M1 Championship League: Innovative Grassroots EV Racing Launched in the Philippines

On the drive from Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig, where my wife Shawie and I just attended the launch of Tesla electric vehicles, I was filled with excitement and anticipation as we headed into Alabang, where we were going to attend a press conference at Karrera Café about Meta Motors and their M1 Championship League. I was doubly excited because the new locally-conceptualized racing series was being promoted as “The Future of Racing”.

When we arrived at the venue, I was expecting to see a race car or a prototype or even an electric race car inside Karrera Café. Instead, I was surprised to find a two driving simulators facing each other and several remote control (R/C) cars on display. The R/C cars look like Citroen rally cars in 1/10th scale, except they were missing their windshield to accommodate what looks like a Go Pro camera. “Oh, no… not another sim racing series”, I said to myself, feeling a bit disappointed while looking at the driving simulators and wondering why there were R/C cars around.

From Atari to PS5 to VR

I have nothing against simulated racing games on the computer or the PlayStation. In fact, my favorite video game when I was a young boy was “Street Racer” on my friend’s Atari game console and “Night Driver” at the video game arcade. (Yikes! These blocky video games reveal my age!) As technology improved faster than a race car’s acceleration times, video games became more lifelike, especially with the latest editions of Gran Turismo on PS5, which makes my boyhood video games look archaic.

During the pandemic when people were encouraged to stay indoors to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Virtual Racing (VR) series was developed with Indy and NASCAR versions gathering teams, fans and loyal followers online. The racing simulators were technological marvels with wide curved screens, surround sound, steering wheels that provide feedback and realistic feel, and even racing seats that provide some movement to simulate that all-important “seat-of-the-pants” feel that racing drivers depend on.

Different Than SIM Racing

“With video games like Gran Turismo and Grand Theft Auto, when you crash and damage your car, you can always press the ‘Reset’ button and everything will be back the same as before”, said renowned race car driver Marlon Stockinger, who’s the Race Director of the M1 Championship League. “In our race series, you are not driving a computer program but a real race car, albeit in a smaller scale, the R/C car, around a race track inspired by the Suzuka Circuit in Japan. The R/C race car is governed by the natural laws of physics and not by preprogrammed computer simulation”, he added.

The Meta Motors team showed the technical details of their M1 Spec Racecar (the R/C car), which has a carbon fiber chassis, cage and front splitter, brushless electric motor, upgraded electronic speed control (ESC) and servo. Its suspension can be set up with custom shocks and springs while a set of rally tires and a set of slick tires will the regulation standard. “Like in real race cars, the car’s handling and grip, especially around corners will depend on the suspension set-up, tire choice and, of course, the driver’s inputs. Similar to real racing, if you crash and damage your car, your race is finished. Game over”, Stockinger emphasized.

Safe and Budget-Friendly Racing

Meta Motors’ Championship Director Francis Pascua pointed out that the two driving simulators where the racers can drive the R/C cars were assembled with budget-friendly components such as the ASUS PB60G PC, Cammus C5 steering wheel and pedals and a GT Lite Pro seat. “We built this driving simulator with the participants in mind”, Pascua stated. “It can easily be replicated at home since all the components are affordable and available at computer shops. Of course, there are programs that are proprietary for Meta Motors to control the R/C race cars around our race track in Pasig as well as provide the video and audio feed from the car as it speeds through the track”, he added.

In addition to the onboard microphone and front & rear cameras, all the race cars will be equipped with GPS and timing transponders so the drivers can have multiple visual feed, information and feedback during the race. “Like in a sim race, the driver is safe from the dangers of actual high speed racing so even young children who love to drive but cannot legally do so can join the M1 Championship League,” Pascua continued. “Currently, we have six teams that ready to race but we can accommodate two more teams. Initially, we rent the R/C race cars to the participants to ensure that the cars are kept in spec in accordance with M1 rules and regulations.

Future Possibilities

Meta Motors sees a wide blue ocean of possibilities with their new race series. Mobile data and internet providers can test the strength of their 5G connections. Racer can participate from anywhere around the world where there is a strong internet connection. And since the R/C race cars are virtually mini-electric vehicles and the screens of driving simulators display the current battery charge while racing, the M1 Championship League may even serve as the training ground for future drivers of electric race cars, or even the FIA Formula E races!

Round 1 races of the M1 Championship League will be held on November 15 and 16, 2024 at their Pasig racetrack. Round 2 will be on November 29 and 30, while Round 3 will be held on December 7 and 8. As you can probably tell, my initial disappointment has turned into an avid enthusiasm for this innovative concept. It’s perhaps the safest and most fun grassroots EV racing anywhere in the world!