The Scottish Motor Racing Club returns to eSports thrills

Hot on the tyre tracks of some scorching eSports Spring Championship virtual racing, the SMRC are holding two summer competitions. You can find out all about them here.

VIRTUAL racers are revving up for the first round of the Scottish Motor Racing Club’s eSports Summer Championship this weekend.

The new SMRC series follows on from a highly successful spring contest – and is bigger and better than before. Competitors using PS4 and Xbox platforms will take to the computerised wheels of Ginetta G40 GT5 cars for seven of the eight rounds.

They will tackle iconic tracks such as Silverstone, Monaco and Bathurst, but Round 4 promises to be a real treat as drivers take on a mini Le Mans 45-minute endurance event in a 2015 Aston Martin Vantage GTE.

The qualifying heats and finals will be streamed via the SMRC Esports Facebook page and SMRC YouTube channel, with the first finals being set at Knockhill on Sunday.

Meanwhile, there is a separate iRacing competition for PC users focusing on GT4 cars, again over eight events with a mix of 30-minute and one-hour races.

The virtual cars being featured are the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR and the BMW M4 GT4, while circuits include Spa-Francorchamps, Interlagos and Monza.

Pre-qualifying takes place on Friday evening (May 29) at Okayama, with Round 1 featuring two half-hour races at the same circuit on June 11 – streamed online in the same way as the PS4/Xbox championship.

SMRC business development manager Rory Bryant said: “Following the success of our Spring Championship, we’ve been delighted by the response to the launch of our Summer eSports Championships, which are now almost at capacity across all three platforms.

“We have a great mix of past and current race drivers, fans and eSports racers entered. With the real season postponed, it’s going to be fascinating to see who can conquer the virtual SMRC world for the time being!

“Clearly, we are all missing being at the real race track but eSports gives our community the opportunity to stay connected and also helps fuel our competitive spirits during these challenging times.”

Meanwhile, the latest SMRC Paddock Pass Podcast is on the topic of eSports and is available on iTunes, Spotify and at www.spreaker.com/show/the-smrc-paddock-pass-podcast