IMSA Announces 2023 Esports Global Championship
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is collaborating with iRacing, the Virtual Competition Organisation (VCO) and Michelin to host a sim racing sports car series, the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship, the sanctioning body announced.
The 2023 Esports Global Championship will consist of multi-driver, multi-class racing and will feature iRacing’s models of IMSA GTP hybrids including the Acura ARX-06, BMW M Hybrid V8, Cadillac V-Series.R and Porsche 963, as well as GT class competitors, including the BMW M4 GT3, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO and Ferrari 296 GT3, all competing on virtual Michelin tires. The series aims to enable professional sim racers and teams to develop close working relationships with many of the manufacturers competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship including Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, IMSA officials said.
“In its debut season the IMSA Esports Global Championship proved to be a success, with upwards of 180,000 viewers for the four-race championship,” IMSA President John Doonan said. “IMSA and the sport of sim racing have experienced remarkable growth in the past couple of seasons and we look forward to full fields and fierce competition in the 2023 IMSA Esports Global Championship. We are particularly excited by the fact that many of the world’s leading marques will again be participating in the series, giving sim racers and teams a unique opportunity to work closely with those world class racing programs.”
The IMSA Esports Global Championship schedule opens at virtual Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Nov. 5, followed by Watkins Glen International on Nov. 12, Sebring International Raceway on Dec. 3 and Daytona International Speedway on Dec. 16.
