Spectating Gran Turismo esports at Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 exhibition
02.10.2023 - 13:49
/ venturebeat.com
Fresh from seeing an inspiring Gran Turismo movie, Randall Hayward got a rare chance to see a real Porsche racecar exhibition — and he won $15,000 in a Gran Turismo 7 esports tournament at the same time.
Hayward was one of 16 finalists who traveled to the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca track for the Porsche Esports Challenge USA. And the 22-year-old won the esports competition for the second year in a row.
“The experience was great,” Haywood said in an interview with GamesBeat after the victory. “I’m happy that I became a double champion again. Yeah, I will be happy to come back here.”
I made it out to the Porsche Rennsport Reunion 7 racing exhibition at the Laguna Seca track near Monterey, California. More than 91,000 people attended.
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It was a fun festival full of Porsche enthusiasts, pro and amateur races from vintage and modern Porsche cars, and oddities like Porsche tractor racing. And it was nice to see this event of racing icons intermixed with an esports event attended by video game fans of Gran Turismo 7, which is part of a franchise that has sold more than 90 million copies to date on Sony PlayStation game consoles. FaZe Clan, the esports and creator company, also had an arcade with esports pros at the event. The hope is that one day we’ll have racing and esports fans going to the same events.
This time, the event featured the Bose Esports Arena right next to the track. In an interview with GamesBeat, Hayward said it was exciting to be part of the whole Porsche experience at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
Hayward of Forrest Park, Illinois, clinched the championship in a nail-biting finale in the closing minutes of the second race in the finals.
Ayesha Coker, vice president of marketing at Porsche Cars North America, congratulated Hayward on his triumph, in a statement, “We are incredibly proud to crown Randall Hayward the champion of the 2023 Porsche Esports Challenge USA for the second year in a row. This competition not only showcases the extraordinary talent within the Esports community but also strengthens the growing connection between virtual and real-world racing.”
Hayward’s victory came after accumulating the highest number of points across two challenging tracks: Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps and Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Competing in different Porsche models, including the Porsche 911 RSR and Porsche 917, he showcased his versatility and mastery behind the virtual wheel.
The races all took place in the Gran Turismo game with simulator machines equipped with