This week we will look at the W Series Esports League, WTCR pre-season and Apex Racing League GT Championship.
Photo credit: iRacing Twitter / Lutz H
Women Power
The W-Series is going to impress again. The female-only racing series is arguably one of the most unique in all of esports racing, with its special format and personalities. This week the championship goes into its third round.
In ten events the women motorsports league is going to show the prowess of their drivers in an online environment. They race in the replicas of their cars on iRacing at circuits all around the world. The season’s finale will take us to Silverstone on August 13, where the first champion of the W Series will be crowned.
After continuously dominant performances in the opening stages, Beitske Visser is at the top of the standings with 49 points. The Dutch driver has already seen success as she was the runner-up at the real-life championship last year. Her fellow competitor, 16-year-old Irina Sidorkova, is closely trailing behind with 46 points. The Russian rookie surprised everyone so far with her killer instinct and aggressive overtakes. Former real-life champion Jamie Chadwick is looking for redemption. Chadwick only scored 18 points in the two previous rounds combined, which leaves her in 13th place at the moment.
Round 3 will take us to Brands Hatch, a track usually known for its intriguing races and character. If the performance of the field continues, we could see another banger of a race. Are we going to witness a battle for first or will Beitske Visser extend her lead? If you’re interested tune in to the W-Series Youtube channel Thursday June 25 at 7 PM CEST.
WTCR powerhouses battle it out
This year’s pre-season of WTCR is virtual. With the creation of the Pre-Season Esports WTCR Championship we are now able to see touring car stars go at it on RaceRoom. Every race day holds two races, with the second being in reversed grid. As we are only at the beginning of the season, it is quite hard to make any predictions, but the inaugural event left almost nothing to be desired.
We had impressive performances from both 2019 real-life runner-up Esteban Guerrieri and youngster Attila Tassi. Each of them took one victory home last time at Salzburgring. Previous year’s champion Norbert Michelisz didn’t underwhelm either, placing third in the first race and fourth in the second.
#RaceAtHome 🏁
— FIA WTCR (@FIA_WTCR) June 14, 2020
Esteban Guerrieri and Attila Tassi began their Pre-season Esports #WTCR Championship bids by taking a win each at a virtual Salzburgring this afternoon with all the thrilling action shown on Eurosport and other broadcasters around the world. https://t.co/LrhYtwLfdU pic.twitter.com/VzW3A0iliF
The second round is scheduled for next Sunday, so speculating about next week might be difficult. But if the first round has told us anything, it’s that consistency is key in events that stage two races each round. Esteban Guerrieri is widely known for being a stable performer, so he can always be considered a favorite.
Round 5 brings the fire to ARLC
Apex Racing League Championship’s second season is in full swing. So far, series has shown us some superb racing action since its start mid-May, even though it has largely flown under the radar of most casual fans. The extremely competitive field has fought fiercly for every point so far.
The concept of the ARLC isn’t simple but effective. Drivers are divided into pro and amateur divisions but race together. We have seen crashes that turned the grid on its head, like in Round 1 at Silverstone, start-to-finish victories, as well as a race on Phillip Island in Round 3 that wasn’t shy of highlights and high-octane action.
After visiting the famous circuit de la Sarthe last week, the Apex Racing League sets sights on Watkins Glen International on June 28. As usual we will expect no mercy from the competitors. The leader in points, Tom McMahon and his rival Maik Wiesekopsieker are in an epic battle for first. They are only separated by 18 points now, so it will be exciting to see who will manage to top their counterpart.
If you are interested in what ARLC holds in store for you, tune in to APEX’s Youtube channel on June 28 at 6.50 PM CEST.