Motorsport fans attending January’s Autosport International show in Birmingham will be able to watch and take part in a variety of esports activities, including high-profile pro events for the Le Mans Esports Series and DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series.
Esports will take a bigger-than-ever-before presence at Autosport International, which will be held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham between 9-12 January, with a number of motorsport disciplines represented for top-level gamers and fans alike.
The Le Mans Esports Series will host an exhibition race on stage at Autosport International, allowing a team to qualify directly for its finale during the race week of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Endurance racing fans will be able to watch this event at a peak time on Saturday, 11 January, the first public day of the show. Teams can still apply to take part in the Le Mans Esports Series event through its website: www.lemansesports.com
Rally and rallycross racing will also be represented on the stage as the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series hosts its grand final on Sunday, 12 January. This exciting event will feature the six best rally drivers and six best rallycross drivers from the off-road DiRT Rally 2.0 game competing for a total prize fund of $10,000.
Fans attending Autosport International will also be able to try their hand at sim racing with a variety of different platforms available during the show. No prior registration for these is required, and budding drivers can simply turn up and set their best lap times.
The Le Mans Esports Series will also be presented here, where endurance racing fans can set their own lap times. The drivers who set the three quickest times from the show’s four days will be invited to Le Mans in June to compete in the final alongside the Pro teams, with travel included and a chance to get on the historic Le Mans podium.
DiRT Rally 2.0 will also be available for fans to show their skills in an off-road sim environment, along with NASCAR Heat 4 for American stock car racing and Codemasters’ multi-discipline GRID game.
Autosport International’s esports events and displays will be organized by Motorsport Games and its racing esports specialist event team, Virtually Entertained, which is based at the Silverstone race track less than an hour from the National Exhibition Centre, Autosport International’s venue.
Stephen Hood, President, Motorsport Games:
“We can’t wait to showcase the latest in high-quality competitive racing games at the Autosport International show, demonstrating how Motorsport Games is involved at the forefront of the competitive racing esports scene. Visitors will be able to get their hands on two of Codemasters’ latest offerings, GRID and DiRT Rally 2.0, as well as 704Games’ NASCAR Heat 4 and experience the ‘Le Mans Spirit’ through Microsoft’s Forza Motorsport 7.
“In addition to playable games, our esports team will be hosting the Grand Final of the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series and the Le Mans Esports Series exhibition race on our main stage whilst simultaneously livestreaming to the outside world.
“These public activations and professional esports showcases shine a spotlight on the incredible racing game experiences available in 2020, and Motorsport Games is proud to be part of both the legacy and future of this space for years to come.”
The variety of esports displays and races will take place during Autosport International on 9-12 January at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. For details on ticket offers, visit the show’s website: www.autosportinternational.com.