Sim Racers to Battle Formula E Pros in $1 Million ‘Road to Vegas’ Championship

As the engine of eSports fires on all cylinders with the likes of GT Academy qualifiers, the Forza Racing Championship, and iRacing’s NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series, Cloud Sport and Formula E are looking to add a significant spark with the recently announced ‘Road to Vegas Challenge.’

Starting Oct. 7, the search for the world’s fastest sim racers will begin with hot lapping and race sessions using Image Space Incorporated’s rFactor 2 on PC. The three-month schedule of events culminates on Jan. 7, 2017 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with 10 speedster gamers pitted against 20 Formula E drivers in a championship shootout for $1 million.

“We believe eSports offers a new level of fan interaction and participation in sport, and we want to be at the forefront of this gaming revolution,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E. “Gamers from all over the world will be able to participate in the ‘Road to Vegas Challenge’ and earn themselves the opportunity to race against the Formula E drivers in a unique eRace.”

If the involvement of Formula E in this eSports spectacular seems eerily familiar, you are not mistaken. Earlier in 2016, the FIA-sanctioned organization teamed up with Microsoft and Turn 10 Studios to host the Race Off Pro Series, which wrapped up in July. Similar to the Forza Motorsport-based event, the ‘Road to Vegas Challenge’ will (virtually) trace the second half of the 2015-2016 Formula E schedule from Long Beach to Paris, then Berlin and London.

This is the first time the ‘Road to Vegas Challenge’ has taken place, and prospective participants should be mindful that entry requirements are stringent — having a commercial wheel and pedal setup is required, among other prerequisites, including payment of a “regulatory fee.”

For complete details and information on how to enter, visit roadtovegas.cloudsport.club.

See more articles on CES 2017, Formula E, rFactor 2, and Road to Vegas.