Action-starved race fans will have the opportunity to watch some of the big names of global motorsport compete against the world’s best esports racers in a unique online battle this weekend.

“The Race All-Star Esports Battle” has been created by Torque Esports in partnership with leading race simulation software rFactor2. The race has been scheduled in response to the glut of race cancellations that have hit the sport in response to the COVID-19 virus and is part of the flourishing global “stay at home economy”.

Race fans hungry for action have been hit by the cancellation of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, Formula E races in China, Rome and Jakarta, the Long Beach IndyCar Grand Prix and the IMSA and FIA WEC rounds at Sebring International Raceway.

Additional races will be held without spectators including the scheduled St Petersburg IndyCar race this weekend and the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.

Torque Esports – the creator of the World’s Fastest Gamer “gamer-to-racer” program – has established this weekend’s race to fill the void for fans around the world. The-Race.com’s YouTube channel will live stream this week’s action as racers compete in high performance virtual single seater/open-wheel cars on the rFactor 2 platform

“Race fans are desperate for some action but the recent glut of cancellations has really opened the opportunity for us to present a brilliant virtual event,” The-Race.com’s Head of Motorsport, Andrew van de Burgt said.

“Unlike traditional races, all our competitors will not be in the same place – eliminating any concerns of transmitting the virus. This is the beauty of virtual racing – we’ll have 40 racers competing around the world from their own homes and then thousands of fans also watching without having to leave their couch.”

Action-starved race fans will have the opportunity to watch some of the big names of global motorsport compete against the world’s best esports racers in a unique online battle this weekend.

“The Race All-Star Esports Battle” has been created by Torque Esports in partnership with leading race simulation software rFactor2. The race has been scheduled in response to the glut of race cancellations that have hit the sport in response to the COVID-19 virus and is part of the flourishing global “stay at home economy”.

Race fans hungry for action have been hit by the cancellation of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, Formula E races in China, Rome and Jakarta, the Long Beach IndyCar Grand Prix and the IMSA and FIA WEC rounds at Sebring International Raceway.

Additional races will be held without spectators including the scheduled St Petersburg IndyCar race this weekend and the upcoming Bahrain Grand Prix.

Torque Esports – the creator of the World’s Fastest Gamer “gamer-to-racer” program – has established this weekend’s race to fill the void for fans around the world. The-Race.com’s YouTube channel will live stream this week’s action as racers compete in high performance virtual single seater/open-wheel cars on the rFactor 2 platform

“Race fans are desperate for some action but the recent glut of cancellations has really opened the opportunity for us to present a brilliant virtual event,” The-Race.com’s Head of Motorsport, Andrew van de Burgt said.

“Unlike traditional races, all our competitors will not be in the same place – eliminating any concerns of transmitting the virus. This is the beauty of virtual racing – we’ll have 40 racers competing around the world from their own homes and then thousands of fans also watching without having to leave their couch.”

Racers confirmed for the event include FIA Formula E championship points-leader, António Félix da Costa, World’s Fastest Gamer winners Rudy van Buren and heroic young British racer Billy Monger who returned to the track in 2017 after having both his legs amputated following a high-speed crash.

20 racers will be hand-picked for the event with another 20 rFactor 2 racers earning their spot through a global single-lap qualifying session on Saturday.

Two group sprint racers will be held on Sunday along with a last-chance qualifier. A total of 24 racers will battle for the US$10k prize money package in the final.

“We staged an in-venue rFactor event recently with Juan Pablo Montoya winning our Miami’s Fastest Gamer race last month,” Torque Esports President and CEO, Darren Cox said.

“The level of competition was incredible and now we’re looking to raise the bar even higher. From the fan’s perspective, the action will be just like watching a Formula 1 race or IndyCar race on TV.”

The live-stream of “The Race All-Star Esports Battle” features full broadcast-quality coverage and race commentators calling the action. The Race YouTube Channel has established itself as a leading video home for Formula 1 fans in 2020 – attracting more than 4.2 million video views in February and more than 20 million minutes of content viewed.

rFactor 2 is a leading sim racing platform featuring in-depth accuracy and best-in-class physics, challenging drivers globally with dynamic environments. From open-wheelers to GT racing and historics, everything can be raced on iconic tracks of the motorsport world in this high-class simulation.