After the successful opening-round of the Škoda Motorsport eChallenge hosted by the crews from the former FIA World Rally Championship WRC2 team from Czech Republic a new round has been confirmed.
The opening-round was held as a replacement for the real-life Rally Argentina which was postponed due to the Coronavirus pandemic and now the virtual series in the Codemasters’ game DiRT Rally 2.0 will head to Australia for the second round.
There were over 4,000 active players that took on the challenge at Argentina, the Škoda Motorsport eChallenge hosts are keen on to reach the same ammount for this round. Many of the fans took the opportunity to race with the Škoda Fabia Rally2.
“The response to the first ŠKODA Motorsport eChallenge was overwhelming, and not just from the fans – many drivers from our customer teams entered the virtual rally with great enthusiasm. We are looking forward to seeing more dramatic battles between gamers and pros, getting as close as possible to the experience of the real tracks – which we want to get back to as soon as possible,” Michal Hrabánek, CEO of Škoda Motorsport, said.
Rally fans can compete against three real-life drivers that will attend the event; Oliver Solberg, Miko Marczyk and Sebastien Bedoret.
Solberg recieved a penalty in the game when he got disconnected mid-rally, for round two he will be working as as ambassador and let the fans try to beat the times he has set.
“Argentina was really challenging, but it was a great fun and the competition was really strong. I like Rally Australia more, it’s faster and you need to drive cleaner. I’m really looking forward to it. In any case, I will really make sure that my internet connection works this time!” Solberg, said.
The Polish Rally Champion, Marczyk finished highest of the professional drivers last time out; he finished within top ten from the thousands of competitors.
“I really enjoyed Argentina and I have fond memories of it. I drove cleanly, without any big mistakes. Still, I want to prepare better for Australia and find the perfect settings for the car. It’s faster, so we will need longer gears and, in some passages, more stability. I would like to drive the whole rally close to the limit and avoid mistakes,” Marczyk, said.
Newcomer of the professional drivers for this time is the Belgian talent Bedoret, “DiRT 2.0 is my favourite game, as it is very realistic. I watched the first ŠKODA Motorsport eChallenge and I felt it was a great idea. The battles between pro rally drivers and experienced gamers were really exciting, so I wanted to take part in the round two,” Bedoret, said.
There will be a total of four stages with 65.6 kilometres in total; Chandlers Creek, Taylor Farm Sprint, Yambulla Mountain Acent, Rockton Plain Reverse.
Škoda Motorsport will publish the times, photos and videos from the competition live on their website during the event that will be held between 20-24 May. Fans who want to take part in it can join it by searching ‘Škoda eChallenge’ on the RaceNet website.
