Supercars E-Series – Is it the real deal?
The Supercars series has taken to the internet to continue some form of the motorsport as COVID-19 brings the competition to a halt.
The BP Supercars All Stars E-Series is run through online motorsport simulator iRacing, which all participants use along with their state of the art simulation devices to race.
The E-Series is set to take place for 10 rounds, with this round being the fifth in the competition. In this round, drivers were taken to Belgium to tackle Circuit de Spa Francorchamps, a track not many of the Australian drivers had been to.
To add more excitement, Formula One young gun Lando Norris would join the action from the United Kingdom to take place in round 5.
Circuit De Spa Fancorchamps track map
But the real question on everyone’s lips, is it the same?
The obvious answer is of course not, but the way the Supercars organisation has televised this series is amazing. Being able to retain key sponsors such as Armor All, Pirtek, BP and McDonald’s and providing them the advertising they expect is incredible.
The coverage is first class, with pre and post race analysis, panel discussions and even pit reporters to keep up to date with the action the commentators miss.
Supercars E-Series even has pit reporters
It’s almost the real deal, with the same graphics overlay, instant replays, camera angles and car liveries, sometimes you have to have a second look just to make sure it’s a video game.
The Supercars have done well, keeping the series alive and exciting, with 3 races on this rounds card, they all provide something new for the drivers to tackle.
The first race is a sprint race where drivers start in positions based on qualifying. Second is another sprint race but in a reverse grid, this means that the driver who finished first in the previous race starts last, and whoever crossed the finish line in last place starts in first.
They’ve acted as though it’s a real life event, with weekly races, exactly the same graphics, sponsors and segments such as ‘Armor All Pole’ and ‘McDonald’s Fast Lap’.
The graphics and inserts are identical to real-life Supercars races.
Supercars have even placed race controllers into the series, with the controllers watching from home making sure the drivers race fairly and cleanly, abiding by the series rules.
They’ve timed it perfectly, with a prime-time two hour time slot from 7Pm, giving families the chance to watch their favourite drivers do battle on circuits all around the world.
But there’s still issues with the series. The connectivity problem is something even organisers probably can’t help, but it does make viewing tricky when cars are disappearing and reappearing whilst they’re driving. Interviews are conducted via video conference application Zoom, so audio quality can sometimes make you cringe as you watch.
The drivers can communicate with each other and race control via video call.
Supercars administrators should be over the moon with the way the BP Supercars All Stars E-Series is delivered, with the series being presented on FOX Sports, as well as live streaming on twitch.
Drivers even have their own personal streams where you can listen to them communicate with the team manager about tactics.
The BP Supercars All Stars E-Series looks the part, and we’re all thankful we can cheer on our favourite teams and drivers during this tough time, albeit online.
Check out the full two hour stream here:
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