For the first two races of this year’s IndyCar iRacing Challenge, the stars of the NTT IndyCar Series returned to tracks in the virtual world that haven’t hosted the series in quite some time. This time around, the setup is a little different: the three-race miniseason wraps up at Sebring International Raceway, a track that the series hasn’t raced on, but frequently utilizes for test sessions in the winter.
Love or hate its ruthlessly bumpy surface, Sebring is one of America’s most iconic tracks, and a great simulator for the pros as they prepare for road and street courses in the year ahead. That’s part of why it won the fan vote for the final race of the season, beating out three other circuits of all types in the battle. The key difference between tonight and the real world is that IndyCar teams don’t use the full 3.4-mile layout for testing in the real world like they will in tonight’s virtual race.
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou and Andretti Autosport’s Sage Karam split the first two races at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Homestead-Miami Speedway, respectively, and will look to break the tie in tonight’s rubber match. Other drivers expected to contend for the win include Team Penske’s Scott McLaughlin, who was Palou’s biggest challenger in Montreal; Ed Carpenter Racing’s Conor Daly, who ran second to Karam at Homestead; and Braden Eves, whose consistent runs in the Road to Indy car in the first two races have earned him the right to represent Meyer Shank Racing in the finale.
New additions to tonight’s grid are highlighted by the return of Robert Wickens to the field. After serious injuries sidelined him during his 2018 rookie season, Wickens was able to return to his Arrow McLaren SP ride on iRacing during last year’s virtual series by using a simulator with hand controls, and he’ll do the same tonight.
The tentative entry list for tonight’s IndyCar iRacing Challenge race from Homestead-Miami Speedway is as follows:
No. |
Driver |
Country |
Team |
Sponsor |
| 2 | Josef Newgarden | USA | Team Penske | Hitachi |
| 3 | Scott McLaughlin | AUS | Team Penske | PPG |
| 4 | Dalton Kellett | CAN | A.J. Foyt Racing | K-Line |
| 6 | Robert Wickens | CAN | Arrow McLaren SP | Arrow McLaren SP |
| 7 | Felix Rosenqvist | SWE | Arrow McLaren SP | Arrow |
| 8 | Marcus Ericsson | SWE | Chip Ganassi Racing | Huski Chocolate |
| 10 | Alex Palou | ESP | Chip Ganassi Racing | NTT Data |
| 12 | Will Power | AUS | Team Penske | Verizon 5G |
| 17 | Benjamin Pedersen | USA | Road to Indy | Road to Indy |
| 18 | Ed Jones | UAE | Dale Coyne Racing w/Vasser Sullivan | SealMaster |
| 20 | Conor Daly | USA | Ed Carpenter Racing | United States Air Force |
| 21 | Ed Carpenter | USA | Ed Carpenter Racing | Sonax |
| 22 | Simon Pagenaud | FRA | Team Penske | Menards |
| 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | USA | Andretti Autosport | DHL |
| 29 | James Hinchcliffe | CAN | Andretti Autosport | Genesys |
| 30 | Takuma Sato | JPN | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | Shield Cleansers |
| 48 | Tony Kanaan | BRA | Chip Ganassi Racing | NTT Data |
| 51 | Romain Grosjean | FRA | Dale Coyne Racing w/RWR | Nurtec ODT |
| 52 | Enzo Fittipaldi | BRA | Dale Coyne Racing w/RWR | Nurtec ODT |
| 53 | James Davison | AUS | Dale Coyne Racing w/RWR | Nurtec ODT |
| 59 | Max Chilton | GBR | Carlin Racing | Carlin Racing |
| 60 | Braden Eves | USA | Meyer Shank Racing | AutoNation |
| 75 | RC Enerson | USA | Top Gun Racing | Top Gun Racing |
| 98 | Sage Karam | USA | Andretti Autosport | Andretti Autosport |
Click here to view a spotter guide and links to driver streams for the event.
IndyCar iRacing Challenge action from Sebring International Raceway will stream tonight at 6:30PM ET on IndyCar and iRacing social media channels. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.
