Maiden Georgian Digital Racing Championship set for start

Racing cars will form on a virtual grid in series of races for over a month starting tomorrow, as professional and amateur racing drivers gear up to join the first-ever Georgian Digital Racing Championship.

The series will see Georgian racing enthusiasts join thousands of simulation racing enthusiasts around the world who have organised digital championships and official eSports tournaments for years but saw a more general increase in popularity of their competitions in the realm of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Organised by the Georgian Automobile Sport Federation and Simulexe Racing, the Georgian competition will see six races held in the Assetto Corsa simulation software on well-known European and North American circuits.

The GASF said organisers would welcome any interested simracers with necessary hardware and software to register for the championship. The races are designed to reveal an ultimate winner after a season of racing, with the champion non-professional participant selected to represent Georgia in the next Motorsport Games by the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The first championship will launch at the California-based Laguna Seca racetrack before moving to the Italian circuits of Vallelunga and Magione. The series will conclude with three races at Nurburgring, Zandvoort and Imola.

Practice sessions will precede qualifying and race, with two races of eight to 10 laps held - the second in reverse grid format. Racing incidents during the sessions are set to be reviewed by FIA steward Matthew Norman.