rFactor 2: INDYCAR Pro Challenge - Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Il circuito dell'inaugurale INDYCAR-Motorsport Games Pro Challenge di mercoledì 9 febbraio è stato rivelato: il percorso stradale dell'Indianapolis Motor Speedway. La gara di stasera è il primo evento ufficiale di eSport tra Motorsport Games e INDYCAR, con gare che si svolgono sulla piattaforma PC rFactor 2. I fan possono sintonizzarsi per guardare l'intera giornata della gara sul canale YouTube di INDYCAR, a partire dal pre-show alle 18:00 (ET).

L'azione in pista inizierà alle 18:15, con la conclusione della gara e le interviste che si svolgeranno intorno alle 19:15. Kevin Lee, ospite di INDYCAR di NBC Sports e giornalista ai box, e Chris McCarthy, commentatore di Sky Sports F1 INDYCAR, saranno i padroni di casa. Ventitré piloti della NTT INDYCAR SERIES correranno stasera sul circuito di 14 curve e 2,439 miglia che incorpora parte del famoso ovale, incluso il campione in carica della serie Alex Palou e il quattro volte e in carica della 500 Miglia di Indianapolis presentato dal vincitore di Gainbridge Helio Castroneves.

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The site of the inaugural INDYCAR-Motorsport Games Pro Challenge on Wednesday, Feb. 9 has been revealed: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

Tonight’s race is the first official esports event between Motorsport Games and INDYCAR, with racing taking place on the rFactor 2 PC platform. Fans can tune in to watch the full race day at the INDYCAR YouTube channel, starting with the pre-show at 6 p.m. (ET).

On-track action will start at 6:15 p.m., with the race conclusion and interviews to take place thereafter at approximately 7:15 p.m. NBC Sports’ INDYCAR host and pit reporter Kevin Lee and Sky Sports F1 INDYCAR commentator Chris McCarthy will be the hosts.

The identity of the IMS road course as the race location was withheld from the field until today to keep drivers guessing and add a fun element of mystery to the competition.

Twenty-three NTT INDYCAR SERIES athletes will race tonight on the 14-turn, 2.439-mile circuit that incorporates part of the famous IMS oval, including reigning series champion Alex Palou and four-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge winner Helio Castroneves.

I primi tre classificati effettueranno donazioni a un ente di beneficenza a loro scelta, con il primo posto che vincerà $ 10.000, il secondo posto $ 8.000, il terzo posto $ 5.000 e una lotteria per i partecipanti di $ 2.500. L'evento fa parte di un accordo esclusivo raggiunto nel luglio 2021 tra INDYCAR e Motorsport Games, uno dei principali sviluppatori di giochi di corse, editore e fornitore di ecosistemi di eSport di serie ufficiali di corse automobilistiche in tutto il mondo. La partnership produrrà una serie virtuale e un videogioco INDYCAR che dovrebbe essere lanciato nel 2023 su PlayStation, Xbox e PC.

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The format for each heat and the race:

• Heat 1
  • 10-minute duration
  • Random draw starting grid
  • Points will be awarded
• Heat 2
  • 10-minute duration
  • Starting grid order to be the reverse of Heat 1
  • Points will be awarded
• Race
  • 20-minute duration
  • Starting grid order to be determined by points position after both heats

The top three finishers will receive donations to a charity of their choice, with first place winning $10,000, second place $8,000, third place $5,000 and an entrant lottery of $2,500.

If the real world translates to the virtual sim racing world, watch out for 2016 series champion and 2019 Indy 500 winner Pagenaud tonight. The Frenchman has three career victories on the circuit, all in the GMR Grand Prix (2014, 2016 and 2019).

Other IMS road course winners entered tonight are Josef Newgarden (Harvest GP Race 1, 2020) and Rinus VeeKay (GMR Grand Prix, 2021).

The features plenty of action spots. But look to Turns 1 and 7, at the end of the two longest straightaways on the circuit, to be prime passing zones.

Another sneaky spot for overtaking is Turn 12, where drivers brake hard for a right-hand turn into a chicane complex inside Turn 1 of the IMS oval. Plus any driver who misses any of the braking points or apexes in that tight chicane complex could be a sitting duck for a trailing driver with momentum once they exit Turn 14 and hurtle down the main straightaway at IMS, crossing the famous Yard of Bricks.

The event is part of an exclusive agreement reached in July 2021 between INDYCAR and Motorsport Games, a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world. The partnership will produce a virtual series and an INDYCAR video game expected to launch in 2023 on PlayStation, Xbox and PC.

[Fonte Indycar.com]