Toyota GR Cup will award digital trophies on Polygon blockchain to race winners

The Toyota GR Cup, a North American racing collection held by Toyota Gazoo Racing, not too long ago announced it’ll begin awarding digital trophies and file driver performances on the Polygon blockchain. 

Per a press launch, the brand new on-chain awards system will embody digital trophies for podium finishers (drivers who take first, second, or third place in a race). The ledger entries will even embody statistics concerning the race and the drivers efficiency.

In keeping with Jack Irving, govt industrial director for Toyota Racing Improvement (TRD), the purpose of this system is to place driver’s accomplishments on chain so followers can work together with them:

“Blockchain helps us preserve a everlasting digital file of drivers’ achievements that they will share with their mates, household and followers. It additionally permits us to develop new alternatives to introduce race followers to our companions.”

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing league and the GR Cup have been designed as a fan-forward collection of occasions. Very like the gameplay arc of lots of the hottest present racing video video games, real-world GR Cup drivers all begin off with a inventory car (on this case, a Toyota GR86) that includes solely factory-available choices.

The motive force’s car is then despatched to a TRD storage — the time period “Gazoo” means “storage” — the place it’s fitted with official Toyota racing gear. This places every driver on equal footing when the race begins, as their {hardware} is standardized throughout the grid.

Toyota’s been concerned within the blockchain house since at the very least 2016 when the corporate joined the R3 Consortium in a partnership to research and develop blockchain technologies. The corporate subsequently established its Toyota Blockchain Lab in 2019.

Associated: Toyota to explore blockchain use cases via DAO hackathon

It’s unclear right now whether or not followers will have the ability to immediately work together with digital trophies or if the corporate intends to mint any type of digital collectibles. TRD didn’t instantly return a request for remark.

In keeping with the press launch, drivers will have the ability to entry their earlier accomplishments “rapidly and simply” earlier than and after occasions. The following races within the collection happen on the Massive Machine Music Metropolis Grand Prix in Nashville, Tennessee, August 4-6.