Omega Exp Crowns the XP Series Costa Rica 2026 Champions at an Awards Ceremony with Its Partners
*Alberto Mena, Jorge Fernández and Natalia Rodriguez. XP Series Costa Rica 2026 awards ceremony.
One point separated Békt Racing from AntiGravity Sim Racing in the fight for the team title in the Omega EXP’s National Digital Motorsport Championship (Campeonato Nacional de Automovilismo Deportivo Digital), endorsed by the Automóvil Club de Costa Rica, an FIA member. Békt won with 276 points to 275, after five rounds in iRacing and Gran Turismo 7.
*Békt Racing: Mick Jiménez, Daniel Araya and Jean Carlo Salas. XP Series Costa Rica 2026 awards ceremony.
The finale was celebrated on Saturday, October 10, at the Grupo Moreno Events Center in Pavas, with drivers, teams and partners, as part of the Formula 1 ticket handover run by EveViajes. The championship was presented by Changan Costa Rica, in partnership with EveViajes and Universidad Latina.
An Afternoon for the Champions
About 50 people filled the auditorium, and more than 200 passed through over the course of the day to enjoy the different activities, including simulators and games with prizes for the audience. The ceremony was hosted by Natalia Rodríguez, special guest; Alberto Mena, the championship’s official caster since the opening event; and Jorge Fernández, general manager of Omega Experiences, who walked through how the season unfolded.
The medals and trophies were presented by Jorge Fernández and Guillermo Esquivel, ACCR representative. In Gran Turismo 7 the top three took the podium; in iRacing the top five were recognized. Francesco Biasiotto, iRacing runner-up, could not attend and Cristopher Gómez received his award. Békt Racing took the stage as champion team alongside its drivers.
Alejandro Brenes, Juan Carlos Talavera, Pablo Antonio Guasch, Guillermo Esquivel - ACCR, Alberto Mena. XP Series Costa Rica 2026 awards ceremony.
Osvaldo Blanco, Christopher Gómez, Manrique Valverde, Jean Carlo Salas, Mick Jiménez. XP Series Costa Rica 2026 awards ceremony.
What the ACCR Endorsement Means
For the organization, the endorsement is more than a seal. The championship follows the sporting parameters set by the ACCR, an FIA member, and serves as the official competition to select the Costa Rican drivers who can represent the country at international FIA Esports events. That is why the winners can call themselves national champions.
Jorge Fernández clarified that it is not a guarantee, because the ACCR does not organize those events and representation depends on them taking place; but it does formalize a path to international representation.
From the ACCR, a video message from its President, Daniel Coen, highlighted that the partnership creates an official structure that expands opportunities for participation, development and growth. Guillermo Esquivel congratulated the drivers, said he had followed the championship’s videos, and stated that Costa Rica has the talent to keep growing in this discipline.
Voices of the Champions
iRacing champion Manrique Valverde highlighted the level of the tournament: “a super professional championship, at a very high level, bringing together the best national drivers,” he said, adding that he hopes the championship can bring together drivers from across the region.
Gran Turismo 7 champion Juan Carlos Talavera described the championship as probably the toughest he raced this past year: he trained with other drivers and the competition got tighter as everyone improved. To those who dream of racing, he left a message: “If you believe you can do it, go for it and keep believing in yourself, no matter how many times you fail.”
The Prize Draw, Before a Notary
After the awards came the draw for a trip for two to the 2026 Formula 1 Mexican Grand Prix, part of the “XP Series te lleva a la F1” campaign (“XP Series takes you to F1”). It used the final entries file, 1,166 entries in total, and a draw tool with a cryptographic generator, designed so that every entry had the same probability. One winner and five alternates were drawn, in order of extraction. A notary public witnessed the preliminary test, the draw and the call to the winner, lending the moment formality.
The winner is Andrea Cascante. She was called live on speakerphone; Andrea answered from home, heard the room’s applause and accepted the prize. The EveViajes package includes flights, transfers, hotel with breakfast and tickets for all three days, with a different grandstand each day.
Season Results
iRacing: Manrique Valverde (SDR x Extremetech), 204 points and three wins; Francesco Biasiotto (AntiGravity Sim Racing), 199 and two wins; Joel Valerio (Békt Racing), 152.
Gran Turismo 7: Juan Carlos Talavera Ríos, 226 points, one win and five podiums; Pablo Antonio Guasch Ruiz, 217; Alejandro Brenes, 214.
Teams (iRacing): Békt Racing, 276; AntiGravity Sim Racing, 275; SDR x Extremetech, 222.
Partners Betting on Digital Sport
María Murillo, Marketing Manager at Inchcape Costa Rica, Grupo Changan, explained why the brand is part of the project: “If as a brand we talk about the future of mobility, we also want to be part of the future of sim racing competition.”
María Murillo - Marketing Manager, Inchcape Costa Rica.
For EveViajes, the partnership has been “a win-win,” according to its general manager, Evelyn Sánchez. Her invitation to fans: those with talent should “not hesitate and sign up next year.” EveViajes will document Andrea’s trip.
Evelyn Sánchez - General Manager, EveViajes.
Universidad Latina brings in audiovisual production students on internships, one of the ways the championship creates opportunities beyond the track: esports also need team managers, engineers, presenters and marketing specialists. The ceremony was also attended by brands that have accompanied Omega EXP at in-person events, such as Red Bull and Italian Import Racing, a Formula 1 specialty store.
A Season That Exceeded Expectations
Beyond the results, Omega EXP highlights the community’s response throughout the season.
The season far exceeded expectations, as well as previous seasons and anything done before at the regional level and in Latin America. We are very happy with the reception, the support and the involvement of the community.
Jorge Fernández, General Manager of Omega Experiences
The Sports Hub: All the Information in One Place
The entire sporting side of the championship was run through the Sports Hub by Omega EXP: a space where all the information is accessible in one place, with the overall results and specific data for each driver. For the organization it was an innovation that made it possible to publish results faster, apply penalties and corrections, review appeals and announce the stewards’ decisions, with PDF bulletins.
Sporting management was led by Luis Diego Valerio, sporting director for GT7; Diego Villarreal, from Uruguay, sporting director for iRacing; and André Varela, liaison between both disciplines, all recognized by Jorge Fernández during the ceremony.
What’s Next
The ceremony also looked ahead to 2027: work is already under way on a much bigger event. “Three years ago it was strange, unheard of, unthinkable that a formalization at this level could happen,” Jorge Fernández recalled.
About Omega Experiences
An innovation company specialized in high-performance experiences, gaming, esports and digital competition formats.
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