2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship | Race Preview: Michelin 240 at Daytona International Speedway

For the final time in the season, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), in conjunction with iRacing, the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Grid Finder, Michelin, and Thrustmaster presents the 2024 IMSA Esports Global Championship. Four high-profile events have been scheduled over the course of three months for this third iteration of the series.

48 teams, each car with two drivers sharing the seat, have competed against one another throughout the entirety of the season. Eight teams earned entry into the series through the four VCO Grand Slam iRacing Special Events. The other 40 teams were decided upon through Time Attack qualifiers.

Three races are complete, at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Sebring International Raceway. Only one remains on Sunday, the Michelin 240, at the World Center of Racing in Daytona Beach, Florida—Daytona International Speedway.

The Cars:

The GTP car class includes:

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

The GTD car class includes:

• BMW M4 GT3
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
• Ferrari 296 GT3
• Ford Mustang GT3
• Lamborghini Huracan EVO GT3
• McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
• Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO
• Porsche 911 GT3 R

All 12 cars will compete using virtual Michelin tires.

Entry List:

48 full-time teams are due to compete, 16 in the GTP class and the other 32 in the GTD. Each of the 12 cars available (four GTP, eight GTD) will be balanced with four teams competing for each.

The organizers of the event, through presenting sponsor Michelin, also reserves the ability to award an additional “wild card” entry on a per-round basis. In this final round, there will be two “wild card” entries—one GTP entry for Verstappen.com Racing, which will be an Acura driven by Gustavo Ariel and Max Verstappen, and one GTD entry for the Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team, a Ferrari 296 that includes Ole Steinbraten and  Lorenzo Manfredotti behind the wheel.

GTP ENTRY LIST FOR ROUND 4: IMSA Esports Global Championship Michelin 240 at Daytona International Speedway

GTD ENTRY LIST FOR ROUND 4: IMSA Esports Global Championship Michelin 240 at Daytona International Speedway

Full Daytona Race #4 Spotters Guide: 2024 IEGC Spotters Guide_Round 4

Championship Outlooks:

With a possible 385 points on the table in both the GTP and GTD classes, there are more cars mathematically eligible that it may seem. In GTD, the larger of the two classes, with 32 teams competing, a last place finish with a last place qualifying result will only earn 11 points, which means anyone within 374 points has a chance. As for the GTP, the minimum points a team can earn is slightly more, at 154 in a worst-case scenario. That means that anyone within 231 points has a chance, which in both classes, opens it up to multiple teams.

Four teams remain eligible for the championship in GTP. The #5 Williams Esports Chillblast BMW, with two wins on the season at Road Atlanta and Sebring, leads the way. The #20 BMW M Team Redline BMW, winners at Indianapolis, sit in second, 102 points back. In third is the #60 SOELPEC Precision Racing Porsche, 165 points behind the leaders. After a rough outing at Sebring, the #89 BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION BMW fell to fourth, but still has an outside chance, 210 points behind.

There are six teams eligible in the GTD ranks. They include the points leading, two-time winners at Road Atlanta at Indianapolis, the #171 Team Redline Ferrari, the #118 AO Racing by Coanda “Rexy” Porsche, now fitted with a gold tooth from their win at Sebring, the #105 Mercedes-AMG Esports Team Williams Esports Mercedes-AMG, the #169 DRAGO Racing Lamborghini, the #114 PGZ x P1doks.com Porsche, and the #102 Grid-and-Go.com eSports Ferrari. Team Redline and AO Racing by Coanda have been the standouts all season, but their chances could fold with a bad race on the banking at Daytona.

Last Season:

Entering Daytona in the 2023 edition of the IMSA Esports Global Championship, the #20 BMW M Team Redline entry had a small lead over the #11 Williams Esports BMW. However, after both teams found themselves in trouble during the event, the #91 VRS Coanda Porsche took control of the championship winning it all with a second place finish to the #95 XSET Cadillac.

In similar fashion, the #101 Mercedes-AMG Team Apex Racing Team held the GTD lead entering the Daytona finale, but after struggles throughout the event, the #170 Team Redline Ferrari capitalized, winning the race from ninth on the grid to take the points lead and win the championship.

Track Facts:

Known as “The World Center of Racing”, Daytona International Speedway has a deep history in many facets of American motorsport, from NASCAR and their annual Daytona 500 to IMSA and their 24-hour battle for the Rolex 24. This track also hosts Bike Week’s Daytona 200, Daytona Supercross, Daytona KartWeek between Christmas and New Years, and a host of driving school, club, and other events. While the oval boasts 2.5-miles of intense, high-speed action, the road course that traverses the infield measures at 3.56-miles and incorporates most of the banked oval.

As always, the final 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 presented by Traxion.GG pre-race show beginning at 1:45PM ET (18:45 GMT).

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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