Sim Racing, do you?

[kav]

I was wondering if other Pelican members are into sim racing?

I like many others started during lockdown, around April of this year. I got a Thrustmaster T300 RS wheel and pedal kit as a gift from Mrs Kav ($400). I played with it clamped to a desk running Assetto Corsa on a PS4.

I really enjoyed it and thought I should move up to the next level. I bought a 4K 42” TV from Best Buy for $235 and decided to build a rig out of 2x4’s and 3/4” MDF. The materials including black paint cost $50.

The design and construction was all based around a spare Recaro from the 911 and the 42” TV. I did not want to mount the TV but have it sit on a flat surface, a desk basically which I could bolt the wheel to and house the PS4 and a PC maybe. (If I played enough)

Home built by Jeff did a great video on building a very simple sim rig from lumber with two rails which the seat mounted to. I laid it all out with the seat position, wheel distance / height and TV which was comfortable for me. The whole setup is very compact only taking up 5ft x 3ft 3in of valuable garage space! The seat and pedal box are adjustable so Lily can play too.

Since completing the rig and using it quite a bit I've upgraded it since the initial inception. Biggest update was going to a PC and playing iRacing. Again I bought an off the shelf PC from Best Buy for right around 1K which runs iRacing in 4K at 84fps. I added a gated shifter for that old school experience and a simple tray to mount the keyboard that folds away.

I’m currently working my way through the road iRacing licensing and hold a B! Going for my A this season! I love racing at night after a long day at work and the family is safely tucked up in bed!

Yes I still get out and drive The Canary as much as possible but when it’s not convenient jumping on the sim and racing MX5’s with a whole bunch of people all over the world is a huge amount of fun!

Hope to see you out there in the real and virtual world Pelicans!

Here are some pictures of my setup to hopefully inspire others to join in the fun!

Happy Halloween!

-Kav

[megerian]

Very cool - do you have the option to either use the gated shifter or paddle shifters directly on the wheel?

[gazzerr]

Kav you must be a PCA Member. Join the PCA Sim Racing League - http://www.pcasimracing.com

[kav]

Originally Posted by megerian

Very cool - do you have the option to either use the gated shifter or paddle shifters directly on the wheel?

Yes you do but in iRacing most of the cars themselves dictate the H-pattern or sequential paddle shifting. I race a Rookie series of Formula Vee cars which use the gated shifter, that series is so much fun!

I race in the Fanatec GT series in a Porsche 911 GT3 R obviously with the paddle shifters. That car sounds incredible! You can also add a custom livery!

All good fun!

Cheers!

-Kav.

[kav]

Originally Posted by gazzerr

Kav you must be a PCA Member. Join the PCA Sim Racing League - http://www.pcasimracing.com

Yes I am! I will check that out, exciting!

Cheers!

-Kav.

[Ovis]

Hey Kavs,

Good to see another Iracer on here. Here is a picture of my rig, which also uses an old Recaro seat out of a Porsche. While I mostly partake in the left hand turn racing, I do envy the guys that are good enough for the road courses. I built my rig during the initial Covid lockdowns, although I've been on Iracing for over 10 years now off and on.

Also, while I have a reason to say thanks, I just wanted to thank you for your Canary file video's. I am in the process of getting ready to attempt the rebuild on my early 911 motor, and your videos have proved invaluable for giving me an idea what I am in for. Thank you for that, and if you don't mind, I would love to pick your brain sometime when I start reassembling the motor.

[ted]

Iracing on my Sim too.
If you have a butt kicker those soft chairs must soften the kicker?

Really helps to have 400 practice laps on a track before really racing on it.
Was on it last night practicing my left foot braking for this weekend with VARA.
Mine has VR but I prefer the screens.

[kav]

Originally Posted by Ovis

Hey Kavs,

Good to see another Iracer on here. Here is a picture of my rig, which also uses an old Recaro seat out of a Porsche. While I mostly partake in the left hand turn racing, I do envy the guys that are good enough for the road courses. I built my rig during the initial Covid lockdowns, although I've been on Iracing for over 10 years now off and on.

