Sim racing can indeed prepare you to race on a real track and in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup you will find out how.
I feature three drivers who are specifically applying what they are learning in a sim to racing on a real track and each example is instructive of what can be done.
I also bring you tips on defending your racing position on track, the latest competitive sim racing news and tech reviews as well as general sim racing news of note.
All this and more in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup on Motorsport Prospects. Its sim racing news for racers not gamers.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Scott Mansell of Driver61 looks to answer the question in the video above, Does Being Fast in the Sim, Mean Fast in Real Racing? It is an extremely informative look at the differences between sim racing and real world racing and how you can use sim racing as a tool to maximize your performance in real world racing.
I sat down with two of the professional sim driver coaches from Advanced SimRacing to talk about why sim racing is such a great tool for the real race driver. While I work on that feature, which will be published in a few weeks, they gave me a recent example to highlight their point with the performance of amateur racer Alain Scalzo at Barber Motorsport Park. Here is what they said.
Scalzo AutoSport is proud to celebrate a milestone at Barber Motorsport Park! Gentleman driver, Alain Scalzo, placed second in his class and earned his first-ever podium finish in the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America. A big shoutout to the incredible crew chief Jean-Francois Dumoulin of Dumoulin Competition and the valuable coaching from eSports professional Philippe Bouchard of Advanced SimRacing.
The Advanced Motorsport program played a crucial role in elevating Alain’s performance, as he stated, “We practiced race craft at length on the simulator and that allowed me to defend my position and minimize mistakes while being chased by a faster driver all race long.” Here’s to a bright future on the track made even faster through racing simulation.
Advanced SimRacing
This June, Jimmie Johnson will be racing in his first-ever 24 Hours of Le Mans thanks to the experimental Garage 56 program. He’ll be behind the wheel of an endurance-prepped Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 based on NASCAR’s Next Gen Cup car, but the experience is going to be completely outside of Johnson’s traditional ballpark. His best preparation, though, hasn’t always been on the track: it’s been in a simulator.
“It helps to fill in the blanks,” he explained, referring to the fact that he has never competed on the track. “I’ve been experimenting to see what it’d be like to drive in wet-weather conditions, what it’s like to drive in traffic. I want to pull experience from anywhere that I can.”
Competitive Sim Racing News
- Gran Turismo’s World Series esports competition returns with revised format for 2023
- 2023 Alpine Esports Series Round 2: Silverstone
- Why is eNASCAR important? Ask Jordy Lopez
- Apex Racing: Mercedes-AMG partnership “huge for us”
- Porsche Coanda Esports works team with three drivers in Spring Major finals
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
In the video above, real life GT racer as well as sim racer Daniel Morad explains the 3 steps to defending your racing position on track. “Learn how to defend your racing position like a pro and most likely crash less, I hope.”
In the video above, Daniel Morad also explains why he feels that iRacing is the best sim right now.
Box This Lap explains the best settings for the Thrustmaster T818 for Automobilista 2.
“Let’s go with Reiza’s title in which we are offered three different configurations, all of them without any damper. Automobilista 2 is one of the best simulators in terms of FFB. The three configurations vary only in strength, considering the cars they are intended for and the steering wheels used. With that and with the filters it is expected to achieve the greatest likelyhood with their real counterparts.”
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news and reviews from around the world.
- Wooden sim racing cockpit manufacturer plans expansion, secures government backing
- Oktane Designs SEQ Shifter V2
- May 2023 PC Sim Racing Build
General Sim Racing News
- A Formula 1 Arcade will be opening in Boston: ‘Feel the thrill of an F1 car first hand’
- BTCC-inspired rFactor 2 touring car series set for VCO debut
- St. John’s tech company attracts $3.3-million investment for AI-based tech to coach gamers
- Best racing games of 2023
- Jardier and the future of Assetto Corsa Competizione | Traxion.GG Podcast S6 E7
- Racing Simulator Equipment Market 2023 Leading Competitors – G-Performance, Sim -Lab, MOZA Racing, Ricmotech
- Motorland Aragón Comes to iRacing Soon
- F1 23 Gameplay Deep Dive Showcases Driving and Handling Improvements
- Codemasters reveal first images of Las Vegas and Losail circuits in F1 23
- Gaming Career and Educational Opportunities on Offer at Gamerfest
- Rennsport Beta tease unveils prototype, official reveal expected at June Summit
- Limited amount of Rennsport Summit x ESL R1 tickets are available now
- A Billion Dollar Game: The Rise of the Esports and Gaming Sector
- Esports Stumble Forces Sports World Investors to Retrench—or Retreat
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.