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Five-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon will join the IndyCar iRacing Challenge for the first time this weekend, while the series has also scored an NBC TV deal.
The IndyCar iRacing Challenge got underway last weekend at Watkins Glen, with Sage Karam winning the race for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.
Chip Ganassi Racing driver Dixon was one of a small number of current IndyCar drivers not taking part in the Watkins Glen event, but a group of drivers who were waiting for equipment are on the entry list this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park including Dixon, Robert Wickens and James Hinchcliffe.
Two other series regulars who missed the Watkins Glen event were Takuma Sato and Marco Andretti, and it’s not currently clear whether they may make an appearance in the Barber race.
Wickens had been set to take part last weekend, but said he was let down by a sponsor, before a courier failed to deliver his equipment in time for the race to cap off a protracted saga.
NBC’s usual crew of Leigh Diffey, Paul Tracy and Townsend Bell commentated on the Watkins Glen race that was broadcast on IndyCar’s website for free. It is not yet clear if the TV deal precludes the event being streamed online.
Round one winner Karam returns for Barber, alongside his closest challengers Felix Rosenqvist and Will Power. There’s a return of the ringers, with seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and Double Australian Supercars title winner Scott McLaughlin on the entry list.
Champions Josef Newgarden, Simon Pagenaud and Power add to the number of titles among the field.
The Barber event will take place this Saturday at 1430hrs Eastern Time, with qualifying taking part just before.
Unlike the first round, IndyCar will look to spice up the action by adding a competition caution just after the pit stop window, which will bunch the drivers together. The Watkins Glen race didn’t have a caution period.
The IndyCar iRacing Challenge will not crown a champion, rather IndyCar will “make a donation to one of its partner charities”.
The third race in the series will be a ‘driver’s choice’ track, raced on April 11, while round four is a ‘random draw’ track (April 18).
The Circuit of The Americas hosts round five on April 25 and a non-IndyCar ‘dream’ track will conclude the series on May 2.
Barber Motorsports Park entry list
1 Josef Newgarden
2 Scott McLaughlin
4 Sebastien Bourdais
5 Pato O’Ward
6 Robert Wickens
7 Oliver Askew
8 Marcus Ericsson
9 Scott Dixon
10 Felix Rosenqvist
11 Kyle Kaiser
12 Will Power
14 Tony Kanaan
15 Graham Rahal
18 Santino Ferrucci
20 Conor Daly
21 Ed Carpenter
22 Simon Pagenaud
24 Sage Karam
26 Zach Veach
27 Alexander Rossi
28 Kyle Kirkwood
29 James Hinchcliffe
41 Dalton Kellett
48 Jimmie Johnson
55 Alex Palou
59 Felipe Nasr
60 Jack Harvey
88 Colton Herta
98 Scott Speed
