Supercars Eseries: Do some drivers have an advantage?
Start your engines and fire up your computers because the BP Supercars All Star Eseries is on tonight. We’ve got all the juicy goss on the drivers and where to watch the race. Whilst all the competitors have similar car setups to their physical cars, do some drivers have an advantage? Let’s find out!
Want a sneak peek at the BP Supercars All Stars Eseries? Take a look at this snippet from our practice session yesterday 👀 #VASC pic.twitter.com/SDLHNkGCeW
— Supercars (@supercars) April 7, 2020
Some drivers may have an advantage…
Jamie Whincup, seven-time Virgin Australia Supercars Champion, might be an easy pick for the win. Whincup however doesn’t think this is the case. In an interview with Supercars, Whincup said his money is on Shane van Gisbergen (SVG): “My money’s on my teammate, SVG, to be up the front. I know he races against a few of the guys down Pit Lane, even some of the Formula 1 drivers, so hopefully he’ll be representing the Red Bull Holden Racing Team on the podium.”
It’s a well-known fact SVG is a decent sim racing driver. Both SVG and Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Driver) have competed in virtual sim racing events together in the past. These drivers might have an advantage as they are more accustomed to driving on a simulator. Another driver who is well on his way to victory is Scott McLaughlin. McLaughlin, the reigning Supercars 2019 Champion, is already off to a great start. Just last weekend he had his first victory on iRacing — the same platform being used for the BP Supercars All Star Eseries. He took home the Indy title, winning the Grand Prix of Alabama. McLaughlin competed from his house in Australia. With this win under his belt, he’s keen to show off his skills! He stated the following in a press release:
I’m a big fan of online racing, and you can often find me in my Simworx simulator keeping my eye in between races. With this unprecedented situation meaning we can’t race our real cars, I think this is as good a substitute as possible. How cool is it that we can do this? We’re pretty much the only sport that can still compete in the online space.
McLaughlin furthermore says this sport has the potential to open up to a “whole new legion of fans.”
Other drivers to look out for are André Heimgartner, Will Davison, Anton De Pasquale, Nick Percat, and Chaz Mostert. Each of these drivers has experience with simulator driving and competing. Some of them have been streaming on their Twitch channels, and others are even practicing in full-motion simulators! Now that’s gotta be an unfair advantage!
The comedic side of things
Other drivers aren’t so lucky, or rather, they are taking a more comedic approach to the Eseries. Rick Kelly, driver for Kelly Racing, built his own simulator. He’s been practicing at home in the garage and having some laughs too. Seems like Kelly wants to just enjoy himself.
Should make for an interesting night! 😂
➡️ https://t.co/ofz1jECFJo #VASC
— Supercars (@supercars) April 8, 2020
Drivers like Whincup are welcoming the chance to simply race during this difficult time. He said the following in a Supercars interview:
We always want to put on a good show, so it’s great for the sport and the fans knowing we can still race while the season is on hold… I’m looking forward to having some fun with the Supercars All Stars Eseries and giving the fans something to cheer for until we can hit the track again.
Regardless of who has the advantage here, Supercars and motorsport fans are sure to be thankful they have the opportunity to watch some racing. Oh, and there are a couple of wild card drivers still to be revealed. Keep an eye out for who these mysterious challengers may be.
Watch all the Eseries action
It all starts tonight. There are a variety of ways to tune into the Supercars Eseries. All the official channels are below, including the Supercars Twitch channel. Each of the teams will also be streaming on their individual Facebook pages.
Everywhere you look, there will be some BP Supercars All Stars Eseries action tonight 😉
This is where you can catch the action ➡️ https://t.co/7Ahv1pH4nG #VASC pic.twitter.com/d0xiJJeg47
— Supercars (@supercars) April 8, 2020
Some drivers like McLaughlin and De Pasquale might even be streaming on their own Twitch channels. However you want to tune into the series, Supercars has you covered. Check out the full agenda for the BP Supercars All Star Eseries.
About the Author
Michelle is a Content Producer in the realms of innovation and technology. Known as the “Hackathon Queen” 👑 you'll often find her on stage MC’ing or speaking on a range of topics from artificial intelligence, to business, community engagement, the future of work, and esports. With a background in both science and arts, Michelle writes extensively on a range of topics including innovation, startups, corporate culture, esports, business development, and more. She has a passion for gaming and combines this with her experience in a range of industries. Michelle brings a unique insight into esports innovation and draws many parallels between the physical world of sport, and the digital world of esports.
