Niterra to launch bigger Esports Cup competition for 2024

Building on the success of two exciting virtual racing seasons, Niterra is once again preparing to launch its 2024 Esports Cup, an event series that further cements the company’s strong sponsorship of motorsports.

The ignition and vehicle electronics specialist will hold the competition over five months from the end of this year, this time in collaboration with iRacing, the premier global motorsport racing simulation platform. Through this dynamic new partnership, the company will be able to target its Social Media fans, young mechanics in the EMEA region, members of the so-called Generations Z and Alpha, and Niterra’s customer base. Participants over the age of 16 will be treated to an even bigger global event that will begin on 15 December of this year with online qualifying races.

Participants from more than 80 countries will take to the virtual Zolder racing circuit in Belgium to begin the competition. For the first time, there will be no leaderboards, meaning an even more exciting competition for drivers as they get to race live against one another. Players will register on a race-by-race basis, with the points tally determining on which server they compete. The top server, with the best drivers, will be streamed live on the company’s YouTube channel, as well as on iRacing. Further information on the Esports Cup can be found on the company’s Social Media outlets, which include Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, as well as, for the first time, on a dedicated Esports Cup landing page, which will be launched to gather all the information in one place at a glance.

The Nürburgring final will be broadcast live too with accompanying race build-up and analysis, together with pre- and post-race interviews with the contestants, the winner and the runners-up.

“After enjoying an extremely successful first two seasons with our Esports Cup, we are taking the competition to another level and reaching a much bigger audience with our new partner iRacing”, explained Frank Massia, Director Marketing Aftermarket EMEA, Niterra EMEA GmbH. “Additionally, not only are we extending the reach of the event by including many new countries, we will also add a dedicated landing page that will facilitate faster distribution of information to gamers and mechanics during and following the event, which will serve to better promote the activities of our company”.

All racers will drive a NGK & NTK branded Toyota GR86 available in 40 different designs. A real example of this sports car was driven on the Bilster Berg racetrack by Niterra’s Esports Brand Ambassador Patricija Stalidzane, who then moved to the racing simulator to unite the real and digital worlds.

Competition to reach the final at the iconic virtual Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany on 05 April 2024, is sure to be as intense as in previous years. To achieve this goal, contestants must battle through the thrilling heats at Zolder, Belgium (15 December 2023), Motorland Aragon National circuit in Spain (19 January 2024); the legendary Imola circuit in Italy (02 February 2024); the Hockenheimring in Germany (16 February 2024); the Rudskogen track in Norway (01 March 2024) and the UK’s Oulton Park (15 March 2024).

As the No. 1 SimRacing platform, with over 160,000 registered users, iRacing takes virtual racing to another level with improved driving realism, realistic handling and detailed laser-scanned tracks. Attendance of iRacing’s primetime sessions often attract over 100,000 racers.

To compete in the 2024 Esports Cup, players will need to first download the game and open an account ahead of the opening race. To register for the competition, iRacing must be downloaded under https://www.iracing.com

Once registered, competitors will do battle for an array of top prizes, with the eventual winner receiving a BavarianSimTec racing steering wheel, followed by a TailoredRig racing rig for the competitor coming in second and a third prize of an Alpha Tec Racing Sim dashboard.