The top drivers in the NGK & NTK Esports Cup have all their memes packed in their bags for their virtual trip to Norway. On March 1, some of the top racers on iRacing will be racing at the virtual Rudskogen Motorsenter. It’s the first time in series history it will be racing at the Norwegian track.
As competitors get ready for the fifth round of the season, here is what competitors should expect this week:
Points Standings Entering Round5
POS
NAME
TEAM
R1
R2
R3
R4
POINTS
GAP
1
Alexander Thiebe
URANO eSports
100
46
85
45
276
0
2
Vince Peeters
Visceral Esports
132
69
24
49
274
-2
3
Gaël Valero
Apex Racing Team
96
49
68
DNS
213
-63
4
John Ehlen
Dörr eSports
92
28
34
23
177
-99
5
Sergi Maturana
Astro Racing
80
30
34
DNS
144
-132
6
Darwin Romero
AstroRacing
68
46
14
DNS
128
-148
7
Norbert Leitner
Impulse Racing
80
18
22
DNS
120
-156
8
Alessio Bender
Dörr Academy
38
30
42
51
161
-115
9
Daniel Muth
Nürburgring eSports
50
42
14
DNS
106
-170
10
Michael Haflidason
AM RACING TEAM
60
30
12
36
138
-138
After trading bad rounds with Vince Peeters, Alexander Thiebe enters Norway with a two-point lead over him in the championship standings.
With Gael Valero and Sergi Maturana not starting the last round, it’s down to Peeters and Thiebe for the regular season title.
More About Rudskogen
Location
Rakkestad, Norway
Track Length
3.254 km (2.022 miles)
Turns
14
A funny thing heading into this week’s circuit: most of the series regulars have decided to communicate strictly with memes for almost two weeks straight. When asked about what drivers thought about this week’s race, Peeters set the tone with this gif:
Michael Haflidason, who has had a lot of bad luck with keeping clean for several weeks, responded in kind:
Nikolas Nolde, who has contended for several wins this season, decided to add to the theme of un-optimism:
As mentioned back in Winter 2023, drivers will need to zip around what is a very tight racing surface. One of the prime opportunities to pass is the frontstretch. With 640 metres to work with, drivers tend to attempt to make their passes by the time they get to Turn 1.
Esports Brand Ambassador Patricija Stalidzane breaks down the circuit in her track guide here:
Timeline For Round 5
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.
