Welcome to the 2025 SportsCar Championship State of the Series. As in previous years, VSCA publishes its annual “State of the Series” to outline key points from the current SportsCar Championship season, items discussed for potential implementation or updates for the upcoming season, and any new changes that have been made and introduced.
The 2025 State of the Series has a lot of information that has been discussed internally and included to continuously improve VSCA based on ideas Organizers have thought of and/or based on feedback from Competitors.
Additionally, VSCA expresses its gratitude to the partners of the 2025 season that have contributed to the success of VSCA this season: JRT (Joel Real Timing), iRacing, MV Skinlab and Engine59 Media.
Table of Contents
2025 Season Lookback
While the fourth year of the VSCA SportsCar Championship has had some set-backs, overall the Organizers have seen it as a successful year to date and a continued improvement from 2024.
In 2025 VSCA made the switch from all classes competing at every race to only some classes competing at specific races. Therefore the only races we are able to compare from 2024 to 2025 are The Roar Before The 24 and the three endurance races so far (Daytona 24, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 6 Hours of The Glen). From 2024 to 2025 in these four races, we have seen an increase from 49 to 50 for the average number of Entries taking the green flag and also an increase from 44 to 47 for the average number of Entries still running at the checkered flag.
However we have noticed a significant decrease in participation in the GTP class. Organizers feel this is due to multiple reasons, some of which include GTPs being exceptionally easy to drive and the quickest they have ever been at the start of the 2025 season, a new GTP of the Ferrari 499 was released in December of 2024 which had excitement surrounding it which was then changed to the current version of the GTPs tire model which became significantly harder to drive on cold tires, slower than the start of the season, and overall harder cars to drive. The combination of all of these changes has seemed to deter people across iRacing as a whole from using the GTPs and has hurt GTP participation within VSCA.
While we are in the middle of our fourth season, we are still looking continuously for improvements for the SportsCar Championship, VSCA as a whole, the website, and internal processes, to give the best experience for Organizers and Competitors alike. This season we were able to have significantly fewer in-season changes and more consistency in the regulations over the course of the season, a goal of the Organizers for 2025 and something we hope Competitors were able to appreciate compared to previous years.
As we reevaluate where we currently are, what our goals have been, what Competitors want, and where we want to move VSCA towards, we look into plans for the 2026 season.
2026 Organizer’s Season Goals
Our primary goals for the 2026 season have continued to be the same as last year of:
- Continue to grow the series and increase the retention of the grid size.
- Continue to improve the on track racing and “cleanliness” of the racing.
- Put VSCA in a place to be able to add an additional series.
- Expanding our VSCA Team and improving efficiency of internal processes
Sponsorship
We are currently actively working towards securing potential sponsorship for 2026 however are also looking for additional race sponsorships to help offset the expenses and keep the entry fee as low as possible. If you know of someone or a company who are looking to become a sponsor, please have them reach out via email to [email protected].
Additional Series
We had a goal of expanding VSCA to include an additional series (most likely LMP3 & GT4), however looking into the schedule of the SportsCar Championship, the schedule of the Organizer’s personal lives for the upcoming year, and the manpower required for the additional series, it was not feasible to expand and add an additional series for 2026. However we will revisit each year in hopes that VSCA will be in a position to expand and add an additional series. If you are interested in joining the Organizer team to help out with the additional series, please reach out to [email protected].
Finances
As in previous years, VSCA discloses the full finances for the league to be transparent on where the entry fee goes. To avoid any possible confusions, at the conclusion of the 2025 season, we will publish a separate financial statement for the full 2025 season.
The 2024 State of the Series included the 2024 finances only through July 14, 2024. Earlier in 2025, there were questions on where the remaining finances went from 2024. While doing the bridge between the 2024 State of the Series and the remainder of the year, we double checked and found the amounts for each line were correct, however there was a footing error for the total expenses in the 2024 State of the Series finances. The total expenses correctly added should have been ($1,615.09) resulting in a remaining balance as of July 14, 2024 of $1,959.41.
With the correct remaining balance, here is a bridge for the remainder of the 2024 finances from the 2024 State of the Series to the end of the season (all prices are USD):
| Corrected Remaining Balance from 2024 State of the Series | 1,959.41 |
| Entry Fee Payments | 46.49 |
| Entry Fee Refunds* | (68.31) |
| Website Hosting | (174.50) |
| Google Drive | (56.80) |
| Joel Real Timing | (34.92) |
| iRacing VSCA Account, Content, & Hosted Sessions | (298.93) |
| Additional Championship Award Expenses in Excess of Estimate | (167.79) |
| Compensation for Statistician for Driver Rating System Update | (146.75) |
| Compensation for Graphic Design Work | (186.90) |
| Compensation for Race Control Work | (990.10) |
| Amount saved for 2025 Season | (27.65) |
| 2024 Season Ending Balance | 0.00 |
*Refunds are a combination of teams withdrawing before competing resulting in a full refund, incorrect payments, and refunds for reserve list teams not making it to the grid for select races.
