Why I Enjoy Sim Racing

Whenever I discuss sim racing with my friends, they usually ask me the same question: "Why do you plunk down so much money towards sim racing?" (I have invested about $2000 over the past 5 years), and that question does get me thinking.

Why do I enjoy the racing so much, that I invest the amounts I do into it, and plan on investing more over the years? What is it that drives me (no pun intended) to try to maximize the experience out of it? Why do I sim race?

I will attempt to answer these questions in this post, but it's pretty tough to put it into words some of the reasons I enjoy Sim Racing so much, it basically comes down to trying it for yourself. I hope you enjoy this post!



Part One: Cost
One of the first reasons I enjoy sim racing is, despite being able to dump loads of cash into it, you can also get into it for a fairly reasonable price. One of the prime wheels, the Logitech Driving Force GT, can be had for as little as $100 at times. My first wheel, the Logitech NASCAR, was $50! However, once you start moving up in quality, it really can add up.

However, even when you invest in an all out setup (some have invested upwards of $30,000), it is still less expensive than running a real life car in a season, and real life is only limited to one car, but I'll get to that in the next part.

Part Two: Variety
The beauty of sim racing is that you can race virtually almost any kind of car you can think of, be it a Fiat 500, or a Ferrari 458 Italia, or even a Monster Truck! There are also multitudes of different simulators, each with their own different variety of simulated series. You can attempt to be the reincarnation of Richard Burns in a rally simulator, Run door to door with Sebastian Vettel in Formula One, and wreck Kyle Busch (and make many people very happy) all in the same day!

Part Three: Difficulty
A lot of people will dismiss racing's difficulty due to the fact that "everyone over 16 drives a car" or some reason like that. Well most humans walk, but does that mean they are all capable of running the Boston Marathon?

I have had friends test out my simulator, and they entered with expectations that it would be simple, but come out of it haven't even been able to turn a lap, and with a whole new respect for racing. Racing requires a whole different focus and mindset than driving a car somewhere, and that is something that improves with seat time.

However, even when you are comfortable in a racing environment, you will always be on a ragged edge, one that will cut if you go too far, and will punish you, but will also push you to your limits, and to become a better driver.

In many arcade racing games, the driving physics are simplified, and they add tasks on top of driving, like doing insane jumps, smashing boxes, escaping police, etc. In racing simulators, you get a sense of accomplishment by just finishing a race, and when you nail a set of corners, you will have a grin on your face.

Part Four: Competition
For the same reasons millions of people are hooked on First Person Shooters, competition runs rampant in racing games. When you boil it down to bare essentials, the goal of racing is to beat the guy next to you, and if there's nobody in front of you, keep it that way!

You can definitely race against AI opponents, but in my opinion, nothing beats the idea of racing door to door with a fellow human, in a high speed chess match, trying to place your car in the right position to get that extra MPH out of your car to inch ahead of your opponent.

For racing simulators, racing door to door against a fellow driver can provide a huge adrenaline rush. iRacing has one of the best multiplayer systems (think of it as the Call of Duty of Racing Simulators), and there have been plenty of races that have had me shaking due to the rush I got from racing hard for 20+ minutes!

You can also find a league to race in, and compete in championships for cash and prizes if that is something you would be interested in.

Part Five: Immersion
One of the reasons I feel sim racing trumps other forms of video games is that you are able to immerse yourself inside your environment unlike any other game.

You can play Madden, but you don't throw the football, you play Call of Duty but you aren't pointing a gun, you play NHL, but you aren't deking or doing a slapshot. In sim racing, however, you can actually operate a steering wheel, pedals, and shifter, like in a real car. You are able to reach a level of immersion that is all but unheard of in other games, which is something I really enjoy.



All of these are good reasons as to why I enjoy Sim Racing, but I feel like it's trying to describe how it would feel to drive a Ferrari, but the best way to find out how Sim Racing is so enjoyable is to try it for yourself.

I would also love to hear why you guys enjoy Sim Racing in the comments down below! :D

I hope you enjoyed this article, and Happy Racing!