Four qualifying races will be held at the virtual versions of some of the world’s most iconic racetracks, with the fastest racers getting the chance to duel it out in the grand finale. Qualifying will get underway at Spa, Belgium on 17 January 2023. This will be followed-up by trips to Aragón, Spain (31 January 2023), Autodrome Dubai, UAE (14 February 2023), and Hungaroring, Hungary (28 February 2023). The final will be held at the world-famous Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany on 16 March 2023 with the overall winner receiving two VIP tickets and accommodation to a regional international endurance race that takes place close to where they live.
Before each of the first four races, a leaderboard qualification will be posted online on RaceRoom. There, the drivers get the chance to qualify for the races. The leaderboards will be live for just under 14 days so that over the course of the competition, as many drivers as possible can participate. The format of the first four races will include a ten-minute qualifying session, followed by a 20-minute sprint race, featuring 32 drivers. After that, a second sprint race will ensue, with the top ten from the previous race starting on the reverse grid. 32 drivers with the most points from the first four endurance races will reach the grand finale. This will include a 17-minute qualifying session, followed by a 60-minute race.
“Based on the tremendous success of our first ever Esports Cup at the beginning of 2022, it makes perfect sense to bring the competition back for another year,” said Frank Massia, Director Marketing Aftermarket EMEA, NGK SPARK PLUG EUROPE GmbH. “Next year’s tournament will further strengthen the engagement with our fans and brand enthusiasts as well as offering us the opportunity to showcase our company to the younger generations of, for example, gamers and mechanics.”
In the upcoming tournament, competitors will be given the option of three different race cars to drive in: the Mercedes AMG GT3, Audi R8 or Porsche 911 GT3. Aesthetically different in appearance, all three cars derive from vehicle manufacturers with rich histories in motorsport and feature technology that combines performance and reliability at the highest level. Each vehicle, moreover, is ignited by NGK spark plugs outside of the virtual world of gaming. Before each race, each driver will be assigned one of these cars, which are of the same performance standard. To stand out from the competition, moreover, each participant will be able to customise their vehicles in the colours of red, grey, white or green.
All races will be broadcast in English via Livestream, using both NGK SPARK PLUG and RaceRoom channels. Commentary for the first four track events will be broadcast in an ‘in-game’ stream format. The grand finale, however, is planned to be broadcast live and will feature race build-up and analysis, as well as pre-race interviews with the contestants and post-race interviews with the winner and runners-up. In addition, RaceRoom’s channels of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube will be used for race build-up, results, highlights, statistics and livestreams.
RaceRoom is one of the leading professional free-to-play racing simulators on the market, meaning potential Esports Cup contestants can download and participate for free. In order to meet the minimum requirements, a basic PC is required, while SimRacing equipment is preferable, as well as a broadband internet connection.
To register for the competition, Steam must be downloaded (https://store.steampowered.com/login/), and an account must be set up. RaceRoom can then be downloaded (https://game.raceroom.com/) and started via the Steam library. Upon registration, all entrants will receive a rulebook featuring all the details and rules. Participation will not incur any costs for the user.
November 2023
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.
Read moreAugust 2023
Niterra, the world’s leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, has named David Loy, currently Vice President Aftermarket EMEA, as General Manager Global Aftermarket Business and Digital Platforms within the Mobility Business Company (MBC), which belongs to the company’s Japanese headquarters, effective as of 01 September 2023.
Read moreJuly 2023
Niterra, the world’s leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, has once again scored highly in its EMEA Aftermarket Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2023.
Read moreJuly 2023
Niterra, the world's leading ignition and automotive electronics specialist, has added more precious metal spark plugs to its already extensive range of aftermarket spark plugs. The nine new Laser Iridium references, most of which follow Niterra's OE business, cover vehicles from BMW, Citroen, Honda, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru and Toyota.
Read moreJune 2023
As the world's leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, Niterra (formerly NGK SPARK PLUG) announces the launch of its new exhaust and differential pressure sensors (EDPS). The addition of these sensors further strengthens the NTK Vehicle Electronics brand portfolio.
Read moreMay 2023
Niterra, the world's leading ignition and automotive electronics specialist, has expanded its aftermarket offering with 29 new state-of-the-art ignition coils for global automakers including Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota and Opel.
Read moreApril 2023
Niterra, the world’s leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, is pleased to announce the introduction of the brand NTK as a distinct brand in TecDoc. The move will see the uncoupling of products offered by the company’s NGK Ignition Parts and NTK Vehicle Electronics brands in TecDoc and the implementation of two separate TecDoc brand keys. Both brands have previously been listed under the brand NGK with the brand key 0015. While NGK will continue with brand key 0015, the NTK brand will be found under brand key 5414.
Read moreFebruary 2023
Following on from last year’s announcement regarding its upcoming English name change to ‘Niterra’, NGK SPARK PLUG is proud to reveal to the world its new Group and Corporate Logo. This will be officially adopted by the company in conjunction with the name change to ‘Niterra’, which will take place at the beginning of April 2023.
Read moreJanuary 2023
NGK SPARK PLUG is proud to announce the renewal of its role as technical partner and sponsor to the X-raid motorsport team for the upcoming 2023 Dakar Rally. The news once again confirms the world’s leading ignition and sensor specialist’s commitment to participating at several elite levels of motorsport.
Read moreNovember 2023
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.
Read moreAugust 2023
Niterra, the world’s leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, has named David Loy, currently Vice President Aftermarket EMEA, as General Manager Global Aftermarket Business and Digital Platforms within the Mobility Business Company (MBC), which belongs to the company’s Japanese headquarters, effective as of 01 September 2023.
Read moreJuly 2023
Niterra, the world’s leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, has once again scored highly in its EMEA Aftermarket Customer Satisfaction Survey in 2023.
Read moreJuly 2023
Niterra, the world's leading ignition and automotive electronics specialist, has added more precious metal spark plugs to its already extensive range of aftermarket spark plugs. The nine new Laser Iridium references, most of which follow Niterra's OE business, cover vehicles from BMW, Citroen, Honda, Opel, Peugeot, Subaru and Toyota.
Read moreJune 2023
As the world's leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, Niterra (formerly NGK SPARK PLUG) announces the launch of its new exhaust and differential pressure sensors (EDPS). The addition of these sensors further strengthens the NTK Vehicle Electronics brand portfolio.
Read moreMay 2023
Niterra, the world's leading ignition and automotive electronics specialist, has expanded its aftermarket offering with 29 new state-of-the-art ignition coils for global automakers including Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota and Opel.
Read moreApril 2023
Niterra, the world’s leading ignition and vehicle electronics specialist, is pleased to announce the introduction of the brand NTK as a distinct brand in TecDoc. The move will see the uncoupling of products offered by the company’s NGK Ignition Parts and NTK Vehicle Electronics brands in TecDoc and the implementation of two separate TecDoc brand keys. Both brands have previously been listed under the brand NGK with the brand key 0015. While NGK will continue with brand key 0015, the NTK brand will be found under brand key 5414.
Read moreFebruary 2023
Following on from last year’s announcement regarding its upcoming English name change to ‘Niterra’, NGK SPARK PLUG is proud to reveal to the world its new Group and Corporate Logo. This will be officially adopted by the company in conjunction with the name change to ‘Niterra’, which will take place at the beginning of April 2023.
Read moreJanuary 2023
NGK SPARK PLUG is proud to announce the renewal of its role as technical partner and sponsor to the X-raid motorsport team for the upcoming 2023 Dakar Rally. The news once again confirms the world’s leading ignition and sensor specialist’s commitment to participating at several elite levels of motorsport.
Read more