Genesis Magma Racing has launched the GMR Esports Series, working in close partnership with Le Mans Ultimate and leading Sim Racing and Esports media website, Traxion. The series aims to uncover fresh Esports talent, with the winning driver from the final phase set to be given a place in the official GMR Esports team, offering drivers the chance to go from their home to a professional, manufacturer- supported programme.
Qualifiers & series designed to be a complete test
The creation of the series deepens the relationship between Genesis Magma Racing and Le Mans Ultimate – the official game of the FIA World Endurance Championship – and adds to the team’s commitment to Esports.
The series will begin on October 6, with 8 weeks of Qualifiers, featuring races on a different free-to-play circuit each week. For each the competitors will be locked to the game’s version of the GMR-001 Hypercar, originally introduced to the game in April this year, ahead of Genesis Magma Racing’s debut FIA WEC race.
Competing in races via Le Mans Ultimate’s Online Championship tab, players will be able to join a maximum of three races per week. Only a player’s best six of the eight weeks will be counted in the standings which decide who progresses to Phase 2.
The fastest 20 global drivers and top 10 Korean registered drivers, based on the best race results from Phase 1 events, will then progress through to the main GMR Esports Series set to begin in December. Over the course of four races – three sprint events, and a two-hour endurance race – drivers will have to prove their ability, not just to drive fast, but also to adapt to ‘Wildcards’ – challenges and changing conditions generated by Le Mans Ultimate’s dynamic weather capability.
“The GMR Esports Series has been designed as a thorough test of drivers in Le Mans Ultimate,” explained GMR Esports driver Collin Spork. “Working with the Motorsport Games team behind Le Mans Ultimate, we want to find the drivers who are not only the fastest, but also those who navigate the different kinds of challenges found in endurance racing. We expect the Qualifiers and the GMR Esports Series to be incredibly competitive. I’m really excited to see how the series plays out.”
The winning driver from the GMR Esports Series will join GMR Esports roster of drivers. The team is currently represented by six drivers, divided evenly between drivers from Europe – Collin Spork (Netherlands), Jesper Pedersen (Denmark) and Jernej Simončič (Slovenia) and South Korea – Hyukjin Kwon, Gyumin Kim, Youngchan Kim, and reserve driver Rokyeong Kang. The team competes using the GMR-001 Hypercar in the official special events held on Le Mans Ultimate, as well as the Virtual Motorsport series where drivers from the team are regular podium finishers.
GMR Esports Series Schedule
Qualifiers
| Event | Date | Circuit |
| Week 1 | October 6-13 | Sebring |
| Week 2 | October 13-20 | Fuji |
| Week 3 | October 20-27 | Monza |
| Week 4 | October 27- November 3 | Bahrain |
| Week 5 | November 3-10 | Portimão |
| Week 6 | November 10-17 | Bahrain Alt |
| Week 7 | November 17-23 | Spa-Francorchamps |
| Week 8 | November 23-December 1 | Le Mans |
GMR Esports Series
| Event | Date | Circuit | Format |
| Race 1 | December 11 | Spa-Francorchamps | 45-minute Sprint Race |
| Race 2 | December 12 | Interlagos | 45-minute Sprint Race |
| Race 3 | December 18 | COTA | 45-minute Sprint Race |
| Race 4 | December 19 | Le Mans | 120-minute Endurance Race |
To find more information about the GMR Esports Series, and to enter, visit the Traxion GMR Esports Series Hub here: https://traxion.gg/gmr-hub/