• by Tanya Gazdik , June 14, 2016

The worlds of endurance racing and video gaming will come together this weekend for the first-ever 24-hour online endurance race on Forza MotorSport 6 hosted by Audi of America.

Twelve teams made up of professional gamers and influencers will compete in “24 Hours of Le Forza,” an event meant to mirror the “24 Hours of Le Mans” race in France where Audi Sport teams will be competing for their 14^th overall victory. “24 Hours of Le Forza” will be live-streamed on Twitch, a social platform for gaming that reportedly attracts more than 100 million visitors per month.

The event will be held in downtown San Francisco and refereed by gaming and motorsports authorities including Audi Sportscar Brand Ambassador, Dion von Moltke.

Used as a simulator by professional drivers around the world, Forza MotorSport 6 allows gamers to drive LMP1 vehicles that are near replicas of the real racecars, on virtual tracks that also resemble their real-world counterparts.

To further pay tribute to the endurance race as it unfolds on the iconic French road course, gamers will wear full racing suits and helmets, drive the same demanding shifts and experience similar in-game weather as the conditions abroad.

Racing and gaming fans alike can not only view the event via the live stream online, but can also interact directly with the hosts and racing teams via the Twitch chat feature.

The winning consumer team from the Audi 24 Hours of Le Forza will be awarded a grand prize trip to Sonoma, Calif., for the opportunity to participate in a real-world Audi sports car experience. The second-place team will be awarded a trip to Austin, Texas, in September for the 2016 Lone Star Le Mans race and the third-place team will be awarded an Xbox One and a copy of the Forza MotorSport 6 game.