DGFX and ClubSports have joined forces to create new racing organization with uniform regulations.
Photo credit: IVRA League
Two of staples of virtual endurance racing have announced a new partnership. DGFX and ClubSports will team up to found the International Virtual Racing Association (IRVA).
The IRVA will feature a multitude of new series with an open qualification system and invitationals.
The collaboration comes as a pleasant surprise as many fans of esports racing voice their concern over the fragmented market and the lack of uniform regulations.
ClubSports organizer Julian Bell describes the purpose of the IRVA as following:
A major consideration of that was condensing and simplifying the regulations as much as possible while being fully transparent about the operation and expectations of all series for both Race Control and competitors.
Examples of new unified rules include a single point scoring system across all series as well as a regulated penalty system. The ClubSports Series will keep its name, while DGFX will become the IRVA endurance series.
The IRVA will also establish a license system. Although the initial classification in the IRVA system will depend on one’s rating from iRacing (iRating), results in IRVA-sanctioned events will have an impact as well. The organization pushes for more accurate ratings “if indeed [the pilot’s] iRating is not representative of their speed.”
The idea behind IRVA isn’t new. Previously the International Sim Racing Federation (ISRF) has tried a similar apporach. In an effort to professionalize esports and attract sponsors, the ISRF was founded in 2017 as an NGO, with arguably mediocre success. The question whether the IRVA is meant as a competitor or an extension is up for debate.
A provisional event plan has been released, along with the partnership announcement. Besides the pre-existing endurance race series and the ClubSport Series, there are also timelines for a GT Sprint tournament and a Club Cup. A first IRVA series could be held in September.
