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The Virgin Australia Supercars Championship is considering setting up an official video game based competition as part of an expansion into the eSports market.
The series CEO James Warburton is working to set up a platform which would see gamers take on current drivers in the series.
A similar program has been piloted successfully by the FIA Formula E Championship with current drivers racing against gamers and fans.
Nissan has taken the lead on using the virtual racing world with its GT Academy scheme which turned gamers into professional racing drivers.
A report on Supercars’ official website says a possible plan is being hatched in conjunction with retail giant Harvey Norman and sponsor of the #78 Nissan Altima driven by Simona de Silvestro.
The growing eSports market is set to be worth $1.2 billion with official eSports teams and global sporting franchises involved in competitions all over the world.
Supercars already features in the popular Gran Turismo (Playstation) and Forza Motorsport (Microsoft Xbox) titles along with the iconic Mount Panorama circuit, providing a basis for a possible virtual competition.
“One of the strategies we’re driving as part of the 2025 vision is to engage with new fans,” Warburton told Supercars.com.
“I think we’re extremely well advanced in this area because the platforms already exist.
“We’ve got the games with our cars and teams already on them, as well as big events and the capacity to stream it online through our digital platforms.
“We’re working through an association with Harvey Norman to figure out exactly what it looks like.
“The ability to bring Bathurst to life through an eSports event and giving fans the ability to race against our Supercars drivers is certainly a logical option.
“It’s very much in the development phase, but it’s an area where a lot of sports are currently looking to get into and it’s a shared vision with Harvey Norman.”
