For those of you not fully aware of the revolution that has happened over the past few years, SIM RACING has become incredibly immersive, realistic and popular.
I was made aware of the advancements when during the first few months of shelter at home, I turned on the tv and thought I was watching a rerun of an old indy race.
It took me a few minutes to realize, I was watching: Mario Andretti, Alonso, JPM, Button etc. racing virtually from their shelter of their homes and it was being broadcast on network tv.


(starts at 1:17.00)

I soon learned that many or most pros are sim racing regularly. Max V, etc. I was in a heat a few weeks ago with Rubens Barrichello.

I already had a PC which I built for VR so I decided to get a cockpit and wheel and give it a try. My first race was at Laguna Seca in the Skip Barber R/T2000 which is the track and car I used to race in real life.
I was in disbelief how realistic it was. The sounds, the physics and the racing was unbelievable.. I felt like I was back in Monterey and I was sweating through every corner. I forgot I was in a sim.
So I became an addict and started racing ALL THE TIME. And, I started upgrading my equipment.

Approximately $10,000 later this is where I landed with a new cockpit, direct drive wheel, ultra wide monitor, new PC, multiple wheels, shifters, load cell pedals, etc.

It is literally, THE BEST MONEY I HAVE EVER SPENT.

I would rather sit home on a Saturday and race in my sim than go out for a drive in my 993 or R8 V10spd. It the best driving and racing experience you could ever imagine.

(Still need to tuck away cables and do some design work... But I'm still dialing in equipment.)





If you are sim racing, say hi.

If you want to learn more about sim racing, ask away.

And I will say this a million times over... It's not a video game. It's a simulator. And it checks all the boxes.

 

I built a seat and platform with Fanatec gear years ago, just used PS4 and my big screen. Haven't done it in years, kids came.

Thinking about getting back into it, but iracing this time via PC and separate monitors.

What screen and frame are you using?

 

It's so much fun!!! Just got out of a wheel to wheel race and I'm sweating bullets.

What do you mean by frame? The rig? It's a Rseat Next Level 1. You need a solid frame to support my Fanatec DD1 which has a 20nm motor and can break your wrists..

My monitor is a Samsung 49" Ultrawide. I also have a Reverb G2 VR headset. I prefer the monitor.
I love the ultra wide but miss having a bigger field of view. Triples are amazing but also a lot more work.

If anyone is interested in a full build description, I can give it.

 

I have a sim rig, also Fanatec CSW and pedals with shifter mounted on a RSeat S1 frame. I mainly play in VR with a Steam VR, usually Assetto Corsa.

 

Yes rig, thanks. I just have a CSW 2.5.

The seamlessness of 1 monitor is good, but you say you get a bigger field of view with 3 monitors?

Post up a description, interested.

 

this looks really cool. assuming Win10 for the OS but what software for the simulation? and it's about 10k to build a rig like yours?

how much for the divorce? j/k

 

Might not be a joke! Haha....I'm thinking about running this past the wife. I'd prefer this to my wheeled platform setup and the big screen. But a 3 monitor has more presence and there's no out of the way spot in the basement.

 

the software is iRacing which is by far the software of choice for Sim Racing. But it’s intense. There are more relaxing ways to sim drive or race like Assetto Corso. But i like the intense racing.

- The Cockpit is a Rseat N1. Chosen to counter the massive power of the wheelbase.
- Wheelbase is a Fanatec DD1 with 20nm motor
- Pedals are Fanatec v3 load cell
- Shifter and Handbrake are Fanatec as well
- PC is an i9-10850k with 3080 graphics card
- Button boxes are DSD Track Boss
- Monitor is Samsung G9 49” UltraWide
- I have 3 different wheels I use
(a) Porsche 911 GT3 R with upgraded magnetic shifters
(b) Formula v2 with upgraded magnetic shifters
(c) Wheel Flat Rim 2 with upgraded magnetic shifters

I originally started racing in virtual reality using a Oculus CV1. I upgraded my computer to support a new HP Reverb G2 vr system. While I was waiting,
I bought a monitor for aesthetics and so my friends could try racing without VR. While I waited for my new VR I started racing on the monitor and found I enjoyed it way more. By the time the new VR headset came in I was disappointed with the lower quality graphics of VR and the cumbersome of wearing it. So now I race nearly exclusively on the UltraWide.

