The top drivers in the NGK & NTK Esports Cup head to Germany this week to start the second half of the campaign.
On Feb. 16, some of the top racers on iRacing will be racing at the virtual Hockenheimring and its National A layout.
This will be the first round to take place at the virtual circuit in series history. According to Vince Peeters, who heads into Germany inside the top five in the drivers standings, the facility is “one of the simpler tracks” to race with the Toyota GR86.
“I like Hockenheim a lot and have a lot of laps on it. It will help me get up to pace quickly.”
As drivers get ready for the fourth round of the season, here is what competitors to expect this week:
Points Standings Entering Round 4
POS
NAME
TEAM
R1
R2
R3
TOTAL
GAP
1
Alexander Thiebe
URANO eSports
100
46
85
231
0
2
Vince Peeters
Visceral Esports
132
69
24
225
-6
3
Gaël Valero
Apex Racing Team
96
49
68
213
-18
4
John Ehlen
Dörr eSports
92
28
34
154
-77
5
Sergi Maturana
Astro Racing
80
30
34
144
-87
6
Darwin Romero
AstroRacing
68
46
14
128
-103
7
Norbert Leitner
Impulse Racing
80
18
22
120
-111
8
Alessio Bender
Dörr Academy
38
30
42
110
-121
9
Daniel Muth
Nürburgring eSports
50
42
14
106
-125
10
Michael Haflidason
AM RACING TEAM
60
30
12
102
-129
After Peeters’ disastrous Race 2 in Italy, Alexander Thiebe holds the championship lead by just six points.
Thiebe went to virtual victory lane in both races at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari to take control of the points lead.
“It’s closer than I’d like to, but my opponents are really nice guys, so I’m nevertheless happy with the ongoing battle”.
ALEXANDER THIEBE
Gaël Valero remains in the third spot, 18 points behind Thiebe. John Ehlen (-77) and Sergi Maturana (-87) round out the top five.
More About The Hockenheimring Circuit
Location
Am Motodrom, Hockenheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Track Length
3.69 km (2.29 miles)
Turns
15
As discussed earlier in the season, the Hockenheimring on iRacing is relatively flat and features a vast array of drafting sections. Some of the main areas of interest for passes include the frontstretch and the run from Turn 4 all the way to the hairpin corner in Turn 6.
Keep in mind that with the National A layout, there is less of a lead-up to said hairpin corner. While it cuts out the strict track limits corner of NordKurve, it replaces said section with a hard-braking left-hand corner in Mercedes. Drivers then have a quick turn to the right before returning to the normal layout.
“Hockenheim is gonna be tough for me,” said Thiebe. “I‘m not expecting to be as strong as I was last round but I’ll give it all I have.”
Michael Haflidason, who was not happy with how he performed at Imola in part due to a poor qualifying run, said he expects this round to have a similar emphasis on track position. He is also trying to compete in two different Swedish iRacing championships and trying to find a new apartment while competing in the NGK & NTK Esports Cup.
“It’s going to be a lot like the last round if you are looking at how both races are going to look like. If I can start in the top 5, I will be (away from) trouble and can hopefully just hang on for a few good points. That’s what I need right now.”
MICHAEL HAFLIDASON
Continuing his comparisons between Imola and Hockenheimring, Haflidason thinks the draft will be extremely strong once again.
“I think you don’t want to be in first place going out on the last lap, We saw at Imola how strong the draft can be and with the long run to the hairpin cars behind is going to eat you up.”
MICHAEL HAFLIDASON
However, Thiebe thinks the races could go the opposite way.
“I think that we are not gonna see that many overtakes due to the track’s character, It’s gonna be more difficult for me in Race 2.”
ALEXANDER THIEBE
Meanwhile, after his “head wasn’t in the right place” from what happened at Imola, Peeters made it clear what his goals were to have a good round.
“Stay out of trouble, like every round. It’s crucial I get a good qualifying spot, unlike at Imola, I need to watch out for crashes up ahead in the reverse grid and all should be fine.”
VINCE PEETERS
Esports Brand Ambassador Patricija Stalidzane breaks down the circuit in her track guide here:
Timeline For Round4
Time (CET)
Event
Duration
18:00 CET-19:15 CET
Free Practice
75 Mins
19:15 CET-19:25 CET
Qualifying
10 Mins
19:27 CET-19:52 CET
Race 1
25 Mins
19:54 CET-20:19 CET
Race 2
25 Mins – Reverse Grid
The Points Structure
Drivers will receive points based on their finishing position in their server and the Top 5in qualifying will also receive additional points as detailed below. This is designed to stop driver sandbagging for the reverse grid race.
A multiplier will be applied as a bonus based on how many splits were available for the race. After stewarding has taken place, the results will be processed and announced on the RaceSpot TV Website athttp://racespot.tv/ngk-atk.
Qualifying Points
Position
Points
1
5
2
4
3
3
4
2
5
1
Race Points
Position
Points
Position
Points
1
40
11
12
2
34
12
10
3
30
13
9
4
27
14
8
5
24
15
7
6
22
16
6
7
20
17
5
8
18
18
4
9
16
19
3
10
14
20
2
21
1
The Prizes On Offer
For the first six rounds, drivers have the chance to win the following:
First Place – 100 € Second Place – 50 € Third Place – 25 €
The winner of the overall NGK & NTK ESPORTS CUP 2024 will receive aOneBavarian Simtech Wheel + 500 €. The second place driver will receive aOne Tailoredrig (NGK Branded) + 250 €, and third place driver will receive anAlphatec Racing LED Screen + 150 €.
Positions 4-5 will receive 50 € , and Positions 4-10 will receive a NGK & NTK Goodie Bag. nThe driver with the fastest lap in the finals will receive aVRS Subscription.
How To Watch
You can catch the race on RaceSpot TV’s YouTube page on Friday afternoon, with live reporting of events here on RaceSpot News. Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more upcoming events, and make sure to come back to RaceSpot News to view the race recap after the event.
