Niterra looks to take the NGK & NTK Esports Cup to new heights after partnering with iRacing for its 2024 season.

For the first time in its history, the NGK & NTK Esports Cup plans to race on iRacing. It will also be the first time it will have drivers race against each other on a round-by-round basis. The top drivers in the series points standings entering each round will have their race broadcasted live on YouTube. The series switched to iRacing after having approximately 3,600 participants during the 2023 season alone.

“We are taking the competition to another level and reaching a much bigger audience with our new partner iRacing”, said Frank Massia, Director Marketing Aftermarket EMEA, Niterra EMEA GmbH. “Not only are we extending the reach of the event by including many new countries, we will also add a dedicated landing page that will facilitate faster distribution of information to gamers and mechanics during and following the event, which will serve to better promote the activities of our company.”

Each round, drivers will race in the Toyota GR86, which was added to the iRacing service shortly after its real-world debut announcement in late 2022. Each driver will have 40 NGK & NTK liveries to choose to compete in.

“I think the real basics of the theory of racing, such as the braking points, the ideal line, learning the track, and the simple physics of cars are quite similar (to iRacing)”, said Esports Brand Ambassador Patricija Stalidzane in a real-world to virtual car comparison video released on Nov. 2. “For someone who doesn’t have the resources, I think it’s a perfect way to get started in racing.”

Competitors will have six qualification rounds over the course of four months to determine who gets to race for the title in April. Up to 400 competitors are expected to compete each round. The top 40 drivers will get to compete in the season finale at the virtual Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The full schedule includes:

• Race 1: Circuit Zolder, Dec. 15, 2023
• Race 2: Motorland Aragon, Jan. 19, 2024
• Race 3: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Feb. 2, 2024
• Race 4: Hockenheimring, Feb. 28, 2024
• Race 5: Rudskogen Motorsenter, March 1, 2024
• Race 6: Oulton Park, March 15, 2024
• Final: Nürburgring, April 4, 2024

The competition plans to have a wide range of prizes, including more than €5000 in cash and non-cash prizes.

To register for the first round of the season, go to https://www.racespot.tv/ngk-ntk/