Allowing non-professional drivers the chance to compete in virtual IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, the third IMSA Esports Global Championship kicks off on Nov. 24. The popular sim racing competition featuring virtual versions of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship cars and racetracks follows on the heels of the actual race season.
The IMSA Esports Global Championship is a partnership among IMSA, iRacing and VCO (Virtual Competition Organisation) to deliver the most authentic virtual racing anywhere. Professional sim racing teams from around the world compete and, for the first time this year, the contest will include a qualifying process open to all racers on the iRacing platform.
The 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship is comprised of a four-race season and features two car classes – Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) – with 12 different precisely digitized versions of race cars from 10 different manufacturers, including new-for-2024 sim machinery from Chevrolet, Ford and McLaren. Cars available by class are:
GTP: Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963
GTD: BMW M4 GT3, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Ferrari 296 GT3, Ford Mustang GT3, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
The IMSA Esports Global Championship season kicks off Nov. 24 at virtual Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, site of Motul Petit Le Mans. Succeeding sim races take place at a spate of IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup host tracks, including Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Dec. 8), Sebring International Raceway (Jan. 5, 2025) and Daytona International Speedway (Jan. 12, 2025). All races will be two hours, 40 minutes long and stream live on the IMSA and iRacing Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels.
The IMSA Esports Global Championship also welcomes a new Premier Partner in Thrustmaster, a leading manufacturer of sim-racing and gaming accessories.
“The popularity of the IMSA Esports Global Championship continues to grow with competitors and fans alike,” said Brandon Huddleston, vice president, IMSA Partnership Marketing and Business Development. “Last year, more than a half-million viewers watched the racing on the livestreams. We believe that opening up the opportunity for all iRacing members to try and qualify for the series will make the championship even more popular and exciting. We’re eager to see how it all unfolds and to welcome Thrustmaster as a Premier Partner of the championship.”
Complete details for the 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship, including information on how public iRacing drivers and teams may register for the pre-qualifying sessions, are included in the official series rulebook.