Second Supercars e-Series to start in October

Supercars will launch its second e-Series at this weekend’s Melbourne Esports Open, with Boost Mobile as naming-rights partner for 2018.

The Boost Mobile Supercars e-Series will consist of a six-round fight across October and November to crown Australia’s best racer on Xbox’s Forza Motorsport 7.

The e-Series is an extension of the inaugural competition launched last year, which featured thousands of Australian gamers pitting their skills in virtual Supercars on Forza.

The Melbourne Esports Open takes place on September 1-2 at Rod Laver Arena.

Supercars drivers Scott Pye, Nick Percat and Anton de Pasquale will be there on Saturday to help launch the Boost Mobile Supercars e-Series.

“With the support of Boost Mobile, this Series will engage a new generation of fans,” Supercars CEO Sean Seamer said.

“The ability to replicate our world class on-track competition in the virtual world makes esports a brilliant platform for engaging new and existing fans of Supercars alike.”

Registration for the Boost Mobile Supercars e-Series opens on September 14.

Qualification starts on October 1, with drivers recording times to be in the fastest 32, with that group then racing to earn one of eight positions in the six-round e-Series.

Running from October 16 to November 21, the e-Series will be broadcast live on Supercars.com and across Supercars social media channels, including the gaming-focused streaming platform Twitch.

A separate Cup Series is open to anyone on six nominated days in an online knockout competition.

Supercars drivers will take part in this competition, running from October 15 to November 20, as phantom entrants.

There will be a wide range of prizes in both the e-Series and Cup Series including a $5,000 cash prize pool, money-can’t-buy Supercars experiences, gaming products and merchandise.

Jason Haynes, General Manager of Boost Mobile Australia, said the partnership with Supercars was a natural fit for the brand and the esports community.

"Boost Mobile is proud to become the official naming rights title sponsor for the new Supercars e-Series," Haynes said.

“This is a great opportunity to support and engage with the growing fanbase and community of esports.

"Boost Mobile has a very relevant product to this market, offering great value for tonnes of high-speed data, which is vital for any esports competitor.

“It’s a winning combination if you are playing, watching or sharing and want to remain connected.”

The inaugural e-Series was a single-event held at Bathurst, with Supercars drivers pairing up with Australia's best gamers.