VSCA Volunteer Positions
As mentioned above in the 2026 Organizer’s Season Goals section, Organizers are looking for help with specific positions within VSCA, with a goal of the overall improvement of VSCA and for the ability to add additional series. Below are the current positions in need of assistance, which will also be included on the VSCA Discord under the "Volunteer Positions” category, and on the VSCA website. Please reach out to [email protected] if you are interested and would like to join the VSCA Team.
Title: Membership Coordinator
Your profile:
You are fluent in English, are well versed in writing, with a good rhetorical skillset. Preferably 21 years or older, with minimal experience in iRacing UI, email programs, Discord and how to use a website admin user interface.
Your responsibilities:
- Review of new VSCA membership registrations, based on quality standards and the VSCA Sporting Code
- Proactive communication with the Organizers on new membership registration issues
- Proactive communication with new Members on registration issues
- Emailing Member when their registration has been approved or rejected
- Updating of Discord and VSCA Paddock roles of Members
The Organizers will help you with the onboarding process into this position, including the technical setup needed to fulfill this position.
Title: Partnership & Sponsorship Coordinator
Your profile:
You are fluent in English, optimally with experience in marketing and/or sales and advertising. You are well versed in business language e.g. the term "Return on Investment" is not foreign to you. You are at least 21 years old and have many connections in the sim racing, iRacing and motorsports community. You understand the digital business world and can bring together VSCA with new partners and sponsors, so races can be broadcast and more improvements can be added to VSCA for Members, Teams and Sponsors.
Your responsibilities:
- Outreach to potential new sponsors and partners
- Negotiation with new sponsors/partners and broadcasting providers
- Proactive communication with the Organizers on final decisions or issues
- Up-to-date tracking of key sponsorship performance metrics of VSCA
- Relationship management with existing sponsors and partners
- Maintenance of sponsorship/partner profiles on VSCAracing.com
- Support of Organizers related to announcement of new sponsorships/partnerships
The Organizers will help you with the onboarding process into this position, including the technical setup needed to fulfill this position.
Title: Partnership & Sponsorship Coordinator
Your profile:
You are fluent in English and are able to utilize three different programs at once to complete a task. High pressure situations where the situation can rapidly change does not phase you and are able to adapt quickly. You have a good understanding of the VSCA SportsCar Championship Full Course Yellow procedures and are able to watch for on track incidents live during a race.
Your responsibilities:
- Look for specific situations on track that would warrant a FCY
- Run a FCY entirely on your own from start to finish following the VSCA FCY Procedures
- Must have an active JRT license and JRT installed on your local PC
- Must have the ability to see all cars in a session at one time on track while not in the car
The Organizers will help you with the onboarding process into this position, including the technical setup needed to fulfill this position.
Title: Balance of Performance Data Specialist
Your profile:
You are an experienced iRacer with ample time running multiple cars in a specific category. You have the ability to jump from car to car and adapt to the specific nuances of how each car handles and needs to be driven within a couple of laps. You are able to run within 95-99% of your optimal pace consistently for multiple laps and are able to differentiate between when a car is slower because of the car's pace, versus when the car's characteristics do not suit your preferred driving style. You are reliable and able to collect crucial data needed for BoP analysis.
Your responsibilities:
- Running all cars in a specific category (i.e. GTP, GT3, etc.) prior to a VSCA Event under controlled conditions to gather required data for BoP analysis.
- Must have Garage 61
- Must have all cars on iRacing in a specific category
- Must have the tracks on the VSCA schedule
- Knowledge and experience of racing in the category
The Organizers will help you with the onboarding process into this position, including the technical setup needed to fulfill this position.
Title: LMP3/GT4 Series Director
Your profile:
You are experienced in iRacing and team racing on iRacing. Optimally, you are familiar with IMSA and the IMSA VP Racing Fuel Sports Car Challenge. You are at least 21 years old. You know how to create league sessions in iRacing and have a decent understanding of the various nuances of multi-class racing. You are familiar with the admin basics in iRacing, for example how to do admin commands or voice chat as race control. You are reliable and able to provide a significant time commitment on about 7 to 8 weekends per year.
Your responsibilities:
- Handling of all organizational and administrative tasks surrounding this series
- Help & Input on creating the Series Regulations & Schedule, together with the Organizers
- Oversight of race day activities for roundabout five to six championship rounds per year
- Handling of incident-based FCYs on a race day
- Review of car contact incidents and incident reports submitted by competitors
The Organizers will help you with the onboarding process into this position, including the technical setup needed to fulfill this position.
Title: Social Media Manager
Your profile:
You have a passion for social media and the internet. You're well versed in all the ins and outs of Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube and Bluesky and know how to create engaging content. You have experience in creating graphics (in PSD or PSPIMAGE format) and know how to combine your own creativity in combination with established quality standards and branding guidelines. Important: It is a requirement that you have a personal Facebook account, to become co-administrator of the VSCA Facebook page.
