A new all-Tesla racing championship is scheduled to kick off this November at the Paul Ricard circuit in France. The calendar will continue with a race every month or so in Portugal, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK and Spain.

The Electric GT Championship will offer “motorsport for the 21st century, that presents our fantastic clean energy and clean transport future to the world, and that excites and inspires us all as society enters into a new age of abundance: The Age of Light.”

10 teams will compete in each race with 20 drivers and vehicles. Electric GT CEO Mark Gemmel said that a race weekend will consist of “a 20-minute practice session, 30 minutes of qualifying and two  37-mile races, one in the day and one at dusk.”

The races will launch with standing starts. “Seeing 20 of these cars launch off – they’re about as fast or maybe even a bit faster than a Formula 1 car off the line. I think people will be surprised by the noise. When you get 20 cars together, you do get an interesting sense of power.”

The championship will feature a racetrack-ready Model S P100D, which the group claims can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.0 seconds – engineers were able to reduce the vehicle’s weight by 1,100 pounds by using biocomposite. The powertrain was left untouched and, aside from a stripped-down interior and an added FIA roll cage, the vehicles are close to stock.

Gemmel says the reduced weight should make a significant difference to the drivetrain. “The standard drivetrain is in a 25% lighter car, so the stresses are actually less than it has been designed for in the production vehicle. This also makes the championship more valuable for Tesla road customers, as our racing cars are closer to what they drive, so you’re essentially seeing a production vehicle on circuit.”

Source: Electric GT Championship via Electrek