Also, while I have a reason to say thanks, I just wanted to thank you for your Canary file video's. I am in the process of getting ready to attempt the rebuild on my early 911 motor, and your videos have proved invaluable for giving me an idea what I am in for. Thank you for that, and if you don't mind, I would love to pick your brain sometime when I start reassembling the motor.

Ovis your rig is very cool! I love the use of the Recaro and the triple screens! I haven't tried the Oval racing yet, I hear it's quite difficult with lots of crashes? I think lockdown has contributed to an explosion of sim racers! I'm sure iRacing is doing very well as it's not cheap to buy the cars and tracks. I try to keep my spending to a minimum!

Good luck with your rebuild! Glad the video's helped, yes you could buy a 'state of the art' sim rig for the price of your rebuild but there's nothing like acually getting out and driving!

Subscribe to 'Klassikats' on the Youtubes. Watch Kurt a professional Porsche mechanic rebuild an engine in great detail! Amazing work and lovely people.

Cheers!

-Kav.

[kav]

Originally Posted by ted

Iracing on my Sim too.
If you have a butt kicker those soft chairs must soften the kicker?

Really helps to have 400 practice laps on a track before really racing on it.
Was on it last night practicing my left foot braking for this weekend with VARA.
Mine has VR but I prefer the screens.

Wow Ted! Look at that setup! 'Butt kicker'? Is that a speaker under the chair? No nothing like that, simple wood frame for now. Totally agree you need lots of laps before joining an actual race to be competitive. There are so many amazing drivers out there! I'm not the fastest guy out there but can be very consistent which often places me higher in the field unless I crash!

I would love to try VR! I've been involved in a few VR experiences through work and I'm comfortable in the headset. The triple monitors look interesting too. I notice you and Ovis have the Fanatec V3 pedals, how do you like them? I think that would be my next upgrade. (Will write to Santa!)

Cheers!

-Kav.

[ted]

Originally Posted by kav

Wow Ted! Look at that setup! 'Butt kicker'? Is that a speaker under the chair?
I notice you and Ovis have the Fanatec V3 pedals, how do you like them? I think that would be my next upgrade. (Will write to Santa!)

Yes the butt kicker is under the chair.
Takes a big amplifier and it really adds to the real feel.

Very happy with the pedals the next upgrade imho would be going to juice brakes.
I have my Sim brake pedal set very firm just like on my race cars.

Also happy with the direct drive Accu-drive SimXperience steering set up.
Be careful crashing a sprint car (no detached retinas or red eye) feels like it could rip out your thumbs.
I log on to I-racing through Sim Commander as it powers SimXperience products.

Thankfully I have a sim racing buddy that is in charge of IT at a large hospital.
He gets credit for choosing the parts and helping maintain and upgrade everything.

He has VR and a motion chair, my stomach just can't handle both of those at once.

[Ovis]

Originally Posted by kav

Ovis your rig is very cool! I love the use of the Recaro and the triple screens! I haven't tried the Oval racing yet, I hear it's quite difficult with lots of crashes? I think lockdown has contributed to an explosion of sim racers! I'm sure iRacing is doing very well as it's not cheap to buy the cars and tracks. I try to keep my spending to a minimum!

Good luck with your rebuild! Glad the video's helped, yes you could buy a 'state of the art' sim rig for the price of your rebuild but there's nothing like acually getting out and driving!

Subscribe to 'Klassikats' on the Youtubes. Watch Kurt a professional Porsche mechanic rebuild an engine in great detail! Amazing work and lovely people.

Cheers!

-Kav.

Thanks for the tip on Klassikats, I'll definitely check them out. As far as the oval racing goes, yes, there tends to be lots of wrecks, especially when you are first starting in the lower levels. But once you get your Irating up and you are in the better splits, the racing is much butter.

