Shop sim racing equipment
It’s nearly here – the iRacing Daytona 24. The most-participated single event in sim racing each year, where both professional and amateur teams join up to complete one day of racing across multiple splits and three car classes.
For iRacing road course fans, this is the zenith of the season. Here’s everything you need to know, and be sure to also check out the iRacing forum for lively community discussion and the final Balance of Performance.
What is the iRacing Daytona 24 Special Event?
The iRacing Daytona 24 presented by VCO is a virtual, sim racing, recreation of the real-world Rolex 24 At Daytona day-long motorsport race.
It is a mass-participation online multiplayer race, competed as teams only – you cannot enter by yourself and drive 24 hours, for instance.
It is held the week before the IMSA real-world 24-hour race, during a weekend, with multiple entry slots.
iRacing touts it as the “largest sim racing event in the world”, which is based on driver participation numbers across the weekend (as opposed to live broadcast viewing figures).
When is the iRacing Daytona 24 Special Event?
In 2025, the iRacing Daytona 24 will be held during Week 4 of the service’s Season 1 during the following dates and four timeslots:
- iRacing Daytona 24 2025 timeslot #1 – Friday 17th 22:00 GMT/UTC, 23:00 CET, 14:00 PT, 17:00 ET
- iRacing Daytona 24 2025 timeslot #2 – Saturday 18th 07:00 GMT/UTC, 08:00 CET, 02:00 ET, 23:00 16th PT
- iRacing Daytona 24 2025 timeslot #3 – Saturday 18th 12:00 GMT/UTC, 13:00 CET, 04:00 PT, 07:00 ET
- iRacing Daytona 24 2025 timeslot #4 – Saturday 18th 16:00 GMT/UTC, 17:00 CET, 08:00 PT, 11:00 ET
What is the iRacing Daytona 24 race distance?
Really? You don’t know that? Okay then – the iRacing Daytona 24 lasts for, 24 hours.
iRacing Daytona 24 accepted cars
16 cars can be used in the iRacing Daytona 24 event in 2025, across three classes.
The classes are:
- GTP/HY
- LMP2
- GTD
The cars are:
- GTP/HY Acura ARX-06 GTP
- GTP/HY BMW M Hybrid V8
- GTP/HY Cadillac V-Series.R GTP
- GTP/HY Ferrari 499P
- GTP/HY Porsche 963 GTP
- LMP2 Dallara P217
- GTD Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22
- GTD Audi R8 LMS EVO II GT3
- GTD BMW M4 GT3
- GTD Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
- GTD Ferrari 296 GT3
- GTD Ford Mustang GT3
- GTD Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO
- GTD McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
- GTD Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020
- GTD Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
This marks the special event debut for the Ferrari 499P – balanced with the GTP IMSA cars, it controversially doesn’t replicate the hybrid system seen in the real world. It does, however, look cool. So there’s that.
iRacing Daytona 24 entry requirements
To participate in the 2025 iRacing Daytona 24 special event race, you must be an active iRacing subscriber, have achieved the D 4.0 Road licence, own the Daytona race track (which is $14.95 excluding sales tax) and own one of the applicable cars.
None of the accepted vehicles (listed above) are included in the base content roster for subscribers, therefore they cost $11.95 (excluding sales tax) each.
Crucially, you must also be part of a team.
How to be part of an iRacing team
Upon booting the sim racing platform, on the left-side menu, click on the ‘Teams’ option.
Here you can create a team, by providing it a name, and then simply searching for your friends and inviting them. They can also search for your team, depending on your settings, and request to join too.
How to enter the race
To register, and therefore enter the 2025 Daytona 24, load iRacing before your desired time slot once part of a team. Registration will open between 30 minutes and one hour before the aforementioned timeslot time (listed above).
If you match the entry conditions, the special event will be listed on the main official racing events page, then simply click the ‘register button’.
One member of your team must register, or enter, the event, although other team members need not be present. That member will then select which drivers from a team join them in the race.
If one of the registered drivers does not participate, the team will be disqualified.
Each entry must have a minimum of two drivers and a maximum of 16.
Key session information
The event (and servers) will be open before the race start time to accommodate a 30-minute warm-up and eight-minute (the usual two-lap system) qualifying session.
As ever, based on your team’s past record, splits will be decided by iRacing’s system. This should place you into a race with similarly skilled drivers.
In 2024, there were a ginormous 15,952 unique drivers and 95 race splits.
The field can be as large as 60 cars. The number of participants is much higher, as up to 16 drivers can enter per team.
The pace car pre-race (no full-course yellows will be present mid-race) will be the new BMW M2 CS Racing.
Chance of rain
Presently, there is a slight chance of rain during the race. The weather is set to dynamic, with the in-sium forecast currently showing a 27% chance of precipitation.
VCO Grand Slam status
The iRacing Daytona 24 is once again a part of VCO’s Grand Slam initiative.
The Virtual Competition Organisation has partnered with the sim racing programme to group this race, plus the 12h of Sebring, 6h of Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans. The GTP and GTD top-split winning teams during the 24-hour win a spot in next season’s IMSA Esports Global Championship.
That series had a $25,000 prize pool in the season just gone, won by Williams Esports (GTP) and Team Redline (GTD).
Top split live broadcast
On Saturday 18th January, starting at 12.15 pm UTC, the iRacing online channels will broadcast the top split of this special event. As it is a long event, it will be split into two parts.
Those not taking part, or who enter at one of the different times, can watch along and see how the very best drivers manage.
Chat with the Community
Sign Up To CommentIt's completely Free