2025 IMSA Esports Global Championship | Round 3 at Long Beach, VIRginia | Race Preview

The second-to-last IMSA Esports Global Championship events of the 2025 season are scheduled for Sunday, November 22nd. Nearing the end to the fourth season, 52 teams continue their quest for the crown across the two class championships, with 20 teams competing in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class and 32 teams taking on the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class. This week, for the first time in series history, they won’t share the track.

After the P3 Challenge, the Global Championship action begins at 2:00 p.m. ET with the GTP class, which is set to race on the Streets of Long Beach. Around 3:30 p.m. ET, the GTD class will grid up across the virtual country at VIRginia International Raceway.

A $25,000 prize pool is on the line, with top teams in each class collecting $5,000 at the end of the season. Last year, Williams Esports Chillblast and Team Redline were victorious in their respective classes.

Each race will be 75 minutes this week. Points will be on the line not only in the race, but also in qualifying. Will the separation of classes and shorter races change up the status quo from Road Atlanta and Sebring?

ROUND 3: STREETS OF LONG BEACH | ENTRY LIST: GTP

ROUND 3: VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY | ENTRY LIST: GTD

All roster substitutions are highlighted above. The Michelin Wild Card Entry is also highlighted above 

CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL IMSA ENTRY LIST
2025 IMSA ESPORTS GLOBAL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 3 SPOTTERS GUIDE

IMSA P3 CHALLENGE

The second and final IMSA Esports P3 Challenge race will kick off the racing action on Sunday leading into the Global Championship event. At 1:15 p.m. ET, the pre-show event will kick off with a number of qualified drivers from the Grid Finder LMP3 Challenge competing in 20-minute, fixed setup races against select special guests.

Last week, the 20-minute event at Sebring featured 21 competitors taking on Sebring in the LMP3. After a hard fought battle for the top spot, Belgium’s Christophe Herbigneaux outlasted Italy’s Dario Frattini for the victory.

LAST RACE

One week ago, the IMSA Esports Global Championship took on the bumps around Sebring International Raceway. Coanda Esports was dominant in both classes. On a recovery drive from a poor result at Road Atlanta, the Porsche Coanda No. 91 claimed the win in the GTP class. Meanwhile, it came down to the wire for the two GTD Coanda Esports entries, with the No. 181 Chevrolet just barely taking the win over the pole-sitting No. 118 Chevrolet.

LAST SEASON

Long Beach and VIR replace what was a two hour and 40 minute regular race at Indianapolis one season ago. Team Redline dominated both classes on that day. This is a series debut for both Long Beach and VIR.

STREETS OF LONG BEACH TRACK FACTS

Born against long odds in 1976, the Long Beach Grand Prix is North America’s premier street race. The debut event featured Formula 5000 cars in a race won by Brian Redman. The following year, Clay Regazzoni captured the inaugural U.S. Grand Prix (West) and in 1977 Mario Andretti passed Jody Scheckter in the closing laps to become the first American to win an F1 race on home ground. Andretti’s popular victory put the race on firm financial footing and set in motion the rebirth of Long Beach, which morphed from a down-on-its heels port city to a thriving modern city/tourist destination. The resulting building boom necessitated ongoing changes to the track layout, finally settling on the current 1.968 mile, 11 turn circuit encircling the Long Beach Convention Center and the Long Beach Aquarium.

Nor were the changes limited to the track and its environs. The Long Beach GP changed gears in 1984, bringing the home-grown Indy cars to town as the featured attraction. The event hardly missed a beat, as the names of Unser, Zanardi, Montoya, Franchitti, Power, Conway and Dixon joined the likes of Regazzoni, Andretti, Villeneuve, Piquet and Lauda on the illustrious list of Long Beach winners. What’s more, the event grew to include IMSA and SCCA pro sports car racing series, along with the popular Toyota Celebrity race in which Hollywood’s famous (and near famous) exchange Armani and Gucci for Simpson and Bell.

VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY TRACK FACTS

Virginia International Raceway is a race track that’s been revived back from the dead. Born in 1957 during the initial blitz of U.S. road-racing circuit development, VIR was one of the major sports car racing facilities during the 1960s.With its remote location, far from the population centers that fill the spectator areas, VIR experienced financial problems and closed in 1974. Suddenly silent, the facility reverted to farm land. The 1,200-acre parcel still would be farmland today had New York real-estate developer and vintage racer Harvey Siegel not purchased it in 1998 and undertaken the herculean task of not only restoring the circuit, but bringing it up to world-class standards.

While retaining the backbone of the original circuit, including its trademark Oak Tree turn, Siegel widened the track to 40 feet and gave it modern safety and convenience features. Today, VIRginia International Raceway (as it now bills itself) offers six configurations (Full Course – 3.27 miles; North Course – 2.25 miles; South Course – 1.65 miles; Patriot Course – 1.1 miles; Grand West – 3.97 Miles; and Grand East – 4.07 miles) of which two can always be run simultaneously. All of the courses are challenging, but the 3.27-mile Full Course, the track’s original configuration, is a true classic. Straightaways of 3,000 and 4,000 feet yield terrific velocities for any race car, while a 130-foot elevation change and a succession of blind, sweeping turns challenge professional and amateur drivers alike.

NEXT RACE

After the GTP race at Long Beach and GTD race at VIR, the series will conclude on December 7th with the fourth and final race of the season at the famed Daytona International Speedway. The usual ending spot of the virtual series is the usual starting spot of the real-world action, with the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January kicking off the season. Last season, BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION was victorious in the GTP class while the Mercedes-AMG Apex Racing Team took the checkers in the GTD class. That race also crowned the titles for Williams Esports Chillblast and Team Redline in their respective classes.

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 IMSA Esports P3 Challenge kicking things off at 1:15 p.m. ET. The Countdown to Green pre-race show starts right after, at 1:50 p.m. ET (18:45 GMT). Race coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. 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.

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