Created: 2025.09.15. 10:52
Széchenyi István University’s simulator racing team earned gold, silver and bronze medals at the international competition held during the Sim Gaming Expo in Chicago. In the finals of the U.S.-based Challenge Series, competitors Dániel Oláh, Dávid Tóth and Máté Varga showcased the strength of the Győr institution’s talent development.
Since the beginning of 2025, Széchenyi István University’s first professional simulator team within its e-sports division has been competing both nationally and internationally. Among other achievements, they have already demonstrated their skills in the virtual version of 24 Hours of Daytona, and at one of the world’s largest sim-racing events, the virtual version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team from Győr recently achieved another significant success: between 5 and 7 September, they took part in the Challenge Series LAN finals at the Sim Gaming Expo in Chicago. The event attracted nearly ten thousand visitors and featured several renowned racing drivers, including IndyCar champion and Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan representing McLaren. The competition also brought together many well-known figures from the world of virtual motorsport.
The event was about more than racing: the world’s leading simulator manufacturers – including Simucube, Heusinkveld, Gomez Sim Industries, Corsair, Cube Controls and Simagic – showcased their latest innovations. Over three days, the event served as a world-class e-sports championship, a technology exhibition, and a community meeting point for enthusiasts in the field.
The international contest was held on fifteen professional simulators at the central venue, with the battles of the thirty finalists displayed on a giant screen for an audience of several hundred. Thanks to their performance in the earlier qualifying rounds, three drivers from Széchenyi István University – Dániel Oláh, Dávid Tóth and Győr-born Máté Varga – qualified among the best from over a thousand competitors.
In the finals of the Challenge Series, Dániel Oláh proved to be the best, winning a prize worth USD 6,000 – around HUF 2 million. His teammate, Dávid Tóth, secured second place, bringing home prizes worth USD 1,700 – approximately HUF 570,000. In the same competition, Máté Varga finished in fourth place.
.jpg "Máté Varga, Dániel Oláh and Dávid Tóth represented Széchenyi István University’s simulator team with excellent results in the United States.")
Máté Varga, Dániel Oláh and Dávid Tóth represented Széchenyi István University’s simulator team with excellent results in the United States.
The Time Attack challenges at the Expo, which focused on speed, also brought Hungarian success: out of more than five hundred participants, Dávid Tóth came first while Máté Varga finished third. Overall, the Széchenyi University team’s competitors closed the weekend with two gold medals, one silver, one bronze, and one fourth-place finish.
“We are very proud of the team members, who have once again shown that they are capable of delivering outstanding performances at the highest international level,” said Zsolt Nagy, staff member of Széchenyi University’s Digital Development Centre and Head of the e-sports division’s simulator team. He added that supporting secondary school competitors is especially important for the institution, as nurturing young talent also serves career orientation goals. “These successes clearly demonstrate that the support and infrastructure provided by the University can create the ideal environment for achieving world-class results, as well as for harmonising studies with competitive sports,” he emphasised.
LAN tournament winner Dániel Oláh revealed that he was able to control the race from the very beginning, maintained an excellent pace, and happily returned home with his first place. His teammates also expressed their satisfaction, highlighting the support of the institution. They said they were grateful for the opportunity to take part in such a unique event, which gave them further motivation to pursue their careers.
