While there have been several sim racing to real world racing programs, another one has come along to revolutionise the concept.
There have been many success stories of sim racers going through programs to compete in the real world. GT Academy, World’s Fastest Gamer and many more have proven that people who can race on a sim can translate that into real world pace.
With so many drivers not having the funding to facilitate a racing career, sim racing is a relatively inexpensive alternative. But what’s the next step that could be taken to help racing hopefuls transition from the sim into the real thing? Racing Prodigy may have the answer.
What makes Racing Prodigy Special?
In all of those aforementioned sim racing to real racing competitions, the organisers have had the competitors race against each other. Then the one or two drivers who win are granted the opportunity of a drive in a real world racing championship. They then go up against seasoned drivers who have been competing for many years.
Racing Prodigy is different, as instead of an established pre-existing championship, the selected drivers will race for a full season in a dedicated series. 15 drivers aged 13 or over will enter into evaluations at Atlanta Motorsports Park driving Radical SR1 cars from 30 October – 1 November, in the hopes of getting drafted by competing teams for the inaugural season in 2024.
Racing Prodigy will host various tournaments across four different racing game platforms; iRacing, rFactor 2, RaceRoom and an iOS game called Street Kart Racing. The first competition is the Prodigy Racing League GR86 Cup Open Challenge on iRacing, with hotlap qualifiers on Zolder in the GR86 opening 19 June and running until 25 June.
The top 40 after the qualifiers end will be entered into two semi final races on 1 July, with the top ten in both progressing to the final the following day. The winner of the final will earn a Prodigy Pass, giving them eligibility to take part in the evaluations at Atlanta Motorsports Park.
Second and third place get prizes too, in the form of an Asetek Invicta wheelbase and a SIM-LAB P1-X frame respectively. A random competitor from any of the tournaments will also be gifted a pair of Invicta racing gloves.
But if you don’t win the GR86 Cup Open Challenge, that’s not the end. More events will open up on the respective platforms. These will be revealed in due course, with up to 12 competitions running before the first Prodigy Week evaluations later this year.
For 2024, RP are aiming to have more competitions open up for drivers to compete in a second Prodigy Week in April next year. The hope is that by the time the draft comes, 24 drivers will be selected to compete in the first season.
Racing Prodigy CEO David Cook commented:
At Racing Prodigy, we are lowering the financial barriers to enter motorsports to the same level as traditional sports. The PRL is the new home for racers of all backgrounds and abilities, where they can chase their motorsports dreams from the screen to the track.
We believe everyone should have an opportunity to participate in motorsports, and today is a momentous step forward.
How To Enter
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, join Racing Prodigy’s Discord to keep up to date with which competitions are eligible to qualify for the evaluations.
To register for the Prodigy Racing League GR86 Cup Open Challenge on iRacing, go to the Racing Prodigy website page for the event here. Also follow their events on YouTube and Twitch.
Will you be attempting to qualify for Racing Prodigy? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