Your responsibilities:
- Are able to commit to roundabout two hours of work to create social media content for each VSCA race weekend, between Friday and Saturday
- Create and post graphics for Free Practice 1, Free Practice 2 and Race results (unofficial and again when official).
- Create video clips of various interesting race moments/highlights on the VSCA YouTube channel
- Create and post 1-2 social media content posts per month, outside of VSCA race weekends
- Work together in a joint effort with Organizers for any special announcements to be shared on social media (schedules, sponsors, etc.)
The Organizers will help you with the onboarding process into this position, including the technical setup needed to fulfill this position.
2026 Season Registration
Similar to 2025, registration will open at three separate dates depending on specific criteria.
Returning Entries, Early Registration will open on November 8, 2025 at 1600 GMT. An Entry must meet the following requirements to be eligible for early registration:
- Must have competed in a minimum of 6 races during the 2025 season or, must have competed in each remaining race in 2025 from the moment of Registration.
- Must compete in the same class as 2025 and use the same car number unless the car number used was assigned for a specific manufacturer (i.e. 911 when running the Porsche GT3) and the Entry elects to change car manufacturer/model (i.e. changing to Ferrari)
- May change iRacing Team ID.
- May change the car manufacturer/model.
Changing Entries, Early Registration will open on November 12, 2025 at 1600 GMT. An Entry must meet the following requirements to be eligible for early registration:
- Must have competed in a minimum of 6 races during the 2025 season or, must have competed in each remaining race in 2025 from the moment of Registration.
- Is not competing in the same class as 2025.
- May change car number.
- May change iRacing Team ID.
- May change the car manufacturer/model.
New Entries, Public Registration will open on November 15, 2025 at 1600 GMT and is for any Team and/or Entry that does not meet either of the above requirements. Teams will also be able to register at any point during the season after the season has started.
2026 Grid Selection
Updated October 23, 2025Unlike in previous seasons where securing a spot on the grid will be a first-come-first-serve process, VSCA Organizers will determine which Entries will be granted grid spots shortly after registration. However, car number selection will continue to be on a first-come-first-serve basis. To secure their Entry’s spot on the grid, Teams will be required to pay the entry fee within 48 hours of being granted the grid spot. The 4 class series champions, if selected for the Series Grid by the Organizers, will be guaranteed an entry fee waiver, so long as they return to the same class with the same car number (Exception: The GTP series champion may switch to #1).
2026 Season Classes & Cars
Updated October 20, 2025
While VSCA Organizers prefer to have two distinct and separate car classes in sim to distinguish GT PRO and GT AM, we fully understand the desire of Teams to have free car choice from all GT3 cars. Based on feedback from Teams in the 2025 Season Survey, all Teams that responded almost unanimously wanted free car choice to remain for GT PRO and GT AM. As such, GT PRO and GT AM will remain a single class within the sim and Teams will have free car choice from all GT3 cars available below.
IMPORTANT NOTE: After lengthy discussions internally and taking into consideration the feedback from Competitors, VSCA does NOT want to restrict car numbers to specific car classes as Organizers want Teams to have the ability to select car numbers freely, classes are not restricted in IMSA to specific car numbers, and Organizers do not want to compromise on this aspect of staying true to IMSA. Additionally, not restricting car numbers is a middle ground between what VSCA wants (two classes, free car number selection, and staying true to IMSA), and what Competitors and Teams want (free car choice between classes). As this topic has been discussed in length internally and addressed herein, we respectfully ask for discussions on requiring one class to have a specific block of numbers, distinguishing factors in Team names, P or A for driver names, etc. to distinguish the classes apart to be put to rest.
To help aid in the diversity of the grid and to ensure all manufacturers are able to be represented, each category will have 1 grid spot reserved for each manufacturer available for selection. There will be no restriction on the maximum number of cars allowed from a specific manufacturer.
The classes and cars that will be used for 2026 (shown below) are subject to change pending the release of any new cars in the 2026 Season 1 iRacing build. Additionally, any new car that is added to iRacing during the 2026 season and would be eligible to run in any of the classes below will be assessed by Organizers to be added mid season:
- GTP
- Acura ARX-06 GTP
- BMW M Hybrid V8
- Cadillac V-Series.R GTP
- Ferrari 499P
- Porsche 963 GTP
- LMP2
- Dallara P217
- GT PRO
- Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22
- Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO
- BMW M4 GT3
- Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
- Ferrari 296 GT3
- Ford Mustang GT3
- Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO
- McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
- Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020
- Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
- GT AM
- Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22
- Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO
- BMW M4 GT3
- Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R<
- Ferrari 296 GT3
- Ford Mustang GT3
- Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO
- McLaren 720S GT3 EVO
- Mercedes-AMG GT3 2020
- Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)
2026 Season Schedule
The schedule will remain a 12 race schedule utilizing every round of the real life IMSA WeatherTech Championship. In an aim to improve participation and add more races with more cars, each class will compete in 11 of the 12 rounds, of which 10 will be championship point scoring rounds. Of the 12 total races, 5 of the rounds will not have all classes participating. If a class is not racing at a given race, they will not be racing at that given race at all, just like real life, and will not have their own race later on the same day or the following day of the same weekend. In order to give all classes an equal amount of races to participate in, the classes running at specific tracks might differ from real life.
