DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), in conjunction with iRacing, the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Grid Finder, Michelin, and Thrustmaster presents the 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship. Four high-profile events have been scheduled over the course of the next three months for this third iteration. One race, at Road Atlanta in November, is already in the books.
There are 48 teams, each car with two drivers sharing the seat, set to compete amongst two classes of competition this season. Eight teams earned entry into the series through the four VCO Grand Slam iRacing Special Events. The other 40 teams were decided upon through Time Attack qualifiers. The second race of the season, and last on the 2024 side of the calendar, takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on December 8th.
The Cars:
The GTP car class includes:
- Acura ARX-06 GTP
- BMW M Hybrid V8 GTP
- Cadillac V-Series.R GTP
- Porsche 963 GTP
The GTD car class includes:
- BMW M4 GT3
- Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
- Ferrari 296 GT3
- Ford Mustang GT3
- Lamborghini Huracan EVO GT3
- McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
- Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO
- Porsche 911 GT3 R
All 12 cars will compete using virtual Michelin tires.
Entry List:
There are 48 full-time teams due to compete – 16 in the GTP class and the other 32 in GTD. Each of the 12 cars available (four GTP, eight GTD) will be balanced with four teams competing for each. The organizers of the event, through presenting sponsor Michelin, also reserve the ability to award an additional “wild card” entry on a per-round basis with the No. 82 RAFA Esports Club entry getting the nod this week.
Remaining 2024 Schedule:
Three of the four tracks from the 2023 season return for 2024. Road Atlanta was the first of those two weeks ago. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track used back in 2022, makes its return to the schedule, swapping back in with what had replaced it last year, Watkins Glen. The season will once again conclude with Sebring and Daytona, the opposite of how it is on the real-world calendar.
- Sunday, Dec. 8: Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Thrustmaster 240
- Sunday, Jan. 5: Sebring International Raceway | Grid Finder 240
- Sunday, Jan. 12: Daytona International Speedway | Michelin 240
Each race event will start at 19:00 GMT (2PM ET) and will run for two hours and 40 minutes in length.
Last Season:
Watkins Glen International was on the calendar last season in place of Indianapolis for the second round of the 2023 season. At The Glen, Team Redline was formidable, sweeping both the GTP and GTD classes.
Two years ago, when the IMSA Esports Global Championship ran at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first and only time in series’ history, the GTD class was the top ranks, with Apex Racing Team scoring a 1-2 finish among its No. 97 and No. 98 teams, which included Jamie Fluke, Yohann Harth, Kevin Ellis Jr, and Alejandro Sánchez. Harth and Sánchez will both be in their own ART cars again this season. The TC class was won by the No. 176 SimRC team.
Track Facts:
Around since 1909, Indianapolis Motor Speedway was once paved with more than 3 million bricks. Also known as “The Brickyard,” Indy hosted its first 500-mile race on Memorial Day of 1911.
The infield road course came about in 2000, and its current iteration, a 2.43-mile, 14-corner circuit that travels the opposite direction across the Yard of Bricks, was revealed in 2014.
IMSA Esports Global Championship Thrustmaster 240 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Each race of the IMSA Esports Global Championship will be broadcasted live on IMSA’s and iRacing’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitch social media channels with the Countdown to Green presented by Traxion.GG pre-race show beginning at 1:45PM ET (18:45 GMT).
For more information on the IMSA Esports Global Championship, visit iracing.com/imsa-esports.
For more information about the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO), visit vco-esports.com.
For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit iracing.com.