October 2026 is one of the busiest sim racing competition months of the year, with opportunities ranging from more than $100,000 in cash and prizes to professional esports contracts, Fanatec hardware, scholarships, real-world Porsche driving experiences and tickets to major motorsport and sim racing events.
Several competitions are still open to regular players, including the Logitech McLaren G Challenge, Genesis Magma Racing’s GMR Esports Series, RaceRoom competitions and iRacing qualification programmes. October will also decide several major professional championships, including eNASCAR Coca-Cola, Porsche Esports Supercup and the RENNSPORT R1 Fall Season.
Entry windows can close quickly, so always check the official competition page before purchasing content or registering.
Sim Racing Competitions in October 2026
| Competition | Platform | October Date | Prize / Opportunity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fanatec Eifel Trophy | iRacing / Assetto Corsa EVO | iRacing qualifier ends Oct 4 | Fanatec hardware, signed wheels and store credit | Open |
| eNASCAR College iRacing Series | iRacing | Current qualifier ends Oct 4; next opens Oct 20 | $60,000 season scholarship pool | Open to eligible students |
| World of Outlaws Pro Qualifying | iRacing | Oct 5, 12, 19, 22 and 29 | $25,000 Pro Series prize pool | Qualifying open |
| RaceRoom Beat the Pro Hockenheim | RaceRoom | Ends Oct 6 | 5 DTM Paddock ticket packages | Open |
| ELMS Livery Competition | Le Mans Ultimate | Ends Oct 6 | Design added to LMU + one year RaceControl subscription | Open |
| GMR Esports Series | Le Mans Ultimate | Qualifying starts Oct 6 | Full-time Genesis Magma Racing esports seat for 2027 | Registration open |
| RaceRoom SimRacing Expo Challenge | RaceRoom | Ends Oct 12 | 10 SimRacing Expo tickets | Open |
| Logitech McLaren G Challenge | Le Mans Ultimate | Qualifier 1 until Oct 13; Qualifier 2 from Oct 14 | $100,000+ total cash and prizes | Open |
| Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge GB | iRacing | Starts Oct 20 | Real Porsche driving experiences + esports progression | Grid currently appears full |
| eNASCAR Coca-Cola Championship Finale | iRacing | Oct 13 | $100,000 champion prize | Finalists selected |
| Porsche Esports Supercup | iRacing | Oct 3, 10 and 24 | $30,000 + real-world Porsche pathway | Grid closed |
| RENNSPORT R1 Fall Final | RENNSPORT | Oct 18 | €10,000 team prize pool | Finalists selected |
| British F4 Esports Championship | iRacing | Oct 14, 21 and 28 | £5,000 prize pool | Grid closed |
| UK FF1600 Esports Cup | iRacing | Oct 14, 21 and 28 | Heusinkveld hardware + British F4 entry | Grid closed |
| FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup | RaceRoom | Final Oct 9-11 | Official FIA Esports title | Qualification closed |
| FIA Esports Global Rally Tour Europe | Assetto Corsa Rally | Oct 16-18 | Places in FIA Global Final in Shanghai | Qualification closed |
Best Sim Racing Competitions You Can Enter Right Now
Logitech McLaren G Challenge – More Than $100,000 in Prizes
The Logitech McLaren G Challenge Winter 2026 is one of the biggest currently accessible sim racing competitions. Hosted through Le Mans Ultimate, Logitech lists more than $100,000 in total cash and prizes, including $40,000 in cash.
The first Rivals Qualifier is currently running at Portimão until October 13. A second qualifier begins on October 14 at Monza and continues until November 3, with additional rounds scheduled through January 2027.
Qualifier prizes include a Playseat Formula Instinct McLaren Racing Edition, ASTRO A50 Gen 5 headset and Logitech G RS50 System Papaya. The championship also leads towards larger cash rewards and a McLaren VIP travel experience.
The full Winter Season runs from September 23, 2026 to February 28, 2027, so missing one qualifier does not remove drivers from the competition entirely.
Genesis GMR Esports Series – Win a Professional Esports Seat
The Genesis Magma Racing GMR Esports Series offers one of the most unusual prizes available this month: a full-time place on the official GMR Esports roster for 2027.
Qualifying begins on October 6 in Le Mans Ultimate using the Genesis GMR-001 Hypercar. October features four weekly rounds:
- October 6-13: Sebring
- October 13-20: Fuji
- October 20-27: Monza
- October 27-November 3: Bahrain
Drivers can enter up to three races per qualifying week. Their six best results across the eight-week phase will count towards progression.
