United States Formula 4 will begin in its own Esports series on iRacing next week, with the champion being awarded a test day in Formula Regional Americas.
Both series are promoted by SCCA Pro Racing, which launched an Esports series for F3R Americas Esports series back in March as a substitute to real racing. The format proved popular, with reigning real-world champion Dakota Dickerson claiming the virtual title.
The equivalent series for F4 will begin on May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track rumoured to be joining the soon-to-be-announced rescheduled 2020 calendar, and race every Tuesday evening for five weeks. Other circuits that will be used include Barber Motorsports Park, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Mid-Ohio.
In league with KCR Simulators and other series partners, US F4 has organised a substantial prize package for the top drivers in the five-round virtual series.
The champion will receive a one day test in F3R Americas with Global Racing Group, which ran Dickerson to the 2019 title, Bell helmet accessories, a free balaclava and a watch. A set of Hankook tyres for use in US F4 and accessories from Bell will be awarded to the title runner-up, and third place will receive the same Bell prize and a training programme lasting three months.
Each half-hour Esports race will be contested using the Dallara F317 car, as previously used in FIA European Formula 3, but with a raised virtual weight and detuned power level to simulate the characteristics of the less powerful F4 car.
As with the F3R Americas Esports series, it is an invitational championship that is initially open to past and present US F4 drivers. If a grid of 33 is not filled then drivers and sim racers from elsewhere will be able to qualify to race each week. Otherwise, there will be an identical knockout format each round to whittle down the interested F4 drivers.