F1 drivers typically start kart racing at the same time they begin elementary school and spend their childhood, teenage, and young adult years competing at gradually higher levels, hoping someday to get a contract from a Formula 1 team. Racing Prodigy, a U.S.-based sports, entertainment, and media company, has formed the Prodigy Racing League to give talented gamers a way to earn a contract to race real cars.
Why the Racing Prodigy League matters
Prodigy Racing describes the Racing Prodigy Leagues as an e2Real pathway that can make motorsports more accessible. It claims the league
To compete in the e2Real Racing League, gamers sign up for Prodigy Racing Leagues’ online sim racing competitions. The competitions include a selection of popular racing titles and various gaming platforms. Winners progress to higher-level competitions and can earn racing instruction classes. Successive racers will win tickets to a real-world racing tryout week.
The first draft of drivers took place at the Formula One British Grand Prix in July inside the Williams Racing Fan Zone. From a qualifying pool of 32 drivers, 24 selected drivers received contracts to compete in the Prodigy Racing League P3 season, which includes five race events in the U.S. Fans who voted online selected six additional racers to be practice squad drivers.
Six teams of four drivers will compete in the P3 season, driving specially prepared Radical SR1 race cars. The drafted racers, including two female drivers, are aged 15 to 29 and from 13 countries.
The P3 Championship schedule is:
Event | Dates | Venue | Location |
P3 Race Event #1 | November 16-17, 2024 | NOLA Motorsports Park | Avondale, LA |
P3 Race Event #2 | January 6-7, 2025 | Sebring International Raceway | Sebring, FL |
P3 Race Event #3 | February 4-5, 2025 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Homestead, FL |
P3 Race Event #4 | February 25-26, 2025 | Atlanta Motorsports Park | Dawsonville, GA |
P3 Race Event #5 | March 29-30. 2025 | NOLA Motorsports Park | Avondale, LA |