Motorsport UK Cross Car Esports Cup features real-life racing prize

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 21/01/2026

Motorport UK has announced a new championship, the Cross Car Esports Cup, which will offer real-world racing opportunities.

The governing body of motorsport in the UK wants to bridge the gap between real and virtual competition.

To do so, the overall winner of the cup will receive a real-world test day and race entry into the Motorsport UK Cross Car Championship.

The Cross Car Esports Cup will take place in February, offering sim-racers a pathway towards a career in real-life motorsport.

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The competition will see aspiring drivers use the iRacing platform to participate in a pre-qualifier event.

This qualification competition will use iRacing’s Time Attack mode and will take place from 9am January 31st until 9am February 2nd.

The top 27 racers will then be invited to compete in the main championship with the real-life driving opportunity on the line.

Entry is open to UK residents aged 16 and over with no previous off-road racing experience (Cross Car, Rallycross or Autocross).

Initial entry to compete will be free of charge, but those who qualify will require a paid Motorsport UK Esports Membership, which costs £27.99 per year.

The 27 drivers that qualify will recieve for an invitation to compete in the main event, which will feature heats and a finals format similar to real-world rallycross racing.

The eventual champion will have a chance to drive an FIA Cross Car in a testing session at an “iconic British Rallycross venue” with Motorsport UK describing it as an authentic first step into national-level competition for the aspiring driver.

The winner will also get to race in the real-life Cross Car Championship, running from March to November later this year.

Sim Racing In 2026

After an initial boom in 2020 thanks to various postponements of real-life races due to the COVID-19 pandemic, sim racing is still growing.

While sim racing is in a good spot, it isn’t one of the chosen games for the Esports World Cup 2026 despite appearing at last year’s iteration.

Like Motorsport UK is doing with this event, various companies are using sim racing to offer more opportunities for those who want careers in racing.

Speaking about the upcoming esports event, Motorsport UK said:

“The 2026 Motorsport UK Cross Car Esports Cup is built around accessibility while delivering a high‑impact reward.

“This reinforces Motorsport UK’s role as the sport’s governing body and its commitment to providing a genuine pathway from sim racing to the track.”

Jack Stewart, Senior Editor

In my seven years of esports writing, I've introduced esports coverage to newspapers, interviewed some of the biggest names in the industry, and driven viewers mad with the puns in my YouTube scripts. I'm most proud of the latter.

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