Announcing the return of the Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge Canada in 2022
Virtual one-make series to feature the latest 911 GT3 Cup Car in addition to the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport
Announcing the return of the Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge Canada in 2022
Toronto. Porsche Canada announces the third edition of its Esports Sprint Challenge one-make series in 2022, which offers sim racers the opportunity to compete virtually on the iRacing.com platform to win prizes including getting behind the wheel of a Porsche on track. The qualifying phase will start on February 14 with the first of eight races beginning in March once the top 40 drivers across the country have been identified. The racers will take the wheel of either a digital version of the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport mid-engine racecar or the newest 911 GT3 Cup Car, depending on their qualifying result.
Notable Porsche partners will join the virtual series with awareness on the virtual cars and prize inclusions this year. TAG Heuer logos will be visible during the race broadcasts as the Official Timing Partner, as well as on the front windscreen and rear spoiler of each virtual racecar. The class champions will be outfitted with TAG Heuer Connected Watches for their great performances, as well as additional prizes for the podium finishers. Bose branding will be visible on the side number plates of all virtual racecars and competitors that finish seventh or better in their class will receive premium Bose noise cancelling headphones.
“The Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge Canada has been an innovative virtual program that underlines the professionalism and skill in Porsche one-make racing, even in the digital realm," said Marc Ouayoun, President and CEO, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “We are thrilled to have strong brand partners like TAG Heuer involved in the program with us and are excited to see the talented sim racers challenge each other over the course of the next months to find our champions."
Following the qualifying phase in the 911 GT3 Cup car, the top 40 entrants with the fastest average lap times will be eligible to enter the field that includes two separate classes. The top-performing 20 entrants will be placed in the 911 GT3 Cup Car, and the remaining 20 will be entered in the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport class. Here is an overview of the 2022 series:
- The new 992-generation 911 GT3 Cup car joins the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport to create two separate classes in each race; 20 racers each for a total grid of 40 cars
- Eight venues: World-renowned racetracks Daytona International Speedway, Red Bull Ring, and Tsukuba Circuit are added this year; both Canadian venues (Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) remain and bookend the race schedule
- The full eight race schedule will be live streamed the Porsche Twitch channel
- FIA affiliate GDS ASN Canada recognizes the program as a national sim-racing competition
The addition of the new 911 GT3 Cup Car, based on the 992 generation of the iconic sports car, will push competitors to the limit with car control and race craft. The Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport returns with its well-known and proven formula: lightweight and well-balanced performance. Having the two cars competing simultaneously heightens the on-track excitement and offers all racers a chance to win compelling prizes from a pool with a total value of over $25,000.
At the end of the eight-race schedule, points will be added to determine the final position in the standings of both classes and crown winners for the 2022 Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge Canada. This will give each champion the opportunity to extend their driving skills in real-life at a Porsche Track Experience program. Podium finishers in both classes will earn a prize package from TAG Heuer, a BOSE headset, and various Porsche prizes. Each participant among the 40 sim-racers will earn Porsche prizes and iRacing credits.
Race schedule:
Qualifying – February 14 – 27, 2022
March 17: Race #1: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, 8 PM ET
March 31: Race #2: Nürburgring Grand Prix - Strecke BES/WEC, 8 PM ET
April 14: Race #3: Daytona International Speedway Road Course, 8 PM ET
April 28: Race #4: Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, 8 PM ET
May 12: Race #5: Red Bull Ring Grand Prix, 8 PM ET
May 26: Race #6: Tsukuba Circuit 2000 Full Course, 8 PM ET
June 9: Race #7: WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca Full Course, 8 PM ET
June 23: Race #8: Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, 8 PM ET
Visit https://www.iracing.com/porscheesportssprintchallengecanada/ for full series details as well as to learn how to qualify.
About TAG Heuer:
TAG Heuer, founded in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland, is a luxury watch brand that is part of LVMH Moët Hennessey Louis Vuitton SE (“LVMH”), the world’s leading luxury group. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and with four production sites, TAG Heuer has 1470 employees and is active in 139 countries. TAG Heuer products are available online on www.tagheuer. com for select countries and in 160 boutiques and 3,000 points of sale worldwide. The company is headed up by Frédéric Arnault, CEO of TAG Heuer.
For 160 years, TAG Heuer has demonstrated pure avant-garde watchmaking spirit and a commitment to innovation with revolutionary technologies that have included the oscillating pinion for mechanical stopwatches in 1887, the Mikrograph in 1916, the first automatic-winding chronograph movement – Calibre 11 – in 1969 and the first luxury smartwatch in 2015. Today, the brand’s core collection consists of three iconic families designed by Jack Heuer – TAG Heuer Carrera, Monaco and Autavia – and is rounded out with the contemporary Link, Aquaracer, Formula 1 and Connected lines.
Capturing TAG Heuer’s motto, “Don’t Crack Under Pressure”, are prominent partnerships and brand ambassadors that express the brand’s passion for action and high performance.
@TAGHeuer #TAGHEUERxPORSCHE
About iRacing.com:
The world leader in the online racing simulation and gaming market, iRacing was founded in 2004 by Dave Kaemmer and John Henry. Kaemmer was co-founder of Papyrus Design Group, developers of award-winning racing simulations including “Grand Prix Legends” and NASCAR 2003.” Henry is principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool Football Club, as well as co-owner of NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing. iRacing.com has developed dozens of formal partnerships in the motorsport industry to help create the most authentic racing simulation in the world.
About Bose:
Bose Corporation was founded in 1964 by Dr. Amar G. Bose, then a professor of electrical enginee-ring at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today, the company is driven by its founding principles, investing in long-term research to develop new technologies with real customer be-nefits. Bose innovations have spanned decades and industries, creating and transforming catego-ries in audio and beyond. Bose products for the home, in the car, on the go and in public spaces have become iconic, changing the way people listen to music. Bose Corporation is privately held. The company’s spirit of invention, passion for excellence, and commitment to extraordinary expe-riences can be found around the world — everywhere Bose does business.
About Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd.
Established in 2008, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. (PCL) is the exclusive importer and distributor of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman, Taycan, Panamera, as well as Cayenne and Macan. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, since 2017, PCL employs a team of more than 60 in sales, aftersales, finance, marketing, retail development, and public relations. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience in keeping with the brand's 70-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. In 2019, a Parts Distribution Centre opened its doors in Mississauga to service the countrywide network of 21 Porsche Centres. PCL is the dedicated subsidiary of Porsche AG, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. In 2021, Porsche sold 9,141 units in Canada, marking its best-ever year.
At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date.
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