The SportsCar Championship will not return to Detroit Belle Isle in 2026 as IMSA has not raced at Belle Isle since 2022, and Belle Isle is not a track that is suitable for 3 classes of cars to participate on in the opinion of the Organizers. Homestead-Miami has been chosen as a replacement based on a very positive race in 2024 and it is a track that the real life IMSA series has raced at in the past.
As a result of limitations on the number of available weekends, keeping a summer break, avoiding the Majors 24 given the size of the event, and to keep a relatively consistent time between races, unfortunately not all races were able to be scheduled on non iRacing Special Event weekends. The 6 Hours of the Glen will be hosted on the same weekend as the iRacing Special Event so long as the event does not clash with the Majors 24. This decision was not taken lightly however given that it is only a 6 hour race, VSCA Organizers felt that Teams had other opportunities to still race in the iRacing Special Event if they choose from the additional splits offered.
Here is the schedule for 2025. Please note, dates are tentative and will either be confirmed or changed depending on the iRacing 2025 Special Event Schedule and when the Majors 24 and/or 24 Hours of Le Mans, if it returns in 2025, will be held in iRacing.
| Date | Event | Duration | Championships | |
| Nov 8, 2025 | Returning Entries, Early Registration | |||
| Nov 12, 2025 | Changing Entries, Early Registration | |||
| Nov 15, 2025 | New Entries, Public Registration | |||
| Dec 13, 2025 |
EX | Daytona (Test Day)
Classes:
|
12h | ||
| Jan 3, 2026 |
EX | Daytona (Roar)
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| Jan 10, 2026 |
R1 | Daytona
Classes:
|
24h |
|
|
| Feb 7, 2026 |
R2 | Long Beach
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| Feb 14, 2025 |
EX | Sebring (Test Day)
Classes:
|
12h | ||
| Feb 28, 2026 |
R3 | Sebring
Classes:
|
12h |
|
|
| Mar 28, 2025 |
R4 | Laguna Seca
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| Apr 18, 2026 |
R5 | VIR
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| May 9, 2026 |
R6 | Homestead-Miami
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| May 30, 2026 |
R7 | CTMP
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| Jun 20, 2025 |
R8 | Watkins Glen
Classes:
|
6h |
|
|
Summer Break |
||||
| Aug 15, 2026 |
R9 | Road America
Classes:
|
6h |
|
|
| Aug 29, 2026 |
R10 | Indianapolis
Classes:
|
2h40min |
|
|
| Sep 12, 2025 |
EX | Road Atlanta (Test Day)
Classes:
|
12h | ||
| Sep 26, 2025 |
R11 | Road Atlanta
Classes:
|
10h |
|
|
EX = denotes non-points/exhibition event
Temporary Reserve List Promotion
Any race where not all classes are racing, if there are entries on the reserve list for a class that is participating, these Entries will be temporarily promoted for the individual race. However at the conclusion of the race, they will be moved back to the reserve list until a full season spot opens on the grid.
Updated: October 11, 2025Single Race Entries
Single race Entries will NOT be allowed in 2026.
Driver Rating System
Since 2023, VSCA has had a Driver Rating System that ranks Drivers against other Drivers and gives them a numerical vRating. This vRating is a number that is similar to iRating, but specific for VSCA events, and used to give Drivers a Classification. In 2024, VSCA got in touch with a Statistician to help with the underlying VSCA Driver Rating System. After a couple months of work and improvements, a new system was created and implemented in 2025.
Overall, Organizers feel the system has done a fairly good job at getting Drivers close to the correct classification. As the season has progressed, there have been some issues that have come up internally which we have addressed as they happened. One of the main issues we have seen both in this system and in the past are the ever-changing Driver Classifications which has caused numerous Drivers over the season to become ineligible for specific classes.
Additionally, we have found that the Classification tied to a specific number (i.e. vRating) has not given much leeway for either Organizers or Competitors on the Classifications.
For the past few months, we have looked at the system that has been in place so far in 2025 and worked out a simpler method which has produced similar results. Part of this system includes a manual review by VSCA Organizers based on historical performances to determine if a classification needs to be changed.
While the review of each Drivers Classification will be done after each race, the intention is that only Drivers that really do need a change will have their Classification updated. This means that there should be far fewer changes anticipated during a season which will benefit Teams in the long run for planning purposes.
How the system works is that Organizers use the race lap data to determine a Driver’s Overall Race Performance Rating. To determine this, for every lap time recorded by a Driver, all of the Driver's previous lap times will be filtered to look only at lap times posted in the previous 12 minutes. Of the laps included in this filter, the median lap time will be taken to get the Driver’s Median lap time. At the same time, ALL lap times recorded in the Driver's class will be filtered for the same time period and of the laps included, the median lap time will be taken to get the Class Median lap time. There must be a minimum of 12 minutes run during a race to complete these two calculations.
