‘Screen to Speed’ Aims to Get More Women Into E-Sports Racing

Anyone can participate in this new e-sports racing tournament, with cool prizes including a real-life track event with the KellyMoss Porsche racing team.

While the tide has begun to turn somewhat, historically speaking, motorsports – as well as the automotive enthusiast world in general – has been a male-dominated sport. While we’re seeing more and more women break into the industry these days, there’s still massive room for improvement, and that’s precisely what a new campaign dubbed “Screen to Speed” aims to achieve – get more women participating in the fairly new world of e-sports racing, but in this case, there are some truly enticing rewards for doing so.

Screen to Speed is the result of a new partnership between leading e-sports company Init Esports and Pennzoil, and is essentially a sim racing digital tournament designed to give female racers around the world the opportunity to participate in this first-of-its-kind event. The founder of Init Esports, Stefy Bau, and Victoria Thomas, co-owner of KellyMoss Road and Race, teamed up to create this initiative with a mission of raising awareness and opportunities for females in the motorsports industry.

The first phase of this e-sports racing tournament is open now through February 12, 2023, and invites women to sign up and participate with some pretty exciting prizes for those that ultimately come out on top. The tournament is split into three phases, with the first consisting of a Time Attack event put on via iRacing that takes place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway circuit, with racers siting behind the virtual wheel of Ford’s next-generation NASCAR vehicle. This first phase is open now, and wraps up on February 12, 2023.

A total of 20 finalists will be chosen at the end of phase one, consisting of 15 drivers with the fastest lap times and highest social reach, as well as five social media influencers. Those 20 finalists will meet in Las Vegas for phase two, an in-person battle taking place on March 4, 2023. In this round, drivers will compete in Next Level Racing cockpit simulators while receiving coaching tips from KellyMoss Road and Race racer, Sabré Cook. Fans will be able to tune into the event live via a livestream on March 4 on Twitch, YouTube, and ESTV.

The winner will be announced on March 6, 2023 during phase three. The grand prize for the winning driver is $15,000 cash, a racing simulator, and a real-life track event with the KellyMoss Porsche race team. Throughout the competition, prizes will also be available to participants, including a trip to the live show in Las Vegas, an AMA (Ask Me Anything) session with a professional female racer, gaming equipment, and much more.

Those interested in participating still have a few weeks to do so and can sign up by heading over here. With any luck, this tournament will spawn an entirely new generation of automotive/motorsports enthusiasts, and perhaps even open the door for some that never thought it would be possible to break into this particular industry in the first place.

Photos: KellyMoss Road to Race, Pennzoil

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.
He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.