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In what is set to be the most entered iRacing Special Event of the season, the 24 Hours of Daytona powered by VCO top split was won overall by Williams Esports.
Ahead of the real-world Rolex 24, iRacing held its own 24 Hours of Daytona Special Event, with three classes of car across 50 entries in the top split.
The #5 Willimas Esports Acura secured pole position for the day-long race, just 0.036s ahead of its #6 team colleague.
In LMP2, it was the #23 WSR Esports entry 0.047s ahead of Simufy Esports, while the GTD field was headed by Williams once again – the #3 Ferrari leading its team-mate #1. Only the 296 GT3 and AMG GT3 were represented in this category, despite four other cars available.
As the pace car entered pitroad to start the race, drama unfurled for Luca Alpert in the #9 Scherer Esport Blue Porsche GTP, spearing across the field and collecting the Mahle BMW of Niklas Beu. The #21 Team Redline car, meanwhile, spun at the Horseshoe as the pack contracted.
However, upfront, it was Josh Lad leading Atte Kauppinen for a Williams one-two in the early stages.
As the race progressed, however, drama befell the leading #5 GTP, when Lehouck Arthur disconnected while leading. Coanda Esports’ #81 lost two laps during repairs after slamming into the wall following contact with the #17 JM Esports LMP2. That same #17 would also collide with the aforementioned Mahle BMW GTP, ending its race.
By the halfway stage, the #6 WIlliams led overall, and despite a late push by Dominik Hofmann of Drago Racing, it crossed the line to win the top split – Kauppinen joined by Moreno Sirica, Carl Jansson and real-world IndyCar driver Agustín Canapino.
In LMP2, WSR Esports won with consummate ease thanks to Lukas Prada, Lukas Lindqvist, Robin Glerum and Alexander Davidson.
GTD was hotly contested throughout, with the lead swapping several times. The Apex Racing #199 AMG led after three hours, jumping the Williams Ferraris.
But by the end, it was the #4 Team Redline entry that won, with the team making use of canny slipstream and bump draft techniques. Max Verstappen, Ole Steinbraten and Gianni Vecchio took the chequered flag first.
GTP
LMP2
GTD
According to iRacing’s Executive Vice President Steve Myers, 15,983 unique drivers participated in the 2024 running of its virtual 24 Hours of Daytona.
In 2023, Myers claimed 16,651 drivers, so a year-on-year dip by a scant four per cent. Regardless, a mightily impressive turnout across the available time slots and undoubtedly why it is touted as one of the largest sim racing events.