The Driver's Median lap time will be subtracted by the Class Median lap time resulting in a Driver to Class Time Difference. If the Driver to Class Time Difference is greater than +/- 4 seconds, no further calculation will be done and this data point will be removed. This will aid in removing any data points such as changing weather conditions, spins, wrecks, off tracks, pit stops, etc. If the Driver to Class Time Difference is less than +/- 4 seconds, the Driver's Median lap time will be divided by the Class Median lap time Resulting in a Driver to Class Ratio Percentage for the given data point. Once this is complete for every lap that a Driver has registered in sim, the median of a Driver’s Driver to Class Ratio Percentages will be calculated resulting in a Driver’s Overall Race Performance Rating Rating. Additionally, VSCA will publish a Race Performance Report after each race that shows every Driver’s Overall Race Performance Rating that participated in the race.
Organizers will utilize a Driver's Overall Race Performance Rating across multiple races to do an analysis to determine if a Driver's VSCA Rating is accurate or requires an update. If a Driver is trending towards requiring an update, Organizers will add the Driver’s trend to the VSCA Paddock and include the exact Classification the Driver is trending towards. Meaning Competitors will no longer see only an up or down without knowing which Classification they are trending towards, Competitors will know exactly what they are trending towards. After the next race a Driver participates in, a decision will be made and the Driver’s Classification will either be updated, or remain the same.
This new system has been implemented and is in place for the upcoming race at Indianapolis. As part of this implementation, Organizers reviewed any Driver with a Classification Trend after Watkins Glen and updated their Classification accordingly. There were a total of 103 Drivers who needed review. Organizers have posted a link on Discord including all of these Drivers, their old Classification, and their updated Classification for ease of understanding.
Additionally, as the aim of the change is to limit the Classification changes and only update them if needed, the iRating for Temporary Promotion (iRTP) has been removed.
Driver Classification Requirements & Drive Time Per Class
The Driver Classification restrictions for GTP and GT PRO will be updated for 2026 in that lineups of full “S”classified Drivers will be allowed. As a result of the change, the requirement that 25% of the drive time must be completed by a “G” and/or “P” Driver will be removed. The restriction of no “B” Drivers allowed will remain. LMP2 and GT AM will remain the same as 2025.
The current drive time requirements for each class will be looked at prior to the start of the 2026 season to see if there are areas for improvements to allow more strategy for Teams and to ensure drive time violations are not going against the spirit of the rule.
Broadcast
Updated: October 20, 2025
GreenFlag TV will cover the full 2026 VSCA SportsCar Championship live (!) on YouTube! Please see the full announcement here.
Additionally, title sponsorship is still available for the following races:
| Race | Price (USD) |
|---|---|
| Roar | $90 |
| Long Beach | $90 |
| VIR | $90 |
| Homestead-Miami | $90 |
| Indianapolis | $90 |
| Road Atlanta | $500 |
As part of the 2026 GreenFlag TV deal, all races are broadcast. If you would like to become title sponsor for any of the races above, please reach out to [email protected] for more information.
Virtual Money System
Updated October 20, 2025
The Virtual Money System will NOT return in 2026.
Unforced Loss of Control & Incident Responsibility Penalties
In 2025, if a car lost control of the car from their own mistake (i.e. spins, clipping the grass, cold tires, hydroplaning, etc.) and another car was hit, this was deemed a racing incident and no penalty was issued. Starting in 2026, this will be deemed the fault of the driver who had an unforced loss of control. The reason for this is it’s expected that Drivers are to be in control of their car at all times.
Organizers and RC have seen a very high number of unforced errors causing a loss of control throughout the season, especially at the start of races and on restarts, from Drivers overdriving the cars. This change is to help Teams and Drivers ensure they are driving within their abilities and ensuring the safety of other cars on track at all times.
Balance of Performance
After review of the 2025 Season Survey, a majority of the responses prefer to have Balance of Performance (BoP) done on a race by race basis rather than season long (the current method). BoP of any kind within iRacing takes a lot of time to complete, time that currently Organizers do not have to fulfill BoP for every race. However, the possibility of doing BoP for every race in 2026 can be achieved with additional help from BoP Data Specialists.
If you would like to help, please refer to the VSCA Volunteer Positions above.
Incident Based Full Course Yellows & Assistance
One request we have heard from multiple people over the past couple of years, and in the 2025 Season Survey, is to make FCYs incident based which is something that Organizers of VSCA agree with, and truly want as well.
