With practically everything from shopping and concerts, to celebrations and conferences going online nowadays, and technology evolving at a rate faster than light, it is no small wonder that sport too has been galvanized into action, claiming its own slice of the digital sphere.
The global pandemic has only helped in popularizing the various types of esports that exist and the enthusiasm for it is gathering momentum each day. With people being tied down to their homes and not having any fast paced, competitive sports to keep their juices flowing and spirits alive, more and more are turning to their devices and online gaming communities to seek out a respite from the mundanity of restricted life.
More pronounced in 2020 during the first lockdown Sri Lanka ever experienced, CMSC (Ceylon Motor Sports Club) took matters into their own hands to counter the plight of the enforced isolation and played a huge role in uplifting mindsets by promoting digital motorsports, where viewers and racers, amateurs and professionals alike, flocked online to view and to race against each other and test their skills.
“eMotorsports” on the other end of the spectrum, is racing virtually, on racing simulators or play seats, aka racing cockpits or… by using controllers, on tracks specially designed to simulate real racing tracks of tarmac, gravel or dirt in global racing circuits, giving racers the feeling of being actual, real-world, on-track racing drivers.
“eMotorsports”, embraced with great enthusiasm when first introduced to Sri Lanka by CMSC, have now taken gargantuan proportions with international racers joining the ranks together with Sri Lankans, in throttling it out on global circuits. CMSC managed to bring onto one platform - current racing drivers who hadn’t any experience of on-track racing and racing enthusiasts who love racing but didn’t have the means to get on to a track and race. Both segments were empowered to race each other and other speed lovers in the fashion of real-world racing drivers on internationally accredited motor sports platforms. It became so popular that CMSC had to continuously increase the number of races to accommodate all the speed-addicts excited and willing to have a taste of the eMotorsports experience.
It all started with Graham Stoker, Deputy President of the Federation International de l’ Automobile (FIA) launching Digital Motor Sports in the Island Pearl in November of 2019. ‘Speed Runs’ the very first online digital racing championship in Sri Lanka consisting of 03 rounds and final championship, was introduced to the racing community of Sri Lanka by CMSC, and it caught on like wildfire.
14 simulators were procured out of which 10 were scheduled to travel the island in this outreach initiative. Matara was slated to be the pioneer in this extraordinary racing experience planned for January 2020. And there, ‘Speed Runs’ kicked off and concluded with a bang, but Sri Lanka was brought down to its knees by the global pandemic. And the rounds which were scheduled to be held in Kandy and Jaffna, were taken off the boards because the country was under a tight lockdown.
Undeterred, CMSC helped advocate sanity to an already anxious nation through their novel #RaceAtHome Championship, specially devised to enable speed-wizards to race from the comfort of their own homes and devices. A mere 08 competitors at the beginning, grew to around 50 by the end of the year.
The CMSC endeavored to cater to the Rally enthusiasts, and organized a series to eRallies, on DIRT 2.0, which were called #RallyAtHome, and this too, snowballed from an initial 5 competitors to over 50 drivers by the end of 2021.
Currently, CMSC organizes #RaceAtHome, championship while the competition was mind-boggling and the final Championship was a culmination of speed, focus, skill and sheer passion in racing where over 40 digital racer drivers, joined ranks to battle it out. In the 03 classes; PRO, AM1 and AM2 on GranTurismo Sport, as well as field drivers in the iRacing, RaceRoom and Assertto Corsa Competizione formats, with drivers taking part in FIA Asia Pacific Esport Championships, that are being organized by the ASN’s of Asia and Pacific.
In this endeavor, the 87-year-old club which is the oldest motor sports club in Sri Lanka has laboured tirelessly over the past one and a half years and continue to do so, to create a community of simulator racing drivers. Moreover, live-streaming events on Facebook and YouTube complete with commentaries, feeds the escalating interest of this fast-growing tribe of racers while awards and trumpeting about winners on social media and live streams, help to increase the mileage that winners receive. This is an absolutely sure-fire way of more racing fanatics joining the party.
