IndyCar iRacing Pro Series: Single-seater star Webster dominates at Long Beach

Real-world single-seater competitor Cooper Webster has won the second round of the IndyCar Buttkicker iRacing Pro Series at a virtual Long Beach.

The 2023 F4 Indian champion and Formula 4 Australia race winner was dominant during the sim racing event, taking pole position and never-headed throughout the 40-lap race.

A quick reaction at the rolling start helped the Australian gap the field through the opening corners, avoiding the chaos behind at the fountain, building a five-second gap over second at the chequered flag.

Unlike the first round, last week at Indianapolis, the Max Verstappen-affiliated Team Redline would not fill the top five positions.

2021 Dallara iRacing world champion Peter Berryman finished a distant second, thanks in part to Webster’s team-mate missing the first corner at the beginning – Florian Lebigre would visit the escape road, fighting back to 10th by the end.

That mistake left Jordan Caruso in second, however, after being the first to pit of the leading six, would pick up front wing damage. It relegated the Coanda driver to seventh.

Berryman, meanwhile, would avoid battling with drivers who had not pitted yet by staying out until 17 laps remaining. The Apex Racing Team driver’s closest challenger was Redline’s Diogo C. Pinto, who made his way up from fifth on the grid to third, in turn just ahead of Luke McKeown.

Of the casualties, a multi-car pileup on the first lap left Michael Romanidis, David Toth and Jose Soria with heavy damage, among others. Towards the end of the race, Gustavo Ariel and Michele Costantini would make contact battling for fifth, the latter ending up in the barriers.

“I’m super stoked,” said Webster, who finished in 12th in the opening round.

“After Indianapolis, that was just a nightmare for me. I couldn’t figure out where the pace was, being slower than all my team-mates… that was doing my head in.

“Coming here, I worked as hard as I could every day. Then it was down to putting a lap in in qualifying. I’ve been struggling lately with that, but this time it was really good and then it was just eyes-forward in the race.”

Webster now tops the standings, two rounds into 10, with the champion set to receive $20,000 from a $50,000 prize pool. The next race will be the first oval, Iowa Speedway, on 3rd October.

2024 IndyCar Buttkicker iRacing Pro Series Round 2 results

1. Cooper Webster – Team Redline – 40 laps
2. Peter Berryman – Apex Racing Team +5.074
3. Diogo C. Pinto – Team Redline +6.728
4. Luke McKeown – Apex Racing Team +7.255
5. Gustavo Ariel – Team Redline +19.464
6. Sota Muto – Williams Esports +20.079
7. Jordan Caruso – Coanda Esports +25.046
8. Elliott Vayron – Coanda Esports +27.820
9. Sam Kuitert – Team Redline +33.405
10. Florian Lebigre – Team Redline +35.807

2024 IndyCar Buttkicker iRacing Pro Series standings after Round 2

1. Cooper Webster – Team Redline – 72 points
2. Diogo C. Pinto – Team Redline – 65 points
3. Peter Berryman – Apex Racing Team – 64 points
4. Gustavo Ariel – Team Redline – 62 points
5. Florian Lebigre – Team Redline – 61 points
6. Luke McKeown – Apex Racing Team – 60 points
7. Edoardo Leo – Team Redline – 59 points
8. Sam Kuitert – Team Redline – 57 points
9. Ricardo Rico – Drago Racing – 44 points 
10. Sota Muto – Williams Esports – 43 points