BMW M Motorsport becomes iRacing’s “Official Safety Car Partner” for the largest events on the popular simulation platform.

Munich. BMW M Motorsport and iRacing will launch a completely new type of cooperation in the 2025 virtual racing season: As “Official Safety Car Partner”, BMW M Motorsport will provide the lead car at some of the largest races on the realistic simulation platform. The car in use will be the BMW M2 CS Racing, which has been available free of charge for all iRacing users as an entry-level model since December. Sporting a special design and equipped with the characteristic Safety Car roof beam, the car will appear on track at many of the most popular Special Events.

As in real-world motor racing, a lead car will take the field around a formation lap at classic iRacing events such as the 24 Hours of Daytona (USA), the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (GER), or the “Petit Le Mans” at Road Atlanta (USA), before the participants launch their hunt for points with a “flying start”. The BMW M2 CS Racing is the youngest member of the BMW M Motorsport fleet on iRacing, while the BMW M2 Racing successor model is ready and waiting to hit the real racetrack for the 2026 season.

“This Safety Car partnership represents a new chapter in the success story shared by BMW M Motorsport and iRacing,” said Timo Brückner, Project Lead BMW M Automotive Gaming. “Each season, the Special Events attract record levels of participants and have become real community favourites. For example, nearly 20,000 drivers competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona last year. I am delighted that we will enjoy a prominent position next season at the head of the field, with the BMW M2 CS Racing at these highlight events. Just as in real life, this race car is also the perfect entry-level model on iRacing, allowing drivers to later gain experience with the BMW M4 GT4, the BMW M4 GT3, and even in the BMW M Hybrid V8.”

Tony Gardner, iRacing president, said: “We have a strong partnership with BMW M Motorsport dating back more than a decade, having brought seven BMW race cars to iRacing. The M2 CS is the latest BMW to join iRacing and has already proven to be incredibly popular with our nearly 300,000 members. BMW M Motorsport becoming the official safety car partner of iRacing special events further solidifies the partnership and enhances the racing experience for our members. It’s exciting to see how important sim racing is to BMW and its brand – we are looking forward to the iRacing Daytona 24 powered by VCO on 18th January.”

There is a tradition of BMW M models appearing as safety cars at motor racing events. Since 1999, BMW M has provided the fleet of high-performance safety cars as “Official Car of MotoGP™”, the top level of motorcycle racing. As of 2025, this concept will now be mirrored in virtual motor racing.

An overview of the iRacing Special Event calendar:

18th January 2025 – 24 Hours of Daytona (USA)

12th February 2025 – 12 Hours of Bathurst (AUS)

22nd March 2025 – 12 Hours of Sebring (USA)

7th June 2025 – Nürburgring 24 Hours (GER)

28th June 2025– Six Hours of Watkins Glen (USA)

12th July 2025 – 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL)

6th September 2025 – 6 Hours of Indianapolis (USA)

4th October 2025 – Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta (USA)

15th November 2025 – Suzuka 1000 km (JPN)