s most game-changing projects in mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer, ultimately helping men live happier, healthier and longer lives. Thank you to all who got involved on the action” said Tom D’Souza, Global Innovation Manager for Movember.
“To raise over $16,000 in just a few weeks goes to show the power of the NASCAR Heat and gaming community, and their eagerness and motivation to give back and make a difference in the world,” said Jay Pennell, General Manager of the eNASCAR Heat Pro League. “This has been a cause that I have enjoyed being a part of for the last seven years, so to connect the Movember Foundation with our avid community of gamers and have them get so competitive about fundraising efforts was amazing to see.”
Created by Motorsport Games, the Winter Heat Series is the opportunity for NASCAR Heat 5 gamers to compete against eNASCAR Heat Pro League teams and drivers for the chance at a $47,000 prize pool over four events spanning four months.
The series’ first event took place on Sunday, November 22 at virtual Dover International Speedway. Partnering with the Movember Foundation, Motorsport Games challenged all participants in the event to raise funds and awareness for men’s health through the Movember Foundation.
Each of the competitors set out on their own fundraising efforts, which was used to set the starting grid for the Movember 50.
Prior to the race, Thomas Cohick raised the most money, beating fellow racer Joey Stone by just $1 with a total of $1,215 raised. Joey went on to record the highest overall total with $1,222. There was great camaraderie throughout with some of the drivers that failed to advance out of open qualifiers continuing to raise funds for the team.
On the track, the racing was thrilling from the drop of the green flag. The races on both PlayStation and Xbox featured tight battles for the lead, multiple incidents that brought out caution flags and exciting fights for the win.
Chip Ganassi Gaming’s Maxwell Castro took the win on the PlayStation side, with Chase Williamson and Wood Brothers Gaming’s Cody Giles rounding out the top three and advancing to the finale in February.
On the Xbox side, 11-time eNASCAR Heat Pro League winner Justin Brooks of JTG Daugherty Throttlers took home the chequered flag, with Season 2 eNHPL champion Daniel Buttafouco and Chip Ganassi Gaming’s Luis Zaiter finishing second and third, respectively. All three are now locked into the series finale. The next event of the Winter Heat Series on NASCAR Heat 5 is the Holiday 60 at virtual Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, December 20. Participants are now able to register at winter.nascarheat.com, with open qualifiers scheduled from December 7 – 10.
