By Kyle Davi
BU News Service
LAS VEGAS — With $200,000 on the line, simulation racer Olli Pahkala won the first ever Formula-E racing event in Las Vegas, Nev., at CES 2017.
The eRace had 10 simulation and 20 professional racers go head-to-head to see who would come out on top.
Only 20 racers made the final: 11 professional drivers and nine simulation drivers. All nine sim drivers made it to the top 10, with Felix Rosenqvist being the sole professional driver with the second fastest qualifying time.
Drivers raced on a track specifically made for the event, covering much of the Las Vegas strip and other sites.
Rosenqvist came in third place overall, netting some of the $1 million that was part of the prize pool. The prize money made it the richest eSport race in history.
Pahkala won the race, riding to victory with the help of a “fan boost.” The simulation driver received a few seconds of extra speed from fans who voted for him.
Despite some technical glitches before the final event, the eRace was extremely popular and drew a large crowd. Twitch.tv hosted a livestream of the event.
