Eight finalists have been selected to do battle in the inaugural Supercars esports competition at next week’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.
Gamers from across Australia have participated in the Harvey Norman Supercars Forza Challenge by cutting virtual laps around Mount Panorama utilising Xbox’s Forza Motorsport 6.
The top eight qualifiers were separated by just over a second over the single lap sprint, setting the stage for a close battle in the grand final at Bathurst.
As previously reported, gamers will also pair up with Supercars drivers Shane van Gisbergen, Scott McLaughlin, Chaz Mostert, Nick Percat, David Reynolds, Lee Holdsworth, Simona de Silvestro and Alex Rullo for a special All Stars Challenge virtual race.
Jacob Harvey, from Nagambie in regional Victoria, near Winton Motor Raceway, was the top qualifier clocking a lap time of 2.04.798s in a Ford Falcon FG X.
“I’m really looking forward to it, four of (the other qualifiers) I race online. We’re all pretty keen to get into it,” said Harvey.
“I’ve been following the Supercars championship since I first went to Winton (in 2001) – if you ask some of my mates they call me the encyclopaedia of Supercars.”
Joining Harvey, 23, in the top eight were Adrian Yalpi (22), Andrew Dyson (29), Jarrod Lamprey (22), Matthew Gater (22), Jonathon Burrows (32), Matthew Bink (21) and Matthew Collins (21).
The Harvey Norman Supercars Forza Challenge finals will take place over a 10 race series with the final to be broadcast live on the Saturday night of the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 via the championship’s official website.