FOR those whose virtual speedway needs were not met over the weekend in the inaugural National eSports Modified Sedan title, there is plenty more action on its way.
This weekend will feature four nights of red-hot online action, as drivers and gamers alike gear up for the Kings eRoyal over the Easter holiday.
Racing kicks off tonight and an impressive 336 drivers signed up for the event before nominations closed on Wednesday.
Speedway Australia’s Tim Savell said it was an easy decision to add another modified sedan event to the iRacing calendar after the pleasing response to the national title.
“The reason I guess we are doubling up is because a lot of people have invested a lot of track time for these cars,” he said.
“They have made a skin for the car with all their sponsors – and a lot of them have paid money to get the skins made up – so we are giving them another opportunity to use the same car.”
This weekend will be run in a slightly different format to the national title, but will still have groups of 60 drivers compete in heats.
A total of 15 heats will be contested by each group, with drivers completing three each.
From there the top two drivers on points will receive an automatic transfer to the finals night, while the remaining competitors will fight their way through a series of dash races, with the starting order determined by heat points.
Savell said the iRacing format has taken the country by storm.
“At the moment if you have mates from around Australia and you want to get together to race a national title, you have a three-day tow to get to some places,” he said.
“Here you hop into your lounge room or your study and get to race against your mates all around the country.
“It has some advantages there that people are clearly getting on board with.
“My own Facebook newsfeed is full of people off buying steering wheels and pedals and all that sort of stuff.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has launched iRacing into the limelight and Savell said it was expected to remain a sanctioned part of speedway beyond the health crisis.
“The fact we had five current national champions competing last weekend and 10 former as well – you cannot get that anywhere else,” he said.
“You did not know there was 24 people sitting around the country in their studies behind a computer screen, it was nail-biting stuff and awesome racing.
“The feedback we have is it will carry on and sometime next winter we will do the same deal.”
The online format has also allowed organisers to trial a few things which Savell said will be used in “real life” speedway when it is able to resume.
Savell expects another action-packed weekend, which will precede the next online endeavour for Speedway Australia.
Starting next week a three-part World Series Sprintcar iRacing event will be held, with racing every second weekend and a champion to be crowned at its conclusion.
With interest from both American and New Zealand drivers, it promises to step the game up to the next level.
