Race against real professionals in Forza Motorsport’s Legends vs. Leaderboard Rival Event

Can you beat NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and INDY NXT winner Jamie Chadwick?

Mobil 1 presents Legends vs Leaderboard / Microsoft

If you’ve ever backed your racing game skills, now’s your chance to test them against real-world professionals.

Forza Motorsport is teaming up with Mobil 1 for a Rival Event series called Legends vs. Leaderboard, Mobil 1’s largest video game campaign to date. Starting July 25, 2024, you’ll be able to compete against a selection of the world’s finest motorsports champions and earn special prizes.

The first event takes place against NASCAR legend Tony Stewart. He’s recorded his top time in the game, which you have the opportunity to beat in the leaderboard. Everyone’s in the same car, a classic 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, and racing on the same track in Maple Valley, a fictional fan-favourite set in Vermont and debuting in 2005’s very first Forza Motorsport.

Mobil 1 presents Legends vs Leaderboard / Microsoft

Just because it’s a game, though, don’t expect an easy ride. “I found myself going into this project with the same intensity I would getting ready to qualify for the Indy 500,” says Stewart. “The lap that we ran was a respectable lap.”

That’s not to say Stewart’s time is unbeatable. “There's no grand illusion in my eyes that it's not going to be broken,” he continues. “I just hope the first person to break it isn't a five-year-old kid. So my goal is to stay competitive, but I think it's gonna be fun.” Stewart respects the competition, estimating 10% of Forza Motorsport players will beat his time – and you could be that one in ten.

So, with hundreds of cars to pick from, why the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302? Stewart says, “I knew it wasn't the lightest, the fastest, the car with the most downforce, the best handling. I picked that because I wanted to pick a car that I thought was going to be challenging for everyone to drive.”

Mobil 1 presents Legends vs Leaderboard / Microsoft

Jamie Chadwick is the second driver featured in the Legends vs. Leaderboard Rival Event. You’ll be able to pit yourself against the trailblazing motorsports star following Stewart. Last year, Chadwick became the first woman in 13 years to compete full-time in INDY NXT. Together with Andretti Autosport she won the INDY NXT at Road America in 2024, the first woman to win in the series since 2010.

“Yeah, it's a tough track,” says Chadwick of Maple Valley. “I was in an old Chevrolet, so it’s a bit of a beast to handle around the track, but it was a lot of fun. It wasn't the most nimble of cars to drive a track like that, but I like the track because it reminds me of some of the tracks that we have where I race currently over in the States. A lot of undulation, blind corners, going through a beautiful part of the forest.”

So, how beatable is Chadwick’s time? “The lap itself, [there] is definitely room for improvement,” she says. “I'm expecting to be beaten and getting some feedback quite quickly.” Where Stewart says 10% of Forza Motorsport players could beat him, Chadwick puts the percentage at 20%.

Mobil 1 presents Legends vs Leaderboard / Microsoft

As well as trying to beat Jamie’s time, @mobil1racing is also releasing an accompanying series hosted by Sky Sports F1 television presenter Natalie Pinkham. There, upcoming drivers participating in the Legend vs. Leaderboard Rival Events will be announced, apparently with some surprises along the way.

So, do the drivers have any words of advice before you take to the track? Stewart says, “Being able to plan ahead and think ahead, corner to corner and where I need to put the car and making sure you don't overdrive entry and making sure you're not getting in the gas too hard too soon, all these things that we've learned in real cars translate into the game.”

For Chadwick, “The beauty of it is you can make mistakes and you can reset and you can go again. I think that's the great thing. Like anything, the more laps or more practice you can do in something, the better you're gonna be.”

Mobil 1 presents Legends vs Leaderboard / Microsoft

Car-wise, Chadwick chose a 1970 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. It’s heavy and likes to slide. “You kind of want to be as close to the limit as possible, but not over,” Chadwick explains. “It doesn't take much for the rear to start kicking out, and then you're not going forward.”

And the prizes? For Tony’s event, win or lose, all participants get a full-color race suit. For Jamie’s event, it’s 50,000 Credits. And if you’re feeling lucky, Mobil 1 is also running a sweepstakes where you win an Xbox signed by every motorsport legend taking part.

Head into Forza Motorsport from July 25 to August 7, 2024, to challenge Tony Stewart, and from August 29 to September 11 to challenge Jamie Chadwick. Look out for additional drivers coming to Forza Motorsport throughout 2024.