34 Entries for IMSA iRacing Pro Series Season Opener

More than 30 of the world’s top sports car drivers will take the digital green flag in the IMSA iRacing Pro Series Presented by SimCraft on Thursday.

Staged at the virtual Sebring International Raceway, the hour-long event will stream live on iRacing’s YouTube and Facebook channels starting at 6:30 p.m. ET, complete with commentary from John Hindhaugh and the IMSA Radio crew.

The race, the first in the three-round series, features a multi-class field of GT Le Mans BMWs, Corvettes, Ferraris and Porsches and LMP2 Dallaras in the hands of some of the stars of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge and Prototype Challenge, as well as drivers from other popular racing series.

Headlining the entry for Thursday’s race is defending IMSA iRacing Pro Series champion Bruno Spengler, who will spearhead a BMW contingent that includes fellow BMW Team RLL drivers Connor De Phillippi, John Edwards and Augusto Farfus, as well as Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley.

Not to be outdone, Corvette Racing will be represented by Nick Tandy, with several others including Michelin Pilot Challenge drivers Michael Lewis and Mason Filippi piloting virtual Corvette C8.Rs as well.

Meanwhile, Ryan Hardwick (Wright Motorsports), Dylan Murry (Riley Motorsports) and Riley Dickinson (Team Hardpoint EBM) will field Porsches.

The LMP2 field boasts an equally impressive lineup including Scott Andrews, winner of the IMSA iRacing Pro Series Preseason Invitational earlier this year as well as winning the real-life LMP3 class in January’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, along with past Rolex 24 GT Daytona class winners Daniel Morad and Mirko Bortolotti and 2017 IMSA Prototype Challenge champion Kyle Masson.

Also competing will be Parker Kligerman. In addition to being a part-time driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (and a pit reporter on IMSA and NASCAR television broadcasts), Kligerman is a longtime iRacer and figures to be a serious threat for the win.

Similarly, the GTLM ranks include another sim racing “ringer” in Philipp Eng who, in addition to joining BMW Team RLL as a “guest” driver for the 2021 WeatherTech Championship, bested a field of drivers with Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Australian Supercars and IMSA resumes to capture the 2013 iRacing Pro Race of Champions.