Esport action attracts Aussie talent

AUSSIE TAYLOR SMITH WINS ESPORTS 2020 FORZA CUP

The first regional Esports tournament, presented by Porsche Asia Pacific and Porsche Australia in partnership with Forza Motorsport 7, saw nearly 400 virtual drivers from 14 countries putting their racing skills to the test.

Three iconic Porsche race cars, the 918 Spyder, 919 Hybrid, and 911 GT3 RS, tackled three of the world’s most challenging tracks – Bathurst, the Nürburgring, and Le Mans.

Australian Taylor Smith, AKA LagALot IG, joined racers from Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand in the ultimate battle for glory in a Cayman GT4 Clubsport at the Pacific Forza Cup Grand Finals, broadcasted live from Singapore on Saturday 31 October 2020.

‘The Porsche Asia Pacific Forza Cup has been relentlessly action-packed right from the start, and the two races from the Grand Finals were even more intense than I’d imagined,’ Taylor says. ‘Not only is it an incredible honour to be the first titleholder of the tournament, it’s also particularly meaningful as it’s my very first win as well. I can’t wait to test myself in an actual Porsche cockpit.’

After conquering five virtual tracks in 2020, Taylor also won the coveted opportunity to race on Germany’s iconic Hockenheimring behind the wheel of a real Porsche.

Aussie Talent

On the digital version of Brazil’s Autódromo José Carlos Pace, Australia’s Joshua Rogers from the VRS Coanda Simsport team dominated the sprint race over 10 laps at the wheel of his virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup (PESC). Joshua showed his top form in qualifying and was rewarded with the best time and pole position for the first race of the season. Fellow Australian Dayne Warren turned in the second-fastest lap, putting the front grid row firmly in Australian hands.

Joshua won the sprint to the first corner, settled in at the front of the pack, and proceeded to control the race. Dayne Warren stayed within striking distance, making several attempts to overtake the 2019 PESC champion. When the virtual flag fell, Joshua calmly brought home a convincing lights-to-flag victory with Dayne close behind.

Due to a reverse grid line-up in the main race, as stipulated by the regulations, Joshua was forced to launch a furious pursuit from eighth place. The Australian gained several positions early on and was running in fourth after four laps.

The fierce duel between Joshua and Spaniard Alejandro Sánchez ended in a collision three laps later, with both drivers falling hopelessly behind. Round Two was held virtually on Saturday 16 January in Barcelona, Spain. Joshua once again underlined his qualifying talent as he posted pole position for an impressive 18th time. Joshua kept his cool and snatched the lead at the start of the sprint race, followed by Mitchell DeJong (USA, Virtual Racing School), Dayne Warren (Australia, DirectForce Pro), and Charlie Collins (Great Britain, Virtual Racing School). This quartet led the field over the next nine laps, with the four separated for the most part by mere fractions of a second. The order remained unchanged. As in Brazil, Joshua clinched the first race of the day at Barcelona. Joshua had a fight on his hands with the second race another reverse grid, but he broke through the pack to finish second. Battling defending champion Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esports) for the top tier spot, Joshua was ultimately forced to accept second after a spirited charge through the field.

‘Turn 1 after the start in the main race was a little hairy,’ he recounts. ‘I had to choose my line carefully – otherwise, you end up upside down on the track instead of earning critical points. I was particularly careful with my tyres and I’m very pleased with my performance and the result. The fight with Charlie Collins and Dayne Warren was great fun.’

During a brilliant race at Italy’s virtual Imola track, Joshua moved into the lead of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup (PESC) after winning the main race. He pulled out all stops during the race, driving door-todoor in the final laps with Alejandro Sanchez before sealing the win.

‘In the beginning, I tried to catch the leading group,’ Joshua said. ‘I probably should’ve been more careful with my tyres because, in the final laps, the rear tyres deteriorated noticeably. All in all, it was a great race and I’m thrilled with the result. I knew this race would be critical for the championship – especially when Sebastian Job got caught up in a collision at the start. On a circuit like Imola, it’s not actually advantageous to lead the field because your rivals can stick to you in your slipstream.’

In the sprint race on the virtual version of the Italian Grand Prix circuit, the 2019 PESC champion was narrowly beaten to the flag by arch-rival Sebastian Job.

Points’ standings after 3 of 10 championship rounds 1. Joshua Rogers (AUS/Virtual Racing School), 198 points 2. Mitchell deJong (USA/Virtual Racing School), 161 points 3. Dayne Warren (AUS/DirectForce Pro), 145 points

Fans can watch the events live on Porsche’s YouTube and Twitch channels. The races are also streamed on these two video platforms via iRacing.