SOMEWHERE when you were young, you must have aspired of driving like a race-car driver like Alain Prost, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna , Jim Clark or Juan Manuel Fangio?
I’m sure that everyone reading this who isn’t a race-car driver has dreamt of sitting in the big seat to be a speed-car specialist at some point in time.
Or have you ever dreamt of being an e-sports racer but did not know how to get started?
There’s a hot chance that you can make your dream a reality with the Legion of Racers (LOR), who after a successful inaugural start-up last year are now in the hunt for a pack of drivers who could represent the country in major events like the F1 Esports Championship and the Gran Turismo Championship, if they qualify.
Now’s the ripe time to raise your hand and volunteer, even if it just means dreaming a little.
BE A PROFESSIONAL
The good news: The top three drivers from the 2019 Legion of Racers SIM Racing League hunt will be signed up as professional e-sports athletes. They will also get real go-karting training as part of their journey to be better e-sports SIM racers.
The LOR have also managed to bring on board partners like BenQ, Logitech, Singapore Cybersports Online Gaming Association (SCOGA), Monster and 9tro to support the 2019 run.
Mr Lim Keong Wee, co-founder of the Legion of Racers, says: “The hunt is on again for the best s-sports drivers to wear national colours in SIM racing. It is our hope that the last one year of outreach to the SIM racing community and community at large will have more young drivers come forward to be part of the Legion of racers.
“We would like to thank our partners such as SCOGA, Monster Energy Drinks, 9tro, BenQ and Logitech. We look forward to working with more partners to grow the SIM racing community.”
After the 2018 run which culminated at Gamestart, the LOR signed on three of the best drivers from the competition as professional e-sports athletes.
Muhammad Aleef, Jaden Low and Jason Tay were also given go-kart training to help them develop as SIM drivers, with training provided by Melvin Moh, a co-founder of LOR who is also an AMG Driving Academy instructor.
DREAMS IN MOTORSPORTS
“It is our ambition to continue reaching out to the community at large, to give them an opportunity to be involved in motorsports, to experience the thrill of taking the wheel from the SIM racing perspective,” says Mr Moh.
So, if you think you can make the racing-grade, buckle up. The calls for registration will be held from May 20 onwards and will go on to end of September 2019.
You will also be able to participate in Legion of Racers 2019 season such as Campus Legends (in association with SCOGA) and Gamestart (in association with Monster).
Mr Sunny Chang, General Manager of BenQ Singapore Pte Ltd, says: “We are impressed with the passion shown by the founders of the Legion of Racers in their quest to search for the best e-sports racers in Singapore.
“BenQ is proud to be part of this movement, spearheaded by LOR, to engage the racing community. We aim to provide the best gaming experience, instil interest, identify and develop more talents by offering our high-quality gaming monitors.”
Adds Reagan Oh, Category Manager of Logitech: “We have decided to continue our partnership with Legion of Racers because of the immense potential it brings in the world of e-sports and SIM racing. The passion of the founders will surely help the Legion of Racers forward very quickly.”
The LOR is supported by Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association.
Says SCOGA Chairman Nicholas Aaron Khoo: “We have all witnessed the phenomenal growth of e-sports over the last decade. The Legion of Racers is an exciting concept which has the potential to engage a wider community and we are excited to be a partner and support its growth this year.”
The LOR will be partnering with SCOGA on bringing SIM racing to the tertiary schools in Singapore. Registration for schools will commence in May and June. For the general public, the LORwill be doing a series of online tournaments leading up to Gamestart.
GAMESTART 2019
The finalist of the Campus Legends and online rounds will be invited to Gamestart 2019 which will serve as the final round of the Legion of Racers 2019 season. The top three racers in Gamestart will be given e-sports and training and be awarded part-time internship contracts at Legion of Racers.
The Chief Executive Officer of 9tro Hong Tsui, the official Automotive Media Partner of LOR, says:  “I am extremely honoured, happy and excited for us to be given the opportunity to continue our partnership with the LOR. Having been involved with the dedicated team behind LOR since the very beginning, it is with great pride that we see not just the growth in the number of participants, but also the increased levels of passion and commitment.
“9tro is excited to work with LOR in bringing the automotive culture closer to the gaming community. I most certainly look forward to 9tro being involved deeper with LOR’s 2019 plans and beyond.”
The world of SIM racing brings together online gamers who play in games such as Project Cars 2, GT Sports, Formula 1, Forza and Need for Speed. The Legion of Racers brings together these enthusiasts to participate in a league which then helps us identify the top talents in e-motorsports.
So get your sights right and get ready: Are you still having dreams about driving a car? When they happen, do you see yourself behind the wheel? Is someone else steering, making you the passenger?
If you are answering yes to any of the above, you wouldn’t be alone. Car driving dreams – in all of their different forms – are a frequent occurrence among many people.
If you are a man, you probably envisioned yourself in a sports car or pickup. If you are a woman, it’s likely you were in a hatchback or compact. That’s not a hard and fast rule but instead, an observation.
So, make your dream come true: Follow Legion of Racers on their Facebook @LegionOfRacers and on their website at www.legionofracers.com for updates and more details. – By SURESH NAIR
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- Suresh Nair is a Singapore-based writer who rates The Legion of Racers as Singapore’s first SIM Racing League that combines the best in motorsport and the gaming world.
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