Organizers reached out via the announcements channel on VSCA Discord on July 4 regarding this. As this is something that collectively Organizers and Competitors all would like to see, Organizers are reaching out to you all for your help and are asking if members of the VSCA community would be willing to help run FCYs for the upcoming 2026 season. In return, there will be a discount of the entry fee provided to your entry(s). The amount of the discount is still to be confirmed however we are discussing anywhere from 50% up to 100% discount of the entry fee, pending certain requirements/stipulations. It is a requirement for anyone doing the FCY to have an active JRT license and for JRT to be installed on their local PC. Training would be provided for anyone and everyone who would offer to help. Doing this would not limit you from participating in the championship either.
If we are unable to get the amount of support and help we need to make this happen, unfortunately we won't be able to have incident based FCYs due to lack of manpower. As of the State of the Series, a total of 5 VSCA members have reached out to offer help. This would equal a total 9 people currently (4 Organizers & 5 volunteers) that would be willing to help watch for, and run FCYs. Ideally, a minimum of 12-14 would be required to commit to helping run FCYs in order to make the switch for incident based FCYs. The races with the most concern are the longer endurance races (Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta).
The concept behind this is Organizers will train those who volunteer in every aspect from what to look for and how to run FCYs. Prior to each race, Organizers will coordinate amongst everyone who is available and at what times. The more volunteers we have, the better. As an example, if there are 24 people to help, for Daytona each person would only need to commit to a single hour of the race or two hours maximum if we had two people in RC monitoring at all times. Additionally, the more volunteers there are, the more of the sprint races your help most likely will not be required because of the extra manpower.
Organizers really hope you are willing and able to join to help continuously improve VSCA for everyone. If you are interested, please reach out to [email protected] and we will discuss with you further.
Full Course Yellow Procedure Updates
In 2025 we introduced a Full Course Yellow (FCY) procedure that we felt was overall the best procedure based on the different methods we tried in the prior 3 seasons. Overall, the method we used was very successful. However, as we are always looking for improvements, we looked at the FCY procedure to see how we can keep the underlying process the same, but where we can improve to shorten the procedures and the time spent under FCY.
The procedures we describe below will be introduced at the latest in 2026, but we will be reaching out to all Competitors to get their thoughts on if these should be implemented immediately starting at the 2025 6 Hours at the Brickyard race at Indianapolis.
CHANGE 1: No More First Category Sort Before Pits Open
The reasoning for the first category sort is to give Teams a decision to make: do you pit and give up track position to ALL cars that do not pit, or do you stay out and gain track position. In a situation where P1 in a class came into the pits and took their final pit stop and shortly after the FCY comes out, there is a possibility in a 45+ car grid that P2 in their class is one of the first few cars in the pacing line while they are one of the last few cars in the pacing line. If P2 comes into the pits and does a quick pit stop, there is a chance that it can come out in front of P1 and take P1 by getting a “free” pit stop.
In real life, IMSA closes pit exit until all cars in the pacing line that stayed out have passed pit exit. This is something that we cannot control in Race Control (RC) during a race as iRacing does not allow us to manually control if pit exit is open or closed. We do not want to have a manually closed pit exit as we do not want to run the risk of wrecks at pit exit from stopped cars and if the last few pit boxes are at the green pit exit cones, sorting the cars trying to “merge” with stationary cars at pit exit can get messy. This is why in 2025 we do the first category sort before the pit stops as putting all prototypes in the front of all GT cars in the pacing line significantly reduces the potential for a car to enter pit lane, take any service, and come out in front of a car that stayed out. However we understand this has often extended the FCY by an additional lap.
The change we will be making is there will be no more category sort prior to pit road being deemed open for pit stops. Instead, we will be requiring any car exiting the pits after the pit stops, to remain on the pit speed limiter after crossing the green pit exit cones until RC makes an announcement to catch the pacing line. This announcement will come once the last car in the pacing line that does not pit has passed either pit exit (if no car has exited the pit lane) or the first car that has exited pit lane.
To provide a visual example below, all of the cars with the purple box around them were in pit lane and the green pit exit cones location is marked with the green triangle (directly behind the cyan circle). The car with the cyan circle around it is the last car in the pacing line. The first car with the purple box around it in the far right of the image, is the first car that exited the pit lane. Until the last car in the pacing line (cyan circled car) passes that first car that exited the pits, ALL cars that come out of the pits (all cars with the purple box and any additional cars that exit afterwards) will be required to remain on the pit speed limiter.
At most tracks and during most pit stops, this shouldn’t be more than a few cars, however most of the time, RC should be able to give the announcement to catch the pacing line before any car exits pit lane.
CHANGE 2: Pacing Line Speed During Wave Bys
To help reduce the time it takes to complete wave bys, all cars in the pacing line will be required to be on the pit speed limiter during the wave by process since it takes a shorter amount of time for a car to catch a slower moving pacing line. Similar to the category sort, RC will announce when to reduce to pit lane speed, and when to resume the normal pacing speed.
CHANGE 3: Second Category Sort Becomes a Class Sort
To align with real life IMSA, the second category sort will become a class sort. This process will be as follows:
- Once the 3rd wave by is complete, as the pacing line will be at pit road speed RC will announce for all GT AM cars to move to the left. After 3-5 seconds, RC will announce for the pace line to return to pace car speed. All GTP, LMP2, and GT PRO cars should return to pace car speed, and close gaps ahead.
