Race Series Announce Virtual, e-Racing Schedules

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As racing schedules around the world have come to a halt due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, several racing organizers have announced virtual and simulation motorsports events set to take place throughout April and May. View the running list, updated regularly, of virtual races, below.

ABB Formula E Race At Home Challenge
The entire Formula E community of teams, manufacturers, partners, drivers, and fans will take part in live online races while raising funds for UNICEF to keep children around the world healthy, safe and learning during the coronavirus crisis.

The ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge will feature two separate grids running in parallel, one comprised of drivers from the ABB FIA Formula E Championship and the other one filled by some of the fastest gamers and influencers. The winning gamer will make the transition from the gaming world to secure real-life track time on a Formula E circuit during a race weekend.

Drivers and gamers will compete using rFactor 2 simulator software over a nine-week period. Fans will be able to watch two live races each weekend, as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship drivers and gamers line-up separately during a single 90-minute broadcast.

The schedule begins with a pre-season test event on April 18, before by a points race the following weekend. The series concludes on June 13.

For more information, visit fiaformulae.com.



Formula Regional Americas iRacing Invitational Championship
The Formula Regional Americas iRacing Invitational Championship will feature nearly four dozen drivers from different racing disciplines across the world.
FR Americas iRacing Invitational Championship Schedule

March 24 – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta coverage begins at 7 p.m. E.T.
March 31 – Circuit of The Americas coverage begins at 7 p.m. E.T.
April 7 – Virginia International Raceway coverage begins at 7:10 p.m. E.T.
April 14 – Barber Motorsports Park coverage begins at 7:10 p.m. E.T.
April 21 – Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. Coverage begins at 7:10 p.m. E.T.
April 28 – Sebring International Raceway. Coverage begins at 7:10 p.m. E.T.
May 5 – Season Finale Fans Choice (voting held on @framericas Instagram). Coverage begins at 7:10 p.m. E.T.

For more information, visit framericas.com.

GT Rivals Esports Invitational
The inaugural SRO America GT Rivals Esports Invitational has made its debut in early April. Drivers will go head-to-head in the first round of esports competition in the GT racing simulation game, Assetto Corsa Competizione, at the famed WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. An all-star cast of drivers from SRO America’s series - GT World Challenge America powered by AWS, Pirelli GT4 America, TC America, and GT Sports Club America - will challenge the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit set in the hills of Monterey county. They’ll be joined by five Champion Motorsports sim racing league regulars for an epic battle down the Corkscrew. For more information, visit gt-world-challenge-america.com.

IMSA iRacing Pro Series
IMSA and iRacing have established a bi-weekly series of Thursday night races to be known as the IMSA iRacing Pro Series.

The series will follow the  90-minute, single-driver race format using recent IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Le Mans (GTLM) race cars: the BMW M8, Porsche 911 RSR, Ferrari 488 and Ford GT.

IMSA iRacing Pro Series
April 16 – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
April 30 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
May 14 – IMSA venue to be determined
May 28 – IMSA venue to be determined
June 11 – Watkins Glen International

For more information, visit imsa.com.

INDYCAR iRacing Challenge
The INDYCAR iRacing Challenge features the stars of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and some special guests. Drivers in this six-round virtual series, which takes place every Saturday through May 2, use identical car setups provided by iRacing. That will place a premium on slipstreaming in packs for position and managing tire wear as fuel loads drop.  

The INDYCAR iRacing Challenge will not crown an overall champion but will add a special element where INDYCAR will make a donation to one of its partner charities.

For more information, visit indycar.com.

Jim Beaver eSports eShort Course World Cup
The first-ever Jim Beaver eSports eShort Course World Cup presented by General Tire made its debut on the iRacing platform at the virtual Wild West Motorsports Park and Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park. The first major short course event on iRacing, the Jim Beaver eSports eShort Course World Cup presented by General Tire pitted drivers in a two-hour, four-race campaign that saw them alternate between Pro 2 and Pro 4 trucks at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park and Wild West Motorsports Park.

Plans for future events put on by Jim Beaver eSports will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information, visit jimbeaveresports.com.

Lucas Oil eSports
Lucas Oil Products has announced a new eSports program that will focus on virtual competition surrounding the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series on the iRacing platform.

