Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup for July 28, 2022

This week in the Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup I bring you news of sim racing at Spa, qualifying for the 2023 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup, whether virtual coaching can turn into real world winning, a sim racing rig buyers guide for those on a tight budget and more.

• The race for grid spots in the 2023 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup (PESC) got underway last Saturday. From July 23, online racers can qualify in a two-stage competition to contest the fifth season of the prestigious esports one-make cup. Anyone registered on the iRacing simulation platform with a class A license is eligible. The virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup based on the current 992-generation model will again serve as the digital race car for the coming season. Full details can be found here.

• In more Porsche esports news, Porsche Cars North America has partnered with Polyphony, the studio behind Gran Turismo 7, to debut a new virtual motorsport platform that will crown its inaugural champion at Porsche Sports Car Together Fest, September 2 – 4, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Full details can be found here.

• Europe’s top sim drivers will descend on Spa-Francorchamps later this month to go head-to-head in a prestigious esports race staged during the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa. The SRO Esports Racing Night will bring together the continent’s leading talents for a 60-minute Assetto Corsa Competizione contest staged on the daunting 7km circuit. With the green flag scheduled for 21:00 CEST on Saturday 30 July, the virtual battle will take place while the Belgian endurance classic is in full flow outside. More details can be found here.

• Grassroots Motorsports asks the question, Can Virtual Coaching Turn Into Real-World Winning? “The key is not to look at driving in the simulator any different than the real car. You start slowly, add speed gently, and you’ll gain confidence. It definitely does take some getting used to. Without the kinesthetics, or feel of the car jostling you around, the braking g’s, cornering g’s—it falls to your hands and your eyes to determine when the car begins to slide.”

• Car design legend Ian Callum has created a sleek driving simulator for Prodrive that is gorgeous but not cheap. According to the Robb Report, “The simulator is also packed with everything you need to race top level cars from the comfort (and safety) of your home. The cockpit its outfitted with a Cobra Nogaro Street seat, a mechanical pedal box and a Precision SIM LM Pro steering wheel with rotary dials and 12 programmable push buttons. It also has a curved 49-inch AOC dual QHD monitor that supports up to 5K resolution with a 165Hz refresh rate, which is powerful enough to take advantage of the simulator’s robust computing abilities. The system utilizes a 12GB GeForce RTX graphics card and runs Assetto Corso racing software. It doesn’t appear to have built-in speakers, which is a little odd, but Prodrive includes a set of high-quality Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Bluetooth headphones. The wireless cans will help complete the immersive experience and also save anyone else in the room from the sound of squealing tires.”

• If that Prodrive sim does not fit into your budget, the Coach Dave Academy looks at 5 of the Best Cheap Sim Racing Rigs in 2022. “In this article, we’ll look at five of the best sim racing rigs that you can pick up for less than the cost of a Fanatec CSL DD.”

• Finally, the ADAC SimRacing Expo will be taking place December 1-4, 2022 in Nuremberg, Germany. “SimRacing is growing – and the ADAC SimRacing Expo is keeping pace: The event will celebrate its premiere in Nuremberg in 2022 and invites visitors to experience everything to do with virtual motorsport in two exhibitions halls with over 15,000 ^m² of exhibition space. In parallel, the ADAC SimRacing Expo cooperates with RETRO CLASSICS BAVARIA, which takes place simultaneously in four other halls and presents classic automobiles, vintage cars, youngtimers and more on the subject of driving culture.”