iRacing GT Sprint marred by gravel-seeding controversy

A dispute has erupted in iRacing's competitive GT Sprint community following allegations that three drivers deliberately routed through gravel traps before a qualifying session, depositing loose gravel onto the racing surface. The drivers involved were Taylor Barnard (Formula E), Alex Dunne (Formula 2 and Alpine Academy), and professional simracer Dáire McCormack.

The incident proved consequential because iRacing's simulation engine allows gravel to persist on track between sessions. With GT3 qualifying limited to just eight minutes and drivers effectively having a single flying lap to set their time, encountering unexpected gravel after the Dunlop Chicane could render an entire qualifying attempt invalid. Multiple competitors reported compromised lap times as a result.

McCormack claimed he was unaware that gravel displacement carried over between sessions and denied coordinating with the other drivers. The community response was largely skeptical of this explanation. Reports also surfaced that Barnard and Dunne were competing on alternate accounts rather than their primary profiles.

In response, HYMO removed McCormack from his role as setup creator, though he retains shareholder status as a co-founder of the organisation.