As Nico Hülkenberg explains how sims can give a driver endless possibilities for driver development, I also have yet more sim racers moving on to real racing in my weekly Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup.
I give three examples of sim racers that are now participating in real racing, one professional race driver who has been convinced at how a simulator can help with driver training and none other than Nico Hulkenberg planning an intense sim racing program to help with his racing in Formula 1 after having not raced for two seasons.
In addition to all of that I feature the latest competitive sim news, tips on how to set up a home sim racing rig, tech reviews and general sim racing news.
All this and more in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
19-year-old sim racer Dillon Zachariah explains in My Experience Going From Sim Racing to Real Racing how he transitioned from sim racing to real racing and why he feels this is an important part of the future of race driver development.
Deagen Fairclough, the inaugural winner of the ROKiT Racing Star F4 Esports Competition, has signed to drive in the real-world British Formula 4 championship this season. “The virtual competition held using the RaceRoom platform last year culminated in an in-person final, held within NCME University of Bolton using Racing Unleashed simulators. The prize was the opportunity to learn, train, enter licence tests and be in with the chance of a full season of racing.”
Donovan Strauss has made a name for himself recently, both in iRacing and in the real-life racing world. Strauss scored a seventh-place finish tonight at Richmond Raceway, his best result of the still-young 2023 eNASCAR season. Outside of his duties with Williams eSports, Strauss races legend cars near his hometown of Marietta, Georgia on most weekends, and has found recent success in that side of his career.
“We see this all the time with real life and sim racing having similarities. Drivers like Rajah Caruth have made the successful transition recently from sim racing to real life, and not just for local racing either. For Strauss, it is no different, or won’t be different soon. He’s enjoyed his success on iRacing for a total of about three years. He has only improved on the real-life side of things as well since that time. “
This week on the “Inside the SCCA” podcast, host Brian Bielanski talks about racing simulators and the difference between a gaming sim and a driver training tool. Brian’s guest is Matt McGivern from Spark Virtual Racing. Spark is not only an SCCA partner, but the company is on a mission to illustrate how racing simulators can become a valuable tool all SCCA racers should utilize while not at the track. You can listen to it here and watch the video version of the podcast above.
Nico Hülkenberg is planning a full program in Ferrari’s simulator in Maranello this year to help his return to Formula 1. Hulkenberg said that the benefits of the simulator are wide ranging, and it can be especially helpful in terms of getting a better understanding on both car set-up and driving demands. “It’s a mixture of everything,” he explained. “It’s to kind of debrief and work on the correlation, to prepare for [races], to drive development it’s always a combination of things. It’s never or rarely just one [thing], because you have a whole day. So, it’s a lot of time you can fill up. And obviously in the sim there are endless possibilities and you can do as much as you want.”
Competitive Sim Racing News
Formula Female and Init Esports have announced an exciting partnership to bring young women into the world of motorsports through Sim 4 STEM. The program will reach 200 female students in the Indianapolis area in the month of May, inviting them to four days of hands-on STEM activities and simulator experiences. The event will be held at the Dallara Factory, a frame manufacturer for the Indy cars, and the IMS (International Motor Speedway).
Sim 4 STEM is designed to introduce young women to the world of motorsports and inspire them to explore the industry further. Students will participate in STEM activities related to motorsports and apply what they learn in simulators. The most focused students will have the opportunity to visit the Indy 500 and meet with female engineers, mechanics, drivers, team managers, and more.
Sim 4 STEM will take place on May 1st, 3rd, 8th, and 12th, with the best students having the experience of a lifetime at the Spectacle of Racing at the end of May. Teachers and educators can sign up their students at www.sim4stem.com.
Esports Insider explains why esports organisations should protect their IP rights. “The esports industry inherently rests on IP rights, including trade marks, copyrights, designs, patent registrations and trade secrets. These rights protect intangible assets such as organisation brand names, logos and original content; often the foundation of an organisation’s identity and revenue.”
Here are more headlines from the world of competitive sim racing:
- McLaren Shadow reveals new line-up
- ESL R1: McCormack takes Mercedes-AMG’s first ESL R1 victory
- Le Mans Virtual Series 2022-23 Reaches Wider Worldwide Audience
- Alpine Esports Returns to Simracing.GP for Professional Esports Series
- Early out for Porsche Coanda Esports at round four of the ESL-R1 series
- VCO Sebring 12: URANO eSports wins overall, Verstappen falls victim to netcode early
- Max Verstappen’s frustrations with sim-racing continue with another unfortunate outing
- Overall victory at the iRacing Sebring 12 powered by VCO goes to Urbano Esports – Verstappen cashes out
- Max Verstappen encounters further woes in the world of sim racing
- Drama for Verstappen and Palou while leading virtual 12 hours of Sebring
- Scuderia Ferrari Esports Team announces nine-driver lineup for 2023
- PSGL F1 PC S32: Boroumand closes the gap after dominant performance at Mexico
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
- 6 Things You Need for the Perfect Home Racing Sim System
- How to Set Up A Racing Wheel in Assetto Corsa: PC, Xbox & PS5
- Best Assetto Corsa Logitech G923 Force Feedback Settings
- Best Assetto Corsa Fanatec Force Feedback Settings
- Best Assetto Corsa Mods: 10 Best Mods To Install 2023
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news and reviews from around the world.
- Next Level Racing unveils Ferrari-licenced F-GT Elite 160 sim racing cockpit
- We Review Sony’s PS VR2 Headset That Turns the Couch into a Race Cockpit
- Simagic Joins Formula Drift as Official Sim Racing Equipment Supplier
- Cosworth launches sim racing steering wheel
- Gomez Sim Industries offering Scarlett red editions of Hyper P1 and GT MAX32 wheels
- Motorsport Australia goes to Next Level
- Red Bull F1 sim rig is a £100k toy | FOS Future Lab
- Professional grade VRS DirectForce Pro Formula Steering Wheel available to pre-order now
- Sony’s PS VR2 Headset Review: Turn Your Couch into a Race Cockpit
General Sim Racing News
- Global Sim Racing Cockpit Market Size by Type (Carbon Fiber, Stainless Steel, Others) Forecast from 2023 to 2028
- Forza Horizon 5’s April Festival Playlist detailed, Midnights at Horizon
- The IndyCar game is delayed until 2024
- Spring 2023 Discounts for Sim Racing on Steam
- The Racing Game That Changed Everything Was Built on Lockheed Martin Technology
- RaceRoom’s On The Edge Pack includes three epic race cars
- Assetto Corsa Competizione Update Brings 2022 Liveries to Console
- PlayStation VR2 Review: An Almost Generational Leap for VR
- rFactor 2’s Reiza Pack DLC is in the process of being revamped
- Lego 2K Drive is your family’s next driving game
- You Can Now Race Cats in Assetto Corsa
- VR Headset for Sim Racing Market Sales Growth Rate Comparison by Type
- Sim Racing Cockpit Market Size, Current Insights and Demographic Trends 2023-2029
- SIM Steering Wheel Market Financial Overview Report 2023
- Lighthouse Games Emerges as Forza Horizon Dev Team Separates
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.