Forza Racing goes eSport with Championship Season 1

It’s hard to relate to the plethora of eSports available for us. Some of us might find it hard to follow a MOBA such as Dota 2, or even something as simple as Counter-Strike, which is in its essence “see guy, shoot guy, win game.” All of these eSports titles have an in depth knowledge base attached to visual splendor which is often hard to follow, but what about an eSport which encompasses a sport which is almost a religion it’s so popular? I’m talking about racing, and more specifically, Forza Motorsport 6.

The inaugural season of the the largest ever Forza competition kicks off today (August 8th) with registrations. The competition features prizes from Forza, Xbox and the ultimate prize of a Ford Focus RS.

The need for speed

We all have it, and we’ve all felt it. The need for speed is something we wish we could indulge in daily, but of course we can’t. Forza Championship Series makes this easy for anyone who wishes to go fast. The competition is split into two categories. The first season will feature the Elite Series, comprised of the best racers around the globe, coupled with the Open Series which invites anyone who is anyone to take part in the action, online. Each series will feature different game modes and prizes, with the ultimate goal of being the fastest out there.

From the official press release:

The Elite Series will feature Rivals qualifiers and ESL-run tournaments across three separate weeks of competition beginning on August 8. Here’s how it will work.

Each week, we will post a new Forza RC Elite Series Rivals Qualifier event. This Rivals qualifier will set the seeding for the weekly ForzaRC Elite Series Cup tournament being run by our partners at ESL (see below for more details on the weekly schedule). The top 16 racers in the weekly Elite Series Cup tournament will then compete during a livestreamed weekly ForzaRC Elite Series Showdown race on the Forza Twitch channel, which will be held each week on Sunday.

The top four racers from the weekly Showdown events will move on to the ForzaRC Elite Series Grand Finals, which will be broadcast live on the Forza Twitch Channel on September 4. The grand prize winner for the ForzaRC Elite Series Grand Finals will take home a real 2017 Ford Focus RS (see the rules for prizing eligibility in your region).

This is where you can win yourself an actual car.

In the ForzaRC Open Series, players will compete in special weekly ForzaRC Open Series League events beginning on August 8. As is always the case with Leagues, these ForzaRC Open Series League events will automatically group players by skill divisions, guaranteeing that all players compete against similarly skilled opponents. While everyone is invited to play in the ForzaRC Open Series, in order to be eligible to win prizes, competitors must first make sure they meet the eligibility requirements spelled out in the Open Series terms and conditions andregister over at the ESL’s ForzaRC site.

Competitors in the ForzaRC Open Series will be vying for Forza Motorsport 6 prizes, including codes for Forza Motorsport 6 DLC like the NASCAR Expansion, the Porsche Expansion, and the Forza Motorsport 6 Car Pass. In addition, each week, all participants in the ForzaRC Open Series League will be sent a special bonus car – the 1971 Ford Falcon XY GTHO Phase III – with a custom ForzaRC Open Series livery that will be unique for each week of competition.

If you’re interested in competing in the ForzaRC Open Series, make sure you read the terms & conditions to understand the rules, then sign up here.

The action continues until early September, with the Grand Finals being played on September 4th. Here is the Season 1 schedule:

Elite Series Week 1 – August 8 – 14

• 2015 Ford Mustang GT on Autodromo Internationale Monza
• Elite Series Week 1 Rivals Qualifying – August 8-11 (Top 128 advance to Elite Series Week 1 Cup)
• Elite Series Week 1 Series Cup (via ESL) – August 13 (Top 16 advance to Elite Series Week 1 Showdown)
• Elite Series Week 1 Showdown – August 14 (Top 4 advance to ForzaRC Elite Series Grand Finals)

Elite Series Week 2 – August 15 – 21

2013 Ford Formula Ford EcoBoost 200 at Catalunya

• Elite Series Week 2 Rivals Qualifying – August 15-18 (Top 128 advance to Elite Series Week 2 Cup)
• Elite Series Week 2 Series Cup (via ESL) – August 20 (Top 12 advance to Elite Series Week 2 Showdown)
• Elite Series Week 2 Showdown – August 21 (Top 4 advance to ForzaRC Elite Series Grand Finals)

Elite Series Week 3 – August 22 – 28

• 2016 Ford #66 Ford Racing GT Le Mans at Watkins Glen Full
• Elite Series Week 3 Rivals Qualifying – August 22-25 (Top 128 advance to Elite Series Week 3 Cup)
• Elite Series Week 3 Series Cup (via ESL) – August 27 (Top 12 advance to Elite Series Week 3 Showdown)
• Elite Series Week 3 Showdown – August 28 (Top 4 advance to ForzaRC Elite Series Grand Finals)

Elite Series Season 1 Grand Finals – September 4

• During the ForzaRC Elite Series Season 1 Grand Finals event on September 4, the 12 weekly winners will compete online to win the ultimate prize – a brand new 2017 Ford Focus RS. Look for the full announcement of the ForzaRC Grand Finals events as we get closer to the broadcast date.

Finally, an eSport you can enjoy without me needing to explain/shoutcast it for you.

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Last Updated: August 8, 2016