Joshua Rogers, who has built his reputation as a talented sim racer, shined in his real-world racing debut, and I have the details in this week’s Sim Racing Roundup. You will also learn how a sim had a role in Ty Gibbs recent NASCAR win, how sims help learn new tracks and more!
Overview
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Sim Racer Joshua Rogers Makes Impressive Motorsport Debut
Coanda Esports driver Joshua Rogers made his real-world motorsport debut over the weekend, piloting a Porsche Cayman to three podiums at Donington Park.
Joining the ever-growing legion of sim-to-real racers, which includes the likes of Max Verstappen protege Chris Lulham, sports car ace Tim Heinemann and NASCAR Sprint Cup frontrunner William Byron, Rogers piloted a Porsche Cayman (718) GT4 RS Clubsport in the BTCC-supporting series.
Competing in the main RS Pro category, Rogers was immediately on the pace during Donington Park’s opening practice sessions and topped the timesheets ahead of qualifying, where he placed himself on the front row, just over a tenth off pole position.
“The transition from simulation to circuit represents a key evolution in modern driver development. Joshua Rogers’ RS Pro debut with Team Parker Racing highlights Porsche Motorsport’s commitment to identifying, preparing and supporting talent across both digital and physical disciplines.”
Read how he did in the races at Traxion here.
Ty Gibbs Wins at Bristol: A NASCAR Simulator Story
On April 12, 2026, Ty Gibbs crossed the finish line at Bristol Motor Speedway 0.055 seconds ahead of Ryan Blaney to claim his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory, on 95-lap-old tires, in overtime, with the whole field pushing hard behind him. Wins like that are built long before race day. For Ty, that preparation started in 2017, when Joe Gibbs Racing first invested in a SimCraft APEX for his driver development. This is that story.
Dynisma to Supply Simulator Technology to Envision Racing Formula E Team
Dynisma will supply its high‑performance DMG‑1 driving simulator to Envision Racing, strengthening the team’s Driver‑in‑the‑Loop programme as it prepares for the ABB FIA Formula E Gen4 era. The ultra‑low latency, high‑fidelity simulator will help drivers and engineers maximise performance with limited on‑track practice time in Season 13.
At Street Tracks, Sim Prep May Mean More
A key part of a professional driver program is simulator work. While that’s not new, it can be more helpful at some circuits than others.
There’s a decent number of Long Beach rookies in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition this year, at a track where Friday’s first practice marks the first time anyone runs on the track in a calendar year.
Nearly a quarter of the field – 13 of the 56 drivers (Laurin Heinrich, Julien Andlauer, Frederik Vesti, Felipe Fraga, Valentin Hasse-Clot, Rory van der Steur, Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello, Mason Filippi, Andrea Caldarelli, Zachary Vanier, Jake Walker, Henrik Hedman, Giacomo Altoè) in the 28 cars – made their first WeatherTech Championship Long Beach appearance in last weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
With that lack of experience factored in, learning and quickly understanding the nature of the ever-evolving 1.968-mile, 11-turn street circuit is key to success at the circuit. The IMSA website explains how they use simulators to get up to speed.
“The simulation is the closest replacement we can get for physically testing at the track, and it’s one of the processes that is integral in our preparation for the race weekends, is the driving simulator. As a team, we invest heavily financially in making it the closest it can be, but also (maximizing it) from a time perspective. Julien doesn’t live in Germany; he flies all over the world. Felipe flies all over the world, too. They put forth the effort to be in Weissach, to put the simulator time in to be prepared, and it’s the best thing we’ve got. It’s quite a good model, and we’ve tuned it over the past three or four years to where it’s very repeatable and applicable, and can transfer to the track.”
Simulators: The Future for Drivers? AI & Racing Insights
In today’s racing world, simulator time isn’t optional—it’s essential. AI research tools speed up preparation, while constant simulator practice gives competitors an edge. Stay ahead or fall behind.
Bad Sim Training Builds Slow Drivers
The Pure Performance Group explains how bad sim training builds slow race drivers. You can read their explanation in their Instagram post here.
5 Things Pro Drivers Do On the Sim
Outdrive GP explains the 5 things that pro drivers do on the sim. Read their Instagram post here and ask yourself, which one are you working on first?
Competitive Sim Racing News
Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Returns, Over $500,000 in Prizes Available
Skip Barber Racing School has announced the return of the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series for the 2026 season. With more than $500,000 in combined prizes on the line, the series continues Skip Barber’s mission of bridging the gap between sim racing and real-world motorsports. Competitors will chase the ultimate prize: a fully funded seat in the 2027 Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
To be eligible for the grand prize, drivers must be at least 14 years of age by the start of the 2026 Skip Barber Formula Race Series and be eligible for a USAC racing license. All official communications, rule updates, and race-day support are hosted on the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Discord server. For more information and to register, click here.
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
Yuri’s Guide to Ranking Up Fast in iRacing
Everything you need to know to get out of iRacing Rookies and start climbing the ranks.
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Apex GT: The Ultimate Sim Racing Experience Revealed
General Sim Racing News
- iRacing: Everything We Know About iRacing’s New Graphics Engine in 2026 (Box This Lap)
- This Week in iRacing | April 14th to April 20th, 2026 (iRacing)
- MOZA Racing Joins Drift Masters for 2026 Season as Technology Partner (Moza Racing)
- Formula Legends recreates Formula E grid in miniature form (Traxion)
- Rennsport’s first update of 2026 delayed again amid publishing switch (Traxion)
- RENNSPORT: new strategy, a delay until May, and a focus on stability (Box This Lap)
- Assetto Corsa EVO Early Access 0.6 Out Now (Assetto Corsa)
- Assetto Corsa EVO: Low Fuel Motorsport Launches Its First Competitive Beta (Box This Lap)
- Assetto Corsa EVO 0.6: Optimal Force Feedback settings for Fanatec, Simucube and Moza (Box This Lap)
- JDM: Japanese Drift Master eases the wait for Forza Horizon 6 on PS5 (Traxion)
- Gran Turismo 7’s April ‘26 update includes the world’s fastest car (Traxion)
- Ground set to break on Australia’s largest sim racing facility (Torque Cafe)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a 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.
