On September 12, iRacing hosted the IMSA Resilient Racers 240 at virtual Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race ran for 2 hours and 40 minutes in the LMP2 class. More than 40 cars lined up to race, and each one carried the name of a child chosen by one of two partnering pediatric charities. Spectators watching the broadcast could donate to trigger in-race penalties against drivers. Slow-downs, drive-throughs, and full-course yellows were all available, each unlocked by a fan contribution. Because viewer donations changed what happened on track in real time, the broadcast ran as a fundraiser and a race at once.
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➡️ iRacing presents the Race for More 2.4
🎮 IMSA Resilient Racers Program at Indianapolis
The IMSA Resilient Racers program runs during September’s Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. It has been part of the real WeatherTech Championship for two years. In the real-world version, children facing pediatric cancer and serious illness are paired with IMSA teams. Their names appear on actual race cars, and their families attend the events. This year, however, the program expanded into iRacing for the first time. The sim component gave the iRacing community a direct connection to a charity effort that normally lives inside the pro racing world.
Who the IMSA Resilient Racers 240 Supported
Two organizations chose the children featured in the race: the Austin Hatcher Foundation and Camp Boggy Creek. The Austin Hatcher Foundation was founded in 2006 after Austin Hatcher Osborn died from brain and spinal tumors. The organization marks 20 years of work in 2026. Camp Boggy Creek is in its 30th year of providing free camp experiences for children with serious illnesses. Both organizations focus on giving children meaningful experiences outside the clinical setting.
Each LMP2 car in the iRacing field carried the name of one of those children. In this way, the event mirrored what happens at real IMSA races. At the WeatherTech Championship level, named children also appear on race cars. Bringing that same tradition into iRacing gave the virtual event a human element that most esports events do not carry.
How Fans Could Get Involved
The event structured fan participation around a penalty auction system. During the live broadcast, spectators could donate to unlock specific penalties applied to drivers in the race. Available options included slow-down penalties, drive-through pit lane penalties, and full-course yellows. Each donation triggered a real on-track consequence. As a result, viewer contributions directly altered the competitive order as the race progressed.
The broadcast ran at 11 a.m. ET on September 12. It streamed across IMSA’s YouTube channel, iRacing’s official channels, Grid Finder, and Traxion. If you missed the live event, VODs are still available on each of those platforms.
For the iRacing community, the IMSA Resilient Racers 240 fits a pattern the platform has shown it can handle well. iRacing’s Race for More 2.4 demonstrated in 2023 that sim racers will show up for a cause when there is a clear on-track reason to engage. Furthermore, the event brings institutional structure that community-organized charity streams rarely have. The partnership with IMSA and two established charities gives it weight that extends past the broadcast itself.
The IMSA Resilient Racers 240 raised funds for the Austin Hatcher Foundation and Camp Boggy Creek. Additionally, both organizations accept donations on their websites year-round. September remains Childhood Cancer Awareness Month through the end of the month.
