Race to Touring Car Victory from Home with Yokohama

Racing fans that spend more time in front of the computer screen than behind a windscreen can now participate in their own global race series. Yokohama has announced its partnership in the new Virtual World Touring Car Championship (V-WTCC), an online championship for motorsport enthusiasts.

V-WTCC, explains Yokohama, is an online version of ‘RACE 07 – The Official WTCC Game’. Participants from around the globe can demonstrate their skills, competing for the title of V-WTCC Champion. After successfully competing in the earlier knockout rounds, six lucky qualifiers will receive invitations to the Grande Finale, held at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Italy. The V-WTCC winner will make his or her way into the simulated racing history books and receive a yet-to-be revealed grand prize.

A free demo version of the game is now available for download, enabling competitors to battle against other gamers for the online Yokohama Independents’ Trophy (Y.I.T); Yokohama also sponsors the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. With real life drivers going head-to-head against the best gamers, Yokohama is confident the competition will be fierce and participants will have to demonstrate skill and determination to succeed. Yokohama’s demo offers a cost-effective way of entering the championship and the tyremaker expects it to attract tens of thousands of applicants.

The top 20 drivers in the online Y.I.T will go on to compete in the Y.I.T Demo Race with the winner receiving a prize from Yokohama. Those that qualify within the top eight of the Demo Race will receive a free copy of ‘RACE 07’ and automatic entry into one of the V-WTCC quarterfinals.

“We are really excited to be taking part in this new initiative,” said Matthijs Mathlener, Yokohama’s motorsports manager for Europe. “With online gaming becoming increasingly popular, we aim to build bridges between the gaming and motorsport worlds.

“The V-WTCC is a fantastic platform for this as it fits perfectly with Yokohama’s high-performance image; we hope the association will help us to reach a wider audience.”

With thousands of motorsport and high-performance enthusiasts expected to enter, Yokohama is encouraging gamers to visit www.v-wtcc.com to access the Yokohama free ‘RACE 07’ Demo and secure their place in the online Yokohama Independents’ Trophy.