VR does have the best field of view cause you can just turn your head. Triple screens is second best as you get 3x 27” or bigger monitors vs 1x49” monitor but triple screens are a pain in the *** to setup and take up a ton of floor space. I would seriously consider doing triples if I had more room but I don’t.
Also, VR is way more immersive than anything else. You really feel like you are in the car. But it’s at the cost of graphics quality. Also, you sweat like a pig if you are racing in VR so it’s not that comfortable.

I mostly race in the Skip Barber Formula 2000 league which has races every hour on the :15.
There are usually 100+ drivers that are split into fields of 20 based on rating/skill.
Im currently racing in top split (against the fastest guys) and holding my own.

it’s an amazing community. And yeah, part of the reason me and my ex broke up was because of my sim racing. I told her she needed to find a hobby and leave me alone. Lol.

 

Hi!

That is a super cool setup!
I am afraid that if I go the sim route, I would never get out of my house but in these Covid times, we don't have a choice and we must stay at home so maybe that would be a good excuse :-D

I tried a VR headset with Assetto Corso and I felt carsick / wanted to vomit after 5 minutes: how did you handle that?
Also what do you think of 6 DOF seats?

 

I built a rig using fanatec DD1 wheel, pedals and shifter, and a recaro seat, and built the frame using custom ordered parts from tnutz.com. Works great! I'm actually using my oculus quest with it via oculus link, playing primarily assetto corsa or project cars.

The VR headset was a gamechanger for me. Being able to have depth perception, gauge braking zones and distance to turns and apexes, and also be able to look around left and right added so much more to the immersion. only thing lacking now is the g-forces.

next step is to get some 6dof seats, but man, they're pricey! oh and a fan blowing in my face with the speed linked to the speed of the VR car, haha.

 

I got into iRacing as well when COVID started and agree it's an absolute blast. I mostly race in the Ferrari GT3 spec series as the car settings are fixed so less time required to be competitive.

I went with the Fanatec DD1 base/Porsche wheel and the Heusinkveld Sprint Pedals and cockpit. I am using a 996 GT3 seat I had in the garage but need to swap that out - what seat are you using B-Line?

I am using VR (HP Reverb) as it felt much more realistic to look into corners, etc for me. It's definitely more work to set up than monitors.

It would be fun to do a 993 hosted iRace sometime -- we could use the 911 GT3 R car to keep it on topic for Porsche!

 

Are there any good models of the 993?
I played with Grand Turismo on PS3 for a while and tried to mod the RUF CTR to be like my 95 but it was never right. I could never see as far down the road as I could in real life and the absence of G=force showed me I'm a "seat-of-the-pants" driver. I guess you have to learn simulator skills a bit.

Having said that, don't know if you've seen the Formula One series (on Netflix currently) In S1:E5 10:50, there's a segment of Esteban Ocon practicing for his next race on a simulator. He's doing it with his eyes closed, talking through the actions and nailing a pretty good lap.
Blew my mind.

 

About two and half years ago an old friend, who has been racing a Sunbeam Tiger In SCCA for over thirty years, introduced me to iRacing. He uses iRacing partially for entertainment and partly to help his SCCA racing effort.
Wherever he is going to race he can practice on iRacing before he goes.

Two years ago I decided I would give iRacing a try but I didn’t want to make a huge investment into a lot of expensive equipment. So, I got a Logitech wheel/pedal set, a folding Playseat and using a desktop and monitor I already had and I launched my “career” as an iRacer. I did upgrade to a 1440p, 35” curved screen a year ago which I really like.

I raced for a long time, well over a year, primarily in various Mazda MX5 Global series. It’s a relatively low powered softly sprung race car but it teaches you about the importance pitch and roll, weight transfers, etc that are fundamental in understanding how those things affects the car and how you can use them to make the car do what you want it to do.
I have tried running various more powerful cars though out the first year and half but I could not get up to speed and could not get comfortable racing them until fairly recently. Another thing that has to be kept in mind is that if you want to climb the iRacing license ladder, you hesitate running in different series races if you’re not confident with the car. It took me two years but I was able to achieve A level license and I’m trying to achieve Pro level at the moment.

I really like the GT3and GT4 class racing at the moment, there are various series and my favorite part is that there are variety of cars you race against, McLarens, Ferraris, Ford GT Lambos, Porsches, Audi R8s, etc! Interestingly the faster cars with their heavier steering gives you a bit of a workout! I love it all! I have been a racing fan since the mid sixties, I’ve autoxed and ran at a track event once but I have wanted to race most of my life and I think iRacing has quenched much of that thirst!

I just want to add that it is staggering how much “feel” you can get from what you feel through the wheel, what you see and what you hear. I can “feel” the back end coming around!