THE 2020-2021 SEASON STARTS THIS WEEKEND WITH PRE-QUALIFYING FOR THE GT SPRINT SERIES
ES, CS and Club Cup to follow on Sep 19 and Sep 26
Toronto, CA – September 5, 2020 – With the highly dynamic ClubSport Summer Series providing an introduction to the newly established International Virtual Racing Association, this weekend organizers, teams, and drivers are ready to officially begin the new season with the GT Sprint Series kicking off its pre-qualifying race.
In the first of the two inaugural seasons within IVRA, the competition is looking to be intensely close. The final results from FP2 saw the top 30 cars separated by only 2.2s and the top 11 by under 1s. These results put a big smile on all organizers’ faces, as we’re not only looking forward to a potentially wild ride this season but one that includes just as many new teams as well as familiar faces. The inaugural season of the GT Sprint Series kicks off this Sunday at 1500GMT.
The Endurance Series and ClubSport Series will follow up on the GT Sprint Series on September 19 and September 26, respectively. While the GT Sprint Series will run as one split, both ES and CS Pre-Qualifyings will have two splits running simultaneously due to the number of teams registered into the series.
Organizers will have their hands full this month as they have 6 pre-qualifying races to sift through in order to decide the series grids for this season. And the fun doesn’t stop there! With iRacing dropping another new build launch bomb, the Corvette C8.R is to be released alongside the new Dallara LMP2 this coming Wednesday. While the LMP2 will be included in the pre-qualifying race for ES, the Corvette will remain idle until after Pre-Qualifying has wrapped up. Organizers agree that there is too little time before Pre-Qualifying to establish the competitive level of the Corvette in a multi-manufacturer class to offer a fair playing field amongst the other four GTEs. The Corvette will be therefore only be introduced to the grid for the first regular round of 2020-2021 season at the 12 Hours of Spa. Before this race, organizers will complete a rigorous testing program to ensure a balanced playing field amongst the different manufacturers. GTE teams will have one opportunity to change from their current car choice to the Corvette; they will have to let the organizers know before Wednesday, October 7, 23:59 GMT.
It is recommended all teams and drivers review the regulations in detail leading into their respective Pre-Qualifying races, and watch back some of the ClubSport Summer Series Spa race for a very good reflection of the type of racing organizers will look for when selecting the grids for all four IVRA Series: https://youtu.be/18HBgbv0AG0
We wish all teams and drivers the best of luck in your upcoming Pre-Qualifying races. We would also like to take a moment to say that we understand the nerves, excitement, trepidation, and anticipation that many of you may have right now. We’ve been there too! And while you are all being evaluated, you’re here for a reason – you’re confident enough in your driving to register and put your name in the ring to compete and to fight for a championship in the cars you love to race. So race like you know you can while at the same time respecting your fellow competitors. Most importantly – have fun. This is going to be an exciting season, for all series, and we’re very much looking forward to each of them. You are all part of the IVRA team now, and will help us to reach the vision we have (and we hope you share with us) to be the most realistic and competitive series on iRacing, in which all drivers understand the respect amongst one another and trust each other to race in the closest on-track battles you’ll see.