Lando Norris shares his thoughts on how gaming boosts real-life racing skills in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup. You will also find more about Max Esterson’s amazing rise from sim racer to F2, the Prodigy Three Championship that places sim racers behind the wheel of Radical race cars in real-life competition and more.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Lando Norris explains in the video above how gaming helps him in real-life racing. “When you’re on a game, there is no risk but you’re getting more and more and that will continue to grow… you’ll be able to go into a real car and transfer the skills.”
I have mentioned the progress of sim racer turned Formula 2 driver Max Esterson numerous times in this column. He is a great example of someone parlayed sim racing into real-world racing success. Motorsport Magazine now asks the question, is he America’s unlikely next F1 star?
“Esterson’s FFord efforts were immortalised by iRacing, in tribute to his prowess behind the virtual wheel. His Ray FF1600 was recreated in the simulator programme for players to use, with his winning car scanned and then tuned in the game by Esterson to make it as realistic as possible.”
You can read the full feature here.
The Prodigy Three Championship kicked off last weekend at NOLA and here are some videos giving a taste of the event that put Racing Prodigy sim racers behind the wheel of Radical race cars in real-life competition.
While NASCAR truck racer Natalie Decker understands their benefit as useful practice for racers like getting used to a new track, the lines, and braking points, she is not necessarily a big fan.
“What it [iRacing] doesn’t do is give you that feeling in your butt that you need. In iRacing the car could handle completely differently than what your race car in real life is going to feel like,” she added.”
Read more at The Sports Rush.
Competitive Sim Racing News
Here are more headlines from the world of competitive sim racing
- Join 750 Motor Club’s winter Sim Racing Championship from November to February (750MC)
- Floki’s Valhalla partners with KICK F1 Sim Racing team (Esports Insider)
- F1 Star Max Verstappen Discusses Possibility Of NASCAR Appearance After Sim Racing Success (Newsweek)
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news, reviews, and recommendations from around the world
- Up your sim-racing effort with these racing simulators built inside an F1 car chassis (Game Reactor)
- Aston Martin Aramco launches simulator to recreate F1 racing (Travel Daily Media)
- Grab Our Favourite Beginner-Friendly Sim Racing Cockpit For A Steal (Car Throttle)
- Next Level Racing’s new Victory Cockpit might be the perfect way for new race sim drivers to up their driving game (ReadWrite)
- The Victory Simulator is Next Level Racing’s latest beginner cockpit (Traxion)
- 10% off Sim-Lab cockpits, seats, pedals and accessories this month (Traxion)
- Review: Conspit H.AO Button plate Hub (Box This Lap)
- Moza’s Lamborghini Essenza SCV12 Sim Racing Wheel Is A Thing Of Beauty (Car Throttle)
- Best Sim Racing Deals 2024: Early Black Friday Discounts (Racing Games)
- I just drove 5,000 miles with this $1,000 racing wheel — and it’s a sim-racer’s dream (Tom’s Guide)
- Sim racing doesn’t get any more challenging (Game Reactor)
- GT Omega’s Black Friday sale brings big savings on sim racing equipment (Traxion)
- Hairpin hero: Fanatec’s ClubSport Handbrake is currently going cheap (Traxion)
- Best PCs for sim racing 2024: Pre-built desktops for Forza, iRacing, Assetto Corsa, and more (Windows Central)
General Sim Racing News
- F1 Arcade set to open third U.S. venue in Denver next year (RACER)
- Hot Lap Racing Receives Patch 1.1.1 with New Support and Functionalities (Game Grin)
- Black Friday: 50% Off Signing Up For iRacing For the First Time (iRacing)
- Seven early access driving games to keep an eye on (Traxion)
- Expressions of interest, but no Motorsport Games sale yet (Traxion)
- iRacing to Reality: Chaz Draycott (iRacing)
- Assetto Corsa EVO: Successor or Companion? (Box This Lap)
- 10 Great Sim Racing Gift Ideas 2024 (Racing Games)
- Assetto Corsa Evo Will Finally Let You Choose Factory Options When Buying New Cars (The Drive)
- All Gas, No Brakes: Why Simulation Racing Isn’t for Me (Vice)
- ‘Sim 4 STEM’ program driving girls to pursue STEM careers in auto racing (NBC News)