- Once the last GT PRO car passes the first GT AM car, RC will announce for all GT PRO cars to move to the left. After 3-5 seconds, RC will announce for all GT PRO cars to reduce to pit speed. All GTP and LMP2 cars in the pacing line should close gaps ahead. At this point, on the left side of the track will be all GT PRO cars at pit lane speed in front of all GT AM cars also at pit lane speed.
- Once the last LMP2 car passes the first GT PRO car, assuming there are still GTP cars behind LMP2 cars, RC will announce for all LMP2 cars to move to the left. After 3-5 seconds, RC will announce for all LMP2 cars to reduce to pit speed. All GTP cars in the pacing line should close gaps ahead.
- Once the last GTP car is in front of the first LMP2, RC will announce for ALL cars on the left to catch the pacing line. At this point all cars on the left side of the track at pit speed should catch the pacing line ahead and catch the pacing line.
This process should not take much longer than what is already done if it does at all.
CHANGE 4: Self Serving Penalties
As many Competitors have mentioned, any FCY penalties (i.e. pit lane penalties) have occasionally taken a while to issue during the races. As there is no method we would be able to implement that would speed up our review and issuance process without extra manpower, we are implementing a self serving penalty process. Essentially, Teams will be able to determine what they did improperly during the FCY and serve any required penalty on their own. RC will review the FCYs post race and any Entry that did not serve the penalty when it should have, will be issued the penalty post race.
Here are the checks Teams will do to determine if they need to serve a penalty:
Long FCY - Pitting Before Pits Open Penalty Checks:
- Did your car cross the yellow pit entry cones or appear on pit lane from towing at any time between the FCY being thrown by RC and pit lane being deemed open? Note: Pit lane is deemed open once the first car in the pacing line has crossed the yellow cones either in pit lane, or the relative position of the yellow cones on the racing surface.
- If you answered “YES”, proceed to the next check, otherwise no penalty is needed.
- Did your car remain stationary in your pit stall, and was passed by the first car in the pacing line 2 times (if entered the pit lane by driving into the pits) or 3 times (if entered the pits through towing)?
- If you answered “NO”, you will be required to serve a drive through penalty, otherwise no penalty is needed.
Long FCY - Pitting After Pits Open Penalty Checks:
- Did your car cross the yellow pit entry cones or appear on pit lane from towing at any time between pit lane being deemed closed after the pit stops and the restart? Note: Pit lane is deemed closed after the last car in the pacing line has crossed the yellow cones either in pit lane, or the relative position of the yellow cones on the racing surface.
- If you answered “YES”, proceed to the next check, otherwise no penalty is needed.
- Did your car remain stationary in your pit stall, and was passed by the first car in the pacing line 2 times (if entered the pit lane by driving into the pits) or 3 times (if entered the pits through towing)?
- If you answered “NO”, you will be required to serve a 60 second stop and hold penalty in the designated penalty box, otherwise no penalty is needed.
- The designated penalty box will be the same location as the “technical inspection area”
- It is up to the Entries to time their 60 second stop and hold penalty to ensure it is served in full.
Short FCY - Pitting at any Point Penalty Checks:
- Did your car cross the yellow pit entry cones or appear on pit lane from towing at any time between the FCY being thrown by RC and the restart?
- If you answered “YES”, proceed to the next check, otherwise no penalty is needed.
- Did your car remain stationary in your pit stall, and was passed by the first car in the pacing line 2 times (if entered the pit lane by driving into the pits) or 3 times (if entered the pits through towing)?
- If you answered “NO”, you will be required to serve a 60 second stop and hold penalty in the designated penalty box, otherwise no penalty is needed.
- The designated penalty box will be the same location as the “technical inspection area”
- It is up to the Entries to time their 60 second stop and hold penalty to ensure it is served in full.
If an Entry deems they need to serve a penalty, the car must take the restart and cross the S/F line while on track before serving the penalty. Penalties must be served within 3 laps of the restart.
Any drive through penalty not served during the race will equate to a 30 second post race penalty. Any 60 second stop and hold penalty not served during the race will equate to a 90 second post race penalty. Any portion of the stop and hold penalty not served will be issued post race in addition to a 10 second post race penalty. As an example, if an Entry serves 58 seconds of the 60 second stop and hold, they will be issued a 12 second post race penalty (60 - 58 = 2 + 10 = 12 seconds). The reason for the additional 10 seconds is to deter competitors from attempting to gain a competitive advantage by not completing the full penalty amount.
At most tracks and if done properly, self-serving the penalty during the race will be more beneficial than taking the penalty post race.
Tire Warming
With the introduction of the new tire model to the GT3 cars, Organizers have done tests to see if tire weaving has an impact on the heat in the tires and determined that it now does. As such, Organizers will be allowing tire weaving at the race start and on the restarts under certain conditions and requirements.
