What skills are transferable from sim racing to motorsport? This is often answered in the From Sim Racing to the Real Thing section of my Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup and has prompted a discussion and debate that I discuss this week.
While Scott McLaughlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr agree on the benefits of using sim racing as a training tool for real world motorsport, I bring you two great videos that put sim racers behind the wheel of real race cars. I also bring you the latest competitive sim racing news and views, sim racing tips from James Baldwin, sim racing rigs for beginners and more.
All this in this week’s Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Alpine Esports Series 2021 & 2022 Champions Jaroslav “Jardier” Honzik and James Baldwin claim their prize. The two go full send on the Magny-Cours track, living out an incredible driving experience in the Alpine A110 GT4.
Sign up for the Alpine Esports Series: https://bit.ly/AES23SignUp
Qualifiers run on Assetto Corsa Competizione from 27 March – 10 April. Enter to win your share of $60k in Alpine Fan Tokens and an unforgettable pro racing experience.
Follow Alpine Esports:
🐦 https://twitter.com/AlpineEsports/
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🔗 https://linktr.ee/alpineesports
The tweet above from Indycar driver Scott McLaughlin led to a great article and follow-up in the comments over at Race Department where Angus Martin asks the question, What Skills are Transferable from Simracing to Motorsport?
By the way, Dale Earnhardt Jr agrees with Scott. “The former NASCAR driver did admit that he had felt that way sometimes in his racing career. That is why he was glad to hear Reddick’s response that sim racing has become a bigger tool, and that it is important that they treat it professionally and squeeze every ounce of information they can.”
Two members of Race Department took to the track in a real Ginetta G40 and described the experience and how it compares to sim racing. “One thing we found is how difficult it is to process the extra information you are getting compared to sim racing. Generally when racing with a wheel on the PC you are getting feedback from the wheel, what you are seeing on screen and the sounds you are hearing. In the real thing you are also being assaulted by g forces. These obviously help you feel what the car is doing more than on a sim but it’s something else to get used to and learn to process.”
Can a sim drifter drive a real 900bhp championship-winning Nissan Silvia s15? Watch the video above to find out.
Competitive Sim Racing News
Gamer, journalist and advocate for inclusive gaming communities, Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen spoke with Centennial Beauty to break down the albeit slow but shifting attitudes towards women entering spaces traditionally looked at as ‘boys clubs’ such as the F1 fandom and gaming spaces, including the crossover present in the motorsport gaming category.
SRO Motorsports America and Ash Vandelay present the SRO: PIT PASS live on Twitch Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m. The multi-hour program will break down all details of the upcoming Sonoma Raceway powered by CrowdStrike weekend.
Vandelay brings her brand of infotainment to the show and will introduce new and upcoming motorsport stars that will take to the grid Sonoma Raceway weekend. Vandelay hosts the SRO: PIT PASS from Vandelay Industries, which may or may not look like her home office.
A new professional sim racing management service, PACENOTE, has been launched that looks to help both drivers and businesses entering the space with advice, mentoring and organizational services.
“If you’re a talent and you want advice. If you’re player and you want help with your contract, let’s say. Or if you’re a business and you want to gain some strategy advice [or] understand sim racing… where would you go?” asks Tobin Leigh, PACENOTE’s founder and Director, highlighting the dearth of professional sim racing agencies in the industry. “I don’t think there’s any obvious place where you can go for help, and that is why I’m launching PACENOTE. [It’s] designed to be a one-stop shop for anyone that needs help in sim racing,” he continued.
More information regarding PACENOTE can be found on its website.
Here are more headlines from the world of competitive sim racing:
- Logitech G Pro Invitational to kickstart new national Esports Cups in Australia
- Sim Racing: podium for BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION
- BMW M SIM Cup: #4 URANO claims second win at Sebring, #20 Redline victorious in GT3 class
- Logitech McLaren G Challenge: McCormack and Kundackcioglu emerge as EMEA and NA winners
- ESL R1: Bennett seals convincing Round 3 win for Team Redline
- The state of eNASCAR with Elliott Sadler Esports’ Co-Owner Seth Reiter
- Cheating In Sim Racing: Rampant
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
James Baldwin explains how to be fast in both an F1 & GT car in the video above.
Sim Racing Setups has put together this Beginners Sim Racing Setup Guide – Ultimate Guide 2023. “In this ultimate beginners guide, I’m going to look at how to create a sim racing setup, and how to get started sim racing. I’ll show you all of the components that go into building a sim racing setup, to help you get up and running.”
Spark Simulators and Blayze Coaching have announced a partnership with full details available in the video above.
Don’t forget that Motorsport Prospects readers get a special discount on Blayze services using this code.
Moza has introduced a new suite of wheelbase setting guides that they have created in collaboration with Boosted Media. “These guides are the result of meticulous research and testing to help you improve your racing skills and achieve better results. Our goal is to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to take your performance to the next level.” Check out the MOZA wheelbase setting guide here.
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Race Cars Direct is offering a professional driving simulator for sale. “Fiberglass black formula chassis 4 axes movement with ventilation system, F1/F2 stile steering wheel fully adjustable, real feel break pedal and fully adjustable, 3 monitors, 1 fully adjustable multi monitor frame, 1 desktop PC. Upgradable to any other Formula, Prototype or Sport car if needed.”
Full details can be found here.
Coming soon is SimTrader, “the first dedicated classifieds website for sim racing enthusiasts looking to buy or sell their sim racing gear. The website will be fully operational soon but until it does, you can sign up for notifications and join them on Discord here.
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news and reviews from around the world.
- The Best Sim Racing Cockpits To Make Your Virtual Races More Immersive
- This Is The Best Forza Horizon 5 Controller
- Best Racing Wheels 2023: Ultimate Buyers Guide
General Sim Racing News
- ACC | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 also confirmed for April
- The Best Simracing Games for VR
- Rumor: WRC 2023 Is Going To Be Announced Soon
- Motorsport Games to Report Fourth Quarter of 2022 & Full Year 2022 Financial Results
- 12 free mobile racing games to check out in 2023
- Racing Simulator Equipment Market Sales Growth Rate Comparison by Type
- Hands-on with Need for Speed Unbound Volume 2: the fightback begins
- A New Assetto Corsa Is Drifting Its Way To 2024
- Assetto Corsa 2 gets a release window
- Next Assetto Corsa set for ‘spring’ 2024 release
- Forza Horizon 5 Season Change: Born to be Wild
- SIM Steering Wheel Market Size Predicted to Increase at a Positive CAGR | Fanatec,SimSteering,Precision Sim Engineering
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.