The Holland Hurricanes will enter the world of eSports this spring with the introduction to online sports competition in the form of hosting the Canadian eMotorsports Series.

The online racing series will be contested using the NASCAR Heat 4 release on the Playstation 4 console; the series has received guidance and advisement from the developers of NASCAR Heat 4, Motorsport Games.

Eligible Competitors must be 16 years of age or older. The series is open to drivers from all over the world. Registration is open and you do not have to be a college student to participate. The first 40 racers registered, and paying the $50 registration fee, will qualify to participate in the inaugural season which begins on June 2.

The 2020 season, beginning at the Daytona International Speedway, is comprised of 26 races; the first 16 races forming the regular season.  All races will be live-streamed through the series Facebook page (www.facebook.com/eMotorsportsCAN).

The top 16 drivers in the regular season points standings will qualify to compete in the 10-race playoffs for the series championship. While all 40 drivers will participate in the playoff races, only the playoff eligible drivers will compete to win the championship.

Every three playoff races, the four lowest drivers in the playoff standings will be eliminated, until the final four racers compete for the series championship at the Phoenix Raceway on November 17.

The series, which mirrors the format used by the NASCAR Cup Series, runs their races at half the distance of the real life races.  It also runs on 2x fuel and tire wear, full damage, and competitors must race using a racing wheel, not a typical video game controller.

Albert Roche, Director of Athletics and Recreation at Holland College, feels eSports are quickly growing and could be the next big thing to hit colleges and universities across Canada.

“Competitive online gaming has been growing rapidly throughout the world, and we’ve started to take notice around the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Several schools across the country have already introduced eSports at a varsity level and we felt this is an innovative way to take a closer look at it.  Although we are not introducing eSports as a varsity sport, this approach gives us a unique perspective inside the phenomenon by hosting this series as we get a taste of what eSports are all about." 

The Holland Hurricanes plan to have entries into the series as part of the Hurricanes eMotorsports team.

“We’ll support our racers with some coaching and practice during the season; they’ll also race using our custom maroon paint scheme and be featured on our team’s social media accounts,” shared Roche.

Anyone looking to register, or to obtain more information on the series, can email dccudmore@hollandcollege.com. If you’re interested in participating but have technical questions on how to get involved, please reach out. 

Car numbers are available to be claimed upon registration and multiple drivers cannot use the same number; competitors are encouraged to register early to ensure they claim their preferred car number.

Connect with the Canadian eMotorsports Series by visiting www.hollandcollege.com/esports, www.facebook.com/eMotorsportsCAN, www.twitter.com/eMotorsportsCAN and www.instagram.com/eMotorsportsCAN.

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