Lando Norris will attempt to win his second IndyCar iRacing Challenge this weekend, competing for the first time on an oval.
The McLaren driver, who won last weekend’s race on the Circuit of the Americas, was confirmed today as part of a 33-strong field who will compete in a 70-lap race on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the real-world version of which plays host to the 200-lap Indianapolis 500.The three other winners of the five IndyCar iRacing Challenge events so far will return for the race: Two-times winner Simon Pagenaud, who also won last year’s Indianapolis 500, plus Sage Karam and Australian Supercars driver Scott McLaughlin.
Other Indianapolis 500 winners in the field include Scott Dixon, Will Power, Tony Kanaan, Alexander Rossi, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Takuma Sato and Helio Castroneves.
IndyCar iRacing Challenge Indianapolis entry list
| Entry | Number | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Josef Newgarden | Penske |
| 2 | 4 | Sebastien Bourdais | Foyt |
| 3 | 5 | Pato O’Ward | McLaren SP |
| 4 | 7 | Oliver Askew | McLaren SP |
| 5 | 8 | Marcus Ericsson | Ganassi |
| 6 | 9 | Scott Dixon | Ganassi |
| 7 | 10 | Felix Rosenqvist | Ganassi |
| 8 | 12 | Will Power | Penske |
| 9 | 14 | Tony Kanaan | Foyt |
| 10 | 15 | Graham Rahal | RLL |
| 11 | 18 | Santino Ferrucci | Coyne |
| 12 | 20 | Ed Carpenter | Carpenter |
| 13 | 21 | Rinus VeeKay | Carpenter |
| 14 | 22 | Simon Pagenaud | Penske |
| 15 | 24 | Sage Karam | Dreyer & Reinbold |
| 16 | 26 | Zach Veach | Andretti |
| 17 | 27 | Alexander Rossi | Andretti |
| 18 | 28 | Ryan Hunter-Reay | Andretti |
| 19 | 30 | Takuma Sato | RLL |
| 20 | 31 | Conor Daly | Carlin |
| 21 | 33 | James Davison | Belardi |
| 22 | 40 | Scott McLaughlin | Penske |
| 23 | 41 | Dalton Kellett | Foyt |
| 24 | 55 | Alex Palou | Coyne |
| 25 | 59 | Max Chilton | Ca |
| 26 | 60 | Jack Harvey | Meyer Shank |
| 27 | 88 | Colton Herta | Andretti-Harding |
| 28 | 98 | Marco Andretti | Andretti-Herta |
| 29 | 99 | RC Enerson | Top Gun |
| 30 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren SP |
| 31 | 911 | Helio Castroneves | Penske |
| 32 | TBC | Stefan Wilson | TBC |
| 33 | TBC | Scott Speed | TBC |
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jpvalverde85 (@jpvalverde85)
30th April 2020, 18:03
Great! Ovals are a very different challenge, but good drivers thrive anyway, Nano was at the leading pack 3 years ago when his Honda engine gave up. iRacing seems to do a great job replicating the oval race dynamics so if Lando is up to the task and develops a proper strategy i hope he gets a shot at the podium at least.
Bill
30th April 2020, 18:19
This will be very fun to watch! He should do well with his vast sim experience, and drivers say Indy drives like a road course at hyper speed.
Driving the real thing is a very different proposition though. Doing 4 laps for qualifying on the knife edge limit is an experience that drivers never get used to. I hope to see him at the real race (and other F1 drivers if they dare) some day.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
30th April 2020, 22:36
Did Hinchcliffe get bumped again?
Dave
1st May 2020, 10:08
Yes.
Kyle Busch (NASCAR), Wickens, Hinchcliffe, Nasr, Pigot, … all got bumped. In my opinion they could have increased the field, it is not an Indy 500, it is a virtual Indy 175 and having Wickens and Busch in would have been good PR.
Don
1st May 2020, 20:02
Yes
Biskit Boy (@sean-p-newmanlive-co-uk)
1st May 2020, 6:39
I watched Josef Newgarden’s live feed of the first practice race on Youtube yesterday and Lando was near the front of the leading pack when he got taken out by Davison. He was doing well. Josef criticized him for moving up right in front of him on corner exit a few times, but overall I think the Indycar driver think he did well on the oval.
One thing that was strange, there was a pack racing effect going on which is unusual for Indy because the inside line is usually dominant. They were two abreast much of the time and they started referring to high and low grooves, meh not so realistic for indy, but it was entertaining.
Don
1st May 2020, 20:53
You are correct. There’s lots of side by side racing at the “real” Indy, but not two grooves really.
I’d love to see what Lando would think of going into turn 1 at the start of the “real” race at 240 mph, or running. May need to change his nickers at the first pit stop.
Don
1st May 2020, 20:55
at 240 mph, or faster.
Wish we could edit here.
Ilanin
1st May 2020, 12:41
Norris and Bourdais are both running number 4? That’ll make race control fun….
Dane
1st May 2020, 22:47
Watch Lando go and win at Indianapolis for McLaren before Fernando does!