A group of motorsport professionals have come together to launch pHorum7, a new company designed to drive inclusivity and diversity in sim racing and esports.
According to the release, pHorum7 ‘recognises the challenges’ faced by individuals who want to break into the sim racing sector. The company also emphasised the need to provide more opportunities for young people, no matter of background.
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The company’s team is made up of SQN’s CEO Claire Ritchie-Tomkins, British racing driver Johnny Mowlem, Jaguar Formula E Race Team’s Sporting Manager Gary Ekerold, and sports broadcaster Louise Beckett.
pHorum7 Co-founder Claire Ritchie-Tomkins, commented: “We are committed to driving change and to open up esports and sim racing to the widest audience possible.
“We offer a neutral space, accessible to all, from which we endeavour to drive positive change to tackle negative issues.”
pHorum7 has already detailed some initiatives to help provide more inclusivity within sim racing. This includes hosting accessible tournaments and partnering with brands.
pHorum7’s first tournament, First Among Equals, will take place at the end of November. It has yet to be revealed which title will be used for the event, however, the winner will gain the opportunity to drive the Williams Advanced Engineering simulator.
In addition ‘competitors who demonstrate the right talent and attributes’ will also have a chance to experience real-world racing with a Le Mans Prototype. This is made possible due to the company’s connection with Red River Sport through Mowlem.
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Despite just launching, the company has secured a partnership with sim-racing motion technologies provider D-BOX.
D-BOX Vice-President of Marketing and Communication, Stéphane Vidal, added: “We share are same values of diversity and inclusivity, and we look forward to working with pHorum7 on the First Among Equals tournament and other exciting initiatives that will open up the world of sim racing to wider audiences.”
Yesterday, pHorum7 also participated in the FIA Girls on Track UK webinar to discuss opportunities for women and girls wanting to compete equally in esports and sim racing.
Esports Insider says: Given sim racing’s incredible growth over the last 18 months, it’s no surprise that more companies are entering into the industry. Perhaps one of sim racing’s biggest issues is its entry barrier. If pHorum7 can identify this issue and help make the industry more accessible, then it can only be a positive for sim racing.
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