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Build your own sim racing cockpit10/5/2023 The answer to that question will go a long way towards establishing your budget. Are you a gamer who’s going to be racing friends on a random weeknight? Or are you grassroots/pro racer using it to train for your next race or track day? (Image/GTR Simulator) What Should You Know Before Buying a Racing Simįirst and foremost, Howard explains, you should figure out what you’ll be using your rig for. (If you’ve ever squished your body into anything resembling a Formula car, then you already know what we’re talking about here.) Howard tells us that having the ability to adjust the seat and controls is a huge, huge plus for letting folks of all ages enjoy the sim. And Howard stresses the importance of having a sturdy, rigid support system that allows the driver to be seated in an authentic driving position for a truly immersive simulator experience. The second is the frame and the simulator seat. (We’ll go over things like steering wheels, pedals, and handbrakes in detail momentarily.) The first part is the racing simulator controls. Howard uses the word “rig” to refer to the structural apparatus that holds the driver, along with the related peripherals, like the steering wheel, pedals, monitors, etc.Īnd to better understand it all, Howard breaks a simulator rig down into two distinct components: While this particular one is decked out with some optional accessories, Howard explains that many sims are modular and you can build them up as your interest grows. Here’s one of GTR Simulator’s GTA Pro rigs. That’s where a good racing simulator rig comes in. Go ahead and scroll up to read it-we’ll wait.īut software with hyper-realistic graphics, authentic sounds, and accurate handling characteristics is only part of the story here-you still need a competent apparatus to experience it with. In fact, you should probably go check out that article on iRacing that we linked to in the beginning of this story to see what we mean. If your last experience with a racing simulator is feeding quarters into the Pole Position machine at your local laundromat, prepare yourself for a quantum leap in realism here. (Image/GTR Simulator) What is a Racing Sim? A quality racing simulator offers an authentic racing experience, where audio, video, and other sensory elements converge. ![]() In fact, Howard says the whole idea for GTR Simulator came about as he was looking for a way to practice, without the need (or expense) to log a bunch of seat time in a real race car.Īnd as you’d imagine, in order be used as a legit practice tool, the racing simulation has to be as authentic as possible. Better still, he’s got a Rolodex full of current race car drivers that he calls upon to offer insight into his racing sim development. Now retired from racing, Howard spends his time designing professional-spec racing simulators. Not only is Howard the founder of GTR Simulator, he’s an experienced racer with plenty of seat time in the cockpit of serious race cars, particularly in the former Grand Am Road Racing Series. Now we’re going to take a closer look at some of the hardware you’ll need to start building a pro-spec racing simulator rig.Īnd to do that, we’ve enlisted the help of Howard Yang. (Image/GTR Simulator)Ī while back, we wrote an article about the latest evolution of online virtual racing, and you can check that out here: iRacing 101: The Ins and Outs of iRacing ![]() ![]() Suffice it to say, he knows a thing or two about what a real racing experience is like. Here’s an old photo of Howard from his racing days.
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