The five-event, 10-race TireRack.com Road to Indy iRacing eSeries Presented by Cooper Tires will conclude virtually on the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course this evening to settle a championship that has pitted current Road to Indy drivers against future series prospects. Six different drivers have claimed race wins with championship contenders Max Esterson and Braden Eves showcasing their skills with a pair of victories each.
The drive of the eSeries thus far however has been from England’s Toby Sowery, who returns to Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires competition with Juncos Racing this season. Sowery is the most recent race winner following a stunning drive from 26th on the grid at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to notch his first eSeries victory.
Esterson, 18, from Water Mill, N.Y., heads into the season finale with a 25-point lead (172 to 147) over Eves, 21, of New Albany, Ohio, who returns to the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2021 with Exclusive Autosport. Young guns rounding out the top five include Bryson Morris, 16, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., with 132 points, Mac Clark, 16, of Campbellville, Canada with 112 points and Max Kaeser, 17, of Keystone, Colo., with 105 points.
The top-five finishing positions in the championship will secure an invitation to the All-Star Invitational to be held virtually on Wednesday evening, March 10, at World Wide Technology Raceway. The event will feature a host of former Road to Indy drivers and champions.
“With four of the five races now complete in this year’s eSeries, and with last week’s round at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca providing our best racing of the season, I’m expecting an epic battle for the championship at Mid-Ohio tonight,” commented Rob Howden, Road to Indy Series Development Director. “In addition, finishing in the top-five in the final standings will secure those drivers invitations into our All-Star race next Wednesday night, which is certain to give us storylines to follow all evening. Mid-Ohio is a tough place to pass, as we all know, so outright pace will be crucial as qualifying well will have extra importance.”
Returning to represent the World Karting Association is 13-year-old Dean Dybdahl, from Grand Island, Fla., the youngest driver in the field who earned his second invitation by winning the WKA’s A-Maxx Racing eSports Series Championship. Dybdahl impressed in his debut at Road America bringing home a fourth and sixth-place finish. He has also been invited to represent the WKA in the All-Star Invitational.
In total, $3,500 in cash awards will be distributed to the top-three finishers in the championship – including the champion’s prize of $2,000 and one hour of sim time at every race on the 2021 schedule provided by SimMetric Driver Performance Labs, the Official Sim Partner of the Road to Indy.
Coverage from a virtual Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course can be found on the Cooper Tire Facebook page, the Road to Indy TV website and App, ApexRacingTV’s YouTube and Facebook and the series’ respective websites. In addition, live coverage will be carried by REV TV Canada.
