Tin-top racing tends to be the most popular form of competition on iRacing. A key reason for this is that unlike open-wheelers, where you can easily get caught up in an incident by locking wheels, closed-wheel tin tops allow for side-to-side contact without the risk of being sent to space.
iRacing has several touring car racing series to choose from, though the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge offers the chance to team close-quarters racing with the thrill of a multiclass format. Whether touring cars are entry-level GT machinery is your jam, the Pilot Challenge has you covered.
The Cars
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge consists of two different car classes that compete at the same time. The GT4 category is a little bit faster than TCR, but both categories provide close racing due to the relative lack of downforce both rulesets allow.
GT4
- BMW M4 G82 GT4
- Mercedes-AMG GT4
- Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
- Aston Martin Vantage GT4
- McLaren 570s GT4
TCR
- Hyundai Veloster N TCR
- Honda Civic Type R TCR
- Hyundai Elantra N TCR
- Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
The Race Format
Races are 120 minutes, or two hours, and get underway with a rolling start, which allows the faster cars at the front of the field to make more of a break before the first corner. This reduces the chances of different class cars colliding off the start. You’ll need to make two stops to make the finish, so keeping an eye on your fuel usage is key.
Setups are open too, meaning that you can adjust the car to match your driving style or differing weather conditions. If adjusting setups is not your thing but you still want to be competitive, then Coach Dave Academy has you covered.
Races only take place on alternate weekends, with a total of four fixtures being held across Saturday and Sunday.
- Saturday races start at 4 am GMT and 3 pm GMT, Sunday races start at 12:00 am GMT and 8 pm GMT
- Each event consists of a three-minute practice, eight-minute qualifying that grants two laps, and a 120-minute race
The minimum licence requirement is Class D with a Safety Rating of 4.0 too, so you don’t need to gain much experience to take part.
Gain seconds in lap time with our incredible iRacing setups that include professionally developed setups and referance laps for every car available in the official weekly racing series that you can find on iRacing.
The Tracks
Unlike most iRacing series, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is only a six-week championship that utilizes only six tracks, due to only taking place every two weeks. Tracks can range from the relatively simple 10-turn Summit Point Raceway to the fearsome 22 km-long Nürburgring.
While it can be frustrating having to wait a whole fortnight before being able to tackle another Pilot Challenge event, you’ll at least only have to buy a maximum of six tracks per season to complete the full schedule.
How Much Does It Cost?
One of the six tracks is free in the 2025 Season 1 calendar, meaning you’d have to pay $74.75 to purchase the remaining circuits if you didn’t already own them. Include one of the GT4 or TCR vehicles, and the price is bumped up to around $85.
What’s So Special?
The IMSA Pilot Challenge represents the ideal step up from other multiclass racing series such as the Production Car Sim-Lab Challenge, which is largely made up of slower cars than those found in the Pilot Challenge. Drivers who enjoy the BMW M4 GT4 in that series have an immediate way in, as they can run the exact same car in the GT4 class here.
The TCR class cars are also faster than the sub-classes in the Production Car Challenge, so you’ll need to work out where the best area is to overtake. TCR cars are lighter and more agile than GT4 vehicles, so using the superior power of a GT4 on the straights represents the safest and most efficient place to pass.
Given the races last for two hours, you’ll need to deal with traffic on multiple occasions throughout, so learning how to overtake slower traffic efficiently is important.
Pit Schedule Is Key To Success
During a single IMSA Pilot Challenge race, you’ll need to make a full pit stop and a splash-and-dash at the end. As a result, making sure you save as much fuel as possible during the race will allow you to save time on your final pitstop. Given how close the competition can be in the GT4 and TCR classes, the time saved could be the difference between several positions.
When looking to pit, it’s also important to remain aware of traffic ahead. You could potentially make up time on other drivers should you pit earlier to miss a load of traffic ahead, something you can track by using the relative black box.
- Save as much fuel as possible in the latter stages to save time in the pits
- Be aware of the traffic ahead to ensure you don’t lose more time than needed on in-lap, pit earlier or later depending on how busy the track ahead is
Final Thoughts
The IMSA Pilot Challenge provides the ideal step between the Production Car Challenge and the IMSA Series, which contains much faster and more demanding GT and prototype racers. The cars are slower and more approachable than the faster ones, and provide excellent racing due to the lack of downforce they produce.
The races are also long enough to practice learning pit strategy, as well as how to slice through traffic while losing as little time as possible. Plus, given the races only take place every two weeks, you have plenty of time to learn the next track on the schedule so you’ll feel comfortable from the get-go.
Before you know it, you’ll be ready to step up to even faster machinery and battle for supremacy over even longer distances.
Gain seconds in lap time with our incredible iRacing setups that include professionally developed setups and referance laps for every car available in the official weekly racing series that you can find on iRacing.
