Source: pexels.com
It will probably be months before race track action will be seen in different motorsports channels. Still, e-sports is anticipated to allow race car enthusiasts to witness their heroes with their daredevil racing skills put to action.
The Supercars Company has released a public statement that although the three consecutive races that were scheduled were postponed, an online tournament match will be organized and will showcase the top drivers of the category. Expectedly, these races will be shown through Twitch, Kayo, and Fox Sports, giving motorsports fanatics something exciting to watch while the lockdowns are currently enforced.
Lee Holdsworth, a champion racecar driver who is part of the online tournament, says that the race will be as intense as the track races that we see live. Even paybacks from past races will be seen through these exhilarating online races. He says he is as excited to get into his car and do some action as he has wanted to do something physically active since he, too, was stuck at home because of the pandemic.
Esports essentially offer different possibilities that wouldn’t have been accessible for Supercars, and there should be no reason to limit the action only to the tracks of the United States. They are planning to extend these races to the magnificent tracks in Australia as well. Holdsworth adds that many of his fellow race drivers can’t wait to race internationally, and they want to do it now despite the fact that viewers will be seeing them race through digital platforms.
Source: wallpaperflare.com
Most racing fanatics, on the other hand, agree that Esports can pull this off. People are quarantined at home doing nothing, and when these races go online, all they have to do is jump on their laptops and watch their favorite racers with their families. Though it may be true that they won’t be able to go and watch these races on a real-life track, there are no barriers online. Supercars boast of being one of the most interactive sports companies in the world, and they have made competition online to be as exhilarating as the ones that they get to watch on the tracks.
The organizers and executives of Esports are hoping that their fans will tune in and witness the same hardcore racing that they always prepare for them every time. They said that one good thing about racing online is not having to face the whole team after the race, especially if they finish the race with a lot of damage in their cars. Motorsport, becoming a digital sport, has successfully replicated the real races, as they have perfected their simulators to look very realistic.
The cancellation of sports across the world has left a lot of media companies struggling to figure out what content they will write or report about. With the advent of Esports, these companies have positioned themselves at an advantage. It has filled the gap of many stories that cannot be told because of the lockdowns. Live races or any live content right now would be highly appreciated. NRL has been talking to ESPN about possibly airing in the United States, as with everything closed or suspended, the world has an appetite for live sports.
Source: nellis.af.mil
With strict regulations around social and physical distancing, as well as guidelines to minimize the volume of people in gatherings, one advantage of digital racing is the volume of the production staff as well. There won’t be any need for hundreds of track officers all over the track or cameras that cover all angles of the circuit. The competitors can race remotely and create content for television in the confines of the studio.
Last year, according to the organizers, they had tried to run an event where they gathered all their drivers in the Moore Park Studio, and they were asked to go on simulator setups. They did that for a few rounds, but for the rest of the rounds, they were in their homes using their equipment. They recorded the feeds and produced content in the studio with the use of two cameras and a few commentators and then did a live stream across different digital platforms. How can you top that?