PCA Sim Racing: Let’s Go Racing!

by Robert Walton and Jason Brodigan, Region Sim Racing Co-Chairs

In last month’s article we showed how to get started in PCA Sim Racing by going through the Onboarding process and joining the Entry Class League. After you have completed your five Entry Class League races and successfully completed your check ride, the next step in the progression is to join the Main League and be classified in one of the four League Classes.

The Main League contains all the members of PCA Sim Racing with the exception of the Entry Class League. It is the combination of the members of the four national League Classes and is used in Special Events when all four classes race together. More information is available here: https://pcasimracing.com/leagues/.

The four national League Classes are:

• Challenge (red group)

• Sport (green group)

• Club (orange group)

• Pro (blue group)

PCA Sim Racing League Class assignments are based on driver qualifications, experience, and driver safety. This allows League groupings of drivers with similar pace and skill. League Class rebalancing is done twice per year after completion of the national Series races.

And now we get to the most exciting part: the racing! PCA Sim Racing currently offers seven racing series that run at various times throughout the year. Each series is unique and provides drivers with varying degrees of competition.

The PCA Sim Racing series are:

• Series Racing

• Team Racing Series

• Zone Group Racing

• Arrive & Drive

• Summer Fun Series

• Entry Class League Racing

• PCA Pro GT3 Cup Racing

Series Racing is PCA Sim Racing’s longest running racing series, with Series 1 having been run in spring 2019. “The original intent was to model the PCA Club Racing format on the iRacing platform. Points are awarded based on finishing position over the season to determine the four champions. Maverick Billy Smith II won the inaugural Series 1 championship.

Series racing seasons are typically seven to eight races and are held twice per year in the spring and fall. Races for the four national League Classes are held on different nights of the week. All races are broadcast live on YouTube with professional commentators calling the wheel-to-wheel action. Just search “PCA Sim Racing” on YouTube and check it out.

Series 10 started in March and features 60-minute races, with one pit stop for fuel and tires. Three different Porsches, the GT3 R, GT4, and 911 Cup, will be used over the course of the Series. Series 11 is scheduled for October – November 2023. You can find more information here: https://pcasimracing.com/racing-series/ https://pcasimracing.com/racing-series/.

There are eleven Mavericks racing in Series 10, with three in Pro, four in Club, two in Sport, and two in the Entry League. Wyatt Gooden leads the Pro league with four races completed and four to go.

Team Racing Series uses iRacing’s support of virtual driving Teams. You can invite other drivers to join your team and race against other teams, usually in longer endurance races (3-6 hours). Driver swaps are completed virtually during pit stops.

The six-race 2023 season started in January. The cars used are the Porsche 911 GT3 R and the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR. All cars and all League Classes race on the track at the same time. Teams consist of a minimum of two drivers with no maximum. Each registered driver must drive a Fair Share as determined by iRacing. Team championships are held in four categories: GT3 ProAm, GT3 Am, GT4 ProAm, and GT4 Am, with teams being classified according to their drivers’ League Class.

The 2023 season features two 3-hour races, two 4-hour races, and two 6-hour races. Races are run approximately once a month, so they run concurrently with other PCA Sim Racing seasons. Points are awarded based on finishing position and race length to determine the four championships.

To be successful, teams must implement real world racing strategies: avoiding damage while navigating multiclass traffic, and preserving equipment. You can find more information here: https://pcasimracing.com/teamracing/.

Zone Group Racing is intended to allow PCA Sim Racing drivers in similar time zones to drive and race together, as well as meet at real-life Zone and Region events, just as PCA Zones are designed to unify club members by geographical region.

PCA is divided into 14 Zones that are a collection of the 147 PCA Regions. The Maverick Region is in Zone 5 and is included in the Central Zone Group.

PCA Sim Racing groups the 14 Zones into five Zone Groups: ZG 1 (Wildcats), ZG 2 & 4 (The Founders of Schnell), ZG 3 & 12 (Hurricane Alley),

ZG 5, 10, & 13 (Central Zone Group – CZG), and ZG 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, & 14 (Wild West Zones – WWZ). You can find more information here: https://pcasimracing. com/zone-groups-2/

Entry Class League Racing season follows the national Series Racing schedule, although the format includes a Heat race and a shorter Main feature. Races are not broadcast live, as the emphasis is on learning safe driving and racecraft in a low-pressure environment. You can find more information here: https://pcasimracing.com/entryclass-league/.

PCA Pro GT3 Cup Racing had its inaugural seven-race season in 2022. This series pits past top ten PCA Sim Racing Pro Class sim-drivers against real-life Pro drivers from teams racing the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.

The car used, of course, was the iRacing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992 version).

The five Zone Groups coordinate eDe classes, practices, and practice races each week during the racing season for the four national classes. eDe instructors are available to help with driving and racecraft skills.

Zone Groups face off against each other in a championship series of races once per year. This year the championship featured a three-race series based on the racing team format. Eight cars per Zone Group could be entered in each race with each car having a team of four drivers, one in each of the four national League Classes. The car being driven was the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR.

Arrive & Drive series began in 2022 and runs weekly throughout the year. It features a low-key racing environment where sportsmanship, comradery, and clean racing are the goals. No points are kept, no championships are awarded. If you are serious about winning, please look at the other PCA Sim Racing options.

Races are Sunday afternoon and Monday evening. Races are typically 45 minutes long. The track and car to be used are announced on Sunday morning. The cars available are the 911 GT3 R, the GT3 992 Cup, the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR, and the Ruf RT 12 R Track. Setups are fixed so all drivers are driving the same car. It truly is an arrive-and-drive event. You can find more information here: https://pcasimracing.com/aad/.

Summer Fun Racing is a series of fun races run from June through September. Points are kept for each of the national League Classes, but the points are secondary to the goals of sportsmanship, comradery, and fun.

Summer 2022 featured a nine-race season driving three different cars. Grids were typically 25 – 35 cars, with over 70 drivers participating in a least one race. The season was hosted by the Wild West Zones, but drivers from any Zone Group were welcome to race. You can find more information here: https://pcasimracing.com/summer-funseries/.

Races were 40 minutes long with no pit stops. A mistake or penalty was sure to send a driver to the back of the field. The competition was intense! All the races were broadcast live on YouTube with professional commentators. Ross Bentley of Speed Secrets fame joined the commentary on several races.

This series is invitation only, so you need to start practicing! More information is available here: https:// pcasimracing.com/pro/.

Got questions? We’ve got answers. Email us at

D. Ward, MBA