- Tune in on Friday, April 24, at 3:30 p.m. EDT to Twitch and see the Car and Driver vs. Road & Track vs. Autoweek challenge the world couldn't care less about.
- The three Hearst Autos publications will be joined this time by two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden.
- Joystick jockey and self-proclaimed semi-pro gamer Brian Silvestro of Road & Track is currently under investigation for violating Section 6324 of the rulebook.
As we enter week who-knows-what of the quarantine life, we will once again maintain our tenuous grip on sanity by lining up in Round Five of the Work from Home Cup, in which we race against staffers from Road & Track and Autoweek in Forza Motorsport 7 on Xbox. This week, though, there's a bonus for all of those fans who've been lining up around the block. [What? No, sorry, we're not giving away toilet paper. Wait. You’re all leaving?]
In addition to smashing into other keyboard jockeys in the first turn, we'll also be smashing into a legitimate race-car driver. Two-time IndyCar champion and Team Penske pilot Josef Newgarden has nothing better to do, apparently, and will mix it up with us. While we'd like to think our months of training give us a shot at competing with Newgarden, his 14 IndyCar wins will likely prove otherwise. Be sure to tune in early, as he'll probably rage quit (rightly so) partway through the first race.
We Smell a Rat
Through four rounds of the Cup now, Road & Track staff writer Brian Silvestro has been the clear front runner, dominating nearly every single race. His lines have been too consistent and he seems to find traction in places—such as off-camber grass—where other accomplished racers struggle, leading to allegations that some funny business might be happening over in his camp. We reached out to Silvestro for comment: "Years of practice have made Brian so skilled with a controller that most competitors incorrectly assume he must be cheating," his publicist said. Being a self-proclaimed semi-professional gamer, certainly he’s no stranger to modified controllers and autobots that remove any skill from video gaming. Could Silvestro be a spectator to an autonomous race car? We’ve contested the legitimacy of his setup and await the results from Microsoft's Research and Development department.
Perhaps his Chick-Fil-A–fueled gaming sessions extending into the morning hours have paid off, earning him an honest spot at the top of the podium. Maybe he has more cheats than Junior Johnson. Either way, we look forward to finally watching Slippery Silvestro lose to someone when the three titles square off with actual race car driver Josef Newgarden in this week’s WFMCUP. Tune in to the action Friday, April 24, at 3:30 pm Eastern at the links below.
From Road & Track: Watch Road & Track Destroy Car and Driver and Autoweek in Forza Motorsport 7
From Autoweek: Autoweek is (virtually) racing Car and Driver and Road & Track in the first Work from Home Cup