At the race start when cars pull off the grid to start pacing, they will be required to pace single file. This will allow anyone who wants to weave the ability to do so. Once each car reaches a designated spot on the track, they will be required to fully stop weaving and form the double file pacing line for the race start. There will be no weaving allowed of any kind while cars are double file and/or from the designated area until the start of the race.
For restarts, cars are required to pace single file through the duration of the FCY until all FCY procedures are complete, without weaving. Once RC gives the “Restart at the end of this lap” announcement, cars will be allowed to weave if they choose to. When the first car in the pacing line reaches the same designated spot on the track as mentioned above for the race start, RC will announce for all cars to stop weaving. At this time, ALL cars are required to stop weaving regardless of where they are on the track, until the restart of the race.
Additionally and for clarification, accelerating and braking as a form of heating the tires is strictly forbidden.
Live Race Control
Another request we have heard from multiple people over the past couple of years, and in the 2025 Season Survey, is to bring back live RC that issue in-race penalties. As with incident based FCYs, live RC is something that Organizers of VSCA agree with, and want as well. Additionally, Organizers fully understand how the unknown on where your final finishing position is when taking the checkered flag is not ideal. As such, Organizers are actively discussing and pursuing options to potentially secure the manpower needed for live RC. Until the manpower is secured, Organizers are planning for 2026 to remain the same as 2025.
It is important to note, VSCA was created as a place for the Organizers to participate in. While there will always be an inherent issue surrounding the perception of bias because of this, Organizers do everything possible to remove bias and have a dedicated channel in Discord where Competitors can bring up issues or have honest and open feedback surrounding it without any fear of reprimands or penalties for doing so. As such, Organizers stepping back from racing to do live RC is not an option.
Self Serving Penalties Overall
As an attempt to find a possible middle ground with Competitors for fewer post race penalties, the self-serving penalties we are doing with FCYs, we are also allowing as a whole for any penalty incurred during a race.
Organizers will lay out the criteria that will be used in determining the severity of a penalty within the regulations. Any Entry who feels they are at fault for an incident that would result in a post race penalty, can utilize this criteria to determine the severity of the penalty that they would need to serve in the race. For example, if Car A was involved with an incident with Car B resulting in Car B spinning off track but otherwise unaffected from the incident, Car A may review the incident and deem they will most likely be at fault and issued a post race penalty. If the penalty for a car spinning off but otherwise unaffected as stated in the regulations is a drive through penalty, Car A can serve the penalty within 10 green flag laps of the incident if they wish.
After the race when RC reviews the incident, if Car A was deemed at fault and a penalty was needed, RC would check if Car A self-served the penalty during the race. If Car A did, then no penalty will be issued post race other than issuing the driver the license penalty points. If Car A did not serve the penalty during the race, then a post race time and/or lap penalty will be issued similar to how it is currently done in 2025.
LMP2 and GT AM Qualifying Driver Requirement
LMP2 and GT AM entries will be required to have either a “B” or “S” classified Driver qualify and start each race. As in 2025, the qualifying driver is required to start the race.
Race Start GT Classes Split
To align with IMSA and our FCY class sort, at the start of each race the GT PRO cars will be moved to the front of all GT AM cars, regardless of qualifying time. When the GT cars start to pull away from the grid, all GT AM cars will be required to move to the left side of the track and remain at pit lane speed while all GT PRO cars will be required to pass any GT AM car on the right. Once all GT PRO cars pass all GT AM cars, RC will announce that tire weaving is allowed.
When forming the pacing line, the GT PRO pole sitter will be required to take the inside grid position with the remaining cars forming up behind on the respective side (i.e. P2 would go to the outside, P3 on the second row on the inside, P4 on the second row on the outside, P5 on the third row on the inside, etc.). As an example at Sebring, P1, P3, P5, etc. would be on the left side with P2, P4, P6, etc. on the right and at Road America, P1, P3, P5, etc. would be on the right side with P2, P4, P6, etc. on the left. It is important to note, this may be a different side than what iRacing is telling the driver which is to be ignored. Any penalties at the race start from iRacing will be cleared by RC as well.
Entry Fee
As mentioned previously, Organizers are actively working on securing sponsorship for the 2026 season and are working on finalizing all aspects that will go into the 2026 season (teams helping with FCYs, broadcasts, live RC if any, etc.), all of which plays a role into the total entry fee. Once this is all finalized, the entry fee can then be determined to cover all of these costs associated with running the Series. Initial projections though are the entry fee for 2026 will most likely increase, although how much is still to be confirmed.
Entry Declaration System
We are planning on introducing an Entry Declaration System for 2026 however this is still to be confirmed. In short, this is a system where the Team Manager or Assistant Team Manager will have to “declare” or assign Team Members to a specific Entry for each Event. The introduction of this system is dependent on the final determinations of other factors such as broadcasts and the addition of acquiring a Social Media Manager.
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