Making the move from sim racing to asphalt can be a challenge. But Joshua Rogers was more than up for tackling it on his Porsche Carwow Sprint Challenge GB debut at Donington Park.
But in 2026, Rogers takes on a different challenge: Bringing his skills from the virtual world to on-track racing.
The 26-year-old is competing in the Porsche Carwow Sprint Challenge GB this year, and got off to a fantastic start at the opening round last month, taking a hat-trick of podiums for Team Parker Racing in his 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.
The road to Donington
The opportunity to bring Rogers’ skills to the asphalt came about in late-2025, with Porsche pitching the idea to four of the Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team. After testing at Brands Hatch just three months ago, Rogers was selected, and since then has been ramping up his preparations.
Ahead of Round One, which took place on April 18-19 at Donington Park in Derbyshire, Rogers had three tests in the car, but also looked to the sim for help preparing for his on-track debut.
Though he says the first session was “a bit iffy,” “by the third session, at the end of the day, I think I was third fastest, and only a couple tenths away from what I ended up doing in qualifying on the weekend.”
He continues: “The progression and the feeling of confidence in the car came very quickly. Obviously, like most things, the learning curve is very digressive. You learn a lot in the beginning, and then to find that last little bit is much harder.
“But with all the preparation that we put in pre-season, whether it's on the sim or in the car itself, working with the engineers, also spending time with Sascha [Maassen]. It’s all come together to learn a massive amount in a short period of time, to then end up having the weekend that we did.
“A lot of work and busy weeks, for sure, went in before the start of the season. But ultimately it had to be the case.
“I think I'm very glad that Porsche has decided to do it this way, because I believe that all top level sim racers have the ability to do well in a car, but I don't think any of us are ever going to perform well jumping in a car first time and going out and driving like we have the fundamental skill.
“It’s a matter of applying that and getting used to a new environment. So you do naturally need some seat time for that.
“So I'm very glad that we were able to do as many tests as we did before round one, because if we didn't, I'm very confident that round one wouldn't have gone as well as it did. I’m sure it would have been okay, but at least also for me too, I needed that seat time to gain the confidence.”
A Round One hat-trick
With that newfound confidence came three fantastic results, which propelled Rogers to second in the standings after three races, with 21 points putting him just nine behind championship leader and team-mate Joe Marshall.
The weekend wasn’t all smooth sailing though, after a missing certification sticker from Rogers’ racing boots sparked panic on Friday night and he was sent dashing around to find a solution.
Luckily, Porsche factory driver and Porsche Carrera Cup GB team owner Nick Tandy was on hand to help, lending Rogers a pair from his extensive collection - and with them some useful knowledge about patches of damp track close to the last chicane.
Ever the perfectionist, Rogers evaluates his opening weekend as “a little bit mixed at times,” and points to a “messy” race one where he lost a place to his team-mate and “destroyed the tyre” from pushing too hard.
But, he says: “At the same time, it was my first race, and it was my first time experiencing a tyre drop off over a stint, for example, at this track. I think it was only the second stint that I'd done at all in the car. So there was a lot to learn.
“I think for that, after the fact, reflecting, I'm quite happy with the first race, but I think above everything, I’m just happy that from race to race, I was able to progress and improve on my learning on something that I learned from the race before.”
Ultimately, Rogers reflects that “three podiums was more than I could have asked for,” and adds: “I think it also gives me confidence going into the rest of the season where I am going to be less experienced at these tracks than other people, knowing that I can develop and progress that quickly.
“Lots of learning, very happy with three podiums, obviously, but for myself, I always want more, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do with that for the rest of the season.”
Leading the way: A new generation of racers
Rogers is leading the way for other sim racers to follow suit, a trailblazer heading out onto the track for others to do the same.
It comes amid a pivotal time for the transition from sim racing to asphalt, as the 2026 Porsche Esports Supercup championship’s top prize will be for the winner to prove themselves in real-life racing.
The PESC winner will become a new development prospect, and will be able to translate their virtual skills to the asphalt for a Porsche Motorsport-supported season in 2027.
As a member of the Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team and a seasoned sim racer, Rogers believes it is a “massive step for sim racing.”
“For me, it's an honour to be able to be part of this project, and represent what they can do, and really shine a positive light on it,” he says.
“I feel like it's so important that Porsche is actually doing this properly. They're taking it seriously, they’re implementing it well in terms of the rest of the program and looking at it from a perspective of sim racers have talent that we can tap into, let’s see what they can do, and let's give them the best platform possible to be able to do that.”
He adds: “It’s more of a longer term commitment than it is just a weekend or a day in the car. And it's incredible that Porsche is seeing it like that.
“I've been part of this project for so long now, but to finally be given this opportunity is a dream come true. So I think for anyone else that can work their way into this position, that can be huge.
“Porsche has always been the pioneer of things like this, like PESC, in the beginning - I remember when we first saw the announcement, it was the first proper long-term sim racing championship with a six figure prize pool, really taking it seriously and showing commitment to what sim racing is and what sim racers can do.”
The rest of the season awaits
With round one behind him, Rogers now looks ahead to the rest of the calendar, taking place across five weekends in support of the British Touring Car Championship.
Next up is Oulton Park, on June 6-7, and a personal favourite of Rogers’.
“I’m really looking forward to it, honestly. I really enjoy technical, flowing circuits with lots of undulation and blind corners, and that's one of them,” he says.
“But in general, I think I'm just looking forward to being able to get back in the car again and continue to improve and work on things that coming out of round one, I know I didn't maximise.
“I’m definitely a little bit of a perfectionist, which can work against me sometimes. But I think in this situation, it's a positive, because I'll look at every session as an opportunity to improve and after the first weekend, we’re already where we are.
“I think it's very positive to see where we can be if I keep progressing and chipping away and just making positive steps each time I get in the car.”
What is his goal for the rest of the season? “Ultimately, coming into the season, I didn't really think I would say that this is my goal, but now I feel like I want to win the championship,” he reveals.
“We're the best team and I’ve got the right people around me, I’m progressing well, and as long as I make those positive steps quickly, I think we can be in a place to be able to do that.”
Follow Rogers’ progress in the Porsche Carwow Sprint Challenge GB at the championship’s series page
