2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Race Preview: Watkins Glen Mid-Season Tournament

The fourth round of the 2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup at Watkins Glen marks the halfway point of the season, and with that brings the first edition of the Mid-Season Tournament. On Saturday, 30 of the highest-rated sports car iRacers in the world will take on the Classic layout of the upstate New York road course, with only six turns, no bus stop chicane, and no boot.

A new format will grace the series in the form of the Mid-Season Tournament, with more points and prizes up for grabs with five Heat races and a Consolation race replacing the usual opening Sprint. 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: Two weeks ago at Le Mans, it was all about Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing. Looking to continue his hot start to the 2024 season, 2020 champion Sebastian Job collected his third straight TAG Heuer Pole Award. That led to a fourth straight victory, dating back to the opening Feature at Daytona. After the invert for the Feature, Job’s teammate Cooper Webster led the field from the top spot. Webster held off Stormforce Racing’s Alejandro Sánchez and the defending series champion Jordan Caruso (Altus Esports) for his first career win.

Last Season: Gustavo Ariel and Zac Campbell took wins at Watkins Glen one season ago, in the Sprint and Feature races, respectively. After Sebastian Job took the TAG Heuer Pole Award, the lead would change hands throughout in both races. Ariel pounced at the opportunity on the final lap of the Sprint to win what would be his second race in a row. Then, in the Feature, Coanda Esports pulled off a 1-2-3 finish after 22 laps with Zac Campbell leading the way for his third victory of the season.

Track Facts: Located in upstate New York, Watkins Glen International opened in 1956. The current iterations of the track, both long and short, have been in play since 1992, with both layouts including the “Inner Loop”, or bus-stop chicane. The short course is the one used on the NASCAR calendar, while the long course features “The Boot” and adds on another mile and four corners to navigate. The Porsche Tag Heuer Esports Supercup, however, will forgo the bus-stop and the boot and just run on the short “classic” edition.

Next Up: The Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup will take another two-week break before the top rated Porsche drivers return for another battle in Austria at the Red Bull Ring. The Red Bull Ring joined the schedule in 2022, with Charlie Collins and Job splitting victories in the inaugural event. Last season at the 2.68-mile circuit, Caruso and Ariel took the wins.

Red Bull Ring festivities are scheduled for Saturday, March 16th, the first race after the Daylight Savings time change. The show starts at 18:00 GMT (2PM 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 (3PM 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.

You may also like...

Recommended

INDYCAR ButtKicker iRacing Pro Series | Race Preview: Milwaukee

Recommended

iRacing to Reality: Chaz Draycott

Recommended

iRacings Black Friday Sale is Live NOW!

Recommended

Logan Rumsey scores World of Outlaws Pro Series opening round win at Volusia Speedway Park