2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Race Preview: Le Mans

The third round of the 2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup takes the 30 of the highest-rated sports car iRacers in the world over to the legendary Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans for another sprint and feature event. After two rounds, Sebastian Job, the 2020 series champion, is on a hot streak. With three total wins, which include a sprint at Daytona and a sprint/feature sweep at Hockenheim, plus both of the TAG Heuer Pole Awards so far this year, can anyone catch the Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing driver?

All-Stars are also on the docket in the hour prior to the Supercup, contesting the same venue as the top drivers in the powerful Porsche 963 GTP. Live streaming of the events begins on Saturday at 18:00 GMT (1PM ET) via Porsche’s channels on YouTube and Twitch with the All-Star series up first. The pros will take off one hour afterwards, at 19:00 GMT (2PM ET).

Last Race: One week ago at Hockenheim, Sebastian Job accomplished a feat that hasn’t been seen since 2021—a perfect points day. A total of 85 points are up for grabs every week, with the top qualifier earning 10 points, Sprint winners collecting 25, and the Feature winner taking home 50. Job took the TAG Heuer Pole Award and dominated the Sprint, but for the Feature, he would be inverted to start in eighth. Methodically, Job quickly worked his way into a podium spot behind Luke McKeown (Apex Racing Team) and Diogo Pinto (Team Redline). When Pinto went wide with six laps to go, Job took advantage, moving into second. On the next opportunity with five to go, Job dove in and took the lead from McKeown for the perfect day.

Last Season: When the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup series took on Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans in 2023, it was the penultimate round of the season with many implications towards the championship. Job wound up taking the Sprint race victory, but in the Feature, the rails came off. Yohann Harth wound up winning his first career Feature, but Jordan Caruso had to wait an extra week to capture the title after contact with Job sent him into the wall hard and out of the points. 

Track Facts: The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans measures an imposing 8.467 miles with 38 turns. Racing in the area has seen numerous evolutions since the city of Le Mans hosted its first race, the 1906 French Grand Prix, but the basics of the current circuit have been in place for roughly a century. Many of the biggest changes in that time have been reprofiling of various corners or added chicanes to slow cars down as machinery evolved. The most notable of these were added to the Mulsanne Straight, which had previously stretched for nearly four miles, in 1990.

Next Up: There’s an off week scheduled for February 24th, but the series will return a week later for its first-ever Mid Season Tournament in the fourth race at Watkins Glen. The tournament will offer up an elimination-style event with multiple Heat races instead of one Sprint. Last season at Watkins Glen, Gustavo Ariel and Zac Campbell took the regular Sprint and Feature wins.

Those events are scheduled for Saturday, March 2nd, and will be live starting at 18:00 GMT (1PM ET) via Porsche’s channels on YouTube and Twitch with All-Stars on tap first. The Supercup races will take off one hour afterwards, at 19:00 GMT (2PM ET).

For more information on the 2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup season, visit www.iracing.com/pesc. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

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