IMSA Announces 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship

World Class Sim Racing Series Features Top Pro Sim Drivers, Teams and Cars

BRASELTON, Ga. (October 12, 2023) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is again collaborating with iRacing, the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) and Michelin to present the world’s foremost sim racing sports car series: the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship.

In its inaugural season in 2022, the IMSA Esports Global Championship proved to be a magnet for the world’s top sim racing drivers and teams (including several with direct ties to leading marques and teams from IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship and Formula One). The 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship promises more of the same with the likes of Team Redline, BS+ COMPETITION, Coanda Esports, Williams Esports and defending IMSA Esports Global Championship GTD Champions Apex Racing Team vie for cash prizes and for the overall series championship. Each race will be broadcast live on iRacing Facebook, Twitch and YouTube social media channels.

In keeping with IMSA’s more traditional racing series, the Esports Global Championship will consist of multi-driver, multi-class racing and will feature iRacing’s meticulous models of the exciting new GTP hybrids including the Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963, as well as their ultra-competitive GT counterparts the BMW M4 GT3, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO and Ferrari 296 GT3, all competing on virtual Michelin tires. The series will enable professional sim racers and teams to develop close working relationships with many of the manufacturers competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship including Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.

“In its debut season the IMSA Esports Global Championship proved to be a success, with upwards of 180,000 viewers for the four-race championship,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “IMSA and the sport of sim racing have experienced remarkable growth in the past couple of seasons and we look forward to full fields and fierce competition in the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship. We are particularly excited by the fact that many of the world’s leading marques will again be participating in the series, giving sim racers and teams a unique opportunity to work closely with those world class racing programs.”

This year’s IMSA Esports Global Championship schedule opens at virtual Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Sunday, Nov. 5. One week later, the series makes its way to Watkins Glen International (Nov. 12) followed by Sebring International Raceway on Sunday, Dec. 3. The 2023 season concludes on Saturday, Dec. 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Similar to IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races, each race will be two hours and 40 minutes in length.

“iRacing and IMSA have enjoyed a productive relationship for more than a decade,” said Tony Gardner, president of iRacing.com. “Our partnership with IMSA enables more than 230,000 iRacers around the world to race virtual versions of the world’s fastest sports cars on the great North American road courses featured in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. The IMSA Esports Global Championship continues our great partnership with IMSA as well as with many of the world’s leading makers of high performance sports cars.”

“The IMSA Esports Global Championship is the pinnacle of sports car sim racing – and we at VCO are delighted to contribute to its continued growth and success,” said Florian Haasper, CEO of Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO). “Although virtually every real-world motorsport organization now has a presence in Esports racing, with its remarkable diversity of cars and formats, IMSA in unique in its ability to provide racing fans with a first-class entertainment experience as well. We are truly excited about this championship.”

The full 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship entry list and further details surrounding the series will be announced later this month.

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