IMSA will have 29 cars on the entry list for July 18 race at Sebring

By Jul 13, 2020, 1:30 PM EDT
ames Moy Photography/Getty Images
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There are 29 cars on the IMSA entry list for the Cadillac Grand Prix of Sebring.

The July 18 event at Sebring International Raceway will mark the second race for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship since a five-month layoff because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The race will begin at 5:40 p.m. ET with coverage on NBCSN, the NBC Sports App and NBCSports.com.

TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold Coverage will have live flag-to-flag coverage starting at 5:30 p.m. ET.

The event the series’ four classes with five entries in LMP2, which is returning for the first time since the Rolex 24 at Daytona. There are eight entries in the Daytona Prototype International (DPi) division, six in GT Le Mans (GTLM) and 10 in the GT Daytona (GTD) class.

After missing IMSA’s return July 4 at Daytona International Speedway because of a positive test for COVID-19, Felipe Nasr is listed in the No. 31 Cadillac of Whelen Engineering Racing. According to IMSA officials, Nasr will race if he is cleared by his doctor. He has undergone a mandatory quarantine at his home in Miami since testing positive July 2.

Click here to view the IMSA entry list for the July 18 race on the 17-turn, 3.74-mile road course in Sebring, Florida.

Sebring will have a limited number of local fans on site for the event, selling spectator tickets and RV passes to Floridians. Face coverings are required when entering speedway property.

Daytona also was permitted a limited crowd for its event.

IndyCar disappointed by delay of video game but aiming to launch at start of 2024

By Mar 27, 2023, 3:00 PM EDT
IndyCar video game 2024
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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”