Darren Cox’s role in revolutionizing sim racing is explored in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup. You will also find out how one sim racing coach is transitioning to real-life racing, tips from an esports racer on how to get involved in sim racing and a video for everyone out there for anyone who has heard about sim racing and might just want to get involved.
It is all in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Sim racing news aimed at racers not gamers.
Don’t forget that the Motorsport Prospects Weekly Newsletter is now available so you will not miss out on any news racers can use! Check out the footer of every page on the Motorsport Prospects website and sign up now!
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
In a recent Grid Finder’s Sim Sundays episode, Darren Cox, the visionary behind the iconic GT Academy and a pivotal figure in sim racing, shares his unparalleled journey and profound insights. From his early influences in motorsport and gaming to spearheading innovation in the automotive industry, Darren discusses the essence of exploring new ideas and the exhilaration of pushing boundaries. This episode delves into the challenges and triumphs of undertaking ambitious projects, highlighting the stark contrast between true innovators and mere corporators.
Darren also reflects on the motivation behind GT Academy, the monumental impact of the Gran Turismo film on the sim racing community, and offers a glimpse into the current and future landscape of sim racing and eSports. Furthermore, Darren and Tom Brooks explore the integral role of esports in sim racing, the immersive experience it offers, and its prospective evolution. They touch upon the significance of sim racing as a participative sport and the potential of F1 Arcade to draw fans closer to sim racing and motorsport. This conversation is not just about the passion for sim racing but also about fostering a positive emotive connection with the audience, promising an unforgettable journey into the heart of motorsport innovation. You can watch Part 1 above and Part 2 below.
Darren is also very active on LinkedIn offering his perspectives on sim racing and esports. He allowed me to publish one of his LinkedIn posts on Motorsport Prospects and it is available as The Gamer to Racer Crossover is Complete.
In the video above, sim racing coach Suellio Almeida discusses his journey from classical pianist to sim racer to real-life Radical racer.
The video above is Part 2 of Oz Maliphant‘s testing the all-electric ERA Championship ERA F110E race car. You can read Oz’s column on Motorsport Prospects here.
AVL Racetech have announced Argentinian motorsport star Franco Colapinto as their official simulator driver. “The new Williams Racing Academy driver will be a helpful addition to our team providing valuable feedback to improve all aspects of AVL’s RACETECH driving simulator at the headquarters in Graz with his extensive and successful driving experiences in the past Formula seasons.”
Sim manufacturer Dynisma has posted an informative article on How Simulator Technology is Driving the Race to NetZero in Motorsport.
“Virtual testing is therefore an important tool to help achieve sustainability. For example, one top level motorsport organisation completes 250,000 simulator miles per year across all the racing series in which it competes. This equates to savings of 450t of CO2, £0.4m in fuel, £8m in tyres and £1.2m in crash repair, compared to miles being driven in the real world.”
Competitive Sim Racing News
- How to get into sim racing: 7 tips from Esports sim racer Josh Rogers (Porsche)
- UMaine Machias student represents school while winning in eNASCAR (Maine Campus)
- In the driver’s seat: The journey of Ball State’s sim racing team (Ball State Daily)
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
The video above takes a look at what it is you need to do in order to get an ideal and comfortable seating position from your sim racing rig. 
In the video above, Rolex 24 winner Daniel Morad goes over braking and cornering techniques to help you improve your lap times on the track as well as in real life! Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news, reviews, and recommendations from around the world.
- Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Extreme Review: Hardcore Rig, Hardcore Price (The Drive)
- Grab the Wheel & Floor It! Turtle Beach’s VelocityOne Race Is Now Available for Sim Racers on Xbox and Windows PC (Yahoo)
- Turtle Beach VelocityOne Race is a new PC/Xbox racing wheel option for sim racing (Tech Aeris)
- Revolutionizing Truck Sim Racing: MOZA Introduces the First-Ever Modular Steering Wheel (BNN)
General Sim Racing News
The video above is for everyone out there who has heard about sim racing, and might just want to get involved. - Four International Road Courses Join iRacing Base Package for 2024 Season 2 (iRacing)
- Diagonal Comms to partner leading sim-racing producer Asetek SimSports – Diagonal Comms (Diagonal Comms)
- iRacing to Add Oswego Speedway in a Future Build (oswegocountynewsnow.com)
- Beyond the Asphalt: Atlanta Motorsports Park’s New Racing Simulators (Atlanta Motorsports Park)
- New Mysterious Update for Gran Turismo 7 Coming This Week (Auto Evolution)
- Let’s go! New World eX season starts on March 5 (World eX)
- Here Is What Happened To The BTCC Game (Race Department)
- WSC and iRacing announce partnership to bring TCR to iRacing (TCR Series)
- F1 24 game launch date and trailer revealed (Autosport)
- Entering To Win This Sim Racing Setup Couldn’t Be Easier, But Time Is Running Out (SCCA)
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.