CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Landon Cassill is no stranger to Cup series racing. 

He has spent 10 years in NASCAR's top series, and with a potential re-start to the Cup schedule next month, he is ready, willing, and able to get back behind the wheel.

"I've got a Cup license.  It's up to sponsorship or opportunity," Cassill said Tuesday.  "I've been talking to teams, and I could very well drive a car in one of those races."

Until then, Cassill is full time in the XFINITY series, and has been a fixture in NASCAR'S eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series.  Running the virtual tracks as a way to cover a lot of bases.  Like staying sharp for his return to real racing, but also help build a bridge to reconnect with race fans who may have drifted away from motorsports.

"I think the sports has done a really good job, and made a really good pivot.  I think the sport deserves a lot of credit for that, because it wasn't an overnight decision," said Cassill.

During the iRacing broadcasts, viewers have been treated to shots of elaborate setups with wide screens and roll cages, but Cassill says the rigs don't translate to speed on the virtual tracks.  Those types of setups do allow drivers to feel as close to driving a car as possible

"Driving of an eSports car is actually the same fundamental as driving a real car, you just lack the immersion of the load on your body," Cassill continued.  "You're still turning a wheel, pushing pedals, the field of view is the same.  When you play Madden NFL, you're pushing buttons to throw a football, and you're not even inside the helmet.  So it's a game, this is actually a simulation."

While drivers like Cassill, William Byron, Timmy Hill and others have been driving these simulators for a long time, some of the big names in NASCAR have struggled in the virtual format, which has been fun for Cassill to watch.

"I like seeing them improve.  It shows you how talented they are.  I like that we're on an equal playing field. You know, I don't get to race those guys on an equal playing field very often," Said Cassill with a grin.  "They may not feel it's an equal playing field if Timmy and William and myself have more experience on iRacing than they do.  They may not see that as equal.  The cars equal, the tracks equal, if they want to get better, they can go sun-up to sun down and put in the hours."