A core group of MAD Sim Racing drivers have consistently entered the well known iRacing organized racing group The Majors – over the past year and then some with ever-increasing success. As May begins, motorsport fans in the real and virtual spaces look to one place for the month’s build up and highlight: Indianapolis. As we’ve covered extensively on The Into The Apex Podcast, iRacing competitors are missing a staple event this year due to exclusivity contract dealings. There is no Dallara IR-18 at Indy–at least not in any glamour. As it did with the loss of an official Le Mans 24 on iRacing, The Majors Series stepped to the plate and took risks. They announced the 2023 Speedway 500, with the staple pre-qualification and entry process that the Majors knows and pulls off time and again. With multiple splits and multiple broadcasts, unique trophies and challenge coins up for collection, there are plenty of reasons to put the work in for drivers and teams as race week is upon us.

But, arguably, the build-up to this event surpasses even those rewards. As iRacing opened up the Dallara-IR01 to oval racing just this year–just as the IR18 was neutered contractually–this is truly uncharted territory for competitors. The behavior of the car on IMS is familiar, yet different. Drivers that excelled in the IR18 are having to mentally tackle this exclusively virtual prototype Dallara open-wheeler. While we don’t know what the future of “IndyCar” on iRacing might be, and therefore the existence of a May Special Event officially in the years to come, one thing is certain: it will take persistence, practice, race craft, and talent to win any single split of the Speedway 500 this year. And there will only be one series of first time winners in an ambitious effort to keep special May competition at virtual IMS alive on iRacing.

MAD Sim Racing is excited to enter several drivers in the 2023 Speedway 500, in Blue and White MAD Sim Racing/Into The Apex Motorsport Podcast Network Dallara IR01 liveries. Here’s the lineup.

Cody Richardson // andrew kotska // tyler beamon // ken leung // miles crabbe // rodger schank // patrick stein // robert gregoire // Patrick Fogel // David Hall