Close

Getting To Know: iRacing’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge

Last week we had a dive into VRS Sprint Series, a staple series for many iRacers. This week though, we are going to have a look at a series wildly different, but equally as appealing.

Touring cars tend to be more popular on iRacing than open-wheelers. You would assume that it should be the other way around but good racing isn’t always about speed. Cars that are fun to drive and allow for the odd mistake can be very enjoyable.

An open-wheel car however requires a huge amount of learning and practice and includes a damage model that punishes even the smallest of mistakes. This is normally a turn off for rookie drivers since a slight bump at the start of the race may force a pitstop and ruin any chances of a good result. Touring cars on the other hand allow for the odd bump here and there and some proper door scraping action.

iRacing has several touring car racing series with the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge being highly favoured within the iRacing community. The series caters for drivers that want to race regularly without a massive learning curve and a relatively forgiving damage model.

Cars

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is a two-class series. This means that two categories of cars are raced at the same time. The two classes are GT4 and TCR. The GT4 category is a little bit faster than TCR but either category should provide close racing. Here’s the list of cars that you can choose from:

As you can see, just like the other IMSA series’ in iRacing, the Michelin Pilot Challenge is also multiclass, giving that extra little challenge to each and every driver. Don’t worry too much though if multiclass isn’t your thing – over a 30-minute race traffic shouldn’t be too much of an issue at all!

Race format

Races are 30 minutes long with a rolling start. This for us is a lot safer than standing starts and should help drivers get a clean start to the race. Setups are open too, meaning that you can adjust the car to match your driving style. If adjusting setups is not your thing but you still want to be competitive, then Coach Dave Academy of course has you covered. 

Races are scheduled at 15 minutes past the hour every two hours, so you can also enter another race in between! Speaking of, the race session itself is made up of practice, two-lap qualifying and a 30-minute race. There are no compulsory pitstops, meaning that it’s essentially a sprint from start to finish. The minimum licence requirement is Class D with a Safety Rating of 4.0 too, so it’s a relatively easy series to get started in as you don’t need much in the way of experience.

Tracks 

Just like most iRacing series, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is a twelve-week championship with twelve different tracks. Tracks can range from the relatively simple 10 turn Summit Point Raceway to the fearsome 22 km long Nürburgring. Remember, the race week starts on a Tuesday so there’s plenty of time to learn the tracks.

As usual, you can skip up to four race weeks without affecting your championship results or your progress in the fabled participation program. This will come in handy especially if there’s a track you may be unfamiliar with or just plain hate.

What’s so special?

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is exactly what its name says: a challenge. Two classes of cars in short races, no pitstops, a wide variety of tracks make for instant thrills and tons of entertainment. 

The variety of TCR cars available for you to drive makes it one of the most exciting series to drive in, as the class is incredible for wheel to wheel battling. Pair it with a short format and you’ve got an action-packed, qualifying laps every lap kind of series that delivers every single time

Honourable mentions

30 minute races may be too short for some drivers and iRacing have several other series that builds on the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series. The IMSA Endurance Series features 160-minute races, with two classes of cars. The step up from there is the mighty European Endurance Pure Driving School Series where races are 360-minute long. Whatever you choose, just remember that you can turn to Coach Dave Academy for support.

Setups are available for purchase as a bundle that will ensure you have the best setup for every track on the schedule. Coach Dave Academy YouTube channel has lots of videos that should also help you quickly get up to speed. Laps are driven by our expert coaches with track guides going into granular detail on how to find that last bit of performance. If you want to fine-tune your driving skills, then one on one driver coaching is also available.

So, what are you waiting for?

iRacing car setups?

Gain the upper hand with super fast iRacing setups, developed by Pro Sim Drivers.

iRacing Data Packs

Learn how to achieve fast lap times in fixed setup championships with our iRacing Data Bundles.

Subscribe to the Coach Dave Digest. Join 25K+ subscribers who get the best of sim racing in their inbox every day.

iRacing car setups?

Gain the upper hand with super fast iRacing setups, developed by Pro Sim Drivers.

Table of Contents

Related Posts

All of the biggest news from the iRacing 2023 Season 4 update
All of the biggest news from the iRacing 2023 Season 4 update
The iRacing 2023 Season 4 update is one of the platform's biggest in recent memory. With new sportcars, single-seaters and oval content, you don't want to miss it.
S4 First Week Now Ready To Race 
S4 First Week Now Ready To Race 
Week 1 for Season 4 has now been released by Coach Dave Academy. New cars, new drivers and new series to look forward to.
iRacing Guide: Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
iRacing Guide: Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
The Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo is a competitive choice of GT3 machinery across the world of Sim Racing, but what is it all about in iRacing?
Getting To Know: iRacing’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge
Save & Share Cart
Your Shopping Cart will be saved and you'll be given a link. You, or anyone with the link, can use it to retrieve your Cart at any time.
Back Save & Share Cart
Your Shopping Cart will be saved with Product pictures and information, and Cart Totals. Then send it to yourself, or a friend, with a link to retrieve it at any time.
Your cart email sent successfully :)

Never miss a checkered flag again! With over 27,000 subscribers already on board, our daily newsletter is the premier destination for sim racing news, events, and more – sign up for free today and stay up to date on all the latest in the sim racing world!

🍪
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience possible from Coach Dave Academy.