The top 20 global competitors and 10 registered Korean drivers advance to a four-race series later in the year. Entry to the qualification phase is free for Le Mans Ultimate owners, and the necessary tracks are available without additional DLC purchases.
We also have a complete GMR Esports Series guide.
Fanatec Eifel Trophy – Hardware and Store Credit
The Fanatec Eifel Trophy offers a different type of prize pool, focused almost entirely on sim racing hardware.
The iRacing Hotlap Qualifier closes on October 4 and uses the Porsche 911 Cup (992.2) at the Nürburgring. The top 25 eligible drivers advance into the next stage, where five drivers from each qualifying race earn places in the Grand Final.
First place receives a CSL Cockpit V1.5 or equivalent Fanatec store credit and a Podium Steering Wheel GT3 Endurance signed by Black Falcon drivers. Second place receives a signed ClubSport Steering Wheel GT3 plus €250 in Fanatec credit, while third receives a signed CSL Steering Wheel GT3 plus €125.
Fourth through eighth receive €50 Fanatec vouchers. Assetto Corsa EVO is also being used for a separate qualifying route.
More details are available in our Fanatec Eifel Trophy guide.
RaceRoom – Win DTM and SimRacing Expo Tickets
RaceRoom currently has two short-term competitions with physical event prizes.
The Beat the Pro Hockenheimring challenge runs until October 6 at 13:00 CEST. Drivers compete in DTM 2026 machinery at Hockenheim, with the top five eligible players receiving DTM Paddock ticket packages for the real event on October 10-11.
The second RaceRoom competition runs until October 12 and uses Super Touring cars at Circuit Zolder. The top 10 drivers will each receive a ticket to SimRacing Expo 2026 in Frankfurt.
Both competitions are particularly accessible because they use conventional leaderboard formats rather than long multi-round championship structures.
eNASCAR College – $60,000 in Scholarships
The 2026-27 eNASCAR College iRacing Series carries a combined $60,000 scholarship pool across its tournaments and season championship.
The current Queen City Crown Time Attack at Charlotte closes on October 4. Eligible collegiate drivers who qualify progress to racing on October 7 and October 14.
A second October opportunity opens on October 20 with the Big Apple Battle at Watkins Glen. That event changes direction completely, replacing NASCAR Trucks with the Ford Mustang GT4 as part of the championship’s IMSA-backed road racing programme.
The Watkins Glen Time Attack runs until October 25, followed by tournament races on October 28 and November 4.
World of Outlaws – Qualify for a $25,000 Pro Series
iRacing’s World of Outlaws Pro Qualifying programme continues throughout October and provides a direct route from regular iRacing competition into a professional prize series.
The 410 Sprint Car and Super Late Model championships share a $25,000 prize pool, with $12,500 allocated to each discipline.
October qualifying dates include:
- October 5: Lincoln Speedway – Sprint Cars
- October 12: Weedsport – Sprint Cars
- October 19: The Dirt Track at Charlotte – Sprint Cars
- October 22: Oswego – Super Late Models
- October 29: Knoxville – Super Late Models
The qualifying series is open to eligible iRacing members with a Class A Dirt Oval licence. The top 35 drivers can receive invitations to the professional championships.
Drivers who need an account can view current iRacing membership options here.
ELMS Livery Competition – Get Your Design Into Le Mans Ultimate
Not every October competition is about lap times. The European Le Mans Series and Le Mans Ultimate are accepting entries for an official livery contest until October 6 at 12:00 CEST.
Entrants must design a livery for the ELMS Oreca 07-Gibson. The winning design will become the official No. 26 ELMS livery inside Le Mans Ultimate, with the creator’s name included in the game and displayed on the car.
The winner also receives one year of RaceControl membership. Full requirements are available through the official ELMS announcement.
Major Professional Sim Racing Championships in October
eNASCAR Coca-Cola Championship – $100,000 Finale
The eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series concludes on October 13 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the Championship 4 competing from the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
Steven Wilson, Connor Yeroschak, Bobby Zalenski and Wyatt Tinsley are the four championship contenders. The eventual champion will receive $100,000 and the Dale Earnhardt Jr Cup.
The wider 2026 eNASCAR programme distributes more than $500,000 in prizes. The championship grid is already established, so this is a professional finale to follow rather than an open competition.
