THE Speedway Sedans Australia 2020 eSports Modified Sedan National Championship breaks new ground tonight, with a bumper field set to tackle the online competition over three days.
In fact, the event has broken all records to be the biggest speedway national championship ever hosted in the southern hemisphere, which has resulted in an extension on the original format.
The who’s who of Australian Speedway feature in the 305-strong nomination list, with in excess of 10 current and former national title holders, plus a host of state title winners all keen to claim the silverware in the inaugural event.
That includes Mount Gambier’s Anthony Beare, who is one of the favourites to take his on-track performances into the virtual realm.
Beare has claimed many championship titles over the course of his career, but admits this will be a tough one, with dedicated gamers also in the mix.
Those gamers would hold a distinct advantage, with plenty of experience in the online world.
Many of the physical speedway drivers have had to play catch up to familiarise themselves with “sim” racing, which includes a range of set-up options for the cars.
Penola’s Steven Gartner said that was one area he struggled to come to terms with.
The cars reflect the graphics seen on clay ovals around Australia, which adds to the overall spectacle of the event.
The original plan was to cap the field at 240, but with the extreme interest shown in the competition, the final figure of 305 was reached, with other hopefuls missing out, such was the desire to race.
Two qualification events will run tonight, with three more tomorrow, before the big race on Sunday night to decide the championship.
The top 12 drivers from each of the five qualifying groups will transfer through to the championship decider Sunday.
Each group contains 61 drivers, with three heats for each driver.
Prize packs are on offer for each night for group winners, along with the top qualifier.
The best presented car as voted by the fans will be rewarded, along with a hard charger award in the feature race.
The overall top five receive prizes, but the big one is for the national champion.
While it may be an online series, the winner will receive free Speedway Sedans Australia vehicle registration for the 2020-21 season, plus a 12-month competition, officials or mechanics licence.
The inaugural 2020 eSports Modified Sedan Championship trophy is up for grabs, which has attracted plenty of attention so far.
In all it adds plenty of interest to the competition, which promises three nights of entertaining racing for fans.
All the action will be live streamed for free on the Speedway Sedans Australia and Speedway Australia social media platforms.
The event kicks off tonight at 6.30pm South Australian time, while tomorrow’s heats start at 4pm SA time.
Sunday’s championship feature race kicks off at 6.30pm SA time.
Take note of daylight savings, which finishes early Sunday morning.
