Any sim racers out there?

[JohnK]

Are any of you into sim racing? I just got a sim racing rig and am having a blast trying out different cars. I'm working on learning Laguna Seca prior to doing the Skip Barber racing school there in March. Of course, the first car I loaded up in Assetto Corsa was the 427 Cobra. Talk about a tough car to drive. I must have stuffed that car into every wall on the track... multiple times. I then decided to dial it back and spend some time flogging an MX-5 cup car. What a blast that little car is to drive! I feel like I've learned so much from that car, as well as really working on my heel-toe downshifting and learning the track. I'm curious if any of you have driven the Cobra both in the sim and IRL on track, and how they compare?

[Namrups]

I sim raced on I-racing for years. Cobras/Daytonas were not an option there. That sucked. IMO I-racing had better physics but Assetto had better selection.

[JohnK]

Agreed. At the moment I'm focused more on working on skills and learning tracks and specific cars that are relevant to me, so AC is the better option. I need to get comfortable in a Mustang GT at Laguna Seca before Skip Barber. At some point I'll get more into racing so ACC or iRacing will be the better choice.

[Namrups]

I tried large flat screen monitor, triple flat screen monitors and VR. I felt that VR was the most immersive and I had my best results with.

[JohnK]

I'm currently running a single ultrawide (Odyssey G9 Neo 57") and like it a lot. It's a good compromise between ease of setup and field of view.

[fauxbra5.0]

Been sim racing for years at various levels - started with the original Gran-Turismo games on console with a controller, and graduated to GT5 with a wheel, pedal and seat. Was in the top 500 nationally when they announced the GT Academy, then moved up to iRacing for a few years. That sim was a blast. Tried AC as well for a bit, but I enjoyed iRacing a lot more. As life changed, I couldn’t justify the costs and we needed the room for a nursery.

still love racing games and sims, and for my bday this year my wife got me a PS5 and Gran Turismo 7. It has the Cobra and Daytona Coupe in it, and they’re a blast to drive…but a steep learning curve compared to the more modern cars. One of the benefits is I’m able to get a decent tune in the car to mimic the power and gearing of my future build, and play around in the paint designer to brainstorm ideas.

i saw that there’s also an update to AC coming out soon (ACEvo), which looks amazing.

[Peter Ross]

Long time sim racing fanatic, early Papyrus through iRacing. I took a break in 2020. A new rig is under construction, completion mid February. I like endurance racing. Hoping to be up and running in time for Sebring in March. My dream is to take the Coupe-R to Sebring.

This is a thread started last winter. https://thefactoryfiveforum.com/show...tion-Simulator

https://youtube.com/shorts/Mcsn3AfGF...9A61tKi125R1B-

[Dave 53]

I drove my 818 track car on Thunderhill West. The very next day, I went to a sim place and got on a sim for the first time. I drove a Lotus Elise on the same track. In real life, the Elise and 818 are very comparable.

My conclusion is the sim is fun on its own right, but it's a video game (is it offensive to call it a video game as opposed to a sim? Not meaning to offend anyone). I didn't think it translated to real life very well. Nothing wrong with enjoying a sim. I'm looking forward to doing it again some time. But, I'm not including any sim time on my resume of track experience. And I don't see it improving my real track driving much if any at all. I know some will disagree - just my experience.

Driving a real car on a track is expensive! A track day cost me about $700 when all goes well. When **** breaks (and something always breaks), add it to the tab. My last track day, my O2 sensor broke and sent shrapnel through the turbo. After a turbo rebuild, new sensor and gaskets, it was just under $1,000. The track day before that, it was time for a new clutch. And not a $120 Auto Zone clutch - a $700 South Bend track car clutch. The Motul oil that can handle the heat and other track stresses is $19 a liter.

Save your money and stick to the sim! It's too late to save me, but you can still save yourself!!!

[Peter Ross]

I drove my 818 track car on Thunderhill West. The very next day, I went to a sim place and got on a sim for the first time. I drove a Lotus Elise on the same track. In real life, the Elise and 818 are very comparable.

My conclusion is the sim is fun on its own right, but it's a video game (is it offensive to call it a video game as opposed to a sim? Not meaning to offend anyone). I didn't think it translated to real life very well. Nothing wrong with enjoying a sim. I'm looking forward to doing it again some time. But, I'm not including any sim time on my resume of track experience. And I don't see it improving my real track driving much if any at all. I know some will disagree - just my experience.

Driving a real car on a track is expensive! A track day cost me about $700 when all goes well. When **** breaks (and something always breaks), add it to the tab. My last track day, my O2 sensor broke and sent shrapnel through the turbo. After a turbo rebuild, new sensor and gaskets, it was just under $1,000. The track day before that, it was time for a new clutch. And not a $120 Auto Zone clutch - a $700 South Bend track car clutch. The Motul oil that can handle the heat and other track stresses is $19 a liter.

Save your money and stick to the sim! It's too late to save me, but you can still save yourself!!!

It is absolutely video gaming, nothing wrong calling a duck a duck. Within the grouping there is a significant difference between Ardcade gaming and simulation gaming. iRacing is more simulation. Asetto and the rest are very arcadish. Eye candy is not iRacing focus. IRacing is expensive, somewhat by design.
Hardware costs will shock you. The huge difference between "sim" racing and racing a real car is solitude. No family participation. Waking up at 2 am to run your stint in an endurance race does not go over well sometimes. Electric bill, need for highest speed internet and the noise.
Wheels are now direct drive servo motors with forces that can rip a thumb clean off your hand in a crash, Pedals are more complex than real race cars. Then there is the inane streaming costs for those who need to share while attempting to race.
Many use the "sim" to familiarize themselves with tracks they race real cars on.
While I agree with everything you addressed, real track time in my own car is a must. Big Bend or Silver States will do but I truly want to bounce around Sebring at least once.