In addition, officials announced the opportunity for other racers to compete with its Dirt Late Model stars. "Real-life racers with iRacing experience are encouraged to apply for The Open by filling out an entry form. eSports officials will evaluate and determine the drivers who will participate. The complete eSports schedule will be released at a later date.

For more information, visit lucasoil.com.

Motorsport UK
Motorsport UK has launched the Karting Esports Championship, which will be open to drivers from around the world. The championship is split into three categories, with a class for Motorsport UK license holders aged between 8-11 as well as a 12+ Motorsport UK license holder class. The final category will be for anyone aged 12 and over and open to any driver around the world. For more information and the series schedule, visit motorsportuk.org.

NASCAR

Entering its 11th consecutive season, the eNASCAR Forty Coca-Cola iRacing Series features 40 sim racers battling head-to-head across a 20-week schedule. Drivers race virtual replicas of NASCAR Cup Series cars on digital replicas of NASCAR's most iconic tracks, with races taking place Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET on eNASCAR.com.

eNASCAR Forty Coca-Cola iRacing Series Schedule
Round 6: Dover/ April 28, 2020/ Dover International Speedway
Round 7: Charlotte/ May 12, 2020/ Charlotte Motor Speedway
Round 8: Atlanta/ May 26, 2020/ Atlanta Motor Speedway
All-Star Race/ June 16, 2020/ TBD

eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series
The next installment of the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series is set for April 19, and the virtual venue holds true to the original 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.

The select field of current and former Cup Series regulars will compete at virtual Richmond Raceway in a 26-car field, returning to competition after a break for the Easter holiday. The Toyota Owners 150 presented by Toyota at the .75-mile track will be the fourth iRacing event in the series.

For more information, visit enascar.com.

POWRi
POWRi Lucas Oil West Midget League has announced a schedule for iRacing competition events. The POWRi West League will oversee all race-day duties including entry, timing, and scoring. Drivers from around the globe are eligible to compete as long as they meet specific computer requirements to run the iRacing program. Drivers must also prove their on-track skills in a qualifying race, which limits the top 50 participants for the main feature.

POWRi TV will broadcast each iRacing event, which is set for Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. CST, for free. The on-track action resumes Tuesday, April 14, at Fairbury Speedway, and will conclude Tuesday, May 5, at Eldora Speedway. For more information, visit powri.com.

Road To Indy Presented by Cooper Tires
The Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires has gone virtual with a new e-series. The e-series allows drivers from Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires, and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship to compete against one another using race simulators.

Drivers will continue to compete using Cooper Tires in the virtual series, as the tire manufacturer provided iRacing with performance data to allow similar handling and tire performance like on-track competition. Races will be held each Saturday through the end of April. The series is set to visit the IMS road course on April 11. Races can be viewed on several platforms, including facebook.com/coopertire, as well as through the Road to Indy TV website and app. For more information, visit roadtoindy.tv.

SCCA
Sports Car Club of America has introduced the Hoosier eSports Super Tour, a virtual representation of the analog, real-world Hoosier Super Tour that runs at bucket list tracks across the country. The series features five race groups each weekend on the iRacing platform with the Global Mazda MX-5 Cup as the main event.

Seasoned Runoffs announcers Gregg Ginsberg and Larry MacLeod provide color commentary of the live streamed races, which will be broadcasted on the SCCA Facebook page and the SCCA YouTube channel each Saturday. Competition is open to any current SCCA member.

The weekly schedule concludes May 16, at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. For more information, visit scca.com.

Supercars
The Australia-based Supercars series has formed the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries, which will run a nearly 10-week schedule on Wednesdays through mid-May.

Supercars drivers will log-in from home using the iRacing platform, and teams will use current Holden ZB Commodore and Ford Mustang Supercars available with liveries of their own choosing.

The events will be broadcasted and live streamed across Twitch and Supercars' digital channels. The All Stars Eseries will run prior to the third installment of the Supercars Eseries using sim-racing experts, which will begin later this year.

The complete schedule can be found here. For more information, visit supercars.com.

Trans Am By Pirelli ESports Championship
The Trans Am by Pirelli Esports Championship resumes April 19, at the virtual WeatherTech Laguna Seca, followed by a visit to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on April 26. The series concludes May 3, at Lime Rock Park.

For more information, visit gotransam.com.

Image courtesy of IMSA, iRacing

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