IMSA Esports Global Championship Race Preview: Road Atlanta

The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), in conjunction with iRacing, the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) and Michelin presents the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship. Four high-profile events are scheduled over the course of the next two months for this second iteration. 45 teams, each car with two drivers sharing the seat, are set to compete amongst two classes of competition for the upcoming season. The first race is this Sunday at Road Atlanta.

The Cars:

The GTP car class includes:

Acura ARX-06
BMW M Hybrid V8
Cadillac V-Series.R
Porsche 963

The GTD car class includes:

BMW M4 GT3
Ferrari 296 GT3
Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO
Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

All nine cars will compete using virtual Michelin tires.

Entry List (via IMSA):

45 full-time teams are due to compete, 20 in the GTP class and the other 25 in the GTD. Each of the nine cars available (four GTP, five GTD) will be balanced with five teams competing for each. The organizers of the series also reserve the ability to award an addition “wildcard” entry on a per-round basis.

GTP (20 Entries)

GTD (25 Entries)

Wildcard Entry – GTP

72 Blake Reynolds | Flinn Lazier | Nitro Circus Sim Racing Team | Acura ARX-06

The Schedule:

Two of the four tracks from the 2022 season return in 2023 with both the opening round and finale staying the same. This season, Watkins Glen and Sebring will replace what was Laguna Seca and Indianapolis on last year’s calendar.

Sunday, Nov. 5: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Sunday, Nov. 12: Watkins Glen International
Sunday, Dec. 3: Sebring International Raceway
Saturday, Dec. 16: Daytona International Speedway

Each event will start at 19:00 GMT (2PM ET) and will run for two hours and 40 minutes in length.

Last Season:

In its inaugural season in 2022, the IMSA Esports Global Championship ran with the GTD class on top alongside a class of Touring Cars. The series attracted some of the world’s best sim racers and teams, some with ties to teams inside IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula 1.

After the four race season was concluded, the 2022 IMSA Esports Global Championship GTD title went to the #98 Apex Racing Team Porsche driven by Alejandro Sanchez and Kevin Ellis Jr. For the Touring Cars, the championship was won by the #176 SimRC Hyundai driven by Corentin Guinez and Kieran Harrison.

Coincidentally, both teams were also the respective winners in the first round of the 2022 season which also opened the season at Road Atlanta.

Track Facts:

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta is a 2.54-mile, 12-turn course located in Braselton, Georgia, just 35 miles north of Atlanta. Known for hosting many sports car races, including the popular Petit Le Mans event, Road Atlanta is filled with elevation changes, technical sections and can be a challenge to any professional racer. Opened in 1970, the current day Grand Prix circuit layout has been in use since 1998.

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” pre-race show beginning at 1:45PM ET.

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.