Many people sit in front of computer screens and dream what has now come true Tommy stgaard (28): He will be a Porsche factory racer in virtual racing.
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Simulator racing, as it’s called, is motorsport on screen – and not on asphalt.
Tommy stgaard had been a full-time driver for the Coanda team for a year, but now he is taking a new step when Porsche launches his first factory team in sim racing – teaming up with Coanda, who became selected as the best motorsport e-sports team in 2021.
Four top drivers from Coanda have been selected for the new Porsche team, which will, however, collaborate with Coanda – and the team is officially called the “Porsche Coanda Esport Racing Team”.
– Indescribable. It’s totally unreal, Tommy Stgaard said of the opportunity he’s getting now.
– What can be compared?
– A bit like signing for Mercedes in Formula 1. Or just a real Porsche in Le Mans, replied stgaard.
– Great fun, and recognition for Tommy and esports, said Atle Gulbrandsen, Formula 1 commentator and sports manager at the Norwegian Motorsport Association.
– It shows how seriously Porsche is investing in esports by having its own factory drivers, and it’s a dream come true for Tommy, who is one of the world’s best sim drivers, continued Gulbrandsen.
Stgaard thought, like many others, about a career on four wheels, and he started in go-karts when he was eight years old. In 2007–2008, he switched to sim driving, and since 2017 he has been fully invested in it.
Porsche has more than 70 years of experience in casual motorsports, but is seriously taking a step into the virtual world with this investment. And they have found a good match in Coanda:
– With its professional structure, the world’s best riders and in general the entire Coanda package, we couldn’t imagine a better partner for our future in virtual motorsport, said Marco Ujhasi, head of e-sports from Porsche Motorsportin messages to VG.
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