Digital motorsport hits Botswana

Moving with the times: Digital motorsport PIC: REPUBLIKA
Moving with the times: Digital motorsport PIC: REPUBLIKA

The digital motorsport championship, FIA Star Rally, will make its debut in the country this weekend. The Botswana Motor Sport (BMS), in conjunction with its affiliate Desert Rats Racing, will on Saturday and Sunday launch the digital competition in preparation for qualifiers of the FIA Star Rally World Championship.

The Star Rally is available digitally with the competition on computerised simulations that replicate real-life racing. The Star Rally has been popular across the world and it is starting to gain some popularity in the Middle East and Africa recently. Speaking to Mmegi Sport, BMS president, Kagiso Modibedi said despite its unpopularity locally, it proved to be less costly hence it provides an alternative for local aspirants to realise their motorsport dream as the BMS targets 400 drivers by the end of the year. Modibedi said the event has attracted a lot of interest as by Wednesday, over 40 participants had registered for the event. “Driving simulators are not popular on the mainstream, but it is the fastest-growing motorsport sector.

It is the cheapest and it can be done in the comfort of one's home. We are expecting it to be the most popular sector in Botswana with at least 300-400 licensed competitors by the end of the year. And we are expecting a minimum of 100 competitors for the first event, but currently, the registrations are at around 40,” he said. Modibedi further said the BMS will hold the national championship later this year where, two drivers, a male and a female will win a ticket to the African finals to be held at the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria, South Africa from May 27-29, 2022. The winners of the continental finals will take part in the FIA World Games to be held in October. “The need for Botswana is to participate in this programme is to ensure that we give Batswana who are interested in a racing career, an opportunity to do so.

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