The third IMSA endurance race of the year, iRacing is hosting its own 6 Hours of the Glen this weekend. Here’s all you need to know.
There’s nothing better than sitting down with your friends and competing in an online endurance race. That is why iRacing‘s Special Events provide such attraction as they allow motorsport fans to race their very own competitions in parallel to watching the real deal.
This weekend, the calendar heads to the State of New York for the 6 Hours of the Glen. A full field of IMSA cars including GT3, LMP2 and GTP cars will take on the Watkins Glen boot for a quarter of a day in what has to be the most approachable iRacing Special Event. With plenty to learn about the event, here’s all you need to know about the Watkins Glen 6 Hours in iRacing.
iRacing Glen 6 Hours Grid
After the most recent update to iRacing, the IMSA Special Events grid has received a sizeable refresh. In fact, a boost to the number of unique models in one session means players will have a choice of nine vehicles to race. These are spread between GT3, LMP2 and GTP.
Within the GT3 category, one can run either the Audi R8, BMW M4, Ferrari 488, Lamborghini Huracan, Mercedes-AMG or Porsche 911 992-generation. In fact, flat-six fans will have to learn an all-new car in the run up to the event if they want to run a Porsche with the 992 version of the 911 releasing just last week.
The LMP2 category remains a single-make class with a heavier Dallara P217 ever since the release of the GTP BMW. However, the biggest shock for this particular event is the lack of LMP3 class. The new Ligier JSP3 released in the latest Season 3 update and will feature in the real world event. But we will not see the lower prototype class in the race’s online version.
Headlining the grid is the GTP class. Recently added to the game is the Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh which joins the BMW M Hybrid V8 in the top class. It will be good to have different models running competitively for the overall win. But expect the more stable Caddy to be a popular choice over its Bavarian counter part.
A Legendary Track
So far on the IMSA-inspired selection of iRacing Special Events, the calendar has visited venues with mostly slow corners. Sebring is a blend of sharp turns and hairpins and whilst Daytona is known for its high-speed banking, its corners are all low-speed switchbacks.
Watkins Glen on the other hand is driver’s heaven with a selection of long, fast sweepers each featuring their own camber and elevation change. Driving this circuit for a lap is fun enough, doing so for six hours is a thrill.
When one throws in the complexity of traffic, this flowing race course takes on a new persona. Knowing when to back off without losing too much time behind traffic is crucial at the Glen.
In fact, most turns are followed by long straights which means corner exit is of vital importance. That is especially true for Turns 1, 10, 11, 13 and 15. And with each of these being long sweepers, there are many lines one can adopt to optimise speed both in clean air and in traffic.
Competing in the iRacing Glen 6 Hours
Just six hours long, this Special Event is a unique proposition. Whilst dubbed an IMSA endurance race, it can easily be completed with just two drivers. As a result, putting together a team will be much easier than previous races.
Whereas teaming up for the Daytona 24 requires weeks of preparation and planning, the iRacing 6 Hours of the Glen can be organised the day before. As long as you know the track, forming a team right now will still leave you with plenty of time to prepare. There’s no need to plan driver stints with as much depth as a longer race.
That’s not to say you can’t compete with a larger, more organised team. But if last minute plans are your thing, this is certainly a more approachable event.
Throughout the weekend from 16-18 June, four time slots are available to race. For newer teams, we always recommend aiming for the earlier events. This means that if you run into problems, you can always start over in a later race. But expect the busiest, most high profile timeslot to be the one starting on Saturday 17 June at 12:00 GMT. Other timeslots include Friday 22:00 GMT, Saturday 7:00 GMT and Saturday 16:00 GMT.
Watching the Race
As with every iRacing Special Event, the 6 Hours of the Glen isn’t just for competitors. There will be several ways to watch the racing action throughout the weekend. For many, streaming their perspective of the event is just as fun as racing in it. So expect Twitch and Youtube to be full of POV streams at Watkins Glen this weekend.
Elsewhere, the event’s headline title sponsor is VCO. But it’s the Racespot crew that will be working hard to ensure the live stream of the event’s top split. This will most likely be of the busier 12:00 GMT running of the race.
Whether you’re watching live of participating yourself. The iRacing 6 Hours of the Glen is sure to be a fun event for all. Special Events like these are a great opportunity for the simracing community to get together and celebrate what makes our hobby so great.
How will you be enjoying the iRacing 6 Hours of the Glen? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
