Rocky helps through virtual racing
At ten events, ‘Rocky’ competes against his five fellow DTM factory drivers on the Sony PlayStation 4 once a week. Audi’s DTM pros are pitted against six SimRacers and three guest entrants at #RaceHome. Members of the PlayStation network are able to compete as well. Each event is broadcast on the internet for free.
The idea
In view of the corona crisis solidarity is a top priority for Mike Rockenfeller. “There’s a large number of freelancers in motorsport who have lost their income from one day to the other due to this pandemic and have fears of becoming destitute,” says the Audi DTM factory driver. #Race Home aims to raise as many donations as possible to be used for charity purposes within the motorsport family.
The concept
#RaceHome is a virtual racing series comprising a total of ten weekly events, each held on a Tuesday. “Because there are no real-world races due to the corona crisis at the moment, SimRacing is currently experiencing an amazing boom,” says ‘Rocky’. The 2013 DTM Champion describes the concept: “We’re deliberately pursuing a unique approach in that #RaceHome uses sports cars with electric drive, so emphasising Audi’s focus topic in the mobility transformation process. And we opted for the Gran Turismo Sport console game for the Sony PlayStation 4 because we can reach an especially large worldwide community in this way.”
The drivers
15 drivers are on the grid per #RaceHome event. Mike Rockenfeller and his five fellow DTM factory drivers: Loïc Duval, Robin Frijns, Jamie Green, Nico Müller and René Rast. They meet with six SimRacers from the RCCO E-Sport Series on the basis of which the #RaceHome assistance project was spontaneously developed and put into action. Per event three additional spots on the grid are reserved for changing guests. Detailed information on participating as a guest: racehome.rcco.ag
The cars
The races of the #RaceHome charity project are exclusively contested with the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, analogous to motorsport one-make cups. This GT sports car was initially developed for the Gran Turismo Sport console game. Subsequently, Audi’s virtual racing car was also turned into a real-world concept car. As a race taxi the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo has been providing an impressive experience of electric mobility ever since.
The spectacular two-seater features the same technological concept in both the virtual and the real-world version: permanent electric four-wheel drive, three e-motors delivering a total system output of 600 kW (815 hp). In less than 2.5 seconds the Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h and achieves a top speed of more than 320 km/h.
The set-up for the powertrain and suspension is identically specified for each of the #RaceHome cars that feature the same design and may not be modified during the competitions. This guarantees maximum equality of opportunity. Drivers may freely choose between slicks and wets. Pit stops for tyre changes are permitted at any time, but are not mandatory. “That’s why in our races the performance of every driver absolutely takes centre stage,” says Mike Rockenfeller, stressing the high sporting value of his charity project.
The virtual Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo cars of the six Audi DTM drivers bear the same numbers as their real-world Audi RS 5 DTM and are sporting the liveries of their ‘true’ racing cars planned for the 2020 season. In addition, just like in normal racing activities, every DTM driver is supported by his Audi Sport team and races under its name in #RaceHome: Jamie Green and René Rast for Rosberg, Robin Frijns and Nico Müller for ABT Sportsline and Loïc Duval and Mike Rockenfeller for Phoenix. Audi’s DTM customer team WRT has assumed the sponsorship for the guest car earmarked for the VIP entrants.
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Aral Ultimate Audi RS 5 DTM #4 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline), Robin Frijns
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Aral Ultimate Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo #4 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline), Robin Frijns
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BMC Air Filter Audi RS 5 DTM #28 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Loïc Duval
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BMC Air Filter Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo #28 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Loïc Duval
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Audi Sport RS 5 DTM #33 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg), René Rast
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Audi Sport e-tron Vision Gran Turismo #33 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg), René Rast
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Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM #51 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline), Nico Müller
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Castrol EDGE Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo #51 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline), Nico Müller
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Akrapovič Audi RS 5 DTM #53 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg), Jamie Green
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Akrapovič Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo #53 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg), Jamie Green
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Twin Busch Audi RS 5 DTM #99 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Mike Rockenfeller
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Twin Busch Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo #99 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix), Mike Rockenfeller
The racing
The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo cars are optionally operated by the drivers in #RaceHome either by using the controller (i.e. only by means of push buttons) or via the steering wheel and pedals. During the race the contenders have to keep an eye on the tyre wear of their cars. “If you risk too much and don’t change the tyres in time, you’ll forfeit your chances for victory just like in real-world racing,” says the current DTM Champion and driving simulator expert René Rast.
