LMP3 Cup eSports Championship launched



The United Kingdom’s premier prototype sportscar racing series, the LMP3 Cup Championship, has launched an eSports Championship in conjunction with The Online Racing Organisation (TORA).

After a one-off race in 2016, the LMP3 Cup – endorsed by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) – completed its first season in 2017 with Scottish duo Alasdair McCaig and Colin Noble taking the title in the #79 Ecurie Ecosse / Nielsen Racing Ligier JS P3. The Championship returns in 2018 with 12 races over six weekends on the best circuits the UK and Northern Europe has to offer.

TORA – the world's first sim racing group to be recognised by a real-world motorsport body, the MSA in 2010 – is entering its eleventh year as an eSports racing organisation. Series are primarily organised for the XBox One console due to its relative cost effectiveness and accessibility to a wide demographic of racing fans.

"I'm proud to bring LMP3 Cup to TORA for the first time,” said Matt Hunter, owner TORA. “Not only is this an all new series for the community to enjoy but also a great way for teams and drivers in the Championship to engage with this fast-growing fanbase.

“The addition of the LMP3 Cup to TORA's formidable portfolio further enhances our place in the eSport racing community and builds TORA's reputation as the go-to location for well organised, professionally presented virtual racing activities."

The LMP3 Cup eSports Championship will be contested on Slightly Mad Studio’s Project CARS 2 game and will consist of six rounds with 12 races. Each round will be formed of two races of 40 mins including a mandatory pit stop, providing a challenge as close to the physical LMP3 Cup as possible.

Sign-ups for the Championship will open via www.theonlineracingassociation.com, with the race schedule as follows:

Rounds 1 & 2: February 6th – Donington Park National
Rounds 3 & 4: February 13th – Brands Hatch GP
Rounds 5 & 6: February 30th – Spa Francorchamps
Rounds 7 & 8: February 27th – Snetterton 300
Rounds 9 & 10: March 6th – Donington Park GP
Rounds 11 & 12: March 13th – Silverstone GP

There will be titles for drivers, teams, and independents. Teams can consist of up to three drivers, with the top two in any given race scoring points towards the team's total.