IndyCar: Why hasn't Pippa Mann competed in iRacing?

Pippa Mann shared why she has not competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge, despite the opportunity it presents for drivers who don’t compete full-time in real life.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, IndyCar and iRacing teamed up to create the IndyCar iRacing Challenge, which gives the drivers a way to compete against one another in the virtual world during these times of lockdown and uncertainty.

Unlike many sports, IndyCar has an advantage in that the drivers are still actually able to compete against one another doing what they would be doing in real life: driving race cars.

Because this is sim racing and not real racing, however, the IndyCar iRacing Challenge has also provided the opportunity for a number of drivers to compete who otherwise wouldn’t be able to compete for one reason or another.

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In total, 38 drivers have competed in at least one race so far. These drivers include a number of part-time drivers who compete for teams with limited budgets, some NASCAR drivers who have never actually driven open-wheel cars, and even Robert Wickens, who was left paralyzed from the waist down following a nasty wreck at Pocono Raceway in August of 2018.

But one driver who has not competed in any one of the first four races of the IndyCar iRacing Challenge at virtual Watkins Glen International, virtual Barber Motorsports Park, virtual Michigan International Speedway or virtual Twin Ring Motegi is Pippa Mann, and she has no plans to start now.

Mann has never been a full-time IndyCar driver, and she has recently competed in only the Indianapolis 500 each year. She memorably failed to qualify for the race in 2018. After returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a career-best 16th place effort last year, there are doubts as to whether she will be able to compete in the race this year due to a lack of funding.

She hasn’t competed in more than the Indy 500 since the 2016 season when she also competed in the race at Pocono Raceway for Dale Coyne Racing. She hasn’t run a part-time schedule since she ran an ovals-only schedule for Dale Coyne Racing in the 2015 season.

So why wouldn’t she take advantage of the opportunity to compete against the sport’s stars in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge each weekend — or any weekend?

This is a question that she has received many times, and she elaborated in a lengthy post that she shared to Facebook and to Twitter via a number of tweets.

She cited the money she would have to spend on sim equipment as well as the fact that she considers herself a “feel” driver, effectively meaning that the feedback she gets from driving a sim doesn’t help her like the feedback she gets from driving a real car would. She also noted that the screens and her depth perception can give her massive headaches and nausea.

I’m self employed, and I only earn money when I’m on the road working. I’ve currently been home for 5-6 weeks (I lose count at this point... 😅), and I don’t know when I’ll next be back at the race track working, but it looks like maybe another month at least.
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

I’m very lucky to have some savings, but for context, my plan this year was to try and save up for a newer road car by the end of the year. My current has 130,000 miles on it, and is worth less than $5,000. She’s served me well, but I was hoping by end of year it would be time.
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

I also get this question in response to the above, and if I was going to use it after, then obviously this would make the investment something I would give more serious consideration to. However unfortunately in practical terms, it’s not something I would use after. Why not?
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

Seriously though at the #Indy500 in an @IndyCar this allows me to find the edge of adhesion of my chassis, and stay ahead of my tires during a stint. Back in Indy Lights it allowed me qualify on the front row at every super speedway race in 2010, and win in Kentucky with no dash.
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

I have yet to ever drive a sim I could “feel”. Admittedly I’ve never had the funds to try a serious sim like the @DallaraIndyFty or @TeamChevy sim, but in any sim I’ve tried to drive with minimal movement, I can’t feel the sim car at all.
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

This obviously does not build confidence(!), but it does help me cut my learning time on a new track.

However I also experience other symptoms while trying to sim drive...
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

So I hope this makes sense, and answers your questions. When you see people continuing to ask this, please help me out and direct them to this thread! 🏁

Thank you for yous continued support! Here’s hoping we can all get back to what we love soon! 🤗
— Pippa Mann (@PippaMann) April 19, 2020

Next. Top 10 IndyCar drivers of all-time. dark

Hopefully the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place as scheduled on Sunday, August 23, and hopefully Pippa Mann will be one of the 33 drivers in the field.

The next race on the IndyCar iRacing Challenge schedule is scheduled to take place this Saturday, April 25 at virtual Circuit of the Americas to replace what was scheduled to have been the track’s real-life race weekend. This race is set to be broadcast live on NBC Sports Network beginning at 2:30 p.m. ET.

IndyCar: Why hasn’t Pippa Mann competed in iRacing?

By Asher Fair | Apr 22, 2020

Pippa Mann shared why she has not competed in the IndyCar iRacing Challenge, despite the opportunity it presents for drivers who don’t compete full-time in real life.