Graham Bowlin sensed time slowing down around him as he avoided the danger onscreen.
Traveling at hundreds of virtual miles an hour, and with a four-car wide finish, Bowlin used all the training he had garnered since age 14 and hammered hard on the pedal.
The finish line played out in front of him, and with a burst of speed, Bowlin shot forward and managed to earn a spot in the Champ Four of the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series held in October at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Bowlin earned third place.
Bowlin, from Houston, is one of about 15 total professionals that played for the Kansas City Pioneers in different esports in 2024. They are believed to be the first esports teams to be officially adopted, and are considered the “fifth” sports team in the eyes of Kansas City.
They even have a Kansas City Pioneers Day, which is July 21.
“I was completely exhausted afterwards,” Boyd said. “It was a close one.”
The Kansas City Pioneers, founded in 2019, is comprised of gaming, esports, media, marketing and serves as a talent recruiter. They saw an incredible increase in attention during COVID.
Bowlin said he proudly wears his “QuikTrip” and “Price Chopper” logos on his racing gear as he strives to compete for the esports community of Kansas City.
The Kansas City Pioneers compete in eNASCAR, Rocket League, Apex Legends and Brawl Stars among others.
They make a positive impact by working with the boys and girls club, helping young minds dream beyond racing and into virtual car design, or racing fashion or any of the numerous esports elements that can be personalized.
Bowlin said he has a “pit crew” of 15 teammates, who constantly strive to make the car faster.
KC Pioneers’ Director of eNASCAR Darius Boyd said that many iRacing drivers have gone on to become successful NASCAR drivers.
“The reason we built this organization in the Midwest is because we realized gaming was underserved in our community”, said co-founder Sam Kulikov. “If we didn’t build the Pioneers here, in Kansas City, then the Midwest would not have the chance to participate fully in the gaming industry."
The esports market worldwide - in which players and teams with major sponsors compete for big dollars in front of a worldwide audience - is projected to reach a revenue of $4.3 billion this year, according to Statista, which also projects that number to grow to $5.9 billion by 2029. The U.S. alone accounts for slightly more than $1 billion itself.
Recognized by the Kansas City Area Development Council as an official Kansas City sports team, Kulikov said, the KC Pioneers are building the city’s reputation in places civic leaders likely never could have imagined.
A recent Rocket League tournament in Dallas, for example, drew fans from Kansas City down to the Lonestar State “to cheer on their own town, their own city,” Kulikov said.
“One of the things that make the Kansas City Pioneers so special is that we are one of the few teams that champion our city in our name. Most teams do not have a direct tie to a city like Kansas City and that allows us to compete in ways that many cannot - in hometown pride.
“We started in 2019, and, to date, we have raised almost $2 million in pre-seed round,” he said. Kulikov. They plan to start their $3 million seed round soon, and it’s “designed to fund our vision to change the way that gamers, creators, and athletes interact with fans, brands and communities.”
“This year, three out of the four of our rosters all qualified for their world championships respectively,” he said.
The KC Pioneers Rocket League roster even beat one of North America’s top teams – Gen G - at the Rocket League World Championship in September.
Kulikov said competitors like Bowlin are hard to find. “Only four drivers qualified out of 40 to go in person, and our driver was one of them,” Kulikov said.
The KC Pioneers are also ranked second in North America in Brawl Stars. That team already qualified for the Nov. 1 world championships in Finland.
Gaming is a new “national past time” with more than 200 million gamers – or 61 percent of the country - getting into the action.
“We’re eliminating roadblocks,” Kulikov said. "It doesn’t matter what your background is, or if you’re athletic. We’re involved in a movement that includes educators, parents and a real sense of community pride.”
National esports Association President Lori Bjorek said the Pioneers will encourage other cities to create their own squads.
“Not many realize that esports are being looked at as an Olympic sport,’ Bjorek said. “Young people are earning university scholarships, and there’s some great educational value in esports and video games.”
Local noted companies like Garmin and Cerner have esports teams that compete in the Corporateesports Association, a group developed to raise money for various charities and to foster at-work team building.
“You may remember the company softball leagues that companies use to have,’ said Florian Helff, CEO of the CEA. “It’s similar to that, and it’s been very effective for several Fortune 100 companies such as Ford for growing camaraderie. We help to dig wells, get video games to children in hospitals, the players get to choose their charity.”
As for the future of the KC Pioneers, they hoped to continue to grow their appeal to Gen Z, the largest esports age group, and capture more trophies.
“The future is here and it’s in gaming,” Kulikov said.
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