Sim Racing and Esports are no longer a niche activity, nor are they just reserved for the hard core gamer. They can be used by race drivers to learn new tracks and develop racecraft or can be used by young drivers looking to build experience and a budget to prepare themselves for the real thing on track.
Every week I will highlight sim racing and esports news as it would relate to a race driver. Covering racing games will not be the focus of this column per se. I am looking more at how a race driver (or somebody aspiring to become one) can integrate sim racing into their driver development tool bag to help them excel both online and more importantly, offline on the real thing.
Sim Racing Series News
- The big news is the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual this weekend with some major names taking part. Max Verstappen, Juan Pablo Montoya lead the world-class 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual driver line-up. The W Series has entered an Esports team in addition to a host of other drivers from all over the racing spectrum who are gathering to compete online. Should be interesting!
- It has also been announced that the TireRack.com Road to Indy iRacing eSeries will return. The five-round schedule began January 12 and will culminate with an All-Star Invitational on March 2.
Software and Hardware Reviews
- Traxion gives their first impressions of iRacing’s Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance with a hands on review.
- Windows Central determines their best racing games for PC 2022.
- RaceFans discusses the motorsport games they’re most looking forward to in 2022
- RaceFans also reviews the Thrustmaster T248 steering wheel & pedals for those of you that are looking to dip your toes into sim racing for the first time.
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
- Ross Bentley over at Speed Secrets answers the question: What’s the best way to practice sim racing?
Sim Racing News
- There is no doubt that iRacing is the big fish in sim racing and they are expanding. They have purchased two game studios, Orontes Games and Monster Games. Will Playstation and XBox support be far behind?
- Lando Norris loves sim racing and Road & Track looks at The Making of Lando Norris’s Streaming Empire
- Sim Racing will never replace the real thing, but it can be a perfect entry for those who may never have considered motorsport before or could not afford to get into karting. Two drivers have demonstrated the potential for sim racing to prepare a driver for the real thing as sim-racing superstar Jimmy Broadbent returns with Praga for 2022 and championship-winning esports racer Cem Bolukbasi lands a Formula 2 drive with Charouz.
That’s it for this week’s round-up of sim racing news. If you are a sim racer, a racer who uses sim racing to hone your racecraft, a software or hardware developer, please do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to be featured in Motorsport Prospect’s Sim Racing and Esports News. Thank you!
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.