The tracks
#RaceHome is held on ten internationally famous race tracks. The track to be used is determined by the drawing of lots only on race day. Each track is used just once. Also decided by a drawing is the weather for each event. Only for the inaugural race at Spa-Francorchamps, dry track conditions were determined in advance.
The #RaceHome events are contested at:
- Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain)
- Bathurst (Australia)
- Brands Hatch (England)
- Fuji (Japan)
- Interlagos (Brazil)
- Laguna Seca (USA)
- Monza (Italy)
- Nürburgring (Germany)
- Red Bull Ring (Austria)
- Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium)
The races
The #RaceHome events feature a compact and thrilling format. A total of six races are held within the space of about 60 minutes: four qualification races, a semi-final and a super-final. Close position battles are fought straight from the start through to the finish. “Although in contrast to real-world racing there are no centrifugal forces acting on our bodies in virtual racing, I’m sweaty after each race,” says Robin Frijns. As overall runner-up behind the surprisingly strong guest entrant Alexis Chambon from France the Dutchman from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline was the best DTM driver in the #RaceHome opener.
“#RaceHome is an awesomely exciting form of motorsport that hopefully is also attractive and entertaining for the fans,” says an enthusiastic Loïc Duval. Following his early retirement in the #RaceHome inaugural event, the Frenchman from Audi Sport Team Phoenix, who has clearly less SimRacing experience under his belt than his fellow Audi drivers, promises to get even: “I’m going to practise even more intensively for the remaining races, so there might be some long nights coming up for me.”
Points are awarded according to the following system at each #RaceHome event:
1st position: 10 points
2nd position: 6 points
3rd position: 4 points
4th position: 3 points
5th position: 2 points
6th position: 1 point
The driver to have scored the most points after the last event will be the overall winner. In addition to this, there are also points for the teams’ classification.
The race director
Frank Biela, five-time Le Mans winner and multiple international touring car champion, serves as race director at #RaceHome, a role the former professional racer performs in the RCCO E-Sport Series as well. As an active, renowned SimRacer Biela knows exactly what manoeuvres on the virtual track are fair or foul. He also brings additional experience as a motorsport official from the real racing world of DTM, where the German served as a steward on several occasions in recent years.
The calendar
The ten #RaceHome events are held weekly on Tuesdays:
Race 1 on 21 April 2020
Race 2 on 28 April 2020
Race 3 on 5 May 2020
Race 4 on 12 May 2020
Race 5 on 19 May 2020
Race 6 on 26 May 2020
Race 7 on 2 June 2020
Race 8 on 9 June 2020
Race 9 on 16 June 2020
Race 10 on 23 June 2020
The broadcasts
The various competitions of the #RaceHome series are broadcast on Tuesday at 8 pm (CEST) on YouTube (German commentary) and on the streaming platform Twitch (
VisionRCCO). The events can be watched for free. In addition to delivering thrilling motorsport to fans, they provide intriguing, previously unknown peeks into the living rooms and working spaces of the drivers. Being able to watch all the facial expressions of the racers working at the wheel without helmets and to hear their spontaneous unfiltered reactions in the heat of the action makes for another new and impressive experience.
The donations
#RaceHome supports motorsport freelancers who have fallen on hard times due to the corona crisis through donations.
Account for donations:
RCCO E-Sport AG
Thurgauer Kantonalbank
IBAN: CH77 0078 4297 0706 5200 3
BIC (SWIFT): KBTGCH22
Payment reference: #RaceHome
Or:
Send desired amount by PayPal:
paypal@rcco.ag
Information on the current state of the fund drive can be found at:
racehome.rcco.ag
The organisers
Mike Rockenfeller initiated the #RaceHome charity racing series together with Thomas Voigt. The professional racer and the media and communications expert started RCCO E-Sport AG in 2019. Since then the two Germans have been working on a long-term and novel type of e-sport project. RCCO stands for Racing Concept Cars Organisation and has its origins in the slot car racing series that was established by Thomas Voigt 30 years ago and now looks back on the longest history in slot car racing.
#RaceHome
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