I love the Fanatec pedals. Next big purchase will be a direct drive wheel, but for now all that extra money is going towards the 911 in the garage.

[rattlsnak]

Join the PCA sim racing league and get an Oculus VR headset. Your entire experience will change for the better..

[Cory M]

Kav- what do you think of the PlayStation versus Iracing? I know Iracing should be more realistic and better competition, but I'm out in the sticks here and I don't think my broadband internet speed is sufficient.

[quickxotica]

I started iRacing years ago, on triple screens. It was fussy and had a tiny sweetspot. Didn't become addicted - eventually gave up.

About 18 months ago I tried a buddy's VR headset for iRacing. OMG. Way more immersive. Hooked. Now I have an HP Reverb G2, 3080 graphics card, Simucube DD wheelbase and Heusinkveld pedals, and I play exclusively in VR (when life allows). There's no substitute for being able to move your head in the car. Plus, after a session I can tuck the wheelstand away... can't do that with a big triple monitor setup.

[kav]

Originally Posted by rattlsnak

Join the PCA sim racing league and get an Oculus VR headset. Your entire experience will change for the better..

I will do all those things!

Cheers!

-Kav.

[kav]

Originally Posted by Cory M

Kav- what do you think of the PlayStation versus Iracing? I know Iracing should be more realistic and better competition, but I'm out in the sticks here and I don't think my broadband internet speed is sufficient.

Hey Cory, I really enjoyed the console racing. Assetto Corsa on the PS4 is fantastic! The draw of iRacing is how well their online racing works. Jumping into their servers to race with real people from all over the world at matching ability levels is incredible I have to say.

Cheers!

-Kav.

[kav]

Originally Posted by quickxotica

I started iRacing years ago, on triple screens. It was fussy and had a tiny sweetspot. Didn't become addicted - eventually gave up.

About 18 months ago I tried a buddy's VR headset for iRacing. OMG. Way more immersive. Hooked. Now I have an HP Reverb G2, 3080 graphics card, Simucube DD wheelbase and Heusinkveld pedals, and I play exclusively in VR (when life allows). There's no substitute for being able to move your head in the car. Plus, after a session I can tuck the wheelstand away... can't do that with a big triple monitor setup.

I like all the things you are saying!!

I feel like I may fall into 'The Oasis', playing for days non stop, asking my children to spoon feed me baby food while I'm immersed, suspended from wires to combat the Recaro sores and only coming back to change the 'depends'. (You can go in those things multiple times yes?)

Cheers,

-Ferdinand917 (as I'm known as in the virtual world)

[gazzerr]

With a DD wheel base and Heusinkveld pedals it's real work. I've done a couple of 24 hr races with a team of 4 and I was absolutely exhausted after that. A 30 minute race with a fast field is a real workout.

[2jmotorsports]

This is an awesome way to have your race car dream garage and drive the crap out of it.

Real talk. Does VR seat time help you when you finally hit the track for real?

[ted]

Originally Posted by 2jmotorsports

This is an awesome way to have your race car dream garage and drive the crap out of it.

Real talk. Does VR seat time help you when you finally hit the track for real?

Yes it helps, even if it's just with monitors it helps.
It helps more if you can Sim practice on the track you are going to next.
Helps develop muscle memory.

Sim work ahead of a race weekend on the same track will make your first session on the real track feel like it's actually your second or third session on the track.
Real driver confidence boost.

I practice with a Sim car that shifts at the same points my real race car shifts.
Using a C7 Vette Le Mans car and only use 3/4/5 gears and short shift at 7200k.
The gearing is close at 165mph 7400rpm although the lap times are a few seconds quicker.

Though I haven't made Sim car changes and then tried them on my real race car it is possible...
A buddy was an engineer for Childress racing back in the early Iracing days and they found changes made to the Iracing cars created similar changes as in real race cars.
F1 during a race weekend has Sim drivers back at the factory on Sims experimenting with car set ups.