Daytona 500 Race Week Features Esports Tournament On Mobile Stage

While NASCAR’s best drivers are starting their engines for this Sunday’s Daytona 500, esports players will be firing up their game consoles.

NASCAR has announced its Heat Champions esports tournament, a mobile competition that starts on Thursday will take place at Daytona International Speedway. Fans will race against each other for a shot at an Xbox One S, a VIP experience at the Daytona 500, and other prizes.

The tournament itself will take place on a mobile, truck-based production set called ESPORTS ARENA: DRIVE, which was introduced last month at CES and will make its debut in the Midway at Daytona, according to NASCAR. The 18-wheel truck can travel around the country and then transform easily into a competition and production set.

Broadcaster Bill Carter will reportedly host the tournament, whose final rounds will be live streamed on Twitch. Starting tonight, esports players can practice and compete in friendly races before jumping into qualifying rounds Friday and Saturday, the announcement revealed. The finals will take place on Sunday, ending a couple of hours before the start of the Daytona 500.

The Heat Champions tournament isn’t NASCAR’s first foray into esports. Earlier today Richmond Raceway became the first NASCAR track to field its own esports team, which will compete in the NASCAR Peak Antifreeze Series for iRacing.