INDYCAR ButtKicker Pro Qualifying Series mid-season report: current, former world championship talent filling up potential roster
August 15th, 2024 by Justin Melillo
More than half of the races on the 2024 INDYCAR ButtKicker Pro Qualifying Series schedule are in the books. On Thursday night, the series takes on its second and final oval of the season at World Wide Technology Raceway. So far through the first four races, hopeful participants have taken on the likes of the Long Beach Street Circuit, Barber Motorsports Park, and two different configurations of Indianapolis, including the Oval in Week 2 and the most recent race in Week 4, on the Road Course.
Moving into the latter half of the Qualifying Series season, many familiar names adorn the top of the standings. Only the top-33 eligible drivers will have the chance to be invited to compete in the top-level series this September.
Drivers competing for the top-33 include World Championship level drivers from many of the different official eSports we’ve previously and currently put on, including the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup, the Turn Grand Prix iRacing Series, the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series, the FIA SIMAGIC F4 eSports Global Championship Series, and even someone currently competing in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.
Leading the way is one of the best known names from official eSports open-wheel competition—Michele Costantini. In the two seasons of the Turn Grand Prix iRacing Series, the most recent official iRacing open-wheel eSports competition, Costantini was a mainstay, scoring three wins across both seasons, finishing inside the top-five in overall points in both seasons as well.
Right behind Costantini are two former Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup champions, Jordan Caruso and Diogo Pinto. The respective 2022 and 2021 champions are more well-known in the eSports space for their sports car capabilities, but both have wins this season, Pinto at Barber in the top split and Caruso at the Indy Oval in third split.
There are many other well-known names found on the leaderboards so far. Brandon Traino is a name synonymous with the INDYCAR community on iRacing. He’s up in fourth. This year’s Top Split Indy 500 winner, Robert Maleczka III, is currently ninth. Philip Kraus is currently leading the VCO INDYCAR Challenge community league standings, and he’s in the conversation down in 28th.
Speaking of the Turn Grand Prix iRacing Series, the first champion back in 2021, Peter Berryman, sits 16th on the board after four weeks. Other familiar Turn Grand Prix iRacing Series drivers include Florian Lebigre, Manel Cubo Torres, Edoardo Leo, and Xavi Ros. In the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup ranks, you might recognize 2024 standout Luke McKeown, as well as Gustavo Ariel and Sam Kuitert.
Below the cut but still in range is eNASCAR’s Bobby Zalenski, down in 46th. A lot can happen in three races, and we’ll also need to factor in a drop week when it’s all said and over with. World Wide Technology Raceway could prove to be the biggest wildcard of the season, considering that races will be split based on Oval iRating, but it also will depend on what happens at Road America and Mid-Ohio in the final two weeks.
2024 INDYCAR ButtKicker Pro Qualifying Series points through Race #4 at Indianapolis Road are as follows:
| Pos. | Driver | Pts | Starts | Wins | Top 5’s | Poles | Avg Fin | Laps Led |
| 1 | Michele Costantini | 1324 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 12 |
| 2 | Jordan Caruso | 1303 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 24 |
| 3 | Diogo C. Pinto | 1295 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 34 |
| 4 | Brandon Traino | 1264 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 99 |
| 5 | José I. Soria | 1165 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | Luke McKeown | 1149 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 34 |
| 7 | Sota Muto | 1141 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 8 | Florian A Lebigre | 1115 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 9 | Robert Maleczka III | 1113 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| 10 | Joshua Chin | 1001 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| 11 | Gustavo Ariel | 978 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| 12 | Adam Crane | 942 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 13 |
| 13 | Dan Amor | 932 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 18 |
| 14 | Xavi Ros | 910 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 56 |
| 15 | Sam Kuitert | 897 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 16 | Peter Berryman | 855 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 15 |
| 17 | Kevin Birrell | 833 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 18 | Michael Janney | 831 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 19 | David Toth | 831 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 20 | Cooper Webster | 801 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 21 | Manel Cubo Torres | 800 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | Elliott Vayron | 798 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| 23 | Luis Núñez | 794 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 24 | Jacob Oster | 793 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 5 |
| 25 | Jaden Munoz | 738 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 26 | Bryan Carey | 733 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 27 | Michael Romanidis | 731 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 28 | Philip Kraus | 729 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| 29 | Ricardo Rico | 725 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 19 |
| 30 | Tamas Simon | 707 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 8 |
| 31 | Brandon Roseborough | 679 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 32 | Edoardo Leo | 676 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 29 |
| 33 | Jussi Kataja | 656 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 38 |
| 34 | Jeff Drake | 655 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 35 | Luciano Witvoet | 621 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 36 | Jason Brophy | 614 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 36 |
| 37 | Pedro Blebel | 581 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 38 | Brendan Lichtenberg | 575 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| 39 | Indy Kassy | 572 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 40 | Oscar Mangan | 571 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 41 | Niko Wierzbicki | 566 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 42 | Alex Rassi | 551 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 43 | Nicholas Sudik | 547 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 44 | Lukas Prada | 530 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| 45 | Nathan A Moore | 527 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 46 | Bobby Zalenski | 510 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 47 | Logan Edwards | 497 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 48 | Ryan Whitlock | 475 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 49 | Matt Shimko | 475 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 50 | Joshua Fortune | 468 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
Remaining 2024 INDYCAR ButtKicker Pro Qualifying Series schedule:
- August 15: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (108 laps)
- August 22: Road America (26 laps)
- August 29: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (40 laps)
INDYCAR ButtKicker iRacing Qualifying Series races take place on Thursdays at 8PM ET. These races will run as single sessions with attached qualifying, and a driver’s top six scores out of seven will determine their final place in the standings. To be eligible for the Qualifying Series, drivers must have an A level Formula Car license.
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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