SRO America is joining the long list of professional racing organizations that are launching a sim racing series. SRO says that its series, GT Rivals, will feature “real-world racers, sim racers, and invited guests going head-to-head in a GT World Challenge powered by the AWS official game: Assetto Corsa Competizione.”
SRO notes that “Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC), developed by Kunos Simulazioni and published by 505 Games, lets players experience the real atmosphere of the GT World Challenge series. Designed for e-sports, Assetto Corsa Competizione is bringing sim racers into an immersive experience behind the wheels of today’s top GT3 racers from Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, and more.”
The series will include eight 60-minute races, with the first event run at 3:00 p.m. on Easter Sunday. The schedule, subject to modification, is as follows:
- April 12: Laguna Seca Raceway
- April 19: Misano
- April 26: Paul Ricard
- May 3: Spa Francorchamps
- May 10: Suzuka
- May 17: Barcelona
- May 24: Mount Panorama
- May 31: Kyalami **Finals Event**
SRO BMW racers participating in the Laguna Seca event included Toby Grahovec from Classic BMW and Karl Wittmer from Precision Driving Tech, both in simulated M6 GT3s. Wittmer started sixth and quickly moved up, only to be caught up in an early-race crash. He charged back through the field to finish third behind SRO racer Bryan Heitkotter in a Nissan GT-R and sim racer Thomas Lastre in a Bentley. Grahovec finished 21st.—Brian Morgan
[Photo Courtesy SRO America.]
