IMSA iRacing Pro Series Returns With Preseason Invitational

Image: IMSA

The IMSA iRacing Pro Series will return this weekend with a ‘Preseason Invitational’ race at virtual Daytona International Speedway, featuring a 26-car field of spec Dallara P217 Gibson LMP2 machinery.

The one-hour race will be streamed live on iRacing’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels, beginning Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

Among the real-life IMSA drivers to take part include 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona GT Le Mans class winner John Edwards, defending IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR champion Gabby Chaves, two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTLM runner-up Richard Westbrook and Kenton Koch, a two-time winner in the 2018 Pilot Challenge season.

Filipe Albuquerque will debut Wayne Taylor Racing’s new-for-2021 livery, which will be on its real-life Acura ARX-05 later this month on the Florida high banks.

Other drivers entered include Alegra Motorsports’ Daniel Morad, Italian ace Mirko Bortolotti and Rodrigo Pflucker, who along with Richard Heistand, were among the regular contenders in last year’s first season of the virtual championship that was held during the first COVID-19 lockdown.

Bruno Spengler, who won the season-long title in 2020, is not entered this weekend.

All drivers in Sunday’s virtual race will utilize the Dallara LMP2 machine, one of the latest cars to be added to iRacing in it latest build.

The Dallara, along with the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo and 2022-spec BMW M4 GT3, are now available to race on the popular online sim platform.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John