JACKSONVILLE, FL (July 10, 2024) – Racing Prodigy™, a sports, entertainment, and media property making motorsports more accessible, held its inaugural Prodigy Draft over the weekend inside the Williams Racing Fan Zone presented by Kraken at the iconic ‘Below the Lights’ at Piccadilly Circus, London. From an initial pool of 32 drivers, 24 were drafted and will receive paid contracts from Racing Prodigy to compete in its Prodigy Three (P3) Championship within the Prodigy Racing League™ (PRL™). Racing Prodigy revealed during the Draft that the Atlanta Motorsports Park will host the first race on Oct. 22-23, with the remaining schedule to be announced later.
Racing Prodigy also welcomed five new Prodigy Racing Teams to its league which drafted its four drivers during Prodigy Draft. G2 Esports, the most entertaining esports organization in the world, operates multiple teams including sim racing for its global community and lifestyle brand. Guild Esports, a global esports organization co-owned by David Beckham, operates multiple teams and manages its Guild Sim School to help build the next generation of sim racers. Houston-based Outlaws Entertainment is best known for its popular Houston Outlaws esports brand and is currently competing in the Fortnite Championship Series. SuckerPunch, the most versatile pickle on the market providing knockout flavor for every occasion, will have their team fueled by fans, who will act as the collective team principal. TC Racing, led by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, competes in the F4 Spanish Championship series.
Featuring six teams of four drivers each, the 2024 Prodigy Draft picks come from 13 countries – aged 15 to 29, including two female drivers. Thomas Bellemin (United States) was the first overall selection led by the SuckerPunch Prodigy Racing Team Fueled by Fans. Nikodem Wiśniewski (Poland), Alexandro Vielma (United States), Gustavo Ariel (Brazil), Laurens Beerten (Belgium), and Siro Zambra (Switzerland) were also selected in the first round.
“Being the first overall selection in such a talented field of drivers felt surreal. I’m extremely grateful to have been selected by SuckerPunch and can’t thank them enough for putting their trust in me for this upcoming season,” said Bellemin. “This isn’t just a dream come true, but the beginning of my professional motorsports career. We’re here to win and I will do everything I can to prepare myself as best as possible for this upcoming season.”
The 2024 Prodigy Draft selections are listed in draft order and will be their car number during the P3 Championship (name, country, age):
SuckerPunch Prodigy Racing Team Fueled by Fans:
- Thomas Bellemin, 19, United States – Round 1, Overall Selection #1
- Julian Klaffenböck, 15, Austria – Round 2, Overall Selection #12 – Picked by Fans
- Brandon Hawkin, 26, Canada – Round 3, Overall Selection #13
- Jai Fletcher, 20, United Kingdom – Round 4, Overall Selection #24 – Picked by Fans
G2 Prodigy Racing Team:
- Nikodem Wiśniewski, 29, Poland – Round 1, Overall Selection #2
- Roope Kurkipää, 18, Finland – Round 2, Overall Selection #11
- Kamil Pawlowski, 26, Poland – Round 3, Overall Selection #14
- Michael Romanidis, 20, Greece – Round 4, Overall Selection #23
Outlaws Prodigy Racing Team:
- Alexandro Vielma, 19, United States – Round 1, Overall Selection #3
- Brenna Schubert, 24, United States – Round 2, Overall Selection #10
- Edoardo Leo, 17, Italy – Round 3, Overall Selection #15
- Jan von der Heyde, 28, Germany – Round 4, Overall Selection #22
TC Prodigy Racing Team:
- Gustavo Ariel, 22, Brazil – Round 1, Overall Selection #4
- Lorenz Hörzing, 22, Austria – Round 2, Overall Selection #9
- Garrett Lowe, 22, United States – Round 3, Overall Selection #16
- Dino Filippa, 26, Argentina – Round 4, Overall Selection #21
Guild Prodigy Racing Team:
- Laurens Beerten, 28, Belgium – Round 1, Overall Selection #5
- Will Redford, 19, United Kingdom – Round 2, Overall Selection #8
- Nathan Maximin, 26, United Kingdom – Round 3, Overall Selection #17
- Aimee Frame, 17, United Kingdom – Round 4, Overall Selection #20
Williams Esports Prodigy Racing Team:
- Siro Zambra, 18, Switzerland – Round 1, Overall Selection #6
- Nathan Saxon, 27, United States – Round 2, Overall Selection #7
- Kamden Hibbitt, 15, United States – Round 3, Overall Selection #18
- David Dalton Jr., 26, United States – Round 4, Overall Selection #19
Six drivers from those not drafted will receive a second chance thanks to fans voting at www.racingprodigy.com to become reserve drivers for the series. Voting is open today and results will be announced on July 15. During the racing season, teams will have the option to send any driver down to call up a reserve.
“At Williams Esports, our vision is to demonstrate that with the right human performance program and holistic development, sim racers can rival real-world racers when given the opportunity. Racing Prodigy is the perfect platform to prove this,“ said Ben Hawkins, Head of Performance, Williams Esports. “We are delighted with our draft picks as we have achieved a really exciting yet balanced roster combining raw talent and seasoned experience. All of our drivers not only possess exceptional technical capabilities but also embody our values off the track.”
“Team SuckerPunch is incredibly excited to be part of the Prodigy Racing League and to support the inclusivity and accessibility that it brings to motorsports,” said Brian Schmucker, Team Principal with SuckerPunch. “We wanted to bring that accessibility to life within our own team, so allowing the fans to participate in selecting 2 of our 4 drivers felt like the perfect opportunity to do just that. As we look ahead to the season, we are thrilled to have 4 amazing drivers joining the SuckerPunch Prodigy Racing Team Fueled by Fans and are honored to support their continued growth throughout the season!”
“We can’t wait to begin developing our team that represents three continents by applying excellence in the process and surrounding them with the best motorsport professionals,” said Thibaut Courtois with TC Racing. “We hope this is just the beginning to help our drivers pursue their passion to race cars and build a sustainable career in motorsports. Each of them brings a desire to succeed which is our goal at TC Racing.”
“We’re thrilled to join the Prodigy Racing League and compete in this groundbreaking series. At Guild Esports, we’re dedicated to nurturing the next generation of male and female sim racing talent, and this platform gives us the chance to highlight their abilities on an international level. Our team is ready to showcase their skills and explore the potential of transitioning from virtual to real racing. We look forward to an exciting season full of fierce competition and remarkable performances,” said Luke Jones, VP of Esports at Guild Esports
“We are thrilled to be joining Prodigy Racing League and helping to blur the lines between traditional sports and esports, adding new elite level talent to motor racing’s podium while demonstrating the deeply rooted athleticism that exists at the simulation and gaming level,” cites Lori Burgess, CEO of the Houston Outlaws brand. “The convergence of sports and technology is supremely represented through PRL’s Draft and upcoming race series, which will further demonstrate the viability of esports paving the way for next-gen traditional sports.”
Racing Prodigy partners include Advanced SimRacing, Atlanta Motorsports Park, G2 Esports, Guild Esports, iRacing, Max Papis Innovations (MPI), Mazda North American Operations, Outlaws Entertainment, PitFit Training, Primal Racing School, RaceRoom, SuckerPunch, Street Kart Racing, TC Racing, The Racers Physio, Toyo Tires, Williams Esports, and Women in Motorsports North America.