Porsche Esports Supercup – Cash and a Real Racing Pathway
The Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship has three major rounds during October: Suzuka on October 3, Interlagos on October 10 and the Monza finale on October 24.
The championship carries a $30,000 prize pool, including $10,000 for the champion.
More importantly, Porsche has added a route into real motorsport. Selected virtual drivers can progress to a Porsche shoot-out, real-world testing and potentially receive Porsche Motorsport support towards a racing programme in 2027.
The World Championship field has already qualified, so there is no new October entry route.
RENNSPORT R1 Fall Final – Frankfurt Decides the Champion
The RENNSPORT R1 Fall Season reaches its live final at SimRacing Expo Frankfurt on October 18.
The season carries a €10,000 team prize pool. Six teams progressed from the regular online championship into the live finale.
Verstappen Sim Racing completed the main season at the top of the standings ahead of BS+Competition, TC Racing, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team, RENNSPORT Grandmaster Team and MOUZ.
Qualification is already complete, making Frankfurt the final stage rather than an open October competition.
British F4 and FF1600 Continue Through October
The British F4 Esports Championship continues on iRacing with races at Snetterton on October 14, Oulton Park on October 21 and Silverstone on October 28.
The professional 29-driver grid competes for a £5,000 prize pool.
The UK FF1600 Esports Cup runs alongside it and offers progression-focused rewards rather than a large cash prize. The top two drivers receive free entry into the 2027 British F4 Esports Championship, while Heusinkveld provides hardware for the top three.
Qualification for both championships has already taken place.
FIA Esports Events in October
FIA European Hill Climb Cup – RaceRoom
The FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup reaches its onsite final in Luxembourg from October 9-11.
Qualification took place through RaceRoom during August and September, with eight drivers progressing to the final.
Sami Joe Abi Nakhle, Alessandro Ottaviani, Turkka Häkkinen, Julian Kunze, Mihai-Alexandru Neg, Floristeanu Filip, Moritz Löhner and Julian Klaffenböck secured the available places.
Qualification is now closed, so October’s event will decide the official FIA title.
FIA Global Rally Tour Europe – Assetto Corsa Rally
The FIA Esports Global Rally Tour European Regional Shootout will take place at SimRacing Expo Frankfurt from October 16-18 using Assetto Corsa Rally.
Drivers qualified through the earlier global online competition. The European event will determine which competitors advance to the FIA Global Final in Shanghai during FIA Awards Week.
Four European qualification positions are available for Shanghai, where the final competition concludes on December 12.
Best October Competitions by Prize Type
- Biggest accessible prize programme: Logitech McLaren G Challenge – $100,000+ in cash and prizes.
- Best professional opportunity: Genesis GMR Esports Series – full-time GMR Esports seat for 2027.
- Best hardware prizes: Fanatec Eifel Trophy.
- Best real-world event prize: RaceRoom Beat the Pro – DTM paddock tickets.
- Best sim racing event prize: RaceRoom SimRacing Expo Challenge – 10 Expo tickets.
- Best student opportunity: eNASCAR College – $60,000 scholarship programme.
- Best route into pro dirt oval esports: World of Outlaws qualifying.
- Best non-driving competition: ELMS livery contest.
October Deadlines to Remember
- October 4: Fanatec Eifel Trophy iRacing qualifier closes.
- October 4: eNASCAR College Queen City Crown Time Attack closes.
- October 6: RaceRoom DTM Beat the Pro competition closes.
- October 6: ELMS livery competition closes.
- October 6: Genesis GMR Esports Series qualification begins.
- October 12: RaceRoom SimRacing Expo competition closes.
- October 13: Logitech McLaren G Challenge Portimão qualifier closes.
- October 14: Logitech Monza qualifier begins.
- October 20: eNASCAR College Watkins Glen qualification opens.
- October 20: Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge GB begins.
October offers an unusually broad range of sim racing prizes. Drivers can chase conventional cash rewards, but they can also compete for professional contracts, real-world driving opportunities, esports progression, hardware, scholarships and access to major motorsport events.
The two Le Mans Ultimate competitions stand out in particular. Logitech offers one of the largest accessible prize packages currently available, while Genesis is offering something potentially more valuable for a serious esports driver: an actual position inside a manufacturer-backed professional team.
With many competitions closing during the first half of the month, drivers interested in entering should check the official rules and eligibility requirements as early as possible.
See you on the track!
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