INDYCAR ButtKicker iRacing Pro Series | Race Preview: Laguna Seca

On Thursday night, the INDYCAR ButtKicker iRacing Pro Series takes to the road for the final time in the inaugural 2024 season. The eighth race takes the top-33 INDYCAR competitors to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, where they will go to battle for 40 laps at the 2.23-mile, 11 corner circuit in Monterey, California.

The final three races on the schedule are tracks that the Qualifying Series did not visit over the summer months. That leaves more of an unknown entering, but if there’s one thing for certain, it’s that Team Redline has cooked up a nearly unstoppable program on the tracks with left and right turns, with Edoardo Leo scoring two wins and Cooper Webster taking one over the four on the season. Points leader Diogo Pinto will look to score his first win of the season to maintain the points lead, but he’ll have to go up against his teammates, especially Leo, looking for a third win and control of the points entering the two oval tracks to end the season.

As always, each race will be broadcast live at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday nights via iRacing social channels and the NTT INDYCAR SERIES YouTube channel and website.

Last Race:

This title fight might not be sealed to the Team Redline crew just yet. PRIVATE LABEL Team Hype’s Philip Kraus now also has two wins on the season, and with two ovals to go in three races, he just might be able to pull it off against Pinto and Leo. He did exactly what he needed last Thursday at World Wide Technology Raceway. The Coanda Esports duo of Michael Romanidis and Michele Costantini took the front row, with Leo running in the top-five throughout. A caution too early to make it forced some strategy, including Kraus taking service, knowing he’d need to pit again. It worked exactly to his favor, as he took the lead for the first time with seven laps to go against his teammate, Josh Chin, on an even more different strategy, cruising towards win #2.

Track Facts:

Since 1957, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca has served as one of the United States’ premier road racing facilities. Currently home to INDYCAR, IMSA, MotoAmerica, and vintage events, Laguna Seca’s most iconic corner is the Corkscrew, a blind left-right downhill chicane that rewards only the bravest drivers. The track began to take its current shape in 1988 when the long straightaway between its former Turns 2 and 3 was replaced with a new infield section that includes the famous Andretti Hairpin.

About the Series:

The inaugural INDYCAR ButtKicker iRacing Pro Series season will feature a purse of $50,000 with the champion taking home $20,000 at season’s end. The 10 races scheduled include a fair mix of road courses and ovals that are often found on the real-world INDYCAR schedule. Points are scored based on a similar system that the real-world series uses, with 50 points going to the winner and bonus points for laps led, most laps led, and the pole award.

Next Up:

Following the road racing finale, two ovals will grace the end of the inaugural season. The first of those is the fan voted track, The Milwaukee Mile. Located in Wisconsin, the historic oval in West Allis will contest for 120 laps next week, with a potential championship on the line.

For more information on the INDYCAR ButtKicker iRacing Pro Series, visit www.iracing.com/indycar-esports/. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

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