Porsche and Hyundai Are Winning Manufacturers in Series Debut at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA Esports Michelin Global Championship made its debut Sunday, with Apex Racing Team and SimRC taking class victories in the first race for professional virtual teams and drivers.
In the two-hour, 40-minute event at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Alejandro Sanchez and Kevin Ellis Jr. claimed victory in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, co-driving the No. 98 Apex Racing Team Porsche 911 GT3 R. Kieran Harrison and Corentin Guinez were victorious in the Touring Car class, sharing the No. 176 SimRC Hyundai Elantra TC N.
The race was the first of four in the series featuring a collaboration among IMSA, iRacing and the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO). The second race is set for WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca this Sunday, starting at 11:45 a.m. ET and streaming live on iRacing and VCO YouTube, Facebook and Twitch social media channels.
While Sanchez and Ellis drove to a comfortable victory in GTD, it became much more dramatic for Touring Car winner SimRC with just a few laps remaining. Harrison held a significant lead when his Hyundai sustained significant damage after a spinning Porsche hit it. Fortunately, Harrison was able to continue and crossed the finish line with a few seconds ahead of the R8G Esports entry that placed second.
Alejandro Sanchez (Apex Racing Team, overall and GTD winner): “I don’t know what exactly happened in the first 15 minutes to allow me to pull clear so quickly. I think there were a few crashes behind me. After that, I was luckier than those behind me during the first phase of lapping slower cars, which again allowed me to extend my lead. From then on, it was just a case of not taking any risks and getting through the race without any drama.”
Kevin Ellis Jr. (Apex Racing Team, overall and GTD winner): “Alejandro did a super job in the first part of the race and opened a big lead for me. That obviously made it easier for me. Despite that, the traffic was sometimes brutal on the narrow track, particularly with the slower Touring Cars. I had to stay fully focused.”
Kieran Harrison (SimRC, Touring Car winner): “We had the race totally under control until the late crash, and it would have been incredibly disappointing to miss out in that manner. As such, I was extremely relieved when I realized that I was able to continue despite the damage. I gave it everything to hold onto the lead through to the finish.”
Corentin Guinez (SimRC, Touring Car winner): “For me, it took a bit of an adjustment to start with the Hyundai here, but I dealt with it well. We saw quite clearly that the key to success in this series will be how well you cope with the traffic. I am sure that will also be the case in the coming races.”