Tom Blomqvist wins World RX Esports Series Round 2
GT driver Tom Blomqvist defeated a high-class field of real-world racing drivers and special guests in the second round of the World RX Esports Series, held virtually at Norway’s Hell circuit in DiRT Rally 2.0.
On Sunday (June 21) a 30-strong field real-world drivers, top DiRT Rally 2.0 players and special guests came together for a virtual race meeting, hosted by Codemasters, Motorsport Network, Gamebyte, Cooper Tyres and the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy. Following the success of two Invitational events in April and early May, a four event series was formed that sees competitors racing throughout May, June and July. Shane van Gisbergen won the series opener at Yas Marina.
The Hell grid featured several drivers who competed in Yas Marina, and joining them were even more real-world drivers such as Hyundai rally driver Hayden Paddon and rallycross driver Tamara Molinaro. Commentary was provided by World RX talent Andrew Coley and Neil Cole, who also feature as voiceover talent within DiRT Rally 2.0.
The format of the World RX Esports Series events mirrors that of a real-world FIA World Rallycross Championship event, with 4 Qualifying sessions and the top drivers progressing to Semi Finals, and an overall Final crowning the winner. There is also a secondary set of races featuring 10 of the fastest sim racers in DiRT Rally 2.0, including the current esports World Series Champion Killian Dall’olmo, who tested a real-world RX2 car earlier this year.
Rallycross is known for being a short, high intensity form of motorsport, where powerful cars race on tight circuits featuring tarmac, gravel and jumps. The Hell circuit has featured in multiple DiRT titles and has been faithfully recreated in DiRT Rally 2.0, providing an experience near indistinguishable from the real thing.
The Qualifiers were full of action, with real-world drivers mixing it up with the esports stars, and special guests proving their talent. YouTube personality Alex Day, who goes by the channel name Failrace, has been a regular in these events and his steady improvement saw him battle the real-world drivers on multiple occasions.
At the end of Q4 10 drivers had progressed to the Semi Finals, including both Hansen brothers from World RX, Supercars driver Shane van Gisbergen, Failrace, GT driver Tom Blomqvist and more. The top 5 from the Semi Finals would then meet in the Final. The sim racers would have their own bracket to see who was strongest of those 10.
In the Pro Driver category a closely-fought Final saw Tom Blomqvist take the win, narrowly defeating Yas Marina winner Shane van Gisbergen. Killian Dall’olmo was the victor in the Sim Racer category, beating his fellow esports stars with a performance worthy of his current World Champion status.
Van Gisbergen leads the championship standings, 2019 FIA World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen is in second, and Blomqvist climbs to third.
The next round will take place at the virtual Höljes circuit in Sweden on June 28.
Final Standings (Pro Drivers):
- 1st: Tom Blomqvist (UK)
- 2nd: Shane van Gisbergen (New Zealand)
- 3rd: Timmy Hansen (Sweden)
- 4th: Henrik Krogstad (Norway)
- 5th: Marius Bermingrud (Norway)
Final Standings (Sim Racers):
- 1st: Killian Dall’olmo (France)
- 2nd: Quentin Dall’olmo (France)
- 3rd: John Harris (UK)
- 4th: Lukas Mateja (Czech Republic)
- 5th: Tommi Hallman (Finland)
World RX Esports Series Standings:
- 1st / 55 points / Shane van Gisbergen
- 2nd / 49 points / Timmy Hansen
- 3rd / 40 points / Tom Blomqvist
- 4th / 39 points / Henrik Krogstad
- 5th / 39 points / Kevin Hansen
DiRT Rally 2.0 is the official game of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, featuring the cars, tracks and drivers from the 2018 and 2019 seasons alongside historic content. The Game of the